One Hundred

One Hundred strikes a good balance between the more raw and funky side of trip-hop with breezy pop songwriting. A downtempo illbient duo influenced by hip hop as well as new wave. The Controls make music that rides a fine line between raw, streetwise funk and breezy pop atmospherics. Influenced by everything from New Yorks underground rap world to new wave legends the Cure, their debut album "one hundred" is a blissed-out collage of beats, haunting vocals and rhymes; an exciting work. The band is controlled by beat-maker/musician/producer Dub-L, and chanteuse Ann Colville. Dub-Ls blunted hip-hop constructions melded perfectly with Colvilles poetic lyrics and a band was born. As producer, Dub-L uses an arsenal of instruments to create his sounds. He mixes live oboes, acoustic guitars and strings over a foundation of chunky beat loops and scratchadelic sound effects. Dub-L doesnt ignore his roots in the hip-hop world either, employing guest rapper Aesop Rock for a tongue-twisting verbal exhibition on "Shere Khan" and "Home Again." Colville brings her enthralling voice and knack for emotional, echoing melodies to The Controls. Her work on the album has a catchy pop sensibility to it, while her delicate timbre resonates throughout the songs. Her unique delivery paints an inventive singing style allowing her words to linger in the listeners head. Drawing insight from Nostradamuss predictions of a coming global apocalypse, The Controls paint a tense picture that is both bleak and optimistic, describing a world where numbers and technology regulate pleasure. This is thought-provoking music, and anyone who digs gimmick-free sounds will be enthralled by the enigma of The Controls.