Sad news about the one remaining active member of Cabaret Voltaire. I first heard them when I bought 2×45 in 1986. I was intrigued by the plain black cover, being deep into my goth phase at the time, and judging records by their covers, this was too cool not to buy, for its sheer beauty.
The music inside was like nothing I’d heard before, but there were definite dark elements to it, and a wonderful rhythm to all the tracks.
I guess Cabaret Voltaire were more influential than popular, and their music wasn’t easy listening. But give it a few spins and there’s as much beauty to discover in the music as in the packaging it comes in.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/21/cabaret-voltaire-richard-h-kirk-dies-aged-65
I’ll join you in agreeing that around 80/81 they were a deeply cool – essence of NME – band. 2 x45, Red Mecca, Ha! all had great covers. My introduction to them was actually the Pressure Company Live In Sheffield mini-album which again (in aid of Solidarnosc) was very cool. I never quite gelled with the Crackdown/Covenant/Micro-phonies era but the stuff before that is fantastic. Now listening to the last album which I liked a lot when released last year.
I appreciate the early scratchy stuff, and the later house stuff, but the Crackdown/Covenant/Micro-phonies era was what I loved the most. Less groundbreaking, but more tuneful.
Sad news. The Voice of America, Red Mecca, and the Rough Trade singles really stand up, I think: ‘Live at the YMCA’ is ( along with Totale Turns) my favourite lo-fi live album of that period.
That is sad. Yashar is an old favourite of mine.