Electronic music pioneer Richard H Kirk has died, aged 65.
”It is with great sadness that we confirm our great and dear friend, Richard H Kirk has passed away. Richard was a towering creative genius who led a singular and driven path throughout his life and musical career.”, Mute Records wrote in a statement yesterday.
We have compiled some of the reactions:
Stephen Mallinder: ”I’m shattered. My Cabs music partner, and often sparring partner, difficult to live with but impossible not to love. Stubborn, no sufferer of fools, but insightful, spontaneous, and with vision … and underneath the spiky shell a warm heart. I’m truly devastated. RIP Kirky”
New Order: ”Richard and all of Cabaret Voltaire were good friends and very influential electronic musicians that made a big impact on the music of Joy Division and many other bands. They helped us enormously after Ian passed away when we collaborated with them for the first time in a studio without Ian. Richard will be sorely missed, he left his mark in music innovation and experimentation.”
Bill Leeb: ”Cabaret Voltaire was truly one of my biggest music influences of all time. Pretty sure there would be no FLA with out the mighty CABS rocking the airwaves of experimental electronic music. Feel quite lucky me and Rhys got to meet and play with them in New York. Safe travels captain Kirk.”
Warp Records: ”All of us at Warp are very sad to receive the news that Richard H Kirk has passed away. Richard played a key role in the birth of Warp: his group Cabaret Voltaire were local legends in Sheffield who were massively influential, and as one half of Sweet Exorcist with DJ Parrot he was responsible for the third ever single on the label, the classic ‘Testone’, and the first ever Warp album release, ‘Clonk’s Coming’. Richard recalled this period in an interview: ‘It was quite exciting, with many warehouse parties, loads of people discovering MDMA for the first time. A bit like casting off the past in the same manner of punk. Very DIY. Warp often came to the Cabaret Voltaire studio, Western Works, to listen to mixes and blag other favours, and I think they kind of enjoyed the connection with Sheffield’s electronic heritage.”
OMD: ”Very sad that one of the true pioneers of British electronic music has passed away.”
Orbital: ”So sorry to hear about Richard. He was a massive influence on our musical lives, both listening and playing but more that we became friends in the 90’s.”