The following was written for More Noize issue 11 and was previously unpublished.
At the time, not a lot was known about Control, they'd made a few tapes, and Damaging Noise Records from LA had released a bootleg Control 7". This piece was written before the members were on social media. It may seem a bit redundant now but I think it's an interesting article and it would be a shame for it to remain unpublished.
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| Layout by Tony Gunnarsson for the unreleased final issue of More Noize fanzine. |
HARDENED CYNICAL BASTARDS! CONTROL - THE GHOST OF CONFUSE FROM HAKATA!
Anyone who knows me will know that over the past year or so I’ve become obsessed with the band CONTROL from Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu Island, Japan! I don’t claim to have been hip to them in their early days, in fact, if it wasn’t for Fabian at DAMAGING NOISE RECORDS I would’ve been completely unaware of their existence until the amazing STAGNATION/CONTROL split EP dropped a few months ago.
The STAGNATION/CONTROL split 7” is entitled TOTAL NOISE CORE and was released on HARDCORE SURVIVES. It couldn’t be a more fitting title; the combination of Psychedelic Disorder Worship vs. Confuse Worship is a perfect combination!!! And it sold out from the label in a week, this could be down to label hype, but I’d like to think it’s down to people’s curiosity about CONTROL, considering the first STAGNATION EP is still available in distros for mere pennies I don’t believe it’s because of them. CONTROL might seem a bit over-substance to some and was even accused of being “no soul all pose” by some irrelevant blogger. But I don’t see how they could not be the real deal.
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| Control - photo by Jon (Born Shit Stirrers) |
To begin with CONTROL sounds like the younger brothers of CONFUSE and unlike all those Western bands trying to sound like CONFUSE, Control is actually from the same town as Confuse and it’s like they know what is all about. CONTROL’s guitarist Kishimoto has been in the punk scene for a long time and was even at the VIOLENT PARTY gigs in the 80’s and saw all the greats like CONFUSE, GAI, SIEG HEIL and is said to even have the “personal support” of members from CONFUSE and THE SWANKYS! CONTROL members have raw noisecore in their DNA!!!!! I'd like to think Control took their name from The Swankys song and the logo from Confuse... creating the best of both worlds!
Thanks to the recent split we can now identify CONTROL members: Vocalist is Mr.Hakata! Guitarist is Mr. Kishimoto. Bass Mr. Akifumi and Drums Mr Nishida. Also, CONTROL has been around since 2003 at least, because Ryu @ Punk Dischord was their bassist between 2003-09.
CONTROL’s “story” began a fair few years before DAMAGING NOISE RECORDS announced that coming soon was an EP by CONTROL that would be limited to just 100 copies, a reissue of an extremely limited tape on PUNK DISCHORD RECORDS (ran by Ryu, ex-CONTROL). “CONFUSE worship from Japan” said the description, naturally such a description lured suckers like me right in and myself, and 99 other chumps forked out $20 for this piece of wax, sure we look like idiots now, but bear with me here! With a hefty price tag and CONFUSE comparison to boot it was no wonder that CONTROL hype began, though if you dig deeper you see that the name CONTROL has been subliminally planted into the back of our minds long before the DAMAGING NOISE RECORDS release. MORE NOIZE readers might be familiar with “The History of STATE ADULTS” article in More Noize issue 3 where you could see that the bootleg STATE ADULTS CD-R sold on a Japanese auction site was sold along with a CONTROL cassette tape! In the PDX fanzine DEPROGRAM, CONTROL is mentioned in the LEBENDEN TOTEN Japan 2006 tour report! This might all seem like nonsense but when the origins of CONTROL are damn near impossible to trace every clue is vital!
I continued my detective work during a Japan trip in 2010 and began asking around for any information about the band. I remember one friend saying something like “CONTROL is a Fukuoka noisecore band, but very mysterious like a ghost!” Another friend told me that they only play “one or two shows a year in their hometown”. With statements like these, I began to wonder if the band was just lazy and completely unaware of the quiet hype that was surrounding them, or if they’ve deliberately remained “like a ghost” to become some sort of cult band. Really, the story about CONTROL is so confusing (excuse the pun) that it all sounds made up.
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| Control - photo by Jon (Born Shit Stirrers) |
Disappointed with the lack of information—and not to mention downright lies about CONTROL, such as how the band includes ex-members of CONFUSE, which is of course bollocks—I continued lurking on the internet for any piece of information that I could find. I first came across PUNK AND DESTROY’s review of the CONTROL II tape on PUNK DISCHORD RECORDS, which said that “even though the tape has not been added to the shop, more than half have sold out by queries from noise junkies from all over the country!” How come noise addicts were rushing to buy a cassette tape from a seemingly unknown band?
When the controversial “Live To Destroy Public Places” 7” finally dropped—in a larger pressing of 500 copies—it was instantly shunned by most because of the atrocious mastering job. Ironically, the EP is actually pretty hilarious when you consider how fucking bad the sound is! It’s nearly impossible to play actually, leaving you to wonder how poor the original sound source must be! Luckily, Zach from Merciless Game has demonstrated the differences in sound by ripping his original tape and comparing it with a rip of the EP, which demonstrated that the EP must have been sourced through some extremely inferior copy of the original recorded. But Zach also remastered the original tape, thereby producing a version that should have been used on the damn record in the first place (if Fabian had not been such a dope)! Needless to say, you’ll be shocked to hear the difference in sound between the three versions!
But the story about EP is interesting in itself! To begin with, Fabian had to write an official letter to the band asking for permission to release the 7" EP. According to him, CONTROL allowed him to press 100 copies of the EP. But as Fabian managed to sell all those 100 as preorders (to morons like myself!) it was decided that the record would be pressed in a greater edition of 500. While it is not unheard of that sometimes Japanese bands have asked rather curious demands of Western record labels who release their music—for example, it’s well known that quite a few Japanese bands have refused overseas DIY labels from actually selling the records outside of Japan, god knows why!
CONTROL EP includes just 4 extracts of the 7-track live tape “II” which was recorded live on October 12, 2008. Shin from P&D described the tape like this: “It kicks off at the sound of firecrackers, then later starts a first track tempo flurry of noise, guitar, and crazy spicy vocals and from there on it explodes into INDIGNATION NOISE CORE!!! Noisecore tune to attack angry waves!”. But a little known fact is that it could have included other material. "There was a set of rejected test presses on the Control 7" I did which contains different tracks that didn't get on the final version of the 7". The A side of the rejected test press had their tracks off the Gotcha split and the B side was live stuff ." Fabian told me by email recently.
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| Control - photo by Jon (Born Shit Stirrers) |
To add further myths to this piece of shit record, there is a rumour circulating that it is a bootleg or only semi-official. As far as I can tell there’s some truth in this. It certainly seems like the band did not approve the final test-press that ended up being used for the release. Ex-Control member Ryu, who released the “II” tape, said that the “EP is fucking useless, so do not buy it. It is officially a bootleg. Even I used a sound source for the live tape that was a little array. But from what was said between the band and Damaging Noise last year, that wasn’t approved upon. Then some time later, we received a box of records! As a result, we don’t approve the record.” Even today, CONTROL does not acknowledge the existence of the record.
While it is clear that this EP wasn’t what people had expected, it’s worse because it has given the band a bad rep, for with that crap sound it is far from a good representation of CONTROL. Seanocide (DAMAGING NOISE BLOGSPOT) even went as far as to publicly destroy a copy of the record on his blog. But anyone who has heard CONTROL side of the TOTAL NOISE CORE split EP will know that this band is probably the best band in the world doing this style of Kyushu noise punk. But even before the split was released, there was something that still kept people interested, possibly curiosity that a band in this day and age had remained under the radar when you take into consideration most bands releases are put online within a matter of days now.
The more you learn about CONTROL the more elaborate the story gets. I love the fact that one of the South American punk freaks on the cover of the EXTINTOS EP is wearing a denim vest with a CONTROL backpatch (same design as on the split tape with Gotcha!). I am guessing EXTINTOS is repaying homage to CONTROL guitarist Mr. Kishimoto for his contributions to the South American hardcore roundtable in DOLL magazine! In 2006, Control supported Lebenden Toten on their first Japan tour. In Deprogram Zine you can read that the PDX kids stayed at the house of someone from CONTROL after a gig in Fukuoka. Other bands that night were RISTRICT, NERD and ATOMIC THROAT.
But apart from extremely passing references to CONTROL, the best thing is asking people who’ve either played with Control or seen them live. Interestingly, they all say the same thing: It’s a noisy and chaotic affair that’s perhaps comparable to the VIOLENT PARTY gigs in the 1980s. Often their shows start with the band throwing fireworks at the crowd in KURO fashion. Fireworks followed by a moody stage presence and glorious noisecore, everyone says that they sound fucking amazing live and that they’re really gloomy bastards!!!
“I like it when gigs are unpredictable. And since we aren't able to play that often in the year, we definitely hate doing the same thing as the gig before. My lyrics are, this is quite usual for bands, just about what's happening around me.” – Hakata, from Mobsproof Vol. 7
Takeshi from CFDL told me he saw the band only once or twice and that the band stood totally still while playing just total noise. Take, currently in Sun Children Sun but previously in Vivi-Punx, played with Control at the "NOiSExSCUMxDESTROY!! Vol.7" Bastard Rock Rec night in Okinawa, along with a lot of other noise heroes like Exithippies. Take adds that on stage Control refrains from banter between songs – no talk no laughter, Dead serious. Cold attitude. Hardened cynical bastards! Fellow Vivi Punk Jo2, also known for his work with Exithippies, said he remembers nothing, hahaha.
But noisecare czar Azusa, who also played that same gig, told me that his band Stagnation played together with CONTROL perhaps three or four times, but unfortunately, he could never find CONTROL tapes for sale at any of the gigs, and that the tapes are really hard to find. Hilariously, Ryu wrote on his website that CONTROL went on the trip to Okinawa as tourists first, and as a live band second! Hardened cynical bastards indeed! Satoshi from Isterismo, who’ve played with Control a number of times said that he does not know anything about CONTROL, except that they threw firecrackers at the audience. Consider the name of the EP: Live to Destroy Public Places. That’s surely meant literally! Firecrackers! Earbuds exploding! Mad Pigs from the Czech Republic played with Control on the first night in Japan while on tour a few years ago. I asked Martino from Mad Pigs about Control ages ago and he was like "We never played with them".
CONTROL has played out of Hakata more than a few times, but clearly, the band prefers to play locally. As said, they’ve supported touring foreign bands like Lebenden Toten and domestic bands on tour like Corrupted, Hazard, Trust Isterismo, Zenocide, The ERECTiONS, Effigy, Zoe, and local bands like End of Pollution etc. The last gig at the time of writing was the February 2012 NOISE SACRIFICE gig with Crudia and a few other local bands (there’s even a short video on the internet of Control, the one and only live video known to exist of this legendary band!).
In May 2012 Control are due to play with the incredible and amazing PEOPLE (from OITA), at a gig called Public Organization in Hakata with fellow Fukuoka swanky punk band Captain Idol and Tokyo folk core Oledickfoggy, a gig that’s arranged by Shingo from People.
This is where the CONTROL story ends for now. I haven’t heard anything regarding their future plans or forthcoming releases. A boy can only pray that CONTROL will follow up the amazing split EP with a proper release on their own. But it is plausible they’ll vanish into thin air like a ghost.
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| Control - photo by Jon (Born Shit Stirrers) |
CONTROL Update April 2013
Control played a local TREND KILL gig in Fukuoka in November 2012, with Tokyo’s Crocodile Cox (ex-Johns Town Aloha), which retrospectively seems to have been the bands’ last gig… for a while at least! Luckily the full Control gig was captured on video by FUKPUNK, showing the band run through all the hits from the split EP and a few of the older ones from the tapes. If you were lucky, a DVD of that gig was bundled with this zine, if not you can view it on YouTube. The month after, Control were due to go on tour with Stagnation. However, at the very last minute, Control cancelled the Total Noise Core Tour with Stagnation for unknown reasons. T-shirts were already printed and Stagnation was ready to go. But it was not to be… Added to this, planned releases, variously rumoured to be a Control/Exithippies split EP (to be released in the UK), but later confirmed Stagnation / CFDL / Control split 10” to be released by Azusa from Stagnation are now sadly also off the table. Control website has not been updated since November 2012...
"CONTROL's activity is under pause now. It is very sad. The record of STAGNATION/CONTROL/CFDL is still a dream." - Azusa, Stagnation, April 2013
QUOTES:
“Legendary 1980s Kyushu noisecore bands GAI/SWANKYS/CONFUSE/SIEG HEIL/GESS have had a lasting effect on punks from all around the world. Now the ghost of CONFUSE brings new levels of shocking noisecore pollution from off the coast of Hakata!!! It is no exaggeration! CONTROL is the second coming of CONFUSE!! Gaaah!!” –Description of CONTROL from PUNK AND DESTROY
“Reading the description on the gig flyer, Control was described as ghost of Confuse. So I was looking forward to watch Control. First there was just a long feedback screech of a loud amplifier tone. It was very bad! It took a considerable amount of time before the band even started. Meanwhile the entire venue got packed and I began to feel a heavy atmosphere as if something strange was about to happen. Ghosts.... by any chance? Then suddenly, the feedback noise was interrupted by firecrackers which were thrown at the audience and then suddenly Control started playing! I have never experienced a live band like this and it was very hard to get used to it. I am not sure if it was due to the band Control intentionally creating this atmosphere or if it was simply due to the particulars of the venue, I do not know exactly. However, the sound of the bass live was massive and already my ears were ringing from the loud drums! Before I knew I was transmitted back to the world of Kyushu noise of the 1980s! Incidentally, I saw Confuse in the 80s. They were super cool and very chaotic live. And just like Control, the live sound of Confuse was far from good…” – Control gig review from 2008
“From the second I drop the needle on the record, a storm of noise-punk assault! I am stung by the final blow, without any room to turn off the turntable. The ringing noise sound is so intense that it is hypnotic putting you in deep sleep! And this is coming from a former band member! Of course the sound quality is better than any other recording to date! Now that’s more like it! It is a shame I had to quit the band! ” – Ryu, ex-CONTROL, about the split EP with Stagnation
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