CABARET VOLTAIRE - THE CRACKDOWN @ 40

Celebrating its 40th anniversary today is the fifth studio LP from Industrial music pioneers, Cabaret Voltaire, with The Crackdown being released on August 18th of 1983. It's the album which saw the band take a decisive turn away from overt experimentation and fundamentally lay the cornerstones of what would become known as "EBM" (electronic body music). Its funky electro-grooves became the signposts for bands like Font 242, Front Line Assembly and countless others.

Recorded late in 1982 at Trident Studios, London, England, the band were now paired down to a duo, with Chris Watson having left part-way through the recording of their previous album, 2x45. With Watson's "Musique concrète" contributions now absent, the group leaned more into the latent groovy essence which resided in its remaining members. It was also the era when MIDI based electronic drum machines and sequencers were making their mark on the electronic music scene and the Cabs were on the bleeding edge of incorporating that tightly synchronized syncopation into their music. The wobbly sync of analogue gear was gone and the rhythms subsequently became tough and tense.

The album was produced by the band themselves, along with Mark Ellis (aka, Flood), who would become a stalwart producer in the genre of electronic pop, working with artists like Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, New Order and Orbital, among many others. The result was a genre defining shift from a band which had come from oblique avant-garde obscurity into now setting themselves up to lead a new revolution on the underground dance floors of the UK, Europe and North America. Taylor Swift would never be the same!
 

NWA - STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON @ 45

Marking its 45th anniversary today is the debut LP from NWA (N****s With Attitude), Straight Outta Compton, which was released on August 8th, 1988. For many, this was the album which announced the arrival of "gangsta rap", giving the fledgling genre a sense of danger and risk which it had only flirted with up to this point.

Prior to the release of Straight Outta Compton, the rap music scene of the mid 80s was commercially dominated by mostly innocuous "party" music, built on electro-funk grooves and principally concerned with fairly non-threatening subjects. While the genre had debuted in the mainstream with a sense of social conscience on tracks like The Message and White Lines, the mainstream of the time was mostly filled with themes of hanging out, and having a good time. With NYC as the birthplace of the sound, the West Coast scene was largely overlooked as inconsequential. That all changed with NWA.

Formed in 1987, NWA brought together MCs Ice Cube, Dr Dre and Eazy-E. Relative unknowns at the time, they'd go on to become iconic names after the release of this album. Musically, driven by DJ Yella and the Arabian Prince, the sound slowed the groove and dragged it away from the Kraftwerk inspired thrust of Planet Rock, into a downtempo heaviness, built on sampled R&B & jazz records and anchored by the booming kick of Roland's TR-808 drum machine. Lyrically, the album pierced the furiously raw nerve of urban black alienation, dispensing with any restraint or politeness and thrusting expletives into the faces of unsuspecting listeners. Unlike the controversies around something like 2 Live Crew and their focus on vulgar sexuality, NWA's outrages came from a sense of revolution against authority, no more perfectly vocalized than by the album's most notorious track, Fuck the Police.

The sheer audaciousness of Fuck the Police became one of the driving factors in making this record such a notorious hit. The song even merited a stern warning from the FBI to the group, and police were refusing to work security at their shows. All of this blow-back from the authorities, however, only served to intensify the group's notoriety and publicity. While radio stations flatly turned away from the album, it still sold in the millions thanks to the shock factor that was unleashed by that track. I can clearly recall the sense of awe that swept my own social circle as this record hit our turntables. We'd never heard anything like it. It was so stark, so angry and so firmly footed against its oppressors. Someone had finally given voice to the deep outrage that was fuming in the guts of the disenfranchised urban cores of North America. It was a moment when you realized it should have been said so much sooner, but that it was about fucking time that it finally hit the mainstream.

While this new breed of rap uncovered the harsh realities of city life, it also unleashed a kind of misogyny which would form the unfortunate alternate thrust of this double edged sword. Women became "bitches and 'ho's" and subjects of abuse. It's only one of the more uncomfortable aspects of the genre which only became exaggerated in later years as the culture became less concerned with communicating the social injustices of the disenfranchised and more focused on the braggadocio of wealth, sexual prowess, violent confrontations and social status.

Yet at its best, NWA and Straight Outta Compton offered a desperately needed reality check for a culture which has continued to decline as disparities between classes continue to be aggravated. Along with Public Enemy on the East Coast, they brought rap music into the '90s with a sense of danger and urgency that has not been equalled since those heady heydays. This was likely the last time, in my recollection, when music was able to upset the establishment in a way which had any real impact. There hasn't been a musical movement since then which has threatened the mainstream in such a tangible and visceral way. However, such rage and determination has since been co-opted into mere consumerism for the 21st century, with artists assessed based on the quality of the footwear they put their names to instead of the validity of their message. That's not to say there aren't those still speaking truth to power, but those voices seem more pushed to the fringes rather than occupying the culture's central ranks. 

 

KRAFTWERK - TOUR DE FRANCE @ 20

 

Marking its 20th anniversary today is the eleventh studio album from Kraftwerk, Tour De France Soundtracks, which was released on August 4th, 2003. It was their only collection of new recordings in 12 years, with The Mix being released in 1991, but it was also their only collection of new compositions in 17 years, with the last set, Electric Cafe (aka Techno Pop), coming out in 1986. While the group continue to tour regularly, they have not released any new studio recordings since, albeit numerous live collections have been made available from their 21st century tours. Tour De France was also the last album to feature Florian Schneider before his departure from the band in 2008 and his passing in 2020.

The album was conceived as a tribute to the Tour De France bicycle race, which was celebrating its 100th anniversary that year, though the album release was delayed, missing the actual anniversary of the race. It was also an expansion on the single of the same name, which was released 20 years earlier, in 1983. The cover graphics for the single and album are nearly identical. Following the release of the album, the group began to tour again, revamping their live presentation to utilized the now familiar four podium "laptop" setup, with each member having a compact array of computers, keyboards and minimal controls, all backed by large visual projections, which eventually evolved into 3D graphics in more recent years.

With such a long lapse in activity from the band, it was a concern as to whether fans would be there to pick up on the release, but the band's impact had become so pronounced within the popular music world, with it's decisive shift towards electronic pop, that the album was a global hit, rising to the upper ranks of numerous charts. Stylistically, the album continued along the path of tight, punchy dance music forged by The Mix from 1991.

With Ralf Hütter now the only remaining founding member of the group (or from their "classic" era lineup), fans continue to speculate on whether or not they have another album of original new works in the wings. 20 years is a long time to go without anything new, especially for a group who are now recognized as being on the same level as The Beatles in terms of influencing the direction of popular music, and some could argue they've surpassed the Fab Four, and convincingly. They're still out there touring regularly and packing venues with their 3D live shows, which I got to see in 2012, and which duly blew my mind. I can't accept that they haven't got at least ONE more album up their robotic sleeves.

PSYCHIC TV - TUNE IN (TURN ON TO THE ACID HOUSE) @ 35

 

In August of 1988, 35 years ago this month, Psychic TV came out of the closet as an Acid House band after having pranked the club crowd with a fake Various Artists compilation of dance music in June of that year under the title, Jack the Tab. The TUNE IN single is purported to be the first UK release to use the term "ACID HOUSE" as it directly referenced the Chicago originating style. Whereas the Jack the Tab album had obliquely alluded to the movement, though skewing towards a more hip-hop & funky style of groove, Tune In went full tilt into the classic "four on the floor" techno-disco beat which characterized the US inspiration, though the signature squelching TB-303 wasn't quite in place just yet.

 

At the time of its release, I'd only recently clued into the sound via the seminal Phuture 12", Acid Tracks. I was a fan of TG's brand of "Industrial" music and Psychic TV, but what I heard from Phuture was a completely fresh sound with a whole new sense of possibilities. I recall many of my friends who were into experimental music were suspicious of this new sound, finding it too dry, basic and minimal, but I was twigged and my guts told me something big was coming down the pipes. When I saw Tune In on the shelf in my local import shop, I remember I got a sudden rush of delight by seeing that someone like Psychic TV had recognized the potential of what was coming. I hadn't heard the Jack the Tab LP yet, so this came as a total surprise after hearing the retro psyche-rock of their latest album, Allegory & Self. It felt like a paradigm shift was happening.

 

The single was originally released on Temple Records under the Jack the Tab name with a label showing a picture of Superman holding a Psychick cross, and without any mention of the name, Psychic TV. This short-lived version was quickly pulled from distribution after DC Comics expressed objections to the use of their intellectual property and threatened legal action. 

 

Soon after the release of this single, it seemed the UK exploded with ACID HOUSE music and rave culture soon followed, with clandestine warehouse and outdoor parties sprouting up all over the country, luring young party-goers into the ecstasy of new designer drugs and all night techno dance parties. For me, the birth of the entire modern electronic music scene traces back to the summer of 1988 and the release of records like Psychic TV's Tune In. For the next few years, until Genesis P-Orridge and family were chased out of the UK, Psychic TV pursued a course of becoming the ultimate psychedelic electronic dance band, putting on marathon 3 hour live shows across the UK, US and Europe, travelling in a Merry Pranksters style school bus, and spreading the word of tuning in, turning on and freaking out.

 

HERBIE HANCOCK - FUTURE SHOCK @ 40

 

Released in August of 1983, Herbie Hancock's Future Shock turns 40 years old this month. Fusing jazz, funk, hip-hop & electronic dance music, the album, along with the Rockit single and it's unforgettable music video, would bring Hancock's name to its highest recognition in popular music.

With two decades of work under his belt, Hancock was well established in the jazz scene, both as a solo artist and for having worked with legends like Miles Davis. He was always a forward thinking musician and he'd done extensive work throughout the 1970s defining the jazz-fusion sound, incorporating funk grooves with jazz sensibilities and pushing it all into the modern age by incorporating synthesizers and electronics. But Future Shock didn't even begin life as a Hancock album.

The origins of the album began with bassist Bill Laswell and keyboardist-producer, Michael Beinhorn, who were looking to devolp a follow-up to their sophomore Material album, One Down. Many of the songs on Future Shock began as demos for what was thought would be the next Material LP. However, once the ball began rolling on these compositions, the duo approached Hancock to work with them on developing the songs further. From there, reggae drumming legend, Sly Dunbar, guitarist Pete Cosey and DJ Derek Showard, better known by his stage name of GrandMixer DXT, came onboard to fill out the studio band. Together, they managed to channel the zeitgeist of a new breed of fusion music, incorporating modern jazz sensibilities with cutting edge alternative hip-hop funkiness. They soon realized they were on to something when demos of their recordings started receiving unexpected positive reactions from people who had a chance to hear them.

For the single, Rockit, a stunning video was directed by 10cc's Godley and Creme, who helped mastermind an iconic set of robot dancers and musicians created by Jim Whiting, a production which swept the MTV music awards of that year. The video managed to keep the song in heavy rotation on the fledgling music channel, propelling the single and album into major sales territory. It was one of those rare moments when true innovation and creativity managed to break into the mainstream music scene.

QUEEN @ 50

 

It's time for another Queen to celebrate a jubilee, this one being golden, as the debut eponymous LP from Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Meadows Taylor and John Deacon (credited as Deacon John), collectively known as QUEEN, was released 50 years ago today, on July 13th 1973. It would be the coronation of one of rock's greatest bands, a creative collective who would leave an indelible and enduring legacy of music and performance.

Before their first album hit the record shops, Queen had to evolve through a series of manifestations which began in 1968 when Brian May formed the group, Smile, with lead singer and bassist, Jim Staffell. May had worked with Jim previously in 1963 in a band called 1984, named after the Orwell novel. Brian had taken a break from music to pursue his degree in physics and infrared astronomy at Imperial College, but was back into playing again. To complete the band, drummer Roger Taylor was hired after auditioning from an ad requesting a "Ginger Baker" style player. While attending Ealing Art College, Staffell became acquainted with one Freddie Bulsara, an Indian of Parsi descent who had grown up in Zanzibar. Bulsara was a design student and took a shining to Jim's band, even offering Brian to join as lead vocalist, though May turned him down because he didn't think Staffell would want to relinquish the role. By 1970, however, Staffell was tired of going nowhere with the band and packed it in, leaving an opening for Freddie to step in.

Once Freddie was on board, it didn't take long for him to suggest a new moniker for the band, christening them QUEEN. Though the other members were initially hesitant, Freddie, who'd also adopted the sir name of Mercury, was confident that, "...people will love it". Whether the connotations of the name were evident or deliberate is somewhat debated, but I have a hard time thinking Freddie didn't have a sly subversive intent up his sleeve. Initially, the band rotated through a number of bass players before they finally encountered John Deacon in 1971, whose modest demeanour and skill in electronics became a perfect compliment for the other quarters of the band.

After scrounging around for a bit, trying to find someplace to do some recording on the cheap, an encounter with an audio engineer friend managed to get them into De Lane Lea Studios' new premises in Wembley. The studio was looking to bring a band in to test out the new gear and rooms, so Queen were able to record five of their original songs: "Liar", "Keep Yourself Alive", "Great King Rat", "The Night Comes Down" and "Jesus". During the recording sessions, producer Roy Thomas Baker was present to hear Keep Yourself Alive, which impressed him enough to promote the band to a number of record labels.

Throughout 1972, Queen, working with Baker as producer, proceeded to record their debut, negotiating to record during studio down time to save costs. Roger Taylor recalled, "You could see the working girls at night through their laced curtains, so while we were mixing, we would have a little bit of diversion". The process proved to be somewhat fraught with conflict, especially between May and Baker, as the former's perfectionism clashed with the latter's desire for live spontaneity. The clash lead to what Baker referred to as "kitchen sink overproduction". The band had also wanted to use the De Lane Lea recordings, but Baker insisted on new versions of those songs. The mixing process proved to be just as difficult with no mix meeting the band's approval until engineer Mike Stone stepped in and was finally able to satisfy everyone's tastes. In the end, the band managed to work through their differences and crafted a bristling mixture of heavy metal and progressive rock, all shot through with a vein of glam's sense of drama. Recording wrapped on the album by November of 1972, and the band then went on a spree of performances to promote the as yet unreleased album. They were still lacking a record deal, so there was some manoeuvring to do, in order to secure a contract.

The group's management firm, Trident, managed to eventually strike a deal with EMI and the album was finally released on July 13th of 1973. The album received overall positive reviews from the music press, with Rolling Stone writing, "There's no doubt that this funky, energetic English quartet has all the tools they'll need to lay claim to the Zep's abdicated heavy-metal throne, and beyond that to become a truly influential force in the rock world. Their debut album is superb." Commercially, the album was a modest success, but delivered nowhere near the kind of sales that they'd soon be pushing. The band was, while highly developed, still finding some of its footing and figuring out how to properly balance its excesses. Their mastery of the studio was not quite fully in bloom, though their ambitions would push them into that sweet-spot very soon.

As a long time Queen fan, the rawness of their debut makes it a singular and fascinating glimpse into a band just starting to flex their creative muscles. All the roots of what they'd become are firmly in place, it was only a matter of time before they'd sprout into full flower. That rough edge, however, gives this album a dynamic which is completely unique within the groups canon of recordings. They'd never sound quite like this again, albeit their followup, Queen II, would perch confidently on the foundations laid by their debut. If you're looking for a version of Queen with some youthful vigour and bite, this is a perfect place to start. It's certainly a dazzling debut by any band's standards.

MAGAZINE - REAL LIFE @ 45

Marking its 45th anniversary this month is the debut LP from Magazine, Real Life, which was released in June of 1978. After showing the punks how to write catchy pop songs with The Buzzcocks, Howard Devoto stepped up his game by hooking up with some top notch musical co-conspirators, producing an album which continued to push boundaries as "post-punk" dropped the artifice of three chord grinding affectation and set about creating some truly original and effective music.

Along with Devoto, the band featured some truly remarkable musicians who would soon become major influencers in a variety of other bands. First there was guitarist John McGeoch, who would become one of the true innovators along with the likes of Keith Levene in terms of finding new tones and textures for the instrument. He's find his way into influential albums not only with Magazine, but with Siouxsie & The Banshees, Visage and even Public Image Ltd after Levene's ouster. Then there was the bass work of Barry Adamson, who would also be part of Visage before going on to be part of Nick Cave's Bad Seeds. Then you had the keyboard wizardry of Dave Formula, who brought in layers of synthesizers to help push the band's sound into the fringes of modernism. It all combined to make a sound which was forward looking and innovative, setting a standard for bright, insightful and intelligent pop music.