Portion Control are a highly influential British electronic group who formed in London in 1979.
Their early, innovative use of synths, drum machines and samplers inspired a subsequent generation of acts that included Depeche Mode (who they toured with in 1984), Nitzer Ebb, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Nine Inch Nails and Orbital.
Following decades of staunch independence, Portion Control signed to Artoffact Records in late 2025. Alongside new material, the label is curating and reissuing the group’s back catalogue as a series of box sets, allowing their work to be fully appreciated at last.
The first of these sets is scheduled for release on 14th August. Entitled ‘1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…’, the 4xCD package and digital variant consists of 77 tracks that include the 1983 mini-LP ‘Hit The Pulse’, the full length albums ‘..Step Forward’ (1984) and ‘Psycho Bod Saves The World’ (1986), the classic original 12” singles ‘The Great Divide’, ‘Go-Talk’ and ‘Raise The Pulse’, plus the ‘Purge’ EP (1986). Additional material includes B sides, compilation tracks, rarities, remixes, demos and two concert recordings from 1984 and 1985.
‘H.O.T. Matter (Demo version 1)’ is out now as the third single to be issued ahead of the box set, with a video for the song available to view HERE. The final version of the track was released on ‘Psycho-Bod Saves The World’, the third Portion Control studio album released in 1986.
“It is strange and satisfying in equal measure to have this era of our catalogue finally gathered into a single coherent release,” the band state about the box set. “It is an opportunity for long term and new listeners to hear the music of this period in full context. This material shaped our sound and attitude for all that has followed since.”
‘H.O.T. Matter (Demo version 1)’ follows the previously released singles ‘Refugee (Rhys Fulber Rebuild)’ VIDEO and ‘Tex-Mex (Live at Dolce Vita, Lausanne 1985)’ VIDEO. The original studio versions of both were included on the 1984 album ‘..Step Forward’, which was promoted on tours with Depeche Mode with Blancmange.
All 77 tracks in the box set have been fully remastered by Paul Lavigne at Kontrast Mastering. 16 have never previously been released, with a further 12 appearing on CD and digitally for the first time. It is packaged in a 5 panel ecopak with a 24 page booklet containing archive photos and a new design by Stefan Alt (ant-zen). A limited edition red vinyl LP consisting of 10 key tracks will also be available
PORTION CONTROL
1983-86 – HIT THE PULSE TO PURGE…
4xCD box set | digital | LP
TRACKLIST
CD | DL
CD 1 – Hit The Pulse, the Illuminated singles and Step Forward (2026 Remaster)
1] Chew You To Bits (version)
2] Discord
3] Crash Weight Gain
4] Eat Your Heart
5] Thrust Angle
6] Death By Venom (Ricochet mix)
7] Abbo Dabbo
8] Raise the Pulse (12″ version)
9] Rough Justice (12″ version)
10] Go-Talk (12″ version)
11] Refugee
12] Under The Skin
13] Mutie
14] Tex-Mex
15] Tongue Beat
16] Micro Box
17] Micro Box 2
18] Real Estate Cult
19] Tin
20] Havoc Man
21] 319
22] Scramble
23] Son of Go Talk
1-7 from “Hit The Pulse” mini-album [1983]; 8-10 single A-sides [1983-84]; 11-23 from “Step Forward” album [1984]
CD 2 – The Great Divide, Psycho-Bod Saves The World, Purge… (2026 Remaster)
1] The Great Divide (12″ version)
2] Brain Scraper Death Dive
3] Siren City
4] Breaker Breaker
5] Danger Zone
6] Screen of Death
7] Coming For You Baby
8] Fistful Of Creds
9] Trashville Baby
10] Cut And Thrust
11] Hot Matter
12] Soap Distant
13] Raise the Pulse
14] Go-Talk
15] The Great Divide
16] Karateka
17] Brain Scraper Death Dive (Rebuild)
18] Refugee (Rebuild by Rhys Fulber)*
19] Chew You to Bits (Rebuild)
20] Chew You To Bits (Instrumental 2.5)~
Track 1 single A-side [1985]; 2-12 from “Psycho-Bod Saves The World” album [1986]; 13-16 from “Purge” extended play [1986]; 17-19 2k+ versions [various sources and dates]
*Previously unavailable on CD ~Previously unreleased
CD3 – B sides and demos 1983-85… (2026 Remaster)
1] Collapse
2] Bite My Head
3] Justice
4] The Man Who Did Backwards Somersaults
5] Upside Down
6] Drag Down
7] Divided
8] Bolt It Down
9] The Great Divide (Instrumental)*
10] Total Recall*
11] 24*
12] IDL Dragdown*
13] Displaced Hybrid Refugee
14] Scramble (Instrumental) (Demo)~
15] Cut And Thrust (Demo)~
16] Heart Of The Matter (Demo version 1)~
17] Heart Of The Matter (Demo version 2)~
18] Taste Of Love (Demo)~
19] Conscience (Arthur Baker demo mix)~
Tracks 1-10 single B-sides [1983-85]; 11-13 compilation tracks [1984-2022]; 14-19 demos / mix [1985-86]
*Previously unavailable on CD ~Previously unreleased
CD 4 Live 1984-85 (2026 Remaster)
1] Intro (Potanus, Amsterdam 1/4/84)~
2] Eat Your Heart (Potanus, Amsterdam 1/4/84)*
3] Abbo Dabbo (Potanus, Amsterdam 1/4/1984)*
4] Crash Weight Gain (Potanus, Amsterdam 1/4/84)*
5] Betrayal (Potanus, Amsterdam 1/4/84)*
6] Box (Potanus, Amsterdam 1/4/84)*
7] Go-Talk (Potanus, Amsterdam 1/4/84)*
8] Raise The Pulse (Potanus, Amsterdam 1/4/84)*
9] Tex-Mex (Dolce Vita, Lausanne 6/12/85)~
10] Real Estate Cult (Dolce Vita, Lausanne 6/12/85)~
11] Drag Down (Dolce Vita, Lausanne 6/12/85)~
12] Karateka (Dolce Vita, Lausanne 6/12/85)~
13] Havoc Man (Dolce Vita, Lausanne 6/12/85)~
14] Bolt It Down (Dolce Vita, Lausanne 6/12/85)~
15] H.O.T. Matter (Dolce Vita, Lausanne 6/12/85)~
Track 1-8 at Potanus, Amsterdam on 1/4/84; 9-15 at Dolce Vita, Lausanne 6/12/85
*Previously unavailable on CD ~Previously unreleased
VINYL
PC_8386_LP_A
1] Chew You To Bits (version)
2] Under The Skin
3] Danger Zone
4] The Great Divide (12″ version)
5] H.O.T. Matter
Track A1 from “Hit The Pulse” mini-album [1983]; A2 from “Step Forward” album [1984] A3,A5 from “Psycho-Bod Saves The World” album [1986]; A4 single A-side [1985]
PC_8386_LP_B
1] Brain Scraper Death Dive
2] Go Talk (Purge version)
3] Raise the Pulse(Purge version)
4] Havoc Man
5] Abbo Dabbo
Track B1 from “Psycho-Bod Saves The World” album [1986]; B2, B3 from “Purge” extended play [1986]; B4 from “Step Forward” album [1984]; B5 from “Hit The Pulse” mini-album [1983]
All tracks remastered 2026
