After compiling numerous anthologies charting the evolution of synth pop and post-punk,
Cherry Red explores the harder side of alternative dance music with the three-disc
Control I'm Here: Adventures on the Industrial Dance Floor 1983-1990. Like a lot of the label's genre deep-dives, the set touches on several different scenes and movements within a larger whole, aiming to demonstrate the range of styles produced within the era. Lots of big names and influential figures are present, including groups synonymous with EBM such as
Nitzer Ebb and
Front 242, but the focus is often on deep cuts or extended 12" mixes rather than hits. Case in point: the compilers went with
Twitch-era
Ministry, rather than the group's early synth pop incarnation or the heavy, guitar-driven sound they became best known for. Several tracks come from groups who have made much noisier or more experimental material (and the
Hunting Lodge and
Esplendor Geométrico selections are still pretty abstract), but are captured here in beat-heavy mode.
Controlled Bleeding's "The Fodder Song" could easily be mistaken for something by
Skinny Puppy (who are noticeably absent, maybe due to licensing issues), the
Severed Heads track comes from their synth pop-influenced era when they were signed to
Nettwerk, and
SPK's "Seduction" is bouncy electro-disco with slap bass. The set delves further into machine funk with cuts like
Age of Chance's cover of "Kiss" by
Prince, and the detached P-Funk groove of
Nocturnal Emissions' "No Separation." A few tracks flirt with hip-hop-style sampling and breakbeats, particularly
the Jackal's "Underneath the Arches," while
Meat Beat Manifesto are represented by the furious industrial rap of "I Got the Fear (Titanium Mix)." Danceable moments from goth groups like
Attrition and
Sisters of Mercy are included, plus a typically fun and edit-heavy remix by the underrated
Alien Sex Fiend. Some of the biggest surprises include an unexpectedly hard song by
the Shamen, years before they became one of the biggest crossover successes of the early rave scene, and an incredible cut-up beat collage by
Screaming Trees -- not the grunge group but an obscure act from Sheffield who also recorded as
Success, and were sampled on the first
Nine Inch Nails album. The
Test Dept. and
Die Krupps tracks address the political climate during the Gulf War, and
the Cassandra Complex's "Beyond Belief" is the obligatory track based on ironic samples of a zealous Southern Baptist preacher. The jokey faux-rap of
the Dave Howard Singers' "Yon Yonson" feels like a failed comedy sketch, and
the Weathermen's "Poison" can't seem to decide if it's being funny or offering serious political commentary. Even still, the inclusion of humorous tracks like these provides a fascinating counterpoint to the more serious or aggressive perspectives that are more commonly associated with industrial. And really, part of the fun of retrospectives like these is hearing what else was out there at the time, rather than just the familiar stuff that's been canonized. ~ Paul Simpson
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