The Sepia Music Edition continues…Last week, Adnan Y. left a comment about post-punk desi musicians. Specifically, Nirmala Basnayake of controller.controller. Smelling a fellow Sri Lankan, I tried to verify my hunch…but…nada. Ms. Basnayake apparently doesn’t see the need for a compelling backstory.
Once again though, Sepia readers came through.Mephistopheles1981 compiled a list of arty-farty Lankans in the North American diaspora, and called her out. Here forthwith, is a quick review of controller.controller’s debut album History:
Five-piece Toronto outfit, Controller Controller, are the latest mob to join the post-punk rat race. More than just another punk-funk band, though, they seem immediately capable of overriding the hype….The usual old school references are dotted throughout this debut (PiL check, Gang Of Four check, Joy Division check), but distinctive female vocals (courtesy of Nirmala Basnayake), some serious attitude, dancefloor-aimed death grooves and a sense of the apocalyptic all make for a thrilling ride. [link]
More? Why not:
Recalling the best of female rock vocalists from Debbie Harry to Chrissie Hynde, Nirmala’s voice alternates from anxious and angry to pure sonic tenderness as the four boys behind her laydown seriously solid songs of punishing rhythm and dueling angular guitar work. Bust out your dancing shoes because with their nonstop four-on-the-floor disco beats and raging basslines, you won’t be able to stand still for long.[link]
Sisterfriend really gives my fav post-punkers Bloc Party a run for their angular danceability. I dare you to check out “Disco Blackout” and not twitch your feet!
And could it possibly get browner that this:
That doesn’t mean [the lyrics are] comprehensible, of course. Take the odd, repeated chant “V-one-five-point-eight-five” on album centrepiece Sleep Over It. Huh?
“It’s not a Joy Division tribute, although I think that’s how a lot of people interpret it,” she laughs. “It’s a medical reference. When you’re processing medical charts, instead of writing out everything the doctor’s diagnosed, you enter a code, and it makes the insurance go through more quickly. You can look at a chart and know from the numbers that the patient had, say, a broken left toe. There are thousands of codes out there. It’s awesome, very fascinating.” [link]
