Description
Cabaret Voltaire – Shadow Of Funk – Curacao Vinyl Record
Cabaret Voltaire’s Shadow of Funk (2018) is a striking return to form for the pioneering industrial and electronic music group, marking one of their later releases before the band’s final phase. Known for their innovative blend of post-punk, industrial, electronic, and experimental music, Cabaret Voltaire, led by Richard H. Kirk, was a driving force in the development of electronic and industrial music from the late 1970s onward.
Shadow of Funk is an EP that revisits the band’s classic elements of minimalism, abstract rhythms, and dark, atmospheric textures while incorporating more contemporary production techniques. Released during a period when Kirk was the sole member of the band, this EP showcases Cabaret Voltaire’s relentless push toward innovation, blending heavy beats, distorted soundscapes, and hypnotic rhythms to create a dense, immersive listening experience.
Shadow of Funk is rooted in the dark, gritty textures that define Cabaret Voltaire’s industrial sound. The EP features heavy, driving beats and an array of dissonant, distorted electronic sounds that evoke a sense of urban decay and dystopia. The repetitive, hypnotic structures allow the tracks to build an almost trance-like atmosphere, drawing the listener into the dense layers of sound.
True to Cabaret Voltaire’s long-standing experimental ethos, the tracks on Shadow of Funk rely heavily on minimalist, repetitive beats and loops. This stripped-back approach creates an eerie, mechanical feel, with each track evolving slowly as subtle shifts in sound and rhythm are introduced over time. The minimalism helps build tension, adding to the EP’s haunting, atmospheric quality.
While the title suggests a focus on funk, the ‘funk’ here is more of an abstract influence, represented through deep, groovy basslines and syncopated beats that underpin the electronic and industrial elements. The rhythms are relentless and infectious, anchoring the tracks in a groove while allowing the more experimental, atmospheric layers to unfold.
Key Tracks
“Shadow of Funk – Version 1”: The first track on the EP is a deep, dark excursion into industrial electronic territory. With a heavy, pulsating bassline and layered, distorted electronic sounds, the track is both hypnotic and unsettling. The minimalistic structure allows the rhythm to take center stage, creating a sense of movement through its repetitive, driving beats.
“Shadow of Funk – Version 2”: This track maintains the same core elements as the first version but introduces subtle variations in texture and rhythm. The slightly altered beat and additional electronic layers give it a more dynamic feel, evolving gradually over its runtime. The distorted sounds and haunting atmosphere remain, but the shifts in tempo and rhythm make it feel slightly more urgent and intense.
“Skinwalker”: This track is slightly more abstract, with a slower, more deliberate pace. The distorted, broken beats and eerie, atmospheric synths create a sense of unease and tension. It feels like a descent into darker, more ominous territory, with dissonant electronic textures and a minimalistic structure that slowly builds in intensity.
Cabaret Voltaire has always excelled at creating soundscapes that evoke a sense of urban decay and dystopia, and Shadow of Funk continues this tradition. The tracks conjure images of a post-industrial landscape, full of mechanical rhythms and dissonant, distorted sounds. There’s a sense of claustrophobia and darkness throughout the EP, as if the music is reflecting the decaying infrastructure of a city in decline.
The minimalist, repetitive nature of the music, combined with its cold, industrial sounds, gives the EP an atmosphere of isolation and alienation. The lack of traditional vocals or melodies only enhances this feeling, as the tracks feel more like soundtracks to an alien, mechanical world rather than conventional songs. This sense of detachment is a hallmark of Cabaret Voltaire’s music, emphasizing the distance between human emotion and the cold, mechanical world they often portray.
Despite the dark, foreboding atmosphere, Shadow of Funk also has a hypnotic quality. The repetitive rhythms and basslines pull the listener into a trance-like state, creating an immersive experience. This sense of rhythmic hypnosis is a key part of the EP’s impact, with the subtle shifts in sound and structure drawing the listener deeper into its soundscapes.
As the sole member of Cabaret Voltaire during this phase, Richard H. Kirk handles all the instrumentation on Shadow of Funk. His mastery of electronic manipulation is evident throughout the EP, as he layers distorted synths, heavy beats, and dissonant noise to create a dense, atmospheric sound. The use of minimalism and repetition is central to his approach, allowing the rhythms and textures to evolve gradually over time. The rhythmic elements of Shadow of Funk are a driving force, with deep, heavy basslines and syncopated beats forming the backbone of each track. The basslines give the EP a groove that contrasts with the colder, more dissonant electronic layers, providing a sense of movement and momentum. The atmospheric layers of the EP are full of distorted sounds, dissonant synths, and industrial noise. These textures create a sense of unease and tension, contributing to the dystopian atmosphere that permeates the tracks. Kirk’s ability to balance these harsh, abstract elements with the rhythmic grooves makes the EP both challenging and engaging.
Cabaret Voltaire is often regarded as one of the pioneering acts of industrial music, and Shadow of Funk serves as a reminder of their continued influence on the genre. While the EP doesn’t break new ground for the band, it reaffirms their ability to create dark, challenging electronic music that remains relevant in the evolving landscape of industrial and experimental music. Shadow of Funk evokes the spirit of Cabaret Voltaire’s earlier work while embracing modern production techniques. It reflects Kirk’s ability to evolve the band’s sound without losing the experimental edge that made them influential in the first place. This EP is a nod to the band’s past while looking forward, showing how the foundations they laid in the 1980s still resonate.
Cabaret Voltaire’s minimalist, repetitive structures and dark atmospheres continue to influence modern electronic and industrial artists. Bands and producers in genres like techno, darkwave, and ambient often draw on the ideas first explored by Cabaret Voltaire, and Shadow of Funk reinforces their lasting impact.
Shadow of Funk by Cabaret Voltaire is a dark, hypnotic exploration of industrial and electronic soundscapes, marking a return to the band’s minimalist, experimental roots. Driven by heavy, repetitive rhythms and distorted textures, the EP creates an immersive, dystopian atmosphere that showcases Richard H. Kirk’s ability to blend abstract electronics with hypnotic grooves. While it doesn’t break new ground for the band, Shadow of Funk serves as a powerful reminder of Cabaret Voltaire’s continued influence on the industrial and electronic music scenes, offering a compelling and immersive experience for fans of the genre.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Shadow Of Funk
Skinwalker
Billion Dollar
