RICHARD H. KIRK, the founder and mastermind of legendary UK band CABARET VOLTAIRE, is releasing ‘Never Lose Your Shadow’, a 12” EP of tracks from his musical archives, through Minimal Wave, the famous NYC label of Veronica Vasicka. Kirk first came to prominence in the 1970s as a member of the seminal industrial band CABARET VOLTAIRE. His first release as a solo artist, ‘Disposable Half-Truths’, came out in 1980 on THROBBING GRISTLE’s Industrial Records label and since then he developed a solo career parallel to the band until its dissolution in 1994.On the new EP, Minimal Wave has compiled tracks originally recorded between 1978 and 1987, which have never before been released on vinyl. The title track, ‘Never Lose Your Shadow’ is amazing : it is a mind-blowing cross-over between harsh industrial, dance floor, and no wave. The other three tracks are more experimental and reference ideas Kirk was exploring in CABARET VOLTAIRE at the time. When asked specifically about this collection, Kirk explains that “none of the tracks were outtakes for Cabaret Voltaire, they were always solo tracks, although I think ‘Never Lose Your Shadow’ was very much a blueprint for the material that Cabaret Voltaire recorded for Virgin / Some Bizarre between 1983-85. The minimal sequencer / drum machine lockdown that I used later for Cabaret Voltaire was pioneered on this track. Lyrically, ‘Never Lose Your Shadow’ was inspired by the 1971 speed freak road movie ‘Vanishing Point’, amongst other things.”
The EP is limited to 999 hand-numbered copies, the first 500 are pressed on solid grey vinyl and the remainder on black. It will be released on August 26th, 2014, with pre-orders commencing on August 1st. Catch RICHARD H. KIRK playing live as CABARET VOLTAIRE for the first time in 20 years, at Berlin’s Atonal Festival on August 24th. To purchase the EP: HERE! Listen to ‘Never Lose Your Shadow’ HERE!
