- Richard H Kirk's career has not been one of twists and turns so much as a relentless march on a singular path. As a founding (and now sole) member of industrial innovators Cabaret Voltaire, he's been at the forefront of electronic music since the '70s. Kirk's solo career has been equally noteworthy, from his take on bleep techno in the '80s to his exploration of ambient electronica and world music as Sandoz. (His Discogs page lists 41 other aliases.) His recent output—often self-released, digital-only—has struggled to make the same impact, which is perhaps symptomatic of the increasingly crowded market in which DIY-inclined artists like him operate. But recent retrospectives of his work—as Richard H Kirk and Sandoz—on Mute Records have helped highlight his extensive influence on electronic music.
Dasein's sound, visceral and dense, has a palpable sense of urgency. The sharp arpeggio that opens up "Nuclear Cloud" builds, via squalling guitars and distorted vocal chants, into a billowing sonic overload. But Kirk often circumvents dark music tropes—"Do It Right Now"'s melody, for example, is conspicuously chirpy. These breezy refrains, when placed in Kirk's music, contend with blasts of static, off-key synth stabs and heavily dubbed-out speech. Channeling the spirit of New York's no wave scene, "Invasion Pretext" could've come from Liquid Liquid had they invested in some synths.
Tracks like "Radioactive Water" and "New Lucifer/The Truth Is Bad" have accents of contemporary club music, but Dasein is strongest when it draws from older material. The jittery drums of "Lear Jet" resemble a Martin Hannett production, providing the perfect rig for Kirk’s beyond-the-grave vocal intonations and fuzz-spewing leads. Delivered with more control than the early experimental days of Cabaret Voltaire yet still brimming with vitality, the album is a fine reminder of Kirk's strengths.
Tracklist01. Lets Jack
02. Lear Jet
03. Nuclear Cloud
04. Do It Right Now
05. New Lucifer/The Truth Is Bad
06. Radioactive Water
07. Invasion Pretext
08. 20 Block Lockdown
09. Sub/Antarctic/H20