Chris Watson

The Profile

British field recordist and musician, co‑founder of Cabaret Voltaire. After leaving the group in 1981, he became a leading wildlife sound recordist for film and television (including work on David Attenborough series) and released acclaimed albums on Touch such as Stepping Into the Dark, Outside the Circle of Fire, Weather Report, and El Tren Fantasma.

Co‑founded Cabaret Voltaire in Sheffield in 1973; left the group in 1981; renowned for wildlife and environmental recordings; notable solo albums on Touch.

A 5-star review of Weather Report paints Chris Watson as a meticulous sound researcher capturing nature in three acts: Kenyan savannah, a windswept Scottish village, and the Vatnajokull glacier. The piece argues that Watson ‘shows’ rather than proves, restoring perception dulled by technology. Nature’s beauty and decay emerge through finely edited field recordings. The review closes by urging focused listening with headphones.