Cabaret Voltaire

来自英国Sheffield的Cabaret Voltaire，为音乐发展史写下全新的一页，他们不仅参与了工业音乐 (industrial music)的催生与定义，也对后来电子音乐的发展有著举足轻重的影响。虽然Cabaret Voltair享有工业音乐教父级乐团的美誉，却不甘划地自限，1973年成军以来，总是不停地积极创造音乐上的各种可能。70年代初期擅长吉他演奏的Richard H. Kirk、主奏贝斯的Stephen Mallinder与热衷音效处理的Chris Watson，因为对艺术表演的热情而有了交集，最后发展成保有紧密合作关係的音乐伙伴，1978年更获得当时刚成立不久的独立厂牌Rough Trade网罗，以Cabaret Voltaire为名，接连发表数张实验性质浓厚，却备受讚誉的经典作品。80年代初期他们的足迹除了遍及欧洲各地，更远赴美国与日本等国家巡迴演出。1983年Chris Watson离团，剩下的两人逐步向商业靠拢，更转投主流厂牌Virgin的怀抱，在独立专辑榜上取得佳绩，乐队却也经历数次人事变动。

从早期的工业实验之声，到后期进军舞曲领域的大胆创举，Cabaret Voltaire始终都是独立乐迷心中的传奇经典，但是不可否认的是，他们的大胆超前也足以吓坏一般爱好主流音乐的听眾。Cabaret Voltaire在Rough Trade时期的录音只为少数乐迷熟知，所幸透过个性厂牌Mute下的分支Grey Area於90年代初期细心整理后，这些经典作品才得以重新出土问市。


Though theyre one of the most important groups in the history of industrial and electronic music, Cabaret Voltaire are sometimes forgotten in the styles timeline — perhaps because they continued recording long after other luminaries (Throbbing Gristle, Suicide, Chrome) called it quits. Also related to the fact is that CV rarely stayed in one place for long, instead moving quickly from free-form experimentalism through arty white-boy funk and on to house music in the late 80s and electronica the following decade. The band, formed by guitarist Richard H. Kirk, bassist Stephen Mallinder and tape manipulator Chris Watson, were influenced by the Dadaist movement (whence came their name) and as such, came closer to performance art than music during many of their early performances. After several years of recording with no contract, the group signed to the newly formed Rough Trade label in 1978 and began releasing records that alternated punk-influenced chargers with more experimental pieces incorporating tape loops and sampled effects.

Following Watsons departure, the remaining duo inaugurated a new contract with Some Bizzare/Virgin in 1983 by shifting their sound, away from raging industro-funk and towards a more danceable form. The singles Sensoria and James Brown hit the indie charts during 1984, and Cabaret Voltaire moved to EMI/Parlophone in 1986 for The Code. Two years later, the band traveled to Chicago to record Groovy, Laidback & Nasty with Marshall Jefferson, one of the mavericks in the new house sound blowing up in the British charts. After another break of several years, the new-electronica label Instinct released a trio of CV LPs during 1993-94, after which the bands future appeared cloudy. Kirk continued his solo career (recording as Electronic Eye, Sandoz and himself) while Mallinder moved to Australia.