Customer Reviews

Micro-Phonies

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Perhaps Cab Volt's best all-around work. Certainly, it's one of their more accessible sonic assaults. From the sampledelic politics of "Do Right" to the cyber-paranoia of "Spies in the Wires," Micro-Phonies is packed with wall-to-wall sound bytes about life in the post-modern age. This is the soundtrack you'll here as lovers screw in the radioactive sludge of global meltdown. Industrial music at its finest.

This is one Cabaret Voltaire's greatest albums and it was one of my favourites in the 1980s. This is possibly Cabaret Voltaire's most disciplined and "hard-edged" albums. It is one of the most relentless and uncompromising albums of its time.

Dark humour, observations and dark colours abound on Micro-Phonies. "Sensoria", "Blue Heat", "Digital Rasta" and "James Brown" are the standout tracks.

Cabaret Voltaire's voice was distinctive - richer and more layered than DAF, dirtier and grittier than John Foxx, more use of Musique Concrete elements than Kraftwerk and more thunderous and "Industrial" than anything Depeche Mode ever could dream of making.


Music that still sounds awesome and chilling through a big sound system in a club.

Well it still is Cabaret Voltaire because the lyrics are still paranoid but the music is getting lighter in form but that doesn't mean it's crap. Sensoria is probably the song that gets most people into Cabaret Voltaire with the juttery "D-d-d-Do right." But there are other songs on here to make you feel like dancing. Digital Rasta is a beautiful song where Mallinder sings " Selling something like you sell yourself, money in the bank but your under pressure" making it the perfect mate for you when you're a little peed off about your manager

Of course it might take a bit of time if you bought The Crackdown and were expecting something similar ( it's not quite the same ) and/or if you think the amount of tracks you get is not enough to make you shell out your money but stick with it - it's a good album

This is easily the Cabs best album. Their decision to move away from the free-form industrial electronic experimentation of 'Voice of America' et al is perfectly justified with this recording. While the poppier edge may disarm you at first, this record is brimming with aspects to enjoy, every song conceals a deeper, darker underside. 'Spies in the Wires' is by far the best track (closely followed by Do Right), the way the beat kicks in and infectious chorus (not to mention evocative lyrics)....wow....i'm usually the fan of harder edged stuff, liek neubauten, TG, SPK and the wild electronics of SP, Autechre etc but this is a real gem. Go buy. You won't regret it.

'Micro-Phonies' is basically a consolidation album after the artistic breakthrough of 'The Crackdown'. The Cabs essentially retain the sound of that album, while making a further nudge toward the mainstream by refining and streamlining the arrangements and production. While there is still considerable use of sampling, most famously on 'Sensoria' and 'Do Right' ("always work...go to church...do right...respect those in authority over you.."), few other elements of their former sound remain. Stephen Mallinder's vocals are more urgent whispers than threatening rants, and Richard Kirk's distorted guitar is nowhere near as prominent as before. While not really "pop", the synthpop and disco elements are very prominent, making 'Micro-Phonies' one of the Cabs' more accessible, straightforward, and direct albums.

Highlights of the album include the aforementioned 'Do Right' and 'Sensoria', which sound like they were born out of the same song, plus the funky horn-driven 'James Brown'. Other interesting ideas include the dub-influenced 'Digital Rasta', and more restrained tracks 'The Operative' and 'Spies In The Wires'. I personally feel the album is not quite as consistently brilliant as 'The Crackdown', with a couple of tracks such as 'Theme From Earthshaker' being a bit directionless.

Still, it's a good album; one that reinforces the more dance-oriented direction the band took in the mid 80's. Once again the Cabs demonstrate their ability to make music that can be dark, disturbing, and intelligent, while still being very danceable.

Four stars.

Rare and out of print. (UK/1984) Artwork By [Original] - Phil Barnes
Artwork By [Sleeve Design] - Neville Brody
Co-producer, Engineer - Flood
Drums, Percussion - Roger Quail
Guitar, Performer [Wind Instruments], Synthesizer, Sampler [Fairlight] - Richard H. Kirk
Percussion - Mark Tattersall
Producer [Assistance] - Paul Gomersall
Producer, Engineer, Programmed By [Drums, Tapes] - Cabaret Voltaire
Tabla - Eric Random
Vocals, Bass [Guitar] - Stephen Mallinder
Written-By - Kirk* , Mallinder*
Notes: Recorded at Western Works, February/March 1984.
Mixed at Sarm West, April/May 1984.
Etchings: A~ The stuff you call the rubbish.
B~ (none)
Tracklisting:
A1/ Do Right (6:44)
A2/ The Operative (3:14)
A3/ Digital Rasta (3:40)
A4/ Spies In The Wires (3:19)
A5/ Theme From Earthshaker (2:48)
B1/ James Brown (5:01)
B2/ Slammer (5:37)
B3/ Blue Heat (4:04)
B4/ Sensoria (6:19) - Mystery School - Sonic Acupuncture - Agents With False Memories - Dreams Less Sweet - Psychic TV "Listen Today..." /Numbered Limited Edition CD Video

Maybe their most listenable collection of songs, this CD waas quite a favourite of mine when it came out. There are some really well produced and played techno songs that have not dated. OK, it is no longer the same experimental stuff as in their beginning but it was still challenging.

the 12" of "James Brown"? The long version is as much a reconceptualization of the album version as the 12" of "Sensoria," so it's too bad it's not included.