Cabaret Voltaire

One of the most important, influential groups in the history of industrial and electronic music, Cabaret Voltaire combined the absurdity of Dada with the D.I.Y. ethos of the punk movement of the 1970s, then gradually evolved their sound and approach throughout the coming decades, mirroring the developments in electronic dance styles such as electro, acid house, and techno. Originally a free-form experimental unit consisting of Richard H. Kirk, Stephen Mallinder, and Chris Watson, the group signed to post-punk institution Rough Trade in 1978, producing razor-edged avant-pop singles such as 1979's "Nag Nag Nag" and seminal full-lengths like 1981's Red Mecca. Post-Rough Trade, they adopted a more funk-influenced dance sound for 1984's Micro-Phonies, embraced house music with 1990's Groovy, Laidback & Nasty, then explored ambient techno with later efforts like 1993's International Language. Kirk revived the group's name for live performances during the 2010s, and released Shadow of Fear, Cabaret Voltaire's first studio album in 26 years, in 2020.