Well, well, well, look what we have here – another reissue, because apparently retirement is just a suggestion. Cabaret Voltaire’s CODE is back, and I’m not complaining, folks. I mean, who doesn’t love a good game of “spot the difference” between the original and the remastered version? It’s like a fun little puzzle for music enthusiasts. The Sheffield electronic pioneers’ most commercially successful album has been remastered from the original tapes by Denis Blackham, who’s been mastering or remastering every Cabaret Voltaire album for over 20 years. I guess you could say he’s the Vincent van Gogh of mastering – always going back to the same material, but somehow making it new again.
The Remaster Economy Remains Undefeated
Released in 1987, CODE marked a bold shift towards synth-pop and mechanistic funk, because who doesn’t love a good genre-bending album? Co-produced with dub mastermind Adrian Sherwood, it was the last Cabaret Voltaire album made with a major budget while remaining defiantly credible. And let’s be real, it’s not like they’ve been trying to milk this cow for years or anything. I mean, it’s only been out of print for a little while, and now it’s back, shiny and new, like a phoenix rising from the ashes. The original artwork has been restored, because who needs new artwork when you can just use the old stuff and call it vintage?
The album featured the charting singles Don’t Argue and Here To Go, which I’m sure you all remember fondly. I mean, who doesn’t love a good chart-topping single? It’s not like the music industry is just rehashing the same old material over and over again or anything. This reissue was begun in 2019 with Richard H. Kirk before his untimely death and completed using his notes, in consultation with Stephen Mallinder and Richard’s estate, as a fitting tribute to his legacy. Because what’s a better tribute to someone’s legacy than re-releasing their old music and making a bunch of money off of it?
Win a Copy, Because You Clearly Need Another Version of This Album
To celebrate the reissue of CODE, Classic Pop has teamed up with Mute Records to give readers the chance to win a copy on both vinyl and triple CD, with an art card signed by Stephen Mallinder. Because who doesn’t love a good art card, am I right? It’s not like you have enough clutter in your life already. For your chance to win, click on the link and follow the instructions, because it’s not like it’s going to take you hours to figure out or anything.
The Never-Ending Story of Reissues
It’s not like the music industry is just churning out reissue after reissue or anything. I mean, it’s not like we’re just repeating the same cycle over and over again – album gets released, album goes out of print, album gets re-released, rinse and repeat. It’s not like that at all. But hey, at least we get to enjoy the music again, right? Even if it is just the same old material with a fancy new coat of paint.
So, What Are You Waiting For?
To order your copy of CODE, click on the link and follow the instructions. Because what’s a few more dollars out of your wallet, really? It’s not like you have better things to spend your money on. And who knows, maybe you’ll even get to enjoy the music again, like you did the first time around. Or maybe you’ll just end up with a fancy new coffee table decoration. Either way, it’s a win-win, right? Somewhere, a record label executive felt a disturbance in the royalties, and I’m sure it was just a coincidence that this reissue happened to come along at the same time.
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
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