Cabaret Voltaire

Gone But Not Forgotten – British Electro Pioneers CABARET VOLTAIRE

Posted on by JL

Great bands from the past

25 August 2023


On the cover of legendary British music weekly Sounds – 1984

CABARET VOLTAIRE (1973–1994, 2009–2021) were British pioneers
in all things techno/electro/dance/dark-post-punk-wave/acid-house.
They started as a trio with Stephen Mallinder, Richard H. Kirk, and
Chris Watson.

The latter already left in 1981 and Stephen Mallinder went his
own way in 1995. Fourteen years later, in 2009, Kirk revitalized
CV until his sudden death 2 years ago,
aged only 65.

Cabaret Voltaire released 14 LPs, and individually or collaborating
with other artists, all three musicians also recorded multiple albums.

1-2-3 great CV moments.

– NAG NAG NAG –
1979 single

– YASHAR –
From 1982 LP 2X45

– SENSORIA –
From 1984 LP Micro-Phonies

SHADOW OF FEAR

The formidable final album – 2020


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CV: Bio – Discography

Best Band In The World LEG LEG LEG PUPPY Go NAG NAG NAG VOLTAIRE

Posted on by JL

Daily electricity to load your batteries

24 July 2023

London‘s underground techno-punk mavericks LEG PUPPY prove again that they
are the best band in the world, although nobody knows them yet, except their noise-tortured neighbours and the noise-pollution police), with a cover of NAG NAG NAG, a CABARET VOLTAIRE classic, the groundbreaking electro/industrial avant-garde heroes from Sheffield, UK (1973–1994, 2009–2021). RIP Richard H. Kirk (1956-2021).

And they did a great job (that’s what the best band in the world need to do to stay
the best band in the world). They didn’t copy/paste the raw original version, but gave
it the by now worldwide famous Leg Puppy treatment by pumping up the synth decibels, going everywhere fast and adding psychotic Nag Nag Nag chants.

As usual, we also get a splendid video clip.

Wake up world.
Watch/listen.

LEG PUPPY: Facebook – Instagram

Picked By TURN UP THE VOLUME – 10 Big Albums Turning 40 In 2023

Posted on by JL

Back in time

Band: ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN
Active: 1978–1993, 1996–present

Album: PORPUCINE – 3rd LP
Released: 4 February 1983
Score: #2 in the UK

Stream here…

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ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN: Bio – Discography
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Band: R.E.M.
Active: 1981-2011

Album: MURMUR – debut LP
Released: 12 April 1983
Score: #36 in the US

Stream here…

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R.E.M: Bio – Discography
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Band: MARK STEWART + THE MAFFIA
Who: One of the adventurous dub projects of
The Pop Group‘s centipede musician Mark Stewart

Album: LEARNING TO COPE WITH COWARDICE – first and last LP
Released: January 1983

Stream here…

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MARK STEWART: Bio – Discography
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Artist: TOM WAITS
Album: SWORDFISHTROMBONES – 8th LP

Released: 6 March 1983

Stream here…

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TOM WAITS: Bio – Discography
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Artist: BILLY BRAGG
Album: LIFE’S A RIOT WITH SPY Vs SPY – debut LP
Released: May 1983

Stream here…

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BILLY BRAGG: Bio – Discography
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Band: THE FALL
Active: 1976–2018

Album: PERVERTED BY LANGUAGE – 6th LP
Released: 12 December 1983

Stream here…

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THE FALL: Bio – Discography
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Band: CABARET VOLTAIRE
Active: 1973–1994, 2009–2022

Album: THE CRACKDOWN – 3rd LP
released: 18 August 1983

Stream here…

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CABARET VOLTAIRE: Bio – Discography

Band: THE THE
Matt Johnson‘s band

Album: SOUL MINING – debut LP
Released: 21 October 1983

Stream here…

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THE THE: Bio – Discography
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Band: NEW ORDER
Active: 1980–1993, 1998–2007, 2011–present

Album: POWER, CORRUPTION AND LIES
Their second LP
Released: 2 May 1983
Score: #4 in the UK

Stream here…

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NO: Bio – Discography
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Band: BIG COUNTRY
Active: 981–2000, 2007, 2010–present

Album: THE CROSSING – debut LP
Released: 29 July 1983

Stream here…

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BIG COUNTRY: Bio – Discography

R.I.P. RICHARD H KIRK – Sole Original CABARET VOLTAIRE Musician Passed Away At 65

Posted on by JL

21 September 2021

RICHARD H. KIRK has passed away, he was only 65.

He was one of the 3 original musicians that formed the influential electro-industrial-post-punk-noise band CABARET VOLTAIRE from Sheffield, UK. They were active from 1973–1994 and from 2009 on it was Kirk alone who revitalised CB and released the excellent 2020 comeback LP Shadow Of Fear. Turn Up The Volume made it Album Of The Day
last November when the record came out.

It was his record label Mute Records that broke the news: “It is with great sadness that we confirm our great & dear friend, Richard H. Kirk has passed away. Richard was a towering creative genius who led a singular & driven path throughout his life & musical career. We will miss him so much. We ask that his family are given space.”

No cause of death was revealed.

In memory of a fabulous, adventurous and
visionary musician here’s the final Cabaret Voltaire LP
Shadow Of Fear…


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CABARET VOLTAIRE: History – Discography

(image on top: cover of his 2014 titled Never Lose Your Shadow)

2020 Science-Fiction Soundtrack – New Album ‘SHADOW OF FEAR’ By CABARET VOLTAIRE

Posted on by JL

30 November 2020

Artist: CABARET VOLTAIRE (Sheffield)
Who: Originally a three-piece when CV formed in 1973.
Now a one-man-band with founding member Richard H. Kirk.

Album: SHADOW OF FEAR – 14th LP – first in 26 years
Released: 20 November 2020

The Guardian wrote: “The first Cabaret Voltaire album in more than two decades feels oddly of the moment, their grim presentiments about disinformation, curfews and crackdowns fulfilled… ‘Shadow of Fear’ makes few concessions to user-friendliness – it’s far heavier-going than the last albums the original Cabaret Voltaire made – and for every listener who finds it a powerful, cathartic reflection of the times, there’s bound to be one who feels it’s the last thing they want to hear at the moment, life being what it is… What it does, and does successfully, might be the hardest thing for a reformed band to pull off: it adds to their catalogue, rather than detracts from it.” Full review here. Score 4/5.

Richard H Kirk: “You can’t beat a good drone.”

Turn Up The Volume: ‘Shadow Of A Doubt‘ is the ultimate soundtrack for a 2001 Space Odyssey remake starring The Terminator on his last mission ever, destroying Earth, while Cabaret Voltaire‘s new multi-layered-electro-scapes blast out of the cinema speakers.

A spine-chilling mix of ominous beats, capricious bleeps, nightmarish reverberations,
and creepy voices. But, hey wait, I was tapping my feet all the way, for about an hour. That’s what Cabaret Voltaire always managed to do, making you feel lively and move in mysterious ways to their obscure and science-fiction-like symphonies while Doomsday looms at the end of the horizon. Can’t think of a better sonic score for this surreal year. Perfect timing for a comeback!

Stream Shadow Of Fear here…

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CABARET VOLTAIRE: Facebook

Five Fervent Firecrackers – STAY ON TRACK IN THE WEEKEND…

Posted on by JL

21 August / 23 August 2020…

Five new firecrackers to boost your favorite 48 hours…

1. ‘Hail Taxi’ by METZ
These Canadians have slash and trash chromosomes in their DNA. Their wall-of-balls-crushing racket is massive. New, fourth longplayer Atlas Vending out 9th October.

2. ‘Ohms’ by DEFTONES
The title track from new album OHMS, out 25 September. A robust mid-tempo slam. “We’ve never just been a metal band, we’ve never just been an alternative band, we’ve always just been us.” says frontman Chino Moreno in an interview with NME.

3. ‘Vasto’ by CABARET VOLTAIRE
Hypnotic, intimidating, and ongoing bleeps and beeps trip. Lead-single
from new album Shadow Of Fear, first in 26 years. Out 20 November.

4. ‘Nightmares’ by ALICE GLASS
A furious electro sledgehammer by former Crystal Castles voice. “If this was
ever a part of me/ Then I’ll rip it out/ You’re not a part of me/ Cause I don’t want it.”

5. ‘If I Had My Way’ by OSEES
24/7 garage rock junk John Dwyer releases a new longplayer called Protean Threat
with Osees one of his many outfits. This new cut is a buzzing 60s prog rock stroke. Yeah!…

See/hear you next week, music junkies…

Original Chemical Beats – CABARET VOLTAIRE Returns With New Album And Shares Raving Lead-Single ‘VASTO’

Posted on by JL

New sonic impulses…

20 August 2020

Initially a three-piece Sheffield’s CABARET VOLTAIRE was alongside Human League, Throbbing Gristle, Fad Gadget and The Normal at the forefront of the UK Electronic Movement of the late ’70s and were one of its most influential and innovative acts.

Over the years Richard H. Kirk became the sole member and continued Cabaret
Voltaire as a one-man act. Now, 26 years after the last one, he announced a new
album, titled SHADOW OF FEAR, planned for a November release via Mute Records.

“The mission statement from the off was no nostalgia. Normal rules do not apply. Something
for the 21st Century. No old material. Stuff that was quite stripped back and crude. Every time I would visit a new place to perform, I would write something fresh. ‘Shadow Of Fear’ feels like a strangely appropriate title. The current situation didn’t have much of an influence on what I was doing — all the vocal content was already in place before the panic set in — but maybe due to my nature of being a bit paranoid there are hints in there about stuff going a bit weird and capturing the current state of affairs” tells Kirk about the new longplayer.

If you want to know where raving techno stars Chemical Brothers (and others too) got their inspiration from, listen then to CV‘s lead-single of the new LP. VASTO feels and sounds like a never-ending electro trip into the night with tons of beeps and bleeps, zig-zag synths, and voodoo vocals. Freakish, hypnotic and intimidating. Totally 2020, indeed.

Don’t fear Cabaret Voltaire…

CABARET VOLTAIRE: Facebook