Voltaire’s music has strong roots and connections to European folk as well as other influences such as the goth scene. However, many listeners find his music hard to classify. Although it has a sound reminiscent of European folk music, many people claim it to be darkwave; perhaps as this is a label often given to many other artists from Projekt Records, and a word often used to mean many things by the label themselves.
His music has also been linked to cabaret, with Lexicon Magazine using the term 'goth cabaret', possibly referring to dark cabaret, a term often used to describe some bands Voltaire cites as his influences. New Wave has also been used to describe Voltaire's music by some reviewers. Voltaire describes his own music as- 'Music for a parallel universe where electricity was never invented and Morrissey is the queen of England.' He claims that bands and artists who influenced his music are- Rasputina, Morrissey, Tom Waits, Cab Calloway, and Danny Elfman.
The first band that Voltaire played in was called First Degree which he participated in during junior high school. At this age, he was a fan of Duran Duran, but then started to listen to gothic music, bands such as Bauhaus and The Cure. It wasn't until later that he began participating in the goth scene; it did not at first occur to him that there was a goth scene at all.
As an adult, Voltaire formed a band which included a violin, a cello, drums, and himself as the vocalist and the acoustic guitar player. Within a year, Projekt Records signed them and by June of 1998 they released their first album called The Devil's Bris. Two years later their second album, Almost Human was released.
One of Voltaire’s popular hits is BRAINS!, a song written for Cartoon Network show The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, aired in the episode Little Rock of Horror.
As an avid fan of Star Trek, Voltaire frequently attends science fiction conventions (such as I-CON and Dragon Con) and released a four track E.P. called Banned on Vulcan. It was a set of comedy recordings poking fun at characters from the show.
On the side, Voltaire is also the lead vocalist of an NYC based new wave quintet known as The Oddz.
