Cabaret Voltaire
Artist Biography
Cabaret Voltaire, who alongside Human League, Throbbing Gristle, Fad Gadget and The Normal, were at the forefront of the UK Electronic Movement of the late '70s and are one of the most truly influential and innovative acts of the last twenty five years.
Initially a three piece, Richard H. Kirk, Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson began by playing around with recorded sounds manipulated by basic reel-to-reel tape recorders in Sheffield in 1973. Way ahead of their time, these ideas cumulated in 1975, when the three staged their first performance of these sound experiments and assumed the name Cabaret Voltaire, taken from the name of the club started in Zurich by the principals of the Dada art movement during the First World War. As part of the confrontational energy of punk, itself inspired by the Dada and Situationist art movements, the early titles of the records didn’t mince words - ‘Baader Meinhof’ and ‘Do The Mussolini (Headkick)’ were indicators that were bound to lead to a certain notoriety. To the press they appeared to be immersed in a world of paranoia fed by conspiracy theories, political control and the use of drugs to both liberate and inhibit the individual.
The band began working with Rough Trade in 1978, producing a string of brilliant singles and the now seminal triumvirate of albums “Mix Up” (1979), “Voice of America” (1980) and their most prophetic album “Red Mecca” (1981). Cabaret Voltaire’s rare but much anticipated live performances, with their innovative use of film and video, were documented on the three live albums, “Live at the YMCA” (1979), “Live at the Lyceum” (1981) and “HAI” live in Japan (1982), and the 90 minute video “Doublevision presents...” (1982). Chris Watson left the group in October 1981, but Kirk and Mallinder went on to record further great albums throughout the Eighties, having a huge influence on the developing House and Techno scenes in both America and Europe. Cabaret Voltaire were instrumental in defining a strand of popular music which became known as experimental or “industrial”, whose practitioners Cabaret Voltaire moved on to leave far behind them and they continue to be a major inspiration to this day.
-
Associated Artist
Discography
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- BN9Drone
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS32
- Release Date
- April 23, 2021
- LP (special)
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Dekadrone
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS31
- Release Date
- March 26, 2021
- LP (special)
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Shadow Of Funk
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- IMUTE622
- Release Date
- February 26, 2021
- EP
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Shadow of Fear
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS30
- Release Date
- November 20, 2020
- LP (special)
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Chance Versus Causality
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- CABS29
- Release Date
- August 30, 2019
- LP
- CD
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Groovy, Laidback and Nasty
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS28
- Release Date
- August 4, 2017
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- CODE
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS27
- Release Date
- August 4, 2017
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- #7885 (Electropunk to Technopop 1978-1985)
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS26
- Release Date
- June 23, 2014
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- #8385 Collected Works 1983 - 1985
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS21
- Release Date
- April 14, 2014
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Drinking Gasoline (Remastered)
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS24
- Release Date
- January 20, 2014
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Drinking Gasoline
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- iCABS24
- Release Date
- January 20, 2014
- LP
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- The Crackdown
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- iCABS22
- Release Date
- November 4, 2013
- LP (special)
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Micro-Phonies
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- iCABS23
- Release Date
- November 4, 2013
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- The Covenant, the Sword and the Arm of the Lord
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- iCABS25
- Release Date
- November 4, 2013
- LP (special)
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Archive #828285 Live
- Label
- Intone Productions
- Catalogue Number
- INTONE DL8
- Release Date
- September 30, 2013
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- The Original Sound Of Sheffield 78/82. Best Of.
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- CABS16CD
- Release Date
- September 9, 2013
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Red Mecca
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- CABS3LP
- Release Date
- July 23, 2013
- CD
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Johnny Yesno Redux
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ACABS20
- Release Date
- November 11, 2011
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Johnny YesNo (Redux)
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- CABS20DVD
- Release Date
- November 8, 2011
- CD
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Nag Nag Nag
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- INOMU103
- Release Date
- February 14, 2010
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Archive (Live at The Town & Country Club, London: 11th February 1986)
- Label
- Intone Productions
- Catalogue Number
- AW53522
- Release Date
- September 14, 2009
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Archive (Live at The Venue, London: 8th June 1982)
- Label
- Intone Productions
- Catalogue Number
- AW53492
- Release Date
- September 14, 2009
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Archive
- Label
- Intone Productions
- Catalogue Number
- AW53515
- Release Date
- September 14, 2009
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Archive (Live at The Town & Country Club, London: 12th February 1986)
- Label
- Intone Productions
- Catalogue Number
- AW53539
- Release Date
- September 14, 2009
- Download
Appears On
-
- Artist
- Various Artists
- ReleaseProduct
- The Best Of Funky Alternatives
- Label
- Easy Action / Digital Concrete
- Catalogue Number
- BLACKD1
- Release Date
- August 8, 2010
- Download
-
- Artist
- Curses
- ReleaseProduct
- Next Wave Acid Punx DEUX
- Label
- Eskimo Recordings
- Catalogue Number
- 541416667030D2
- Release Date
- October 20, 2023
- Download
-
- Artist
- Curses
- ReleaseProduct
- Next Wave Acid Punx DEUX
- Label
- Eskimo Recordings
- Catalogue Number
- 541416667030D
- Release Date
- October 20, 2023
-
- Artist
- Various Artists
- ReleaseProduct
- Happy Land
- Label
- Above Board Projects
- Catalogue Number
- HLLPDIG1
- Release Date
- April 14, 2023
- LP
- Download
-
- Artist
- Various Artists
- ReleaseProduct
- STUMM433
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ISTUMM433
- Release Date
- October 25, 2019
- Download
-
- Artist
- Various Artists
- ReleaseProduct
- The Best Of Funky Alternatives
- Label
- Easy Action / Digital Concrete
- Catalogue Number
- 5055300351418
- Release Date
- August 16, 2021
- Download
-
- Artist
- Various Artists
- ReleaseProduct
- Join The Future - UK Bleep & Bass 1988-91
- Label
- Cease & Desist
- Catalogue Number
- C&D001
- Release Date
- March 27, 2020
- LP (special)
- Download
-
- Artist
- Various Artists
- ReleaseProduct
- Dancing In Darkness
- Label
- [PIAS] Le Label
- Catalogue Number
- PIASLL131DA
- Release Date
- April 12, 2019
- LP
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Various Artists
- ReleaseProduct
- An Anthology of Noise & Electronic Music, Vol. 7
- Label
- Sub Rosa
- Catalogue Number
- SR300
- Release Date
- June 1, 2013
-
- Artist
- Various Artists
- ReleaseProduct
- Dekmantel - Best of 2017
- Label
- Dekmantel
- Catalogue Number
- DKMNTL2017
- Release Date
- December 22, 2017
- Download
-
- Artist
- Marcel Dettmann
- ReleaseProduct
- Selectors 003
- Label
- Dekmantel
- Catalogue Number
- DKMNTL-SLCTRS003-D
- Release Date
- June 30, 2017
- LP
- Download
-
- Artist
- Various Artists
- ReleaseProduct
- PUNK 45: Sick On You! One Way Spit! After The Love & Before The Revolution Vol.3: Proto-Punk 1969-77 - Soul Jazz Records
- Label
- Soul Jazz Records
- Catalogue Number
- SJRD279
- Release Date
- May 5, 2014
- LP
- CD
- Download