Cabaret Voltaire - Yashar 12''

In 1983, Cabaret Voltaire were already celebrating their 10th year in existence.  After the departure of Chris Watson 2 years prior in 1981, Stephen Mallinder and Richard H. Kirk were reduced to a duo that were becoming less industrial, and slowly getting their feet wet with dance music while remaining on the cutting edge of sound.

This curious transitional record came out in 1983, and it marked the first time that Cabaret Voltaire was seriously intended for the dance floor. In May of 1982, the last album release of the band for Rough Trade was the aptly named “2×45” double 12″/album. On it, the closest thing the band had at that point to a big beat colossus was the second track, “Yashar.” Funk was always a motivator for the Sheffield trio but you would not know it by the sound of 12″ singles such as the preceding year’s “Eddie’s Out.”

In May of 1983, Factory Records released the only “single” from “2×45,” in John Robie’s remixes of “Yashar.” Robie wisely started the mix off with the sinister “There’s 70 billion people of earth – where are they hiding” sample from The Outer Limits then quickly took the mix into novelty disco territory as the top heavy mix threatens to wobble completely off the rails.

While the single mixes were done within a year of the song’s release, they sound like a typical post-modern mix, perhaps made years after the original. The overall effect is not unlike the shock of hearing “Blue Monday ’88” for the first time. 

Ripped from the original 12” single to MP3 @ 320kbps

Cabaret Voltaire; Yashar 12”

A.     Yashar (John Robie Remix)

B.     Yashar (NYC Dance Mix)