Observe & Control

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Observe & control Live

Observe & Control is a prominent Electro-Industrial band, formed in Tel Aviv, Israel in 2002, by Tom Cohen.

The name "Observe and Control" is based on Foucault's depiction of Panopticism and Disciplinary Power, as it appears in his Discipline and Punish. The notion of Panopticism relates to a prison, the Panopticon, designed by the utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham in the 19th century. Bentham's prison was to be designed in a manner that would enable the prison guards to observe the inmates without being observed themselves; in other words, to become invisible, as it were. Bentham believed that given time, the prisoners would begin to readjust their behaviour so as to conform to the guard's invisible and all-seeing eye. Eventually, the invisible eye's control over the inmates would be become so strong that in time, the guard's actual presence wouldn't even be necessary. According to Foucault, Bentham's Panopticon is the architectural manifestation of our culture, in which knowledge is a form of power, and in which people begin to discipline themselves. Though Tom does not accept Foucault's theories in full, and O&C is far from being a Post-modernistic project, the concept of disciplinary power is one that appeals to the band, as a tool for understanding certain types of phenomenon in history and in the contemporary world.

When performing live Tom is accompanied by two additional musicians and his own guitar playing. Over the course of a few concerts the band's lineup has changed with Tom being the only constant member. Other members have included Sassi Zur of Ultras and Ori Sagiv (Distention, D-layed) amongst others.

Self-releasing their first demo tape "Obey With Caution" (also known as "Testing 1..2..3") in 2002, Observe & Control soon signed to American label Archetype Multimedia.

In 2003, Observe & Control supported Norways' Apoptygma Berzerk on their Israeli tour.

In 2005, Observe & Control released their debut album Utopia, as a homage to the rise and fall of utopian project and their projection on the individuals that took part in it.