Cabaret Voltaire's Richard H. Kirk is no more, RIP

Shocking news reaches us from the Cabaret Voltaire headquarters. In an update on the band’s official Facebook page this afternoon the band and its label Mute records announce the sad news that Richard H. Kirk (born on 21 March 1956) is no more.

The news update reads like this: “It is with great sadness that we confirm our great and dear friend, Richard H. Kirk has passed away. Richard was a towering creative genius who led a singular and driven path throughout his life and musical career. We will miss him so much. We ask that his family are given space at this time.”

Richard H(arold) Kirk specialised in electronic music since the 1970s. He was best known as a member of the influential industrial music band Cabaret Voltaire, formed in 1973. His first release as a solo artist, Disposable Half-Truths, was released in 1980 and he maintained a career as a solo artist alongside Cabaret Voltaire until the band’s dissolution in 1994

He reformed the band in 2014 as the sole remaining member, performing sporadically with all-new material more akin to his solo work than the output of the original incarnation of Cabaret Voltaire.

During the 1990s his solo output increased considerably. Kirk’s works explored multiple types of electronic/dance music under many pseudonyms. His prolific work resulted in AllMusic calling him contemporary techno’s busiest man. He released projects under his own name and as part of various groups, including Sweet Exorcist. He used a ton of aliases including but not limited to Agents With False Memories, Al Jabr, Anarchia, Biochemical Dread, Blacworld, Chemical Agent, Citrus, Cold Warrior, Countzero, Dark Magus, Destructive Impact, Dr. Xavier, and so on and so on.

You can read an interview that Side-Line’s S. Froidcoeur had with him right here.

Rest In Peace Richard, our sincere condolences to friends and family.

About Cabaret Voltaire

Cabaret Voltaire were an English music group formed in Sheffield in 1973 and initially composed of Stephen Mallinder, Richard H. Kirk, and Chris Watson. The group was named after the Cabaret Voltaire, the Zürich nightclub that served as a centre for the early Dada movement.

The early work of Cabaret Voltaire consisted primarily of experimentation with DIY electronics and tape machines, as well as Dada-influenced performance art, helping to pioneer industrial music in the mid-1970s. Finding an audience during the post-punk era, they integrated their experimental sensibilities with dance and pop styles. They are often characterized as among the most innovative and influential electronic groups of their era.

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