Pseudo single, sorti dans les 24 heures, "What's going on" n'a d'objectif que de teaser la sortie de "Shadow of fear" et les 3 tracks présents (what's going on - the power (of their knowledge) - vasto) seront évidemment en bonne place dans la version définitive de l'ouvrage.
En véritables apetizers, ces 3 titres sont donc là pour entrapercevoir le résultat et, qui sait, peut-être infléchir la mauvaise volonté de certains (qui ne sont pas à chercher, bien loin).
Premier constat, what's going on est plutôt un bon track, une version numérisée, édulcorée, héritière d'un passé que nous refusons de convoquer, de peur de devoir changer de ton.
La vraie bonne surprise de cette "mise en bouche", nous vient de l'imparable "the power (of their knowledge)" pour lequel, il serait sacrilège de demeurer circonspect. Kirk, et son indéniable talent, y saisit l'esprit véritable du trio d'antan, en lui donnant, cette fois-ci, une pertinence et une modernité décomplexée. Nul rétro-futurisme, le simple et ultime souci du travail bien façonné, nourrit des influentes prérogatives qui firent jadis notre bonheur. 1/3 - avantage au Présent.
Vasto, qui cloture le single, n'a pour le moins qu'un intérêt modeste, sinon celui de devoir occuper cordialement la confortable durée du track (7'40) - il faut attendre - attendre le passage de la troisième minute, pour soudainement se ressaisir de Yashar, dans un éclair, et bien volontiers admettre que Cabaret Voltaire, furent, aussi, les instigateurs d'une fusion d'une telle envergure, que les conséquences seront encore calculables, que les boudeurs auront définitivement cesser leur posture depuis des temps immémoriaux.
Sullen? Yes, certainly, and resolutely determined not to appear on the list of bombastic superlatives that will inevitably accompany, in just a few days and after 26 nearly silent years, the release of a new Cabaret Voltaire album. Yes, you read that correctly—no orthographic controversy here: Cab. Because in truth, not much remains of Cabaret Voltaire. But can we seriously reduce Richard H. Kirk to "not much"? Let’s show some restraint, shall we? Of course, I’m exaggerating, but it’s worth pointing out that Stephen Mallinder and, even more so, Chris Watson, are sadly absent.
The pseudo-single released in the last 24 hours, What’s Going On, serves no other purpose than to tease the arrival of SHADOW OF FEAR. The three tracks it contains (What’s Going On, The Power (Of Their Knowledge), and Vasto) will undoubtedly feature in the final version of the album.
These three tracks, true "amuse-bouches", are here to give us a glimpse of the end result and, who knows, maybe soften the resistance of some (who, truth be told, aren’t far away).
First observation: What’s Going On is a rather solid track—a digitized, toned-down version, an heir to a past we hesitate to summon - fear of having to change our tone.
The real standout of this appetizer comes in the form of the impeccable The Power (Of Their Knowledge), for which remaining indifferent would be pure heresy. Kirk captures the essence of the trio’s former spirit, this time giving it an unbridled modernity and relevance. No retro-futurism here—just the ultimate focus on well-crafted work, imbued with the influential prerogatives that once brought us joy. 1-0, advantage to the present.
Finally, Vasto, which closes the single, holds a more modest interest. It seems primarily intended to fill its comfortable runtime of 7 minutes and 40 seconds in a cordial manner. But if you wait until the third minute, a surprise awaits you: a sudden flash of Yashar that reminds us, vividly, of Cabaret Voltaire’s role as pioneers of a musical fusion of such magnitude that its consequences are still being felt today. And perhaps, someday, the sullen ones will finally abandon their posture for good.