Celebrating thirty years in an industry as volatile as the music industry is no mean feat. One of Norway's finest electronic record labels, Beatservice Records, marks this massive milestone by unveiling a special EP featuring four unreleased tracks from Motion Control's treasured back catalog.
Bergen's Oddgeir Hvidsten began releasing music as part of the ambient trio Neural Network in the mid-1990s. A desire to create more rhythm-oriented productions led to the formation of the Motion Control moniker alongside fellow Neural Network member Lars Kristian Sande.
Their early releases were heavily influenced by the pioneering Detroit techno greats, with the first EPs on Universal Code and the subsequent Digits album on Beatservice Records in 1998 housing a swell of melodic, future-facing techno. Their sound then leaned into the realms of disco-infused house for the follow-up album Groove Tool.
Taking four unreleased tracks from their archives, the EP kicks off with "Blåmuggost." Created in connection with Motion Control's live show at the club Blå in Oslo for Beatservice Records's fifth anniversary in 1999, the track has remained a hidden treasure until now. Combining an EBM-engineered bassline and robo-disco undertones, cascading claps meet with rapid-fire synth squelches for a peak-time hit of interplanetary body music.
Next, "Hjul" rotates the listener's brain. A percussive techno head-scrambler that fuses crunched snares, dizzying synth loops, and pulsating bass grooves.
The flip side reveals a deeper facet of Motion Control's material. "Hysj" is an introspective, space-age dwelling, synapse-firing cut full of sweeping strings, interlocking percussive touches, and cosmic top lines: mood-setting, spell-casting brilliance.
Closing out the EP, the pace lowers for an intergalactic downtempo number titled "Conga Ambience." Grooving chillout electronics, laced with bouncing Arps, modulating pads, and metallic drum hits. This track is a homage to the eerie, shaky analog sounds of the late 1970s.
Steve ‘Griffo’ Griffiths (Fluid Radio Show) – “I heard this on SoundCloud and was like ‘yeah’. Now that I’ve heard it a few times on promo I’m ‘Hell Yeah!’ 99 out of 10.”
Rory Hoy (BigBeatTastic Radio Show) – “This is a really solid release. Supporting.”
Psycho-Jones (Kater Blau) – “I love it, thanks!”
Severino (HorseMeatDisco) – “Yessssss!”
Eric Shans (3Bridge Records) – “Nice old school ambient techno flavors.”
Simon Kirk (Proton Radio) – “Stunning EP. Really futuristic vibe throughout. Hjul is my top pick, the strings are beautiful.”
Available Now From: Beatport, Bandcamp, Apple Music, And Spotify.