Latest CD releases reviewed
CABARET VOLTAIRE
Double Vision Presents Cabaret Voltaire Mute Film
Co-founded in 1982 by Cabaret Voltaire to release a collection of the group's video works, Double Vision quickly became the video label for some of the signature bands of the early 1980s independent/industrial/ electronic scene, including Throbbing Gristle, Einsturzende Neubaten and 23 Skidoo. Double Vision's ground-breaking first release features videos and music taken from Cabaret Voltaire's early live performances and albums (particularly Red Mecca and Voice of America). It offers a near perfect document of Richard H. Kirk, Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson's evolving musical and video style, a dynamic combination of Dada non-sense aesthetic and William Burroughs's cut-up technique that sampled eclectically from documentary, pornography, newsreels and home movies. While Mute Film's DVD release is a must for all fans - its occasionally poor video and audio quality an added bonus for purists - it lacks such necessary extras for neophytes as a band interview or label documentary that might contextualise Cabaret Voltaire's seminal work. www.mute.com Jocelyn Clarke
VARIOUS
Hip-Hop Peace & Unity Fest Grit
Intended to show that there's more to hip-hop than bling and blunts, the Hip-Hop Peace & Unity Fest drew 40,000 to Boston's City Hall Plaza in July 2003. What the crowd got on the day was a mix of rising talents (including Boston native Shuman and Insight & The Electric Company) and hip-hop icons (KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane and PMD) pushing the edutainment side of hip-hop culture. Largely the meat, potatoes and broccoli of the live show, the DVD drags in places but there's enough rip-roaring action to keep your impatience in check. Best of all is KRS-One, still rocking the mic, throwing down the classic cuts and preaching the truth. www.gritrecords.com Jim Carroll
PUCCINI: LA BOHÈME
Soloists: Cheryl Barker, David Hobson, Roger Lemke, Christine Douglas. Opera Australia Orchestra, Chorus & Ballet; Conductor: Julian Smith. Arthaus Musik
Puccini's La Bohème is a testament of youth and young love. Like Romeo & Juliet, it is for all time and capable of many interpretations and presentations. This particular production has been around for some time but is only now being released on DVD. It's directed by Baz Luhrmann for Opera Australia and the whole action of the opera is updated to the Paris of the 1950s with all that entails - both in terms of scenery and props and the updating of the attitudes of the characters in the opera itself. The name parts are taken by vibrant young locals who sing beautifully and are entirely credible in looks. With some highly imaginative staging and tight production, the result is a totally fresh interpretation for modern times of this lovely work.
www.arthaus-musik.com - Colman Morrissey
