Category: Cabaret Voltaire

Up till now, every song in this series has been ripped from a piece of vinyl via the turntable in use at Villain Towers. I only own a digital copy of today’s song, so you will, I’m sorry to say, have to make do with a lo-res rip.

Middle Age Man dropped me a line last week:-

“With the sad news this week of the passing of Richard H Kirk I thought it would be great if you could feature the 12′ version of Yashar released on Factory Records ( the John Robie remix),

For me, it is the pivotal CV release as it signifies their move from industrial to the dance floor and sums up their blend of 1980’s cold war paranoia and the dance floor. And on a more personal level, it was the first time my wife would let me play CV without her passing me the headphones.”

mp3: Cabaret Voltaire – Yashar (12″ version)

Yashar is a remix of a track originally issued on the 1982 album 2×45, which came out on Rough Trade. The single was issued in May 1983 on Factory Benelux (FBN 25) and Factory Records (FAC 82). It features a sample “The 70 billion people of Earth — where are they hiding?” from the Outer Limits episode “Demon with a Glass Hand”.

JC

I could say that back in June 1979 I found this single, issued by Rough Trade Records, to be hugely inspirational and essential listening:-

mp3 : Cabaret Voltaire – Nag Nag Nag

I could say that but I would be lying.

It was a period where I was beginning to get exposed to more electronic music and in due course, if perhaps a little slowly, would fall for its charms. But I never took to what many claimed at the time was one of the breakthrough examples of the genre. It was just too weird, unconventional and difficult for my tastes, and although years later I can now hear it as not being too dissimilar in approach from any punk/new wave songs of the era, it remains a piece of music that grates on me rather than me being able to declare it as great.

It would be another five years before I heard a Cabaret Voltaire song that I could really enjoy and appreciate:-

mp3 : Cabaret Voltaire – Sensoria

Much more accessible thank you very much.  One for flailing around the disco floor with your raincoat flapping behind you like Batman’s cape as he chases the bad guys.

JC