Cabaret Voltaire - Red Mecca
#409
By John Tommassino
September 15 1981
Cabaret Voltaire
Red Mecca
Genre: techno, new wave, art rock.
Allen’s Rating: 3 out of 5
John's Rating 4.5 out of 5
Highlights:
A Touch of Evil
A Thousand Ways
Black Mask
...I'm not much of a fan of techno...I like New Wave and all of its styles but I tend to listen to basic guitar, bass, drums and music in a heavier tone. That said, Cabaret Voltaire produced a real listening gem here. A Touch of Evil is an eerie number with unnerving blisters of noise and sporadic beats. I found it both enjoyable and a little anxiety-producing at the same time. Random thoughts entered my head during my listening session...like if there were deleted scenes in the original "Planet of the Apes" film showing Charlton Heston's astronaut companions being lobotomized, stuffed and mounted and suffocating in space- this music would work and fit in seamlessly in the original soundtrack. Sly Doubt is a catchy number that would still work in any number of dance clubs if they were still open...A Thousand Ways works as the album's centerpiece, a 10 plus minute song that is just fantastic. I imagined walking into a corporate orgy or a feast to a long forgotten pantheon of deities and this music would work perfectly, it has an edge to it that must be heard. Red Mask and Black Mask seem to be distant musical cousins but both are engaging techno tracks. The ominously titled "Spreading the Virus" had me at the get-go but the track itself sounds more like Disney's Herbie the Lovebug trapped in a nihilistic demolition derby and winning the event to the dismay of the crowd. The reprise of A Touch of Evil ends the album on an epic note. Listen to this record with an open mind. It is truly unique.
https://open.spotify.com/album/4W0VBisNs7yFtQJ9XX4RCd?si=h3Q0D_hUS6KaepV8-3lmfw
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