OMD

‘What does the future sound like?’
‘English Electric’ is the new album from Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
(OMD), the celebrated synth-pop duo from Wirral who pioneered their genre with
starkly experimental albums such as ‘Architecture and Morality’ (1981) and
‘Dazzle Ships’ (1983). Hits such as 'Enola Gay', ‘Maid of Orleans’ and ‘Souvenir’
propelled them into the stratosphere and helped shape the musical landscape of the
eighties. They went on to record for the John Hughes blockbuster movie Pretty in
Pink and the hit single ‘If you Leave,’ written in just a day, became a sparkling
contribution to the Brat Pack canon. Influenced by Krautrock and Kraftwerk, they
signed to Factory Records in 1979 and had their iconic single and album artwork
designed by Peter Saville. Now their work provides a touchstone for artists such as
The XX, La Roux, The Killers and Arcade Fire collaborator Owen Pallett, who reworked ‘Dazzle Ships’ with nothing but a violin.
‘English Electric,’ released three years after ‘History of Modern’ (2010) and the
bands twelfth album, takes its name from a British industrial manufacturing company
and quintessentially reflects OMD’s identity; it has further resonance for Andy
McCluskey and Paul Humphreys as locomotive enthusiasts and self-confessed
‘technology geeks.’ In the eighties alongside bands like Human League, Depeche
Mode and Gary Numan, OMD made bold albums, seeking the sounds of the future
in a period of quick-fire technological change and the fast approach of a new century.
Now, in the future they tried to envisage, ‘English Electric’ reflects on how different
the world has turned out to be…
‘Please Remain Seated’ is a track reminiscent of Dazzle Ship’s ‘ABC AutoIndustry’, but an updated 21st Century version, with an Apple computerized voice
warning the listener – ‘the future that you anticipated has been cancelled.’
Andy speculates that ‘the overarching feel tends to be a sense of loss, of melancholia,
that things haven’t turned out the way you wanted them to, whether it be with
technology or personal relationships.’
…The tracks cover many different areas but together remain consistent with the
album as an idea. There are songs that use themes well known to OMD fans, Andy's
metaphorical ballad of the female historical figure (‘Helen of Troy’) as well as
Paul's’ trademark synthetic hooks, while there is a new, transitory feel as the album
moves between a time that once was and the present with an elegiac but also
speculative tone. Perhaps this is a reflection of the collaborative nature of this project
compared with ‘History of Modern’, which shuttled between Paul’s computer in
London to Andy’s in Liverpool via email.
Paul describes how this more personal form of working contributed to the overall feel
of the new album - ‘It enabled us to work like we use to work in the very early days; it
was all very spontaneous. You can’t do this kind of intense collaboration virtually. By
doing it this way again, it enabled us to go back to our initial spark and electronic

‘What does the future sound like?’
‘English Electric’ is the new album from Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
(OMD), the celebrated synth-pop duo from Wirral who pioneered their genre with
starkly experimental albums such as ‘Architecture and Morality’ (1981) and
‘Dazzle Ships’ (1983). Hits such as 'Enola Gay', ‘Maid of Orleans’ and ‘Souvenir’
propelled them into the stratosphere and helped shape the musical landscape of the
eighties. They went on to record for the John Hughes blockbuster movie Pretty in
Pink and the hit single ‘If you Leave,’ written in just a day, became a sparkling
contribution to the Brat Pack canon. Influenced by Krautrock and Kraftwerk, they
signed to Factory Records in 1979 and had their iconic single and album artwork
designed by Peter Saville. Now their work provides a touchstone for artists such as
The XX, La Roux, The Killers and Arcade Fire collaborator Owen Pallett, who reworked ‘Dazzle Ships’ with nothing but a violin.
‘English Electric,’ released three years after ‘History of Modern’ (2010) and the
bands twelfth album, takes its name from a British industrial manufacturing company
and quintessentially reflects OMD’s identity; it has further resonance for Andy
McCluskey and Paul Humphreys as locomotive enthusiasts and self-confessed
‘technology geeks.’ In the eighties alongside bands like Human League, Depeche
Mode and Gary Numan, OMD made bold albums, seeking the sounds of the future
in a period of quick-fire technological change and the fast approach of a new century.
Now, in the future they tried to envisage, ‘English Electric’ reflects on how different
the world has turned out to be…
‘Please Remain Seated’ is a track reminiscent of Dazzle Ship’s ‘ABC AutoIndustry’, but an updated 21st Century version, with an Apple computerized voice
warning the listener – ‘the future that you anticipated has been cancelled.’
Andy speculates that ‘the overarching feel tends to be a sense of loss, of melancholia,
that things haven’t turned out the way you wanted them to, whether it be with
technology or personal relationships.’
…The tracks cover many different areas but together remain consistent with the
album as an idea. There are songs that use themes well known to OMD fans, Andy's
metaphorical ballad of the female historical figure (‘Helen of Troy’) as well as
Paul's’ trademark synthetic hooks, while there is a new, transitory feel as the album
moves between a time that once was and the present with an elegiac but also
speculative tone. Perhaps this is a reflection of the collaborative nature of this project
compared with ‘History of Modern’, which shuttled between Paul’s computer in
London to Andy’s in Liverpool via email.
Paul describes how this more personal form of working contributed to the overall feel
of the new album - ‘It enabled us to work like we use to work in the very early days; it
was all very spontaneous. You can’t do this kind of intense collaboration virtually. By
doing it this way again, it enabled us to go back to our initial spark and electronic

‘What does the future sound like?’
‘English Electric’ is the new album from Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
(OMD), the celebrated synth-pop duo from Wirral who pioneered their genre with
starkly experimental albums such as ‘Architecture and Morality’ (1981) and
‘Dazzle Ships’ (1983). Hits such as 'Enola Gay', ‘Maid of Orleans’ and ‘Souvenir’
propelled them into the stratosphere and helped shape the musical landscape of the
eighties. They went on to record for the John Hughes blockbuster movie Pretty in
Pink and the hit single ‘If you Leave,’ written in just a day, became a sparkling
contribution to the Brat Pack canon. Influenced by Krautrock and Kraftwerk, they
signed to Factory Records in 1979 and had their iconic single and album artwork
designed by Peter Saville. Now their work provides a touchstone for artists such as
The XX, La Roux, The Killers and Arcade Fire collaborator Owen Pallett, who reworked ‘Dazzle Ships’ with nothing but a violin.
‘English Electric,’ released three years after ‘History of Modern’ (2010) and the
bands twelfth album, takes its name from a British industrial manufacturing company
and quintessentially reflects OMD’s identity; it has further resonance for Andy
McCluskey and Paul Humphreys as locomotive enthusiasts and self-confessed
‘technology geeks.’ In the eighties alongside bands like Human League, Depeche
Mode and Gary Numan, OMD made bold albums, seeking the sounds of the future
in a period of quick-fire technological change and the fast approach of a new century.
Now, in the future they tried to envisage, ‘English Electric’ reflects on how different
the world has turned out to be…
‘Please Remain Seated’ is a track reminiscent of Dazzle Ship’s ‘ABC AutoIndustry’, but an updated 21st Century version, with an Apple computerized voice
warning the listener – ‘the future that you anticipated has been cancelled.’
Andy speculates that ‘the overarching feel tends to be a sense of loss, of melancholia,
that things haven’t turned out the way you wanted them to, whether it be with
technology or personal relationships.’
…The tracks cover many different areas but together remain consistent with the
album as an idea. There are songs that use themes well known to OMD fans, Andy's
metaphorical ballad of the female historical figure (‘Helen of Troy’) as well as
Paul's’ trademark synthetic hooks, while there is a new, transitory feel as the album
moves between a time that once was and the present with an elegiac but also
speculative tone. Perhaps this is a reflection of the collaborative nature of this project
compared with ‘History of Modern’, which shuttled between Paul’s computer in
London to Andy’s in Liverpool via email.
Paul describes how this more personal form of working contributed to the overall feel
of the new album - ‘It enabled us to work like we use to work in the very early days; it
was all very spontaneous. You can’t do this kind of intense collaboration virtually. By
doing it this way again, it enabled us to go back to our initial spark and electronic