2MCE FM Alt.Eighties: Made In Sheffield
5 June, 2025
When one thinks of Sheffield UK one would probably think of stainless steel cutlery and the term Sheffield Steel as this was the place of invention for that post industrial household product. But Sheffield also claims another pioneering venture – British electronic music.
The Sheffield electronic scene first emerged in 1973 with the formation of the influential and pioneering industrial/electronic band Cabaret Voltaire by Stephen Mallinder, Richard H. Kirk and Chris Watson, who in turn inspired experimental electronic band the Future (Martyn Ware, Ian Craig Marsh and Adi Newton) to form in 1978.
The Future became the Human League. The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire with a band called Vice Versa (who would later transform into Electro-pop hit machine ABC) and Clock DVA are colloquially referred to as Sheffield’s “Big Four”.
This week on Alt.Eighties the mix is inspired by the Big Four and music ‘Made in Sheffield” – a program of British electronic music forged in the fires of the Sheffield
steelworks. From the harsh industrial ‘head music’ of Cabaret Voltaire to the commercialised electropop of the Human League and ABC.
