Absolute Body Control is an electronic music

Electronic music

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...

 project from Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

. It is notable as the first significant project of musicians Dirk Ivens

Dirk Ivens

Dirk Ivens is a Belgian musician and performer in the industrial music genre. 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 formed the electronic band Absolute Body Control, influenced by...

 and Eric Van Wonterghem.

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

Synthpop

Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...

 sound being produced by the likes of Suicide

Suicide (band)

Suicide is an American electronic protopunk musical duo, intermittently active since 1970 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines. They are an early synthesizer/vocal musical duo....

 and D.A.F.

Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft

Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft or D.A.F. is an influential German electropunk/NDW band from Düsseldorf, formed in 1978 featuring Gabriel "Gabi" Delgado-López , Robert Görl , Kurt "Pyrolator" Dahlke , Michael Kemner and Wolfgang Spelmans...

. 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 lifespan. Dirk and Eric later joined forces with Marc Verhaeghen in The Klinik

Klinik

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:...

, and they would later collaborate on a number of other projects, most notably Sonar (band)

Sonar (band)

Sonar is the name of a Belgian musical group, combining rhythmic noise, soundscapes, and industrial music. It was formed as a side-project of noise artists Dirk Ivens and Patrick Stevens.- Members / History :...

.

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 5LP 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 will release Wind[Re]Wind, which contains newly recorded versions of their best tracks so far next to the brand new EP "Never seen", containing a remix by The Horrorist

Oliver Chesler

Oliver Chesler , better known by his stage name The Horrorist, is an electronic music artist from New York. He is the owner of the Things to Come Records. He has live performances all around the world but a hotspot is Germany. Many remember him as the punk styled kid in D.A. Pennebaker's concert...

. And a new album came out in 2010 Shattered Illusion & Sorrow. In 2011 came the album Mindless Intrusion & Surrender No Resistance with remix by the famous French Millimetric on Daft Records.

Cassettes

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

Compilations

• Eat This CD (VUZ/Subtronic 1983)
• 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
  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 distributor, Vinyl On Demand has a very successful subscription business...
  
  2007)
• Wind[Re]Wind LP (Minimal Maximal 2007 - ltd to 500 copies - features re-recorded versions)