Cabaret Voltaire - Crackdown

From the 1985 "Gasoline in Your Eye" tape.

[@ichhasseamerika]

Rest in peace, Kirky. Man this one hurt. Ground-breaking pioneers. They were making proto-techno in the late 70s/early 80s. I used to LOVE them, they helped me thru a very difficult childhood. Wracked with pain, they offered me an oasis of happiness, a sliver of solace. Growing up in the states, I remember the fight, the battle, to try to get our hands on ONE MORE hard to find import 12" single or album of theirs. But u know what? The work that it took made it all the sweeter when we finally got it onto our turntable. Man were those times great. But now, one-by-one, the lights are going out, we are leaving the party. So sad, but those that experienced them will cherish those days in our hearts forever, and sip the memories like fine wine that has aged well. Thanks for all the good times Kirk and Mallinder. Legends.

[@pristineclear8604]

God turned onto them in the late 80s through this album. Love this album

[@colinhamilton2217]

And tv samples ahead Ok you can take this from me and then get out of here.... Bruce lee dubbed voice Theres 30 billion people in there...where are they hiding Outer limits...demon with the glass hand

[@rewanji]

And that’s why we need a Cabs documentary while we still have Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson among us. This is a way too important and revolutionary project for modern music and video. A comprehensive book would help too. Will someone do it?…

[@montypeno4620]

this song and this album was an incredible leap forward for music. Skinny Puppy, Ministry, NIN they should give CV a lot a credit. Along with Kraftwerk and Throbbing Gristle of course.

[@ssv1364]

absolutley

[@drewbrown2175]

Ministry did with their first Revolting Cocks Record*

[@kultovbela]

Ministry worked with Cabs on Acid Horse. Think Al was a fan and showed it.

[@mrmonkeyeats9032]

You all always forget spk

[@bkr23]

@@mrmonkeyeats9032 No, no, i will never get SPK out of my head - the essence of noise.

[@markgreen7378]

Don't try likening them to other UK bands. CV were formed in 1973 ,and well ahead of their time.

[@priestley0410]

RIP - Richard H Kirk ! A sad loss, no words.

[@WG161]

I learned today. Strange feeling, as i've lost a friend. RIP Richard H Kirk.

[@GiLuSgrg-u5u]

Noooooo

[@jeffreybarton1297]

Listened to Caberet Voltaire for over 30 years and they still sound modern and relevant. This is my favourite track of theirs, and also the first time I heard or saw them.

[@niellalien]

Gritty, sinister, seductive, bizarre, sophisticated, cool. So good.

[@lauralovesmusic9571]

They almost sound better to me now. Awesome.

[@d1654]

Watching you watch others move... RIP Richard.

[@dpiedra1520]

This is a great example of how complex and imaginative CV was. Their sounds, use of sampling and video was way ahead of what anyone was doing. True synth pioneers right up there with KW but rarely noted for it. AMAZING!

[@jobrienh]

@Chalk O'holic de

[@JuanGraf]

CAN / HOLGER CZUKAY

[@zanardi66]

I'm glad Richard & Mal were able to find a taxi after wandering around Sheffield for so long.

[@RolandSxxx1]

Cabs for Cabs..

[@pressureworks]

It is their hometown after all. They just rang up CityCabs.

[@1jediwitch]

Lols.

[@simonhoulding4414]

They always used to film around Sheffield

[@ericjarry7663]

I would like to say the Cabs were ahead of their time but I disagree myself. They were spot on brilliance. Timeless

[@sisterdiggins]

Yeah, waaaaayyyy before Skinny Puppy. These guys were revolutionary.

[@mwezimwezi9618]

This was my fave cabs tune. RIP Mr Kirk thanks for introducing the younger me the possibilities of avant-garde

[@mnmlstellar]

+ Lyrics + Scatter you, sweep your feet. Pick you up, and drag you in. Stubbing things to schemes and places. And someone, cracks down. Watching you watch others move. And sometimes, someone Flatter you, sweep your feet. Pick you up, and drag you in. Stick to you playing with fire. And it's so good that you scream. And someone, sometimes, cracks down. Someone, sometimes, cracks down. A bell rings, you jump a place, Making moves to the right spot. And someone, somewhere, cracks down. Flatter you, sweep your feet. Pick you up, and drag you in. Stubbing things to schemes and places. Pick a place. Watching you watch others move. Then sometimes, someone, cracks down. Cracks down. Flatter you, sweep your feet. Pick you up, and drag you in. Take to you playing with fire. And it's so good that you scream. A bell rings, you jump a place, Making right moves to the right spots. And someone, cracks down. Someone, sometimes, cracks down. Someone, sometimes, cracks down. Watching you watch others move. Cracks down. Someone, cracks down. Cracks down. Someone, cracks down. Someone, sometime, cracks down. Somewhere, someone, somewhere, cracks down. Watching you watch others move. Someone, sometimes, crack down. The crackdown. Crack down. Someone, somewhere, cracks down. Cracks down, cracks down, crackdown, someone, crackdown. You're seeing things, you're stopping things, Dreams and chasers, picking places. Watching you watch others move. Right places. And someone cracks down. Cracks down. Crackdown, crackdown, crackdown, crackdown, Someone cracks down.

[@eduardorivera4343]

THIS VIDEO AGED VERY WELL..

[@Esirre]

I agree, discovered darkwave not long ago via White Car's early EPs, I honestly didn't know if this was a new vid or not when i watched it, great track

[@gnapgnapgnap]

this was one of my favourite bands to dance to in the 80s they rock!

[@cxtepo126]

this is an amazing song! great beat and sounds! this video just reached 385K views, i am happy the interest is still there after 15 years. Let's hope for 386K by New Year's! 🙌

[@Montepestelarius]

Je te pleure, Richard...

[@theseattlesound1]

Man... I remember watching this video in the late 80s and then my friend gave me a VHS copy. Ahead of it's time. Some elements were copied by Nine inch nails a few years later. I was really chilling to Red Mecca and Time High Fiction also. 😢 miss those years.

[@dpiedra1520]

Love CV for all the amazing sounds and sights they used. The greatest concert I EVER attended was CV at the Toronto Concert Hall, summer 1985!!!

[@ign1to]

dear youngsters - pls acknowledge these were the streets of Poland in late 70s/early 80's, i've been there and felt the terror... never again!!!

[@krzysztofm.7085]

Płyta z '83 roku więc pewnie zrobili teledysk z ZOMOwcami ze Stanu Wojennego.

[@JulienArbor]

While these may have been the streets of Poland in the late 70s/early 80s, this could also be scenes from the U.S. today (2024) as so many are protesting against the genocide that’s being carried out by the Israeli government against Palestinians.

[@michaeltaylor1219]

This was the 12 inch version of The Crackdown, it had a real power to it unlike the track on the album! This ones got so much energy.......

[@stevewilson9479]

i love the fact that this so-coherent RIGHT NOW!

[@yajtramer6913]

Great song 1st time I heard it 11 17 2023 Wush I listened to it sooner Future proves past

[@nirvanaispus]

I remember this from 25 years ago!!! I was blown away then, and am still blown away today... What true revolutionaries CV are... What a great song, video and lp inventing the genre of industrial along with Throbbing Gristle

[@jeffmcmillan1786]

this comment holds up 12 years later :)

[@nirvanaispus]

@@jeffmcmillan1786 Many thanx. I appreciate it. CV paved the way for so many. I'm now listening to many that are hard to listen to for many such as Melt Banana and Igorrr. Yeah, there's so so so many more. I generally don't listen to what everybody else listens to and avoid commercialism.

[@Calinks]

40 years ago now lol

[@davidhansen6397]

Still my favorite Cabs song and one of my absolute favorites of all time. I watched the video so much when I was younger that I adopted the style of dance of the two guys in the video.

[@Protolamna]

I do question if this video was the birth of industrial dance lol

[@joolzg]

still listen to "the crackdown" 24 24 24 hours a day

[@PronoProject]

Awesome song/video. The Cabs were so ahead of their time.

[@madberlin]

Crackdown was one of the great (last) tracks of 1983

[@thomasvaladez5833]

Damn, I'm digin' this funky lil groooooooovie trak from Cabaret Voltaire. Heard many of their songs and I'm from the 80s. However, it's the 1st time to indulge in this master piece! Ah, taking me to another euphoric place away from all this agony...Ty!

[@mnmlstellar]

without words .... simply excellent

[@mimik5856]

They have a stroll outside my old work place on Effingham road. Rip rich

[@hypnosoundsystem]

Timeless sound and vision.

[@RolandSxxx1]

The best bassline you can't hum ever (the synth bass that is)

[@Disburseterse]

I can hum it...

[@RolandSxxx1]

@@Disburseterse Don't Argue...

[@sean808080]

oh i remember this well. ignited my love affair that lasted decades. still stands the test of time. one of the best shows I've seen was them at the Ritz in NYC in the late 80's. Perfect in every sense.

[@a090006]

incredyble how these songs sounds like today,even better!the video is likes new!!We used to dance on this thwenty years ago

[@kevinpdean]

modern day dada. lovin it

[@zzGRENDELzz]

Oh wow -Skinny Puppy obviously lifted the sounds and beat and some of the sections for "Testure". I prefer testure as dance material but this is cool too.

[@thomasvaladez5833]

Effin very hot and kewl video too! Watched it over like 21 times so far and can't get enough.

[@BOMInsights]

Politics aside, this is a great song from a time when electronic music made leaps and bounds over the mainstream crap of the day. This dark electronic sound complete with haunting video was the hallmark of CV.

[@darklight8236]

notice the flashframe of Diskono near the end of the song.... i sincerely believe that the entire Cabaret Voltaire song library ties to each and every other CV song,......it's a story....if you watch carefully maybe you can learn it too..... #kNOw #eYedidCthat

[@zenkhan4419]

This beat reminds me so much of Testure from Skinny Puppy...Both are great bands...

[@horesnhold5960]

you are damn right...but its not only the beat. its mainly the synth bass and the synth hooks;-)

[@mikepastor.k6233]

Early SP is almost identical to the cabs. I'm not upset over that. If you're going to be inspired by someone, Caberet Voltaire is as good as it gets.

[@pz2233]

Noticed that too. Dang CV was ahead of their time

[@berlinsaintclair9100]

I married my ex-husband because he was a Cabs fan. I think that's what he liked about me as well. It didn't work out but the draw of two loving the Cabs is strong! My next tattoo is gonna be one of the CV bits of art from the MicroPhonies LP.

[@RainPoetry]

What happened to all this amazing music? The 80s musicians are killer - gorgeous, fantastic and edgy music that was pioneering, along with a strong uncompromising political (left) message. CV is like no one else. Love them. Nine Inch Nails kept that vibe going, but I miss this great mixture of subversiveness on all fronts. Today's music is corporate rock, even the ones who think they're "indie."

[@Nuclearbones]

+RainPoetry What happened to the amazing music? The amazing music never went anywhere. If you legitimately believe that there is no new and influential music today. You've not been paying attention. Death Grips, PTV3, Merzbow, Xiu Xiu, lot of power electronics bands still thrive today. Where I currently live the punk scene is rising again. You can find a lot of other experimental music on websites like Hollow Earth Radio. If you want good music, you gotta go out of your way to find it. There is literally no point in bitching about corporate rock being the only thing existing. This is the internet, not Oceania from 1984.

[@NorthernObserver]

Analogue. Analogue hardware produces a warmth and "alive" tone that digital music has eliminated. This is why popular music sounds thin today.

[@RainPoetry]

Scott McArthur I have to agree with you. It's like hollow music these days.

[@nathanrodriguez780]

This was 32 years ago. Things always change. As much as I'm glad this music existed during this time, it would be a bummer if we were still stuck in the 80's.

[@eric1012wi]

RainPoetry the left became fascist that's what happened. Wake the fuck up.

[@Devito46]

Brilliant music !!

[@soundofroz6835]

Visuals and sound at the start are chilling.

[@wdamian]

Thank you Richard. You left us too soon.

[@MagnitudePerson]

God i hate Mainstream music when i come back to the listen to such classics.

[@glyph2011]

RIP Richard :-(

[@markd2075]

Timeless....Brilliance

[@barrymccall2095]

MarK D what chant of theirs had asian voices chanting at begining and at end of song. it made my hair stand, itv was so good

[@barrymccall2095]

Barry McCall i had a old album sensoria i think it was fantastic

[@robertlane1197]

True inspiration in every sense of the word. Brilliant.

[@roberthansen2008]

This is another one of my favorites to watch from time to time.

[@bricepc1]

1983 air banding this song in my bedroom, in Calgary Ab.

[@fiilthy]

digging this in 2015, Edmonton Ab !

[@kurthart3630]

Stuff like this that got me into dada the occult and how to explore my mind cabs hell yeah

[@roberthansen2008]

I dig this stuff. Ever since when I dj'ed at WZRD 88.3 FM Chicago, I have switched off the mainstream stuff. I dig this stuff.

[@oilegor9583]

I'm from Chicago and love those hard to get radio stations on the left havof the dial any recording of yer dj ? In the mod 90s wxrt use to play industrial and electro music after 10 pm on Fridays they called it club x and I loved it.

[@asmovision]

I remember when I first heard this it gave me goosebumps, bloody love the Cabs, I still play them when I DJ

[@malyfromhell74]

Poland has changed, I am a Pole, it actually pictures from the 70s of the 80 strikes of the twentieth century, the so-called communist era, when in opposition before the communist Solidarity was the peoples government led by the USSR (Soviet Union). These were very difficult and bad times for Polish citizens. Then I was a boy. But a lot has changed in this country. We are in the European Union

[@larslarsen1444]

this shows they were ahead of their time

[@rnsrp2]

The r/OldElectronicMusic subreddit brought me here! 🔥 💣 💚

[@MagnitudePerson]

Awesome music! Industrial ftw!

[@alexanderzacharski9614]

Rock City Futurist days! Awesome!!

[@gameoflife6489]

Big Love,Big Funk

[@Yntrr]

Great song !

[@Esirre]

the whole thing feels like some sort of strange dream of desperation and urgency without a findable cause

[@KurtousHart]

Great song great video great band long live dada

[@tschak909]

how was this never used for a movie soundtrack?!

[@nirvanaispus]

Here it is folks - the greatest music video ever made! Watch those nightmare images combined with truly great editing and music that was and still is far ahead of its time. This puts to shame trash like NIN. Enough said.

[@FinalBaton]

Now THERE's a bleak, sexy song... That's right ! those 2 can go together

[@CrazyTheySaid]

THIS to me was their brightest show of brilliance. they were so close to going into the dark side......SO CLOSE :)

[@JLLaurens]

A Great Band ! Pure underground sound A neo realistc and surrealist letters with a god prodand mix on studio And malkes a good record Icone music even today.

[@MrWitchman1967]

i have not seen this since 1984, when I was watching an episode of "Night Flight" with my godmother. she did not like the video. thanks for the post.

[@PeachBeach]

Bloody Good. Sounds fresh still.

[@ImYourHuckleberry_29]

Amazing the stuff you can find in the comments section

[@poptompainwonderland]

dear youngsters-pls this could be anywhere,,and still..this is popmusic and we´ve felt the terrors of know-how.. DADA!

[@LarzGustafsson]

Always interesting. Always innovative.

[@horesnhold5960]

skinny puppy has stolen this one: testure

[@lawrenceholsworth4383]

Definitely some similarities. Definitely the same sound.

[@Tjpepeluis]

Awsome video, awsome music. i am a big fan of Cabaret Voltaire . . . Thanks for the info about the video . . . this is real music . . .!!!

[@SarahBenedictBoo]

Aww it reminds me of home

[@annthorpe8411]

Hell's home.

[@Artur-vh3nk]

Riot in Poland 70/80...

[@alexanderzacharski9614]

awesome!

[@ANDRESALBERTOGARCIA]

amazing!!!!!!

[@DJAlgorhythms]

A truly sickening bassline.

[@brianartillery]

I've been a fan of the Cabs for over 30 years now, and have always wondered why they never broke in to the 'mainstream'. They had the sounds, and, as this video shows, had the looks. Too good for the masses. Possibly.

[@kurthart3630]

Who cares as long as someone likes your art mainstream or underground

[@LYNCHLAWRECORDS]

great song and nice video ...

[@MsStevenSeagull]

RIP Richard H Kirk

[@antonia-antmarie4243]

Best Club Music @ Red Parrot 1985.

[@timris]

Elvis comeback-68,in which he had his best costume,leather,in black-looking very cool and people loved it,but he could were anything;singing+moves makes crowd go crazy;not just women...

[@slappedhappy9549]

💎

[@nirvanaispus]

I'd have to say that this is the greatest video that I've ever seen to this date and I've probably seen 40,000 -- give or take a few thousand... Talk about influence with super fast and amazing editing with repeat nightmare visuals which sooooo many truly awful bands such as one of the bottom 5 bands of all time NIN owe a great debt to... duh

[@lauralovesmusic9571]

He reminds me of Matt Johnson of The The

[@koolzainski]

ha! he broke character @ 8:06 - great track and video, love Cabaret Voltaire!

[@MagnitudePerson]

AWESOME!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

[@ABCRE2]

'83 & yeah!!!

[@throbgrist]

They really need to re-release this video! Kirk has re-mastered both the Johnny Yes No mini-film & soundtrack and has also come out with new versions of both that became available as a sweet 4-disc package this past fall. He says that he wants to re-release the stuff they did for Virgin back in the mid-80s sometime this year. Hopefully he might consider 'Gasoline'?

[@gnapgnapgnap]

great way to look at it i like the way you think cheers!

[@alexanderzacharski9614]

Sheffield really knew ho to produce excellent music

[@emile235]

4m 20s the 2 dancers haha cracks me up every time

[@MovedToTearsGiselle]

⚘⚘⚘RIP Richard H. Kirk ⚘⚘⚘