Cabaret Voltaire
Radiation: The BBC Recordings 1984-86
[Pilot]
Rating: 7.8
Though named after the nightclub where the followers of Dada met to
babble about cultural revolution, Cabaret Voltaire were devotees of
Industrial Culture. In the vanguard with Throbbing Gristle and J.G.
Thirlwell, Richard H. Kirk and Stephen Mallinder sought (in their
early years) to document the effect of mechanization on the human
psyche. Nothing like a lofty goal when the dominant music of the day
is disco, eh?
After albums of varying degrees of listenability, Kirk and Mallinder
began to incorporate New York dance rhythms into their songs with a
corresponding increase in public appreciation. "Fuck art! Let's dance!"
Kirk and Mallinder usually recorded in their purpose- built Western Works
studio, located in their native Sheffield, England. In many ways, this
studio assured that a Cabaret Voltaire album sounded like a Cabaret
Voltaire album. It was all about quality control.
For fans, then, Radiation offers not only live versions of the
Cabaret Voltaire whiplash, but also a chance to hear familiar material
recorded under different conditions. The BBC engineers had no time or
budget for studio trickery or overdubs, so on this box set, you get to
hear the no- frills Cabaret Voltaire in the raw. And quite a rump- shakin'
skeleton the beast is, too.
Amid the popping basslines and spindly synth figures "Sensoria," "Kind,"
and "Sleepwalking" exhibit a crisp, whiplash neurofunk. "You Like To
Torment Me" is exactly what you'd imagine a collaboration between
Cabaret Voltaire and Bobby Orlando collaboration would be like-–
paranoid lyrics are accompanied by Latin percussion and an irresistible
mandate to get down. "We've Got Heart" also introduces the Middle Eastern
cadences that Kirk has relied upon in his recent solo work. But
Radiation doesn't let up there; it also includes an exhilarating
live version of "I Want You," complete with a New Order-ish guitar line,
restive synth strings and Mallinder's speedfreak vocals. To crown it all,
"Sex, Money, Freaks!" is a dance floor rallying call that few could resist.
Cabaret Voltaire may never have made huge amounts of money, nor did they
get all the sex they wanted, but it was never in doubt that Kirk and
Mallinder were the most exquisite of freaks. Radiation treatment,
indeed!
-Paul Cooper