Released on 5 February 2021, Options is a 4-track post-punk and new wave EP by the synth band Control Room. Written and recorded during pandemic isolation, the 14-minute record is heavily inspired by early electronic pioneers like Tubeway Army, Wire, and Ultravox. The tracks—We've Been Here Before, Encounter, Are We All Alone, and Balance—blend gloomy, propulsive melodies with brooding vocals to explore themes of paranoia, isolation, and hopelessness. The EP is currently available for streaming and purchase on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Deezer.
Control Room’s OPTIONS EP is a razor-sharp exercise in modern synth-pop that perfectly channels the clinical, icy dread of late-1970s and early-1980s pioneers. Recorded amidst the claustrophobic haze of the global pandemic, the record relies on an intentionally sparse but incredibly dense setup: Warren Ard’s twilight-toned synthesisers intertwine seamlessly with Austin Griffith’s chest-cavity-rattling downstroke bass rhythms. The opening track, We've Been Here Before, acts as a melodic, laser-guided missile that juxtaposes danceable new wave hooks with an overarching sense of hopelessness. It establishes a sonic landscape where pristine retro electronic design meets a very modern, suffocating existential weight.
The remainder of the 14-minute project effectively capitalizes on this uneasy tension, refusing to let the listener escape its insular world. Are We All Alone functions as the undisputed centerpiece of the EP, capturing pure paranoia through mechanical beats and ghost-in-the-machine vocal delivery that will delight fans of Tubeway Army, Ultravox, and early Wire. While Encounter and Balance lean slightly more toward gloomy pop instrumentation, they never lose their menacing undercurrent. By stripping modern synth-pop down to its absolute bare essentials, Control Room has delivered a short, cohesive, and remarkably potent soundtrack for isolation.
Ripped to MP3
1. We've Been Here Before (03:58)
2. Encounter (03:17)
3. Are We All Alone (03:54)
4. Balance (03:34)
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