Cabaret Voltaire

Genres:	Eclectic • Electronic & Ambient • Music Videos & Concerts • Pop / Rock
Descriptive "tags":	industrial • experimental • electronic • post-punk • new wave
Decades Active:	1970s • 1980s • 1990s • 2000s
Links online:	Fan Page • Wikipedia

Biography

Formed in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, in 1972, and named after a 1930s Dadaist collective based in Zurich, this experimental, innovative electronic outfit proved to be a huge influence on later, more commercially successful bands such as the Human League, Depeche Mode and New Order. By the late 80s they were also recognised as a pioneering force on the UK’s dance music scene.

Cabaret Voltaire was formed by Stephen Mallinder (bass, vocals), Richard H. Kirk (guitar, wind instruments) and Chris Watson (electronics and tapes). Influenced by Can and Brian Eno, the trio strived to avoid the confines of traditional pop music and their early appearances veered towards performance art. Their brutal, rhythmic sound was christened ‘industrial’ by a bemused music press. The trio’s sound and attitude initially attracted the attention of Factory Records and they contributed two tracks to the Manchester label’s 1978 double EP, A...

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