Sensoria
Song by Cabaret Voltaire
Cabaret Voltaire is a British music group from Sheffield, England, formed in 1973. Initially, the group was formed by Stephen Mallinder, Richard H. Kirk, and Chris Watson. After a nightclub in Zurich, the group was named Cabaret Voltaire, which was at the time center for the early Dada movement.
Cabaret Voltaire was initially an experimental noise band, and after the departure of Chris Watson in 1983, the band moved in a more commercial direction. Their earliest performances were dada-influenced art, but Cabaret Voltaire later developed into one of the most prolific and influential groups to blend pop with dance music, techno, house, and experimental electronic music.
The band composed and produced several styles, although in the early days, primarily industrial and electro.
In 1983, Cabaret Voltaire decided to turn in a more commercial direction, with the album "The Crackdown" released on labels like "Some Bizzare" and "Virgin Records."
"Sensoria" was released in 1984, the same year Cabaret Voltaire started to receive recognition from the mainstream. The track was released as a single and on the "Micro-Phonies" album.
The track got into the UK Indie chart in October 1984 on place #96, although the UK's underground scene much more appreciated it.
Not only was "Cabaret Voltaire" pioneering in electronic music, but their videos were fresh as well. The excellent camera techniques and angles it used were something not seen in a music video before.
The video for "Sensoria" was directed by Peter Care and attracted airplay on MTV. It was voted as "Best Video of the Year" by the Los Angeles Times in 1985.
"Sensoria" is a classic Industrial, Techno, and Electro blend that moved the perception of music production. Funky in its core, with a beat that will make you breakdance, and with the synths, instruments, and vocals with the fantastic stereo field, this one sounds like it was recorded "yesterday." Cabaret Voltaire became a genre themselves, influencing many musicians and bands later to come.
The single was released in 12 different Virgin Records and Some Bizzare divisions in the UK, Germany, France, New Zealand, and Australia.
It was written and produced by Richard Harold Kirk and Stephen William.
On the instrument side, it is hard to determine what they used for this piece. The drums are a blend of several drum machines of that time, the kick and snare drum are most probably from the Linn Drum LM-1, and the hi-hats sound like they were programmed on Roland TR 808.
Synthwise, they could of use anything, from Moog to Prophet, Oberheim, or legendary British "Oscar" synth by a small firm "Oxford Synthesiser Company."
Richard and Stephen were truly breakthrough artists in terms of instrument usage. Masters of sound design and with excellent knowledge of synthesizers and sound synthesis, they have crafted some of the "freshest" pieces of music in the early '80s.
"Sensoria" is a piece that will last forever, an inspiring gem that influenced many and will continue to do so. Trust me, you'll love this one, let it grow on you, and discover the "unfabricated" perception of Cabaret Voltaire's music.