Artist: Phillip Charles Presents Controlled Input
Title: Controlled Input EP
Label: Hallucination Limited
By: Chad Harnish | 21 January 2003
Tracklist:

• A1: Seminal Vessel
• B1: 2600 AD
• B2: Controlled Input

Phillip Charles Presents Controlled Input "Controlled Input EP"

Phillip Charles has built himself an impressive resume, having engineered, produced and remixed the likes of King Britt, Ursula Rucker and even Miles Davis. Additionally, you may all remember the his funky techno remix that was included with Sean Cusick’s “Of Course” release on Bedrock Records last year. The "Electric Dreamers" single from Phillip's forthcoming album on Shaboom Recordings and "Holy Sound" on Ovum had sparked Three's curiosity of the Phillip Charles sound and fortunately lead to the “Controlled Input” EP which will launch Hallucinations new housier offshoot Hallucination Limited .

"Seminal Vessel" owns an entire side of vinyl on this EP and deservedly so. In this track, you will hear jazzy influences build upon a stylistically minimal percussion. Phillip uses his production talents with precision pulling the track up hills and dropping it into valleys. A sonic roller coaster if you will. Mind-altering dubbed-out organs often hitting dissonant chords will tear at your mentality and strike feelings of unease.

"2600 AD," is a co-production between Phil and Randall Jones, and together they deliver a mind-bending house stomper. Its rhythm is fierce and unrelenting and the sonic additions are trippy. A backdrop of brooding melody and vocal manipulations put this track into the realm of darkness. "2600 AD" is my personal favorite off the EP. Riding shotgun to "2600 AD" is Controlled Input of which the EP was named. The drums are minimal and the samples are twisted. This is an extremely hard track to write words about, so if I may steal a quote from the press release. In describing this track, Three writes that it sounds like “William Orbit and Richie Hawtin laughing at us rather than with us.” He hits the nail on the head with his Orbit and Hawtin references and the feeling you get when you listen to this is not at all friendly. It does pick up a swanky groove which seems to assemble all of the twisted mayhem into some manner of order, but DJs beware, this could really push some people over the edge.

Overall, while this EP is DJ friendly, it is by far not friendly to a fragile mind. I can imagine many bad trips starting with “Seminal Vessel” or “Controlled Input”. You wont see the likes of Oakenfold busting this EP out. That leaves the decision up to you. “Should you, or shouldn’t you?”