Cabaret
Voltaire – #7885 (Electropunk to Technopop 1978-1985) (Mute)
LP/CD/DL
Out Now
Experimental
electro legends Cabaret Voltaire release a new compilation.
As the story
goes, if as many people were at the 150 capacity Manchester Free Trade Hall in
June 1976 for a certain Sex Pistols gig
as they say they were, there would have been around 4,000
attendees. Similarly, if all the people
that claimed they have always been huge fans of Cabaret Voltaire were, then
they would have had a string of number one albums to accompany their arena
tours.
The year of
Voltaire digital releases continues with an essential retrospective containing
tracks from their Rough Trade years of experimental post-punk electro to the
Some Bizarre (on Virgin) dance orientated, similarly experimental years up to
1985.
For anyone wanting
a quick introduction to the group, this is the album for you. Opening with their harsh, raw, sometimes difficult
to listen electro punk efforts such as Do The Mussolini and the incredible Nag
Nag Nag, the then trio broke down and created new boundaries in music as the
likes of Human League and Daniel Miller’s The Normal watched in awe and envy. Combining the punk attitude with electronics
was undoubtedly ground-breaking and the steel walls of Sheffield were soon
knocked down.
As Kneel To
The Boss and Landslide could well have been influences on The The’s classic
Soul Mining album, any other track on this collection could have been the
catalyst for any other artist since.
Inserting sound bytes before any else had even contemplated the idea,
another Voltaire trademark became commonplace in years to follow.
Marking the
‘other’ side to the group following the departure of Chris Watson in the early
80s leaving the duo of Kirk Mallinder and Richard H Kirk (now the sole member)
to continue as a more dance/funk/house outfit but still with that anarchic
ethos that had been born in the previous decade.
For the
first time on cd the 7” versions of some of their later releases are
present. From the throbbing bass of Just
Fascination to the unique sound of Crackdown, from the rolling drumbeats of
Sensoria and Kino to the amazing I Want You which still sounds as fresh today
as when it was recorded. Ending with the
perverted sexual overtones of Warm this is a superb line-up of tracks from one
of the most influential groups of the last 40 years who were so ahead of their
time it’s almost untrue.
9/10
Links
Mute Records
Richard H Kirk on Twitter
Cabaret Voltaire on hiapop Blog
The The on hiapop Blog
Published on Louder Than War 18/08/14 - here
9/10
Links
Mute Records
Richard H Kirk on Twitter
Cabaret Voltaire on hiapop Blog
The The on hiapop Blog
Published on Louder Than War 18/08/14 - here
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