Portion Control (band)


Portion Control are a British electronic and industrial band from South London, formed in 1979. The original incarnation of the group existed until 1987; they reformed in 2002.
The band pioneered the use of sampling and were acclaimed for their use of the Apple II computer based Greengate DS3 sampling and sequencing system. They have been cited as an influence on Front Line Assembly, Skinny Puppy, Orbital and Nine Inch Nails.

History

Portion Control formed in 1979 with a line-up of Dean Piavani, Ian Sharp and John Whybrew.
The trio's first release, the cassette-only A Fair Portion, was issued in 1980 by Ladelled Music, followed by three further cassettes on In Phaze Records, Gaining Momentum and Private Illusions No 1 and With Mixed Emotion .
Author S. Alexander Reed, in his book Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music, said that Portion Control's early sound "blends innocuously with the moodier moments of Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle", and at times "demonstrated a gift for gritty, teethgrinding distortion, not unlike Esplendor Geometrico".
Their first full-length vinyl release, I Staggered Mentally, was released 22 November 1982 by In Phaze. Further albums included ..Step Forward and Psycho-Bod Saves the World.
In January 1984, Portion Control recorded a Peel Session.
In 1987, the band ended. All three founding members reorganized in 1990 as Solar Enemy, releasing two albums before splitting in 1993.
Piavanni and Whybrew reformed Portion Control in 2002, and self-released their first reunion album, Wellcome, in 2004.

Members

;Current
;Former

Studio albums