Over the years Cabaret Voltaire's music continued to evolve, from its experimental, Velvet Underground-inspired beginnings in the mid 1970s to the pop-oriented dance music in the early 1990s. Each consequent phase saw the band pushing the boundaries of its time, proving highly influential for the many electronic artists that followed in its footsteps. The band pioneered many techniques that for years fuelled industrial music and consequent electronic genres such as house and techno. Among these were the cut-up techniques of William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin, using snippets of spoken word (pre-dating sampling), and incorporating experimental video in their live shows (pre-dating VJ-ing).
The band first came to public attention in the late 1970s, during the era of post-punk and industrial music, with their debut album Mix-Up (1979) and the EP Nag Nag Nag with its seminal noise-punk title track. They honed their style with the follow-up albums Voice of America (1980) and Red Mecca (1981).
The early 1980s was an important transitional phase for the band, as it shifted towards more structured dance music. In late 1981, halfway during the recording of the album 2X45 (released in 1982), Watson left the group, which continued as a duo until their (de facto) disbandment in 1994.
In 1983, with the album The Crackdown, the Cabs switched labels from Rough Trade to Virgin and started using increasingly more digital technology. A prime example is their industrial funk dance floor hit Sensoria from 1984, which got picked up by MTV and saw the band starting to infiltrate the mainstream.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s Cabaret Voltaire continued their trajectory towards dance pop incorporating house and techno styles, with many tracks like Easy Life and later Colours fusing hooks with all the excitement of the then burgeoning rave scene in the UK.
By 1994, on the duo's last album The Conversation, Mallinder's input had become insignificant and he left the band after its release. From then on until his death in 2021, Kirk had sole legal ownership of the Cabaret Voltaire name. His view was that, as Watson and Mallinder had both left the band, he was left to carry it on. He used the name for remix projects of Kora and The Tivoli in 2010, and for the albums Shadow Of Fear (2020), Dekadrone (2021) and BN9Drone (2021).
Kirk had a staggering amount of solo outings under various names. His Sweet Exorcist collaboration with DJ Parrot opened the doors for Warp Records in their "bleep" days, was the harbinger for the sonic experimentation of Aphex Twin, Autechre, The Black Dog, and more. Other solo projects of Kirk were Sandoz, Biochemical Dread, Bit Crackle, Blacworld, Chemical Agent, Cold Warrior and Dark Magus, to name but a few.
Mallinder has since been involved in various projects, such as Ku-Ling Bros., Sassi & Loco, Hey, Rube! and most recently Wrangler.
As well as working on his own aural experiments, Watson now works as a critically-acclaimed sound recordist, developing some innovative techniques for Natural History radio and TV, such as the BBC's Galapagos series in 2006.
Sleep Walking
Cabaret Voltaire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
in the sunshine
living in the daylight
it's a low crime
the way i cross the floor
and sleepwalk in the sunshine
Cabaret Voltaire's song "Sleepwalking" is a commentary on the mundane and dreary nature of everyday life. The lyrics describe a person who sleepwalks through life, going through the motions of waking up each day and going about their business without truly being present in the moment. The imagery of sleeping and walking without purpose or direction suggests a lack of vitality and enthusiasm for life.
The use of the phrase "low crime" in the lyrics also hints at a sense of moral ambiguity or apathy towards the world around them. This could be interpreted as a criticism of consumer culture or a society that values conformity over individuality. Ultimately, the song seems to suggest that there is more to life than just sleepwalking through it, and that we should strive to be more engaged and present in our experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been walking in my sleep
I've been going through the motions of life without truly being awake or aware of my surroundings
Counting troubles 'stead of counting sheep
Instead of finding peace at night, I focus on the issues and problems in my life
Where the years went, I can't say
I've been so disconnected from reality that time has passed without me realizing it
I just turned around and they've gone away
I've lost track of time and the people and memories that were once a part of my life
I've been sifting through the layers of dusty books and faded papers
I've been trying to uncover and understand my past, but it's been difficult and unpleasant
They tell a story I used to know
These artifacts from the past remind me of a life I once had, but have since forgotten
And it was one that happened so long ago
The memories and events of my past feel distant and far away, like they happened in another lifetime
It's gone away in yesterday
The past is gone and cannot be changed or relived
Now I find myself on the mountainside
I'm now in a new and different place in my life, but I'm still lost and unsure
Where the rivers change direction across the Great Divide
I'm surrounded by powerful natural forces that I cannot control or understand
Now I don't know what;s ahead
I'm uncertain about what will happen in my future
I don't remember what I've ever said
I've lost my sense of self and can't recall my own past actions or words
I don't know what I'm looking for
I'm searching for something, but I don't know what or why
I don't even know what I own anymore
I've lost touch with my possessions and what they mean to me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Array Project - Music
One of my all time fave CV tracks. Love the interaction around 6:30 between the brittle chopped guitars and the synth brass. I opened a few DJ sets with this just to wake folks up :) It's kinda old skool, nu skool and no skool all at once
Fabio.G.
the intro part is atomic!! the best to open a dark electro dj set!!
Patrick Brett
Every skool..,drool. The most under....rated band of all time. What time? All time? Just fascinating ha ha.
Christopher Fox
this is a great track. ANOTHER great song from a truly great band
Doc Ritchie
fave cabs track. love the funky guitar, musical tension and general cabs scariness.
ForARide
I always used to go dance crazy on this one. It was a tough 8 1/2 min, I can tell you that for sure!
william chesterfield
I agree, but Al would be bailed up in the corner by Richard H Kirk, Mike would be scrutinizing Mal over his choice of lyrical content, Brian would be sh*tting himself under the piano, and Carl would be smoking a ciggie in the staff car park. Would have loved to hear the BB and the Cabs collaborate on an album together. Perhaps tentatively titled " The Pet's sound like they're screaming from within ". But seriously....I Love both these bands for their originality. Dennis was a genius !
transparentoblivion
Reverse - Cabaret Voltiare were first and lets face it, just about all industrail bands owe everything to the Cab's
Elizabeth Young
Very much so. And the concept of putting visuals to music, the Cabs did it first. There's a 1980 Mute VHS compilation of their music, titled "Cabaret Voltaire" and it was historically one of the very first long form videos ever made. For the time, it was considered an innovation. Where bands later on would make videos at the behest of their recording companies for promotional purposes, the Cabs did videos to compliment their music as an art form. The Cabs were so ahead of there time in so many ways. I thank my brother for introducing me to this genius band.
Marcus Åkerman
@Elizabeth Young cabs thought of themselves as a multimedia group. They probably just as much saw their music as a compliment to their videos!