Review Cabaret Voltaire

[michaellevenson]

An amazing band that started in the late 70's from Sheffield in northern England.
Their early stuff was deeply impenetrable , anarchistic wall of sound , debateable whether it was even music. Into the late 80's and 90's they moved to more accessible but heavy , very heavy dance or synth stuff. Richard H Kirk the driving force later went solo and released so many albums, mostly as downloads that I've lost count . Here is a later Cab Vol track with their trademark incredible video.

 

[michaellevenson]

So now, going a little earlier in time we have a track called "Kino" , Japanese for sex, it's almost hard work watching this video, a collage of nightlife clips and a dark driving soundtrack.

 

[michaellevenson]

This is a bit earlier still and is dark weird but the beginnings of commerciality for the band.

 

[michaellevenson]

And finally an early track called
" Baader Meinhof "
you have been warned!

 

[Carol]

@michaellevenson
Looks weird and wondeful, thanks. I think I'll brace myself for a proper viewing of all these at a later date - but this is a bizarre synchronicity- I was just pointing a dissertation student at the original Dadaist Cabaret Voltaire about an hour ago! She seemed to think that performance art only happened in the 70s. Now I can update my info and tell her they had their own tribute act in Sheffield by then. Confused? She will be.

 

[michaellevenson]

Okay one last one, this is a great track and quite catchy and listenable and a brilliant video.

 

[michaellevenson]

Away from the more accessible stuff this is not easy to sit through. The visuals are a barrage of images, you get a glimpse of some unpleasant images in this track " Diffusion"

 

[michaellevenson]

Okay , maybe I should apologize for this , the ULTIMATE CHALLENGE, a twenty minute dirge called Eastern Mantra, a pseudo Buddhist chant with Cab Vol early guitar thrash over it. It's a challenge to listen to this, after about five minutes you lose the will to carry on, it washes over you putting you in a trance of depression.
I've done the whole twenty minutes a few times, it's actually unbelievable how popular among fans this is, I love it! If you love a challenge, then this is it!!

 

[michaellevenson]

Cab Vol and later on Kirk's solo stuff, there were plenty of sampling of American bible preachers speeches with the band's unique sound overlaying the preacher's words. A weird concept but Cabaret Voltaire is an unusual band.
This is an early track and is well appreciated by fans.

 

[michaellevenson]

70 Billion people Part 1
An extraordinary bit of techno/house considering the original version was released early 80's.

 

[michaellevenson]

70 billion people part2 Soulenoid
This may be based on a Harlan Ellison novel. It seems likely.

Okay done a bit of research, and it's based on a Harlan Ellison script from The Outer Limits- Demon with a Glass Hand starring Robert Culp. Must get it!

 

[michaellevenson]