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"I was quite impressed with the last EP I heard from ‘em, and this reinforces that initial appraisal. This time they kick down with eighteen tracks, just over half an hour of serious tuneage. Fans of old L.A. punk, the Regulations, and similar sounds will find much to appreciate here, but, for my money, the goods are truly delivered here when the band stretches and expands, slips a sick, poppy undercurrent into the proceedings, dollops heavy helpings of churning guitars and hypnotic riffs on top, and just lets shit get freaky. According to the insert, they’re hoping this bad boy will eventually be released on vinyl, and lemme say I’m wholly in agreement. I have no trouble whatsoever seeing these cats becoming a big fuggin’ deal in the very near future, so I highly suggest y’all get in on the ground floor now." --Razorcake
Our take: After an earlier 7", here's the debut 12" from this Swedish hardcore punk band that features a few familiar faces from Sorry State favorites Thurneman. Having named themselves after one of their songs, it's clear that Data Control wear their Husker Du influence on their collective sleeve... that influence seems to be the defining feature of the band, but I think it bears some explaining. Most bands that pay homage to an older band are frustratingly superficial in what they adopt from their influences... perhaps a guitar sound or something as insignificant as a logo font or layout style. However, Data Control really seem to get at the spirit and approach that made Husker Du records like Metal Circus and Zen Arcade so great. Nowadays, when I see a band reference Husker Du it almost always means they're going to sound like Hot Water Music (which is, frankly, something I cannot abide), but Data Control have none of that pseudo-emotional, "beards and feelings" posturing. Instead, what they take from (early) Husker Du is a way of grafting the spirit of experimentation of 60s psychedelia and fusing it with the speed and minimalism of hardcore punk, particularly the end of the genre that's strongly rooted in the influence of Wire's Pink Flag. I've read that people called Wire "punk floyd" when they came out, and despite the shortness of and minimalism of their songs there's a slight whiff of proggy experimentation to Data Control's music as well, and frankly I love it. If you've been acquainted with Sorry State for a long time then you've probably gathered that I'm a huge fan of off the beaten path hardcore, which has lately come to be called "outsider hardcore" and gotten quite fashionable. Data Control might not be as self-consciously weird or artsy as Spike in Vain or Saccharine Trust, but their music comes from a similar place of questioning or maybe even just ignoring the fundamental assumptions that lead so many other bands down boring paths.
Our take: After an earlier 7", here's the debut 12" from this Swedish hardcore punk band that features a few familiar faces from Sorry State favorites Thurneman. Having named themselves after one of their songs, it's clear that Data Control wear their Husker Du influence on their collective sleeve... that influence seems to be the defining feature of the band, but I think it bears some explaining. Most bands that pay homage to an older band are frustratingly superficial in what they adopt from their influences... perhaps a guitar sound or something as insignificant as a logo font or layout style. However, Data Control really seem to get at the spirit and approach that made Husker Du records like Metal Circus and Zen Arcade so great. Nowadays, when I see a band reference Husker Du it almost always means they're going to sound like Hot Water Music (which is, frankly, something I cannot abide), but Data Control have none of that pseudo-emotional, "beards and feelings" posturing. Instead, what they take from (early) Husker Du is a way of grafting the spirit of experimentation of 60s psychedelia and fusing it with the speed and minimalism of hardcore punk, particularly the end of the genre that's strongly rooted in the influence of Wire's Pink Flag. I've read that people called Wire "punk floyd" when they came out, and despite the shortness of and minimalism of their songs there's a slight whiff of proggy experimentation to Data Control's music as well, and frankly I love it. If you've been acquainted with Sorry State for a long time then you've probably gathered that I'm a huge fan of off the beaten path hardcore, which has lately come to be called "outsider hardcore" and gotten quite fashionable. Data Control might not be as self-consciously weird or artsy as Spike in Vain or Saccharine Trust, but their music comes from a similar place of questioning or maybe even just ignoring the fundamental assumptions that lead so many other bands down boring paths.