Richard H. Kirk, the founder and last remaining member of pioneering electronic music act Cabaret Voltaire, has passed away aged 65.

Richard H. Kirk, founder and last remaining member of the seminal electronic act Cabaret Voltaire, has died aged 65. The news was confirmed by Kirk’s label Mute Records through a statement on Instagram.

“It is with great sadness that we confirm our great and dear friend, Richard H. Kirk has passed away,” the label said. “Richard was a towering creative genius who led a singular and driven path throughout his life and musical career. We will miss him so much. We ask that his family are given space at this time.”

At present, the cause of death is unclear.

Kirk founded Cabaret Voltaire with Chris Watson and Stephen Mallinder in 1973. The trio’s name was inspired by the Zürich nightclub where Dadaism was born. During their two-decade-long career – the group split in 1995 – the trio emerged as a key voice in the development of electronic music, breaking away from traditional structures and relying instead on electronic and looped tape sounds.

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In 2009, Kirk brought the group together again for a stint of collaborative albums. By then, he had amassed an impressive solo oeuvre of his own, releasing solo albums and performing and producing under various pseudonyms.

Throughout his career, Kirk was known for his forward-march style, whether in music or in person. Saying that he never saw reason in playing old records, he said to Fact Magazine in an interview: “I just feel like, what’s the point? … I always make it really clear that if you think you’re going to come and hear the greatest hits then don’t come because you’re not. What you might get is the same spirit.”

You can read more about this topic over at the Electronic Observer.

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