controlfreakDec 10
Hello verse. I have a new album out!

You can preview and get it on my faircamp https://music.control.org

You can preview and check out the track lore at https://control.org/replicate

REPLICATE 1.0 is a hiatus breaker and health building personal project of cover tracks in my crunchy style that had intentional rules and unwanted limitations. When I say a wild variety of source tracks are covered, I mean wild.

It's a snapshot of a time period and tool to try and get back at the studio desk. I do hope you'll find something amongst the offerings to have a head nod to, or a cry in the bathtub as mentioned in last nights listening party. Fill your boots. Stay vertical.

#music #fedimusic #electronic #synth #industrial #ebm #goth #synthpop #covers #newmusic #oontz #album #dance
control freak studio / control.org

dark disko, ebm, industrial, synth, powernoise, synthpop, tech, house, noisescapes, dystopia, horror, commissions, sound design, game assets, installation sounds, noises, remixes

control freak studio / control.org
Show threadcontrolfreakDec 11
On the first day of #oontzmas controlfreak gave to me, Track 1 Control I'm Here, and REPLICATE, uh, in a tree. Sure why not.

https://music.control.org/replicate1/1/

When the disco ends up in a rusted out old factory or industrial warehouse...

Track 01 Control, I'm Here - Nitzer Ebb - 1988

Having used the moniker control for music/art/self for over three decades, I mean this one was a no brainer. The absolute working class of the sub-basement of the underground which, in fact, for this track actually reached a hell of a lot of underground adjacent scenes and plenty of percolation above because of its absolute infectious groove albeit with a grit and clang that I loved the most. Aggro AND dance! Fucking deadly. I for sure wore out a fair few Belief and Showtime cassettes in the car. If you don't do this regularly already, find the old video of live at Technoclub Berlin 1989 and you're welcome.

A massive influence at the time on solidifying my lifelong artistic home in industrial electronic dance.

RIP Douglas.
Control, I'm Here [Nitzer Ebb cover]

Control, I'm Here [Nitzer Ebb cover]

control freak studio / control.org
Show threadcontrolfreak
On the second day of #oontzmas controlfreak gave to me, Track 2 Cities in Dust, 1 Control I'm Here, and REPLICATE, uh, in a tree?

https://music.control.org/replicate1/2/

How meticulous were you about your blacks clashing?...

Track 02 Cities in Dust - Siouxsie and the Banshees - 1985

There are so many Siouxsie and the Banshees songs that fall under the category of yes please I will belt them out at full blast no matter what. An artist I usually reckon falls firmly in the do not even try to cover ground although often attempted. Wanting to keep the vibe quite a bit true to the original, but a little more grumpy, I enlisted my friend and collaborator Adam Colegrove who is a much better aggro vocaliser than I for one of only two small guest appearances on the project. Rules are rules, I kept my own very much struggling vocal layers in this track as well.

The "easier" route for me might have been the synth heavy Kiss Them For Me, but no, Cities is an absolute classic, and nothing about this project was really easy. For 40 years, even with the known Uncle Bob from The Cure crossover in the Banshees, I never would never have realised that in 2025 when I tried to figure out some transposed progression for synths from the original timing and tuning of the guitars, it would basically be A Forest. Yeah, now you hear it too, woah!
Cities in Dust [Siouxsie and the Banshees cover]

Cities in Dust [Siouxsie and the Banshees cover]

control freak studio / control.org
Dec 12 at 9:06amWeb
Show threadcontrolfreakDec 13
On the third day of #oontzmas controlfreak gave to me, Track 3 Memorabilia, 2 Cities in Dust, 1 Control I'm Here, and REPLICATE in a, uh, tree.

https://music.control.org/replicate1/3/

Early, grimy, dark, underground crossover synthpop...

Track 03 Memorabilia - Soft Cell - Tainted Love 45rpm B-side - 1981

So kids gather round, a B-Side is a song that was on the other side of the analogue audio media plastic discs called records for what was selected to be "hit" or featured single/radio/dance track from artists. I grew up on the road with a band. At many venues in the pre-internet world you'd play both original and cover sets. The Soft Cell cover of Tainted Love was a smash hit and as such, Dad and I picked up this record. After he sorted the arrangements and planning for the band I'd get to keep the records. Cool!

This single had something on the B-side that literally set my artistic life course. Memorabilia was sonically the hardest, darkest, wildest and 100% synthiest my little drummer boy ears had ever heard and I've never looked back. I loved it more than the popular single it was included with. I infinitely poured over the picture on the back of the sleeve of a live setup with archaic synths and the reel-to-reel for the drums and sync. This was to be my thing.

RIP David.
Memorabilia [Soft Cell cover]

Memorabilia [Soft Cell cover]

control freak studio / control.org
Show threadcontrolfreakDec 14
On the fourth day of #oontzmas controlfreak gave to me. Track 4 Be Mine, 3 Memorabilia, 2 Cities in Dust, 1 Control I'm Here, and REPLICATE in a, uh, tree.

Yes, it's THAT Robyn.

https://music.control.org/replicate1/4/

It's a good thing tears never show in the pouring rain. Oof.

Be Mine - Robyn - 2005+ various releases

I LOVE ROBYN. I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED ROBYN. I LOVE ROBYN'S BUBBLE GUM ADJACENT INDUSTRY OPPRESSION ERA. I LOVE HER TWO FINGERS IN THE AIR TO THE INDUSTRY ERAS, I LOVE ROBYN WITH RÖYKSOPP. I LOVE ROBYN.

Robyn is an absolute juggernaut of a writer, performer and a phenom at encapsulating emotive and temporal journeys music and art can take us.

There is zero even partially feasible reason that I should or could attempt to even be within 100m of a Robyn track!

Be Mine has quite a few interations and versions from releases to live. Every version is powerful as fuck even the sparsely instrumented ones because it's a good as fuck song. Unrequited love songs are a penny a tonne but this one is Vibranium!

My undisputed favourite version of Be Mine is the heavily arpeggiated and aggressive synth and drums arrangement for the Body Talk Tour [get to a video source and watch that right now!]. I latched onto that one and amplified the oontz. That entire tour show gets some of the most spirited top of the lungs "singing" when I'm on the tractor of all the songs in this collection.
Be Mine [Robyn cover]

Be Mine [Robyn cover]

control freak studio / control.org
Show threadcontrolfreakDec 15
On the fifth day of #oontzmas controlfreak gave to me. Track 5 Papillon, 4 Be Mine, 3 Memorabilia, 2 Cities in Dust, 1 Control I'm Here, and REPLCATE in a, uh, tree.

https://music.control.org/replicate1/5/

It kicks like a sleep twitch!

Track 05 - Papillon - The Editors - 2009

I find this track to be very emotive and I always give it the beans on the tractor. Since I tend to walk a much more overtly sinister and angry sonic emotive path, it was a challenge in restraint for me. It almost got binned a number of times for missing the mark. After I performed it live this year, I was happy I kept at it.

I remember over the years seeing this performed at festivals and the punters rightfully losing their shit because it is a ripper. But I couldn't help thinking it'd be so much different with some oontz. Only while building this project did I realise there was a hyper processed club remix of it by a VIP hipster dj. I'm fine being the gritty zero commercial corpo festival potential version.
Papillon [Editors cover]

Papillon [Editors cover]

control freak studio / control.org
Show threadcontrolfreakDec 16
On the sixth day of #oontzmas controlfreak gave to me, Track 6 I Felt the Pain, 5 Papillon, 4 Be Mine, 3 Memorabilia, 2 Cities in Dust, 1 Control I'm Here, and REPLICATE in a, uh, tree. Also, not oontz on this one. Rust and dirt abound. Go on, have an oontzmas mope with me.

https://music.control.org/replicate1/6/

Track 06 Anything Box - I Felt the Pain - 1990

The album Peace has SO much more than just that one banger you probably know. It is a banger, but this is a cassette that if you knew what was up, you wore the whole damn thing out a few times.

This is probably the most painful track of this project. The original oozes in angst and pain and was always my favourite track from Peace when it was new. It's way outside my vocal wheelhouse and this snapshot was at a time I could hardly stand up. Aside from my general vocal shortcomings, any stress and in the delivery was legit. Plus the one take rule.

Many thanks to the indomitable @shannoncurtis for classing my muddled mess right the hell up in the chorus replies.
I Felt the Pain [Anything Box cover]

I Felt the Pain [Anything Box cover]

control freak studio / control.org
Show threadcontrolfreakDec 17
On the seventh day of #oontzmas controlfreak gave to me, Track 7 Letters and Numbers, 6 I Felt the Pain, 5 Papillon, 4 Be Mine, 3 Memorabilia, 2 Cities in Dust, 1 Control I'm Here, and REPLICATE in a, uh, tree.

https://music.control.org/replicate1/7/

2010s synthpop perfection and kiwi as!

Track 07 Letters and Numbers - Computers Want Me Dead - 2011

Remember when there was kinda actually NZ Music Month, openly and almost sort of kind of decently funded NZ On Air and other creative support for the lucky/persistent/connected, and having a home brewed mostly music, music video channel?

Well if you do, or just had a keen ear in 2011, or were lucky enough to run across one of the limited showcases festivals or gigs done, you would have caught the absolutely INCREDIBLE EP from Computers Want Me Dead.

Cheers to Sam the original artist for kindly and graciously fielding my lyrics clarification query for this weird music for healing project.
Letters and Numbers [Computers Want Me Dead cover]

Letters and Numbers [Computers Want Me Dead cover]

control freak studio / control.org
Show threadcontrolfreakDec 18
On the eighth day of #oontzmas controlfreak gave to me, Track 8 With Love, 7 Letters and Numbers, 6 I Felt the Pain, 5 Papillon, 4 Be Mine, 3 Memorabilia, 2 Cities in Dust, 1 Control I'm Here, and REPLICATE in a, uh, tree.

https://music.control.org/replicate1/8/

The gloriously questionably effective cliche and calculated crossover from bubblegum idol to "sexy" idol...

Track 08 With Love - Hilary Duff - 2007

Yes. I sing Hilary Duff's Dignity singles when I'm on the tractor. You can't hurt me.

Ahh the classic ex-Disney stars' and their now I'm a sexy adult release with obscene over production, 12 writers credited for the worst lyrics you've ever read, and producer farms doing the whole let's be sexy and edgy with a little "distortion" and "goth flair".

Cowards! Here I've attempted to melt that hot mess into a dark EBM thumper for us creatures of the shadows.

I can't help but look on in train wreck terror fashion at the terrible puppy mills of pop, I'm looking at you K-pop, and wish only the best for the folks dragged about in all parts of these wretched abusive and contrived pop factories. Eek that got even darker.

Look, do I like ANY of Hilary's slimy "brand deals"? NO.

Do I like her producers' use of a DM sample as the only hook in that one song? NO!@#$

Would I go mini-golfing or go-karting with her in a heartbeat? Damn right I would.

If you like me wake up and think, god damn there should be more EBM Hilary Duff covers as I did, go ahead and stomp to some Hilary Fucking Duff!
With Love [Hilary Duff cover]

With Love [Hilary Duff cover]

control freak studio / control.org
Show threadcontrolfreakDec 19
On the ninth day of #oontzmas controlfreak gave to me, Track 9 I Beg Your Pardon, 8 With Love, 7 Letters and Numbers, 6 I Felt the Pain, 5 Papillon, 4 Be Mine, 3 Memorabilia, 2 Cities in Dust, 1 Control I'm Here, and REPLICATE in a, uh, tree.

https://music.control.org/replicate1/9/

Do you want to hustle?! Do you want to Salsa?!

Track 09 I Beg Your Pardon - Kon Kan - 1988

I enjoyed taping this one off the radio from dance party shows. And definitely a banger at the roller rink.

And finally, a track that's in my monotone "wheelhouse". Well except the original had a sample for the Rose Garden chorus bits. Solution: fuck shit up! Sorted.

It's the first track I did kind of as a joke when I was considering the parameters of the project and it never fell off the list for volume one.

This is as "pop friendly" as you will find me, well at least until that chorus. Fuck you hot hits radio.
I Beg Your Pardon [Kon Kan cover]

I Beg Your Pardon [Kon Kan cover]

control freak studio / control.org
Show threadcontrolfreakDec 20
On the tenth day of #oontzmas controlfreak gave to me, Track 10 God Tonight, 9 I Beg Your Pardon, 8 With Love, 7 Letters and Numbers, 6 I Felt the Pain, 5 Papillon, 4 Be Mine, 3 Memorabilia, 2 Cities in Dust, 1 Control I'm Here, and REPLICATE in a, uh, tree.

https://music.control.org/replicate1/10/

Not a one hit wonder!

Track 10 God Tonight - Real Life - 1990

Look I know most of the world knows pretty much just their one smash from radio and perhaps from the absolute banger of a clanger BMX flick RAD [1986] starring a pre-disgraced era Aunt Becky. Plus I fucking LOVE orchestra hits. It took me 4 days to craft a suitable hit as well as what I was calling in chat with colleagues, the toilet fush, as right as I could. How did I do?

I was on a school trip to the big smoke in 1990 and picked up the Lifetime cassette and holy shit what an album opener this was. Wikipedia will tell you the album was received as solid but the era of synthpop was over. Fuck that shit. It's 2025 and my mum said she was amped for hours after one of my live web concerts ended on God Tonight. A friend of a quite metal and industrial persuasion upon previewing REPLICATE picked this as their standout track. Wild.

Synthpop never says die!
God Tonight [Real Life cover]

God Tonight [Real Life cover]

control freak studio / control.org
Show threadShannon CurtisDec 16
@controlfreak 🖤🖤🖤
Show threadBenjamin ReedDec 12

@controlfreak OK you know what, for some reason I thought you were releasing the cover thing one track at a time as you post them.

I happened to click through to look at the full album and just about had a heart attack seeing you covered Anything Box.

One of those bands that never hit it big, but I found at random in a record store and instantly fell in love with. Also holy shit @shannoncurtis on the backing vocals!? Perfect!