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Industrial, metal, industrial-metal, even techno-metal. Techno-metal? We surely weren’t really any of those! Truth is we don’t know what genre or pigeon-hole we should have been thrown into. We just did what we did. Sure we took noisy guitars and mixed ‘em up with funky beats but techno-metal?

Two guitars, bass, drum machine and vocals. Hardly surprising we were compared to Big Black. But Big Black weren’t techno-metal. Were they? Who cares! Cable Regime played stuff with guitars, bass and machines from 1988 to 1997. I’d like to think we were psychedelic rock. Just play ‘Righteous Man’s End’ full blast and disagree. A diet of Velvet Underground, Spacemen 3, King Crimson, Chrome, Hawkwind, noise, electronics, krautrock. A bunch of cheap instruments and stomp boxes that sometimes worked, sometimes didn’t. Enough to make a start. And we did. Nine years later we stopped.

I imagine you’re here because you heard Cable Regime somewhere along the line and kinda liked it. If you just want to know what we released the discography section is on the right. If you want to know where to get the CDs – we don’t know. If you want to know more we’ll give you a little. Not much though. The majority of it just ain’t your business.

We got together in 88. Paul had done Fall Of Because and wanted something else. Me and Diarmuid had played in bands too, nothing really worthy of a mention. They’d already jammed and had a drum machine. They’d recorded a demo. They gave me a copy. I didn’t play it until after our first album came out. We jammed ‘White Subway’ for some 25 minutes and decided to go with it. That’s how it happened. We knew each other from way back. We jammed some more and got ‘Patti Hearst Show’, ‘Righteous Man’s End’, ‘Novocaine Kul’ and some other bits that turned into other songs. We played shows, lots of shows. We were a real racket but people liked it so...

During 89 and 90 we played whenever and wherever folk would have us. We played with our friends, Godflesh and Loop on tours. Paul joined Godflesh for a while then left. We got signed in 91 to Permis De Construire Deutschland. A live version of ‘White Subway’ from the Loop tour came out on a compilation CD. It’s still one of my favourite Cable Regime recordings.

Permis asked us to do an album. We said OK. They sent money, we spent it! We got the album recorded thanks to Justin Broadrick of Godflesh. He had an 8-track which meant it wouldn’t cost much, cool since we’d spent most of the advance. Life In The House Of The Enemy was recorded pretty much live as I remember, at a rehearsal room using boundary mics. Jah Pook was put together back at Justin’s. We did the cover ourselves, it’s pretty obvious where the imagery was taken from. Permis sent more money for a Remixes EP of Assimilate & Destroy, we spent most of that too. Think the idea was ours not theirs, doesn’t matter. Not that many bands were doing ‘remix’ EPs back then. It was fun. We got some good reviews too. We played more shows. Good times.

Our friend John had a label over in Nottingham. He asked us to record some stuff. We contacted Justin again. We gave him a live version of Novocaine Kul first for a compilation. Still love that. We did a twelve inch and an album, no idea which was first, probably the twelve. We recorded King Of Beers on 8-track reel-to-reel, B-side was samples of Novocaine done at Justin’s on a sampler. Kill Lies All is still my favourite of the three albums. We transferred it to 16-track for a bigger sound. A right racket! Just after it came out we headlined Europe. Again, good times.

Back to Permis De Construire for another EP. This time we recorded on digital at a studio. Different mood, different dynamic. Brave New World sounds quite different to the earlier stuff. Cleaner, less of a racket. White Subway finally made it. Justin did a dub version, it’s not credited on the EP, can’t remember why! Permis fucked up the pressing. They fucked up the cover too. Doesn’t matter now, did back then. Don’t like the title track, never did. Subway’s good though.

The Cable Regime album was recorded at mine using mostly hired gear. We spent the advance again! Things had got a little messy with Permis, mostly over money. Always is! Different dynamic again. Not my favourite album. Some of it’s great, a lot of it isn’t. Things had changed. You know! Lo-Mai’s superb, sorry ‘bout the metal dive-bombing at the end – I got carried away! It didn’t get mixed till 99 after we’d split up. Invisible put it out in 2000. Dave Cochrane did the cover.

We called it a day in 97. The usual reasons!

We’ve all gone on to other things. That stuff’s in the ‘links/projects’ section.

Steve Hough. Sept 06.

Click on the band logos below to link to other sites:

Cable Regime guitarist Steve Hough currently plays bass in Einstellung whose debut album "Wings Of Desire" is now available on Chatterbox Records (CB050). (click on the "Einstellung" logo to hear MP3s and buy CDs)

Cable Regime bassist Diarmuid Dalton plays bass in Jesu whose second album "Conquerer" is available on Hydra Head Records (HH666-126). (click on the "Jesu" logo to hear MP3s)

Krafla is Steve Hough and Simon Fox (singer/guitarist in Grover). "Krafla EP" is available on Bearos Records (bearos 061). (click on the "Krafla" logo to hear MP3s and buy CDs)

Paul Neville, Steve Hough and Diarmuid Dalton all played in Godflesh at one time or another. Paul played guitar during the band's 89/90 period whilst Steve Hough played guitar and Diarmuid played keyboards live from 97 to 99. (click on "side projects" under "Discographies" on the left of the Godflesh site to find out more about all 3 members of Cable Regime)

Steve Hough played bass in Grover from 02 to 03. (click on the "Grover" logo to hear MP3s and buy CDs)

Diarmuid Dalton plays electronics on various Final releases. (click on the "Final" logo to hear MP3s)

Steve Hough was one half of electronic breakbeat duo Torque from 95 to 98. Steve programmed, played samples, keyboards, guitars and bass alongside Phil Jones. Torque had a string of compilation appearances. (click on the "Torque" logo to hear MP3s and obtain CDs)

Paul Neville also played live guitar in Scorn (with Mick Harris and Nik Bullen) during 1990 and played on Scorn's Peel Session from this era. Paul created AKA in 98, "Return To The Island Of DJ Moreau" was released on the "LoFibre Companion" compilation CD on Justin Broadrick's LoFibre Records.

Steve Hough and Diarmuid Dalton formed Line shortly after Cable Regime's split in 97. As in Cable Regime, Steve played guitars and Diarmuid bass. "Hollow" (featuring Cathie Wallace on vocals) was released on the "LoFibre Companion" compilation CD on LoFibre Records.

Steve Hough and Diarmuid Dalton formed Saskwatch with Justin Broadrick in 97. The psychedelic, techno trio released "Pookah" on the "LoFibre Companion" compilation CD on LoFibre Records.