This is a double-edge sword, to be honest. In terms of production, 'Code' is a masterpiece of its time (aided a great deal by Adrian Sherwood) - borrowing from the duo's earlier 80s' material (most notably "Micro-phonies" but with less menacing and more pristine results (extra points definitely go to the crisp drum programmes). In terms of contents however, it couldn't have been shorter of ideas (not to mention experimentation), despite some impressive musicians participating in the creative process (Bill Nelson on guitar, Mark Brydon on bass, Sim Lister on saxophone). By the time 'Code' was released, Cabaret Voltaire started experiencing tiresome repetition - 'The Drain Train' was a bore and frustration with modern dance music was audibly catching up with them. While Mal's vocals still keep a whispering menace trademark, Kirk's arrangements are predictable - "Don't Argue" immediately marks that, despite augmented by a powerful drum machine. 'Sex, Money, Freaks' includes interesting bass and James Brown-like sax solos (courtesy Mark Brydon and Simeon Lister of Chakk) but goes on for ages, based on the song title's phrasing. 'Thank You America' and 'Here To Go' follow the same route - the beat is there to enjoy but the songs are just tedious; "Thank You America" fares better a bit, echoing the group's earlier nihilistic comments about religion, politics and the mass-media power abuse.Side two kicks off with 'Trouble Won't Stop' - a stunning electro-pop tune with a paralysing funky sound. 'White Car' on the other hand could very easily be a leftover from the duo's 'Covenant' days and here stands as the catchiest, in terms of a radio-friendly pop-song (as can be according to the Cabs). 'No-one Here' is a standout track, combining film-noir, jazzy atmosphere (Lister again) and edgy electronic beat with a hip-hop flare, all to great effect. The equally edgy 'Life Slips By' and the closing (and somewhat thinner) number 'Code' mark the Cabs' slow departure from mid-80s electro-funk towards clubbing music (in their case, acid-house, as fully explored on their follow-up - "Groovy, Laidback and Nasty").'Code' by comparison sounds amusing at best, but by large a shadow of Cabaret's former selves, in order to sound "song-structured". Singing over from Virgin/Some Bizzare to EMI may have added to the pressure as the expectations were obviously high at the time but the overall effect, if it's to judge from both, the creative and commercial sides of the story, "Code" is only moderate success.