Pitchfork

Though named after the nightclub where the followers of Dada met to babble about cultural revolution, Cabaret Voltaire were devotees of Industrial Culture. In the vanguard with Throbbing Gristle and J.G. Thirlwell, Richard H. Kirk and Stephen Mallinder sought (in their early years) to document the effect of mechanization on the human psyche. Nothing like a lofty goal when the dominant music of the day is disco, eh?

After albums of varying degrees of listenability, Kirk and Mallinder began to incorporate New York dance rhythms into their songs with a corresponding increase in public appreciation. "Fuck art! Let's dance!" Kirk and Mallinder usually recorded in their purpose- built Western Works studio, located in their native Sheffield, England. In many ways, this studio assured that a Cabaret Voltaire album sounded like a Cabaret Voltaire album. It was all about quality control.

For fans, then, Radiation offers not only live versions of the Cabaret Voltaire whiplash, but also a chance to hear familiar material recorded under different conditions. The BBC engineers had no time or budget for studio trickery or overdubs, so on this box set, you get to hear the no- frills Cabaret Voltaire in the raw. And quite a rump- shakin' skeleton the beast is, too.

Amid the popping basslines and spindly synth figures "Sensoria," "Kind," and "Sleepwalking" exhibit a crisp, whiplash neurofunk. "You Like To Torment Me" is exactly what you'd imagine a collaboration between Cabaret Voltaire and Bobby Orlando collaboration would be like-- paranoid lyrics are accompanied by Latin percussion and an irresistible mandate to get down. "We've Got Heart" also introduces the Middle Eastern cadences that Kirk has relied upon in his recent solo work. But Radiation doesn't let up there; it also includes an exhilarating live version of "I Want You," complete with a New Order-ish guitar line, restive synth strings and Mallinder's speedfreak vocals. To crown it all, "Sex, Money, Freaks!" is a dance floor rallying call that few could resist.

Cabaret Voltaire may never have made huge amounts of money, nor did they get all the sex they wanted, but it was never in doubt that Kirk and Mallinder were the most exquisite of freaks. Radiation treatment, indeed!