Absolute Body Control is an

electronic music Electronic music is a Music genre, genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or electronics, circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromech ...

project from

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

. It is notable as the first significant project of musicians

Dirk Ivens Dirk Ivens is a Belgian musician and performer in the industrial music genre. Career In 1978 he started as singer and guitar player in the punk band Slaughterhouse but left the group after one year to form the new band The Few. In 1980 he form ...

and

Eric Van Wonterghem The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ...

History

Having previously played in minor punk and new wave bands, Dirk formed Absolute Body Control as a project more influenced by the prototype

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...

sound being produced by the likes of

Suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

and D.A.F. The project originally feature Marc De Jonghe (synths) and Veerle De Schepper (backing vocals), though Mark was replaced in 1981 by Eric Van Wonterghem. The project released a number of cassettes, but only one 7" (Is There An Exit?) and no studio albums during its brief initial run. Through their connection with Sandy Nijs - sometimes collaborator and, later, founding member of The Klinik - and his involvement in the international cassette trading network, Absolute Body Control gained more of a following outside of Belgium. Through these connections, Absolute Body Control received an offer to tour Norway in 1985. Dirk and Eric later joined forces with Marc Verhaeghen in

The Klinik Klinik, (sometimes called The Klinik), is an industrial music band from Belgium, originally formed around 1982 by electro-synthpop practitioner Marc Verhaeghen, who is the only constant member. History Marc Verhaeghen originally formed Klinik ...

, and the duo of Ivens and Van Wonterghem would later collaborate on a number of other projects, most notably

Sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances ( ranging), communicate with or detect objects on ...

. A compilation of Absolute Body Control tracks entitled 'Eat This' was eventually released in 1993. A more comprehensive 2CD compilation 'Lost/Found' was issued in 2005. A 5-LP box set of all their cassette releases followed in 2007. Dirk and Eric also took the project back on stage in 2006 and continue to tour with the project. In 2007, 22 years after splitting up, Absolute Body Control re-formed and released ''Wind eind'',Absolute Body Control reforms and releases 'Never seen' EP and 'Wind Re Wind' CD
/ref> which contains newly recorded versions of select older tracks alongside the new EP "Never Seen", including a remix by

The Horrorist Oliver Chesler (born January 20, 1970), better known by his stage name The Horrorist, is an American electronic music artist from New York City. He is the owner of the Things to Come Records. British music critic Simon Reynolds once proclaime ...

. Two new recordings were released in 2010, ''Shattered Illusion'' & ''Sorrow''. In 2011 came the album ''Mindless Intrusion'' & ''Surrender No Resistance'' with remix by the French project Millimetric (aka François-Xavier Michel of Binär Code and Digital Blood). Later in 2011, the band did a European festival tour with dates in Belgium, the UK, Germany, Norway, and Poland. 2013 saw the project remix tracks by post-punk/electro-wave band Section 25, namely "Microgroove" on the "Invicta Max" 10" and "Beating Heart" on the 2013 remix CD "Eigengrau".

Discography

Cassettes

*''Absolute Body Control'' (1981) *''Numbers'' (1982) *''Figures'' (1983) *''Live'' (1984) *''Tracks'' (1984)

Singles

*''Is There An Exit?'' (1981)

Albums

*''Shattered Illusion'' (2010)

Extended plays

*''Never Seen'' (2008) *''Sorrow'' (2010) *''Surrender No Resistance'' (2011) *''Waving Hands'' (2015) *''Slow Action'' (2018) *''A New Dawn'' (2021)

Compilations

*''Eat This'' CD (VUZ/Subtronic 1993) *''Lost/Found'' 2CD (Tarantulla Productions 2005) *''Various Artists: The Lost Tapes'' LP (Minimal Wave 2006) *''Tapes 81-89'' 5LP (

Vinyl On Demand Vinyl On Demand is a record label that targets vinyl collectors of 1970's and 80's minimal synth, industrial, and avant-garde music. Along with sales to distributors, Vinyl On Demand provides a subscription service. Most releases are limited to ...

2007) *''Wind eind'' LP (Minimal Maximal 2007 - ltd to 500 copies - features re-recorded versions) *''Mindless Intrusion'' LP (Minimal Maximal 2011) *''Forbidden Games'' CD/LP (Turntable Sounds / Sleepless Records 2016)

References

{{Authority control Cassette culture 1970s–1990s Belgian industrial music groups Musical groups established in 1979