Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | |
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 FoundersPaul Humphreys (left) andAndy McCluskey in 1985 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | OMD |
| Origin | Meols,Merseyside, England |
| Genres | |
| Works | Discography |
| Years active |
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| Labels | |
| Spinoffs | |
| Spinoff of | |
| Members | |
| Past members |
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| Website | omd |
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an Englishelectronic band formed inMeols,Merseyside in 1978 byAndy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) andPaul Humphreys (keyboards, vocals). Regarded as pioneers of electronic music, OMD combined anexperimental,minimalist ethos with pop sensibilities, becoming key figures in the emergence ofsynth-pop; McCluskey and Humphreys also introduced the "synth duo" format toBritish popular music. In the United States, the band were an early presence in theMTV-drivenSecond British Invasion.
McCluskey and Humphreys ledthe Id, a precursor group, from 1977 to 1978 and re-recorded their track "Electricity" as OMD's debut single in 1979. Weathering an "uncool" image and a degree of hostility from music critics, the band achieved popularity throughout Europe with the 1980anti-war song "Enola Gay", and gained further recognition viaArchitecture & Morality (1981) and its three hit singles. Although later reappraised,Dazzle Ships (1983) was seen as overly experimental, and eroded European support. OMD embraced a more radio-friendly sound onJunk Culture (1984); this change in direction led to greater success in the US, and spawned hits including "If You Leave" (from the 1986 filmPretty in Pink).
In 1989, Humphreys and longtime group membersMartin Cooper (keyboards, saxophone) andMalcolm Holmes (drums) departed to form the spin-off bandthe Listening Pool, leaving McCluskey as the sole member of OMD. The group returned with a new line-up and explored thedance-pop genre:Sugar Tax (1991) and its initial singles were hits in Europe. OMD then began to flounder amid the guitar-orientedgrunge andBritpop movements, eventually disbanding in 1996. McCluskey later foundedgirl groupAtomic Kitten, for whom he served as a principal songwriter and producer, while Humphreys formed the duoOnetwo alongside lead vocalistClaudia Brücken ofPropaganda.
In 2006, OMD reformed with McCluskey and Humphreys revisiting the more experimental territory of their early work. The band have achieved 14 top-20 entries on theUK Albums Chart, as well as global sales of 40 million records. Their 20th century output yielded 18 top-40 appearances on theUK Singles Chart, along with four top-40 entries on the USBillboard Hot 100. Described as one of the most influential synth-pop acts in history, OMD have inspired many artists across diverse genres and disciplines. In 2015, the group established their most enduring line-up, with McCluskey and Humphreys being complemented by Cooper andStuart Kershaw (drums).
FoundersAndy McCluskey andPaul Humphreys met at primary school inMeols, England in the early 1960s, and in the mid-1970s, as teenagers, they were involved with various local groups.[6] By 1975, McCluskey had formed Equinox as bassist and lead vocalist, alongside schoolmateMalcolm Holmes on drums, while Humphreys wasroadie. During that time, McCluskey and Humphreys discovered their electronic style, inspired by German bandKraftwerk.[7] After Equinox, McCluskey joined Pegasus,[8] and, later, the short-lived Hitlerz Underpantz, alongside Humphreys.[9][10] McCluskey would usually sing and play bass guitar; roadie andelectronics enthusiast Humphreys, who shared McCluskey's love of electronic music,[11] graduated to keyboards.
In September 1977, McCluskey and Humphreys put together the seven-piece (three vocalists, two guitarists, bassist, drummer, and keyboardist) Wirral bandthe Id, whose line-up included drummerMalcolm Holmes and McCluskey's girlfriend Julia Kneale on vocals. The group began to gig regularly in theMerseyside area, performing original material (largely written by McCluskey and Humphreys). They had quite a following on the scene, and one of their tracks ("Julia's Song") was included on acompilation album of local bands calledStreet to Street – A Liverpool Album (1979).[10][12] Meanwhile, Humphreys and McCluskey collaborated on a side project called VCL XI, whose name was adapted from a diagram on the back cover of Kraftwerk's fifth studio albumRadio-Activity (1975), reading "VCL 11". This project allowed them to pursue their more obscure electronic experiments.[10]
In August 1978, the Id broke up due to musical differences. Also in August, McCluskey joined Wirral electronic outfitDalek I Love You as lead vocalist, but quit in September.[12] Later in the month, he rejoined Humphreys and their VCL XI project was renamed Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The name was gleaned from a list of song lyrics and ideas that were written on McCluskey's bedroom wall;[13] and was chosen so they would not be mistaken for apunk band.[14][15] Given that OMD intended to play only one gig, the duo considered their moniker to be inconsequential.[16] McCluskey has since expressed regret over choosing "such a very silly name".[15] The contrasting personalities of Humphreys and McCluskey established the band's dynamic, with the former saying that "two Pauls wouldn't get anything done and two Andys would kill each other."[17] They have further described their creative roles as "The Surgeon" (Humphreys) and "The Butcher" (McCluskey).[18] Asworking-class youngsters,[19][20] OMD had a limited budget, using second-hand "junk-shop" instruments including a left-handed bass guitar (which McCluskey would play upside-down).[21][22] The pair also created their own devices, with Humphreys "making things out of his aunt's radios cannibalised for thecircuit boards".[21][23] Eventually, they acquired a basicKorg M-500 Micro Preset synthesizer, purchased via McCluskey's mother's mail-order catalogue for £7.76 a week, paid over 36 weeks.[24][25]
The public phone box they used as a makeshift office during this time became the subject of the song "Red Frame/White Light", and has become a minor tourist attraction after it was decorated by OMD cover artist John Petch.[26]
OMD began to gig regularly as a duo, performing to backing tracks played from aTEAC 4-track tape-recorder christened "Winston" (afterthe antihero ofGeorge Orwell's novelNineteen Eighty-Four). Their debut performance was in October 1978 atEric's Club in Liverpool.[23] Finding themselves on the cusp of an electronic new wave in British pop music, they released a one-off single,"Electricity", with independent labelFactory Records. The track was supposed to be produced by the Factory Records producerMartin Hannett. However, the A-side was the band's originaldemo produced by their friend, owner of Winston and soon to be manager, Paul Collister,[27] under the pseudonym Chester Valentino (taken from a nightclub called Valentino's in the nearby city ofChester). The single's sleeve was designed byPeter Saville, whose distinctive graphics contributed to OMD's public image into the 1980s.[10][11] "Electricity" became a seminal release within the burgeoningsynth-pop movement,[28][29] and led to the band receiving a seven-albumrecording contract withDindisc, worth over £250,000.[13][23]
In 1979, OMD were asked to supportGary Numan on his first major British tour. Humphreys noted, "[Numan] gave us our first big break. He saw us opening forJoy Division and he asked us to go on tour with him... we went from the small clubs to playing huge arenas. Gary was very good to us."[30] Along with Numan, OMD became key figures in the rise of synth-pop.[13][31][32] Numan later supported OMD on a 1993 UK arena tour.[33]
"Musically, we were pushing boundaries as far as we could. At one Virgin meeting, the head of A&R asked us, 'Come on guys, are you[Karlheinz] Stockhausen orABBA?' Andy [McCluskey] and I said together, 'Can't we be both?'"
Rather than hire studio time to record their eponymousdebut album (1980), McCluskey and Humphreys used theiradvance payment from Dindisc to build their ownLiverpool recording studio, called the Gramophone Suite. They predicted that they would be dropped by the label due to disappointing sales, but would at least own a studio.[23] The album showcased the band's live set at the time, and included some guest drums from former Id drummerMalcolm Holmes and saxophone from formerDalek I Love You memberMartin Cooper. It had a raw, poppy, melodic synth-pop sound.[34][35] Dindisc arranged for the song "Messages" to be re-recorded (produced byGong bassistMike Howlett) and released as a single—it gave the band their first hit.[36]Dave Hughes (another Dalek I Love You alumnus), who joined OMD in 1980,[12] is featured in the "Messages"music video. A tour followed; Winston was augmented with live drums fromMalcolm Holmes, and Dave Hughes played synthesizers. Hughes left OMD in late 1980.[37]
The band's second studio album,Organisation (a reference tothe band which preceded Kraftwerk,[38] founded by Kraftwerk's original membersFlorian Schneider-Esleben andRalf Hütter), followed later that year, recorded as a three-piece with Humphreys, McCluskey and Holmes. It was again produced by Howlett, and had a darker, moodier feel largely inspired by the passing ofJoy Division lead vocalist and former Factory label-mateIan Curtis.[39] The album included theanti-war[40][41] hit single "Enola Gay", named afterthe plane that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.[36] The song was intended to be included on the debut studio album, but was left out at the final selection. The tour for this album had a four-piece band line-up, with Martin Cooper recruited for keyboard duties and enlisted as an official group member.[11] The McCluskey/Humphreys/Cooper/Holmes unit came to be regarded as the band's "classic" line-up.[42] In early 1981, readers ofRecord Mirror voted OMD the fourth-best band and eighth-best live act of 1980;[43]NME andSounds readers named the group the eighth and 10th best new act of the year, respectively.[44] InSmash Hits, they were voted both the fifth-best band of 1980 and the eighth-hottest new act for 1981.[45]
Howlett then presided over the recording of a further hit single, "Souvenir", co-written by Cooper and Humphreys. It ushered in a lush choral electronic sound. The song also became OMD's biggest UK hit to date.[11][46] The band's third studio album,Architecture & Morality, was released in the UK and Europe in November 1981, becoming their most commercially successful studio album. The group went into the studio with Richard Manwaring producing.[11][46] Cooper then temporarily dropped out and was replaced by Mike Douglas, but this change was reversed by the time the album was released and a tour followed.[47] The album's sound saw OMD's original synth-pop sound augmented by the use of theMellotron[48] (an instrument previously associated withprogressive rock bands), adding atmospheric swatches of string, choir, and other sounds to their palette. Two more hit singles, "Joan of Arc" and "Maid of Orleans" (which became the biggest-selling single of 1982 in Germany[49]) were on the album. Both songs were originally titled "Joan of Arc"; the name of the latter single was changed toMaid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc) at the insistence of the publishers and to avoid confusion.[11] Readers ofSmash Hits voted OMD the seventh-best group of 1981,[50] whileRecord Mirror readers named them the eighth-best band (as well as the 10th-best "new artist") and the third-best live act of the year.[51] The group came close to breaking up in 1982, with McCluskey later saying, "We had never expected the success, we were exhausted."[52]
In 1983, the band lost commercial momentum somewhat, with the release of their more experimental fourth studio albumDazzle Ships, produced byRhett Davies, perhaps best known for his previous work withRoxy Music andBrian Eno. The record mixed melancholy synth ballads and uptempo synth-pop withmusique concrète and short wave radio tape collages. Its relative commercial failure caused a crisis of confidence for Humphreys and McCluskey, and brought about a deliberate move towards the mainstream.[49] Their following studio album, 1984'sJunk Culture, was a shift to a more pop-style sound, and the band used digitalsampling keyboards such as theFairlight CMI and theE-mu Emulator. The album was a success, reassuring the group about their new direction.[36] The "Locomotion" single returned them to the top five in the UK.Record Mirror readers named OMD the eighth-best live act of 1984.[53]
In 1985, the band expanded to a sextet with the addition of brothers Graham Weir (guitar, keyboards, trombone) and Neil Weir (keyboards, trumpet, bass guitar), and released their sixth studio album,Crush, produced byStephen Hague in Paris and New York.[54] Sessions were strained, with Humphreys briefly quitting the group.[55][56] OMD had been an early presence in theSecond British Invasion of the US,[57][58] but achieved their firstBillboard Hot 100 hit with the no. 26 entry "So in Love". This led to some success forCrush, which entered theAmerican Top 40. Later in 1985, the band were asked to write a song for theJohn Hughes filmPretty in Pink (1986). They offered "Goddess of Love", although the ending of the film was re-shot due to a negative response fromtest audiences. OMD then wrote "If You Leave" in less than 24 hours,[13] and it became a top 5 hit in the US, Canada, and New Zealand. JournalistHugo Lindgren argued that the success of "If You Leave" has concealed from US audiences the group's history of making innovative music.[13] The OMD track "Tesla Girls" had appeared in Hughes'Weird Science (1985).[59]
In September 1986, the same six piece line-up also released their seventh studio album,The Pacific Age, but the band began to see their critical and public popularity wane notably in the UK. The album's first single, "(Forever) Live and Die", was a top 10 hit across Europe[60] and entered the top 20 in both the UK[61] and US. On 18 June 1988, OMD supportedDepeche Mode at theRose Bowl inPasadena, California where they played to over 60,000 people. They also released the top 20 US hit "Dreaming" and a successful greatest hits album,The Best of OMD. Graham and Neil Weir left the group at the end of the 1988 US tour.
As OMD appeared poised to consolidate their US success, the band continued to fracture. Humphreys departed in 1989 amid personal and creative dissension with McCluskey.[4] Cooper and Holmes then left OMD to join Humphreys in founding a new band calledthe Listening Pool.[36][62] McCluskey recalled, "We were all in agreement that something was wrong. How to fix it was where we disagreed."[63]
Only McCluskey was left to carry on, essentially becoming a solo artist working under the OMD banner. McCluskey's first album from the new OMD was thedance-pop studio albumSugar Tax in May 1991, which charted at No. 3 in the UK. McCluskey recruited Liverpool musicians Raw Unlimited (Lloyd Massett,Stuart Kershaw, Nathalie Loates) as collaborators for the making ofSugar Tax; writing credits carefully distinguished between songs written by OMD (i.e., McCluskey) and songs written by OMD/Kershaw/Massett.[64] This iteration of the group was initially successful, with hits such as "Sailing on the Seven Seas" and "Pandora's Box", with lesser success on fellow chart entries "Call My Name" and "Then You Turn Away". McCluskey's live band was then composed ofNigel Ipinson (keyboards), Phil Coxon (keyboards), and Abe Juckes (drums) from late 1990.Smash Hits readers voted OMD the sixth-best British group of 1991.[65]
The group's next studio album was 1993'sLiberator, which ventured further into dance territory.[66] It peaked at No. 14 on theUK Albums Chart. The lead single "Stand Above Me" peaked at no. 21 on theUK Singles Chart, with a follow-up single, "Dream of Me", charting at no. 24. Paul Humphreys was credited as co-writer of the single "Everyday" (a No. 59 UK chart entry). The fifth track fromLiberator, "Dream of Me", was built around asample from "Love's Theme" byLove Unlimited Orchestra, a song written and produced byBarry White.[67] To release the track as an OMD single, however, McCluskey had to agree that the single release would remove the actual "Love's Theme" sample, but still be officially titled "Dream of Me (Based on Love's Theme)", and furthermore would still give a writing credit to White.[68]
Also in 1993, McCluskey made contributions to the Elektric Music albumEsperanto, a project by former Kraftwerk memberKarl Bartos.[69] McCluskey returned with a rotating cast of musicians for the more organicUniversal (1996),[23] which featured two songs co-written by Humphreys as well as a holdover from theEsperanto sessions, co-written by Bartos. The record spawned OMD's first Top 20 hit in five years, "Walking on the Milky Way".
Although bothLiberator andUniversal produced minor hits, McCluskey retired OMD in late 1996, having faced waning public interest amid thegrunge andBritpop movements.[4][70] A particular source of frustration was the modest commercial response to "Walking on the Milky Way", over which McCluskey said he "sweated blood", considering it "about as good a song as I could write". However, the track was notplaylisted byBBC Radio 1, andWoolworths did not stock it. McCluskey said, "I just thought: 'Screw this, I'm not going to bang my head against a brick wall'."[71] A secondsingles album was released in 1998, along with anEP of remixed material by such acts asSash! andMoby.[72][73]
Post-1996, McCluskey decided to focus on songwriting for such Liverpool-based acts asAtomic Kitten and Genie Queen, and trying to develop new Merseyside artists from his Motor Museum recording studio. With McCluskey focusing his talents elsewhere, Humphreys decided to work with his new musical partnerClaudia Brücken (of theZTT bandsPropaganda andAct) asOnetwo. He also undertook a US live tour under the banner "Paul Humphreys from OMD".[74]
An unexpected request to perform from aGerman television show led the group to reunite.[13] On 1 January 2006, McCluskey announced plans to reform OMD with the "classic" line-up of McCluskey, Humphreys, Holmes, and Cooper. The original plan was to tour the studio albumArchitecture & Morality and other pre-1983 material, then record a new studio album set for release in 2007. In May 2007, theArchitecture & Morality remastered CD was re-released together with a DVD featuring the Drury Lane concert from 1981 that had previously been available on VHS. The band toured throughout May and June, beginning their set with a re-ordered but otherwise complete re-staging of theArchitecture & Morality album. The second half of each concert featured a selection of their best known hits.[75]
A live CD and DVD of the 2007 tour,OMD Live: Architecture & Morality & More, was released in the spring of 2008; it was recorded at theHammersmith Apollo in London. Also released was a 25th anniversary re-release ofDazzle Ships, including six bonus tracks. To tie-in with the re-release, the band made the brief "Messages 78-08 30th Anniversary Tour", featuringChina Crisis as a support act.[76] A cover of Atomic Kitten's 2001 hit, "Whole Again" (which had been co-written by McCluskey), was included onLiverpool – The Number Ones Album (2008), marking OMD's first new studio recording in 12 years.
In June 2009, an orchestral concert with theRoyal Liverpool Philharmonic was played in Liverpool; a recording of this concert was released on DVD in December.[77] The band toured arenas in November and December, supportingSimple Minds on their Graffiti Soul Tour.[78] OMD had performed at theNight of the Proms festival in December 2006 in Germany, renewing the experience again in Belgium and the Netherlands that year. They were the headline act at Britain's firstVintage Computer Festival atThe National Museum of Computing in June 2010.[79]
McCluskey recalled, "Once we had toured again... there was only one dangerous but logical next step: to be crazy enough to dare to make new music. The process took about three years as we were conscious that a poor album would undermine all of the positive effects that we had achieved in the touring."[80]Pet Shop Boys keyboardistChris Lowe encouraged their return to the studio, declaring that "the world needs more OMD records".[81] The band's eleventh studio album,History of Modern, was released in September 2010, reaching No. 28 in theUK Albums Chart and being followed by a European tour.[82] Reviews of the album were generally favourable.[83]
On 28 September, OMD performed as a special guest at the "first ever gig" ofthe Buggles.[84][85] In March 2011, the band played their first North American tour as the "classic" line-up since 1988.[42] In September, they appeared at the 2011Electric Picnic festival inStradbally, Ireland.[86] In November 2011, OMD returned to the studio and started work on their next album,English Electric.[87] On 12 March 2012, the band played a concert in the Philippines at theAraneta Coliseum inQuezon City.[88] In August, OMD performed to South African audiences in Cape Town and Johannesburg.[89][90]
"Being in Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark right now is just the mostblessed thing... it's like being 19 again. We can do what the hell we want."
In 2013, OMD performed atCoachella, a festival inIndio, California, on 14 and 21 April.[92] "Metroland", the first single from the forthcoming studio albumEnglish Electric, was released on 25 March 2013.[93] The album was released in the UK on 8 April, and entered the UK album chart at No. 12 and the German chart at No. 10. Reviews for both the album and their concerts were generally positive.[13] "The Future Will Be Silent", a 500-copy limited edition 10-inchpicture disc EP fromEnglish Electric, was made available forRecord Store Day 2013, and included a then-exclusive non-album track titled "Time Burns".[94][95] ForRecord Store Day 2015, a 1000-copy limited edition 10-inch EP of "Julia's Song (Dub Version)" fromJunk Culture was made available, which includes an exclusive non-album track titled "10 to 1".
OMD performed a one-off concert at theRoyal Albert Hall, London on 9 May 2016 to a sell-out crowd, playing bothArchitecture & Morality andDazzle Ships in their entirety, along with other songs from before 1983. The only song post-1983 played was "History of Modern Part 1". The concert was recorded and made available on double CD right after the show, with a triple LP vinyl recording of the concert also being made available.[96] The band collaborated withGary Barlow,Taron Egerton andHugh Jackman on the OMD song "Thrill Me", co-written by Barlow and McCluskey for the soundtrack of the 2015 filmEddie the Eagle.[97] Work began in October 2015 on what was to be their thirteenth studio albumThe Punishment of Luxury,[98] which was released on 1 September 2017 and charted at no. 4 in the UK.[99][100] OMD toured Europe and North America in support of the album, withStuart Kershaw replacing Holmes as the band's drummer, due to the latter's health issues.[101]
In 2018, OMD published an official book titledPretending to See the Future, which is a first-person "autobiography" about the band. It mixed fan-submitted memories with commentary from McCluskey, Humphreys, Cooper, Holmes, and Kershaw. For people who pre-ordered the book onPledgeMusic, they received a limited-editionflexi-disc containing a previously unheard demo of "Messages" from 1978.[102][103]
As part of OMD's 40th-anniversary celebrations, they embarked on a UK and European tour in 2019.[104] The band won "Group of the Year" and "Live Act of the Year" in the 2019Classic Pop Reader Awards.[105] A retrospective deluxe box set titledSouvenir was also released. The 40th anniversary collection includes the band's forty singles, including a new release titled "Don't Go". It also contains 22 previously unreleased recordings from the group's archive, selected and mixed by Paul Humphreys. Two audio live shows (one from 2011 and one from 2013) are also included, together with two DVDs bringing together two more live concerts (Drury Lane in 1981 andSheffield City Hall in 1985) plusCrush – The Movie, and various BBC TV performances fromTop of the Pops,The Old Grey Whistle Test andLater... with Jools Holland.[106]
During theCOVID-19 lockdown imposed in March 2020, McCluskey "rediscovered the creative power of boredom" and began writing material for OMD's next studio album.[107] In October, the band returned to live performance with a limited-capacity gig at London'sindigo at The O2, with proceeds going to their road crew; the event was also streamed online.[108] In 2021, theSouvenir box set was nominated for "Best Historical Album" at theGrammy Awards.[109] Also that year, OMD celebrated the 40th anniversary of 1981'sArchitecture & Morality with a UK tour, and released a triple-vinyl set of the album's singles containing associated B-sides, demo recordings, and live tracks.[110]
In March 2022, a pair of concerts with a heavy emphasis on the group's more experimental work (rescheduled from September 2020), took place at theRoyal Albert Hall, with a live album based on the shows released through the OMD store.[111][112] Another re-issue of 1983'sDazzle Ships, featuring previously unheard recordings, was announced for a March 2023 release.[113]
OMD's fourteenth studio album,Bauhaus Staircase, was released on 27 October 2023;[114] it was preceded by a single, the title track, on 22 August.[115] The record debuted at no. 2 on the UK Albums Chart, matching the peak achieved byThe Best of OMD (1988).[116] McCluskey has said thatBauhaus Staircase is likely to be the band's final album.[117] Their latest 2024 tour runs from March to October including gigs in the UK, South Africa, Canada and the US.[118]
"It's kind of like, 'less is more'. We consciously tried to minimise what we were doing."
Electronic bandKraftwerk served as OMD's primary musical influence: McCluskey credits "Autobahn" (1974) with piquing he and Humphreys' interest in electronic music.[18][120] Other formative influences includedthe Velvet Underground,Neu!,Roxy Music,Brian Eno andDavid Bowie.[120] The pair also drew inspiration fromFactory Records label-matesJoy Division, particularly during the making of thegoth-inclinedOrganisation (1980).[23][121] Disenchanted with themacho guitar rock that was popular among their friends, McCluskey and Humphreys were keen to "slay the rock 'n' roll dragon".[13][122]
Spin wrote that "OMD set about reinventingpunk with different applications of dance beats, keyboards, melodies, and sulks", rejecting the genre's "sonic trappings but not its intellectual freedom".[123] The group found commercial success with a style of synth-pop described as "experimental", "minimal[ist]" and "edgy".[2][124][125]Spoons vocalist Gordon Deppe likened OMD to musicianPrince in their ability to make a basic chord sequence "sound unique and much more than it really is". He added that the band "pull it off amazingly well, sometimes even borrowing '50s style chord patterns as a basis. But you'd never know it."[126] OMD often eschewed choruses, replacing them with synthesizer lines, and opted for unconventional lyrical subjects such asindustrial processes,micronations andtelephone boxes;[127][128]BBC News said the group "were always more intellectual" than "contemporaries likeDuran Duran andEurythmics".[129] Despite the band's experimentation, they employed pophooks in their music,[130] attaining whatAllMusic described as "the enviable position of at once being creative innovators and radio-friendly pop giants".[131] OMD are noted for their inventive use ofsampling, initially via analogue technology and later by digital means.[132][133]
According to theNRC, OMD are "known as the band that managed to wring emotion from synthesizer pop".[134]The Scotsman stated that "their music, even with its occasionally cerebral themes, has always been defined by warmth, heart and soul: the sound of machinery manipulated by a tender human touch."[135] MusicianVince Clarke felt the group were responsible for educating mainstream audiences that electronic music could have emotion.[136] Michael Grace Jr., founder of indie pop outfitMy Favorite, said in 2018, "The thing that strikes me now when I return to OMD is how remarkably human they sound. They are asoul band for an automated age. OMD proposed an honest rendering of the tension, fascination, and occasional terror they felt about how ghosts and machines would get along. It was morePhilip K. Dick thanSteve Jobs."[119]
OMD have been recognised as the first of Britain's many "synth duo" acts.[137][138]Nostalgie wrote that they became "a precursor of a whole generation of duos operating according to the same principle".[139] Although the two original members enlisted other musicians over time,PopMatters said the band remained, "in essence, the songwriting/recording duo of Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys".[140] OMD continues to be termed a "duo" in the media.[141][142][143]
OMD were indifferent to celebrity status, and avoided the calculated fashion stylings of many of their 1980s peers.[16][144] During live performances, McCluskey developed a frenetic dancing style that has been dubbed the "Trainee Teacher Dance";[145] he explains that it stemmed "from the perception that [OMD] were making boring robotic intellectual music that you couldn't dance to".[146] JournalistHugo Lindgren noted that the group were perceived as "oddballs, freaks" on the Liverpool scene,[13] while McCluskey has identified himself and Humphreys as "synth punks" and "completegeeks".[147][148] OMD weathered an "uncool" image,[24][149] and faced hostility from sections of the music press in the 1980s.[150][151][152] CriticAndrew Collins asserted, however, that the band would eventually "become cool" to the public.[24]
Record Mirror pondered in 1980 whether McCluskey and Humphreys were emerging as "theLennon and McCartney of the electronic world".[153] The press began to describe the duo as "the Lennon–McCartney of synth-pop", whichthe A.V. Club saw as "a weighty mantle that has as much to do with their hailing from Liverpool as anything".[5] TheSalt Lake City Weekly remarked that the label "might be a bit hyperbolic, but OMD was indeed ahead of its time".[154]The Scotsman had no reservations about the moniker, labelling OMD a "thoroughly sparkling pop group" with "more hooks than a chain ofangling megastores".[135]
Although retrospectively lauded, the experimentalDazzle Ships (1983) was a critical and commercial disappointment upon release.[155] Facing potential excision from Virgin Records, OMD moved towards a more accessible sound on theblack music-influencedJunk Culture (1984); they also donned more vibrant garments on the album's accompanying tour.[155][156] The band continued to incorporate elements of sonicexperimentation,[130][157] although their sound became increasingly polished on theStephen Hague-produced studio albumsCrush (1985) andThe Pacific Age (1986).[55][158]
The Quietus founder John Doran, who was supportive of the group's reinvention, told how it became "quite popular to see OMD as nose-diving into the effluence afterDazzle Ships".[159][160] AuthorRichard Metzger refused to "stick up for anything they recorded" afterwards,[161] whilethe A.V. Club alleged that McCluskey would "give up" following that album.[162] Conversely, music journalistIan Peel observed "two brilliant, but very different, bands. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, the early 80s Factory descendents... and OMD, the late 80s stadium pop act."[163] TheMiami New Times asserted that "even their poppiest records of that postexperimental era, such asJunk Culture andCrush, were clever and beautifully arranged."[70] Both of those albums were generally well-reviewed.[164][165]
Musicians have commented on OMD's post-Dazzle Ships output.Moby remarked, "Their earlier records were just phenomenal... a few years on they were making music forJohn Hughes movies, and they were good at it and I'm glad that they had success with it, but it wasn't nearly as creatively inspiring."[166] On the other hand, bassistTony Kanal ofNo Doubt told how his group experimented with OMD-esque "John Hughes prom-scene movie moment kind of songs", adding that "Junk Culture is great".[167] Angus Andrew ofLiars hoped that tentative listeners would uncover "the complexity and mastery in OMD's later pop material", and declared himself a fan of the band's work across "all of their phases".[168]
The group themselves describeJunk Culture as an enjoyable "collection of songs" as opposed to a "deep, conceptual" record,[169] and argue thatCrush features some strong material despite its strained recording sessions;[55][169] Humphreys has named the latter as one of his favourite OMD works.[170] The band concedes, however, thatThe Pacific Age was a creative misfire.[4][170] CriticJessica Bendinger reflected on OMD's stylistic journey by the late 1980s, saying that "their music has been colored by continual exploration... which has run the gamut fromGregorian-chant-inspired anthems of love to a union of Orchestral-Motown."[171]SF Weekly said, "It's hard to think of any 1980snew wave bands that could navigate the genre's spectrum of sound and mood as well as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark."[172]
The McCluskey-led OMD explored adance-oriented approach onSugar Tax (1991) andLiberator (1993);[66] the latter has since drawn criticism from McCluskey.[23] Ian Peel wrote that the band "defied expectations by updating their sound and becoming, if only briefly, relevant in the 90s".[163] The group disbanded shortly after the release ofUniversal (1996), on which they strained for a more organic and acoustic sound.[23] In reviewingThe OMD Singles (1998),AllMusic asserted that the band "covered in a single career that same territory explored bythe Human League,Erasure,Yaz[oo],New Order, and beyond."[72]
Since OMD's 2006 reformation, their material has been seen as more akin to their early output.[173][174]PopMatters wrote that the group's 21st century work represents "one of the more successful second acts in modern pop history".[140] The band are noted for their diverse contributions to the electronic, new wave, experimental, dance andpost-punk genres throughout their career.[3] OMD have undertaken regular UK and international gigs since they reformed, staging their own tours and also embracing '80s revival festivals such as theRewind Festival and Heritage Live.[175][176]
OMD have sold over 40 million records,[a] and are considered one of synth-pop's most influential acts.[135][172][180][181] They were identified bythe A.V. Club as "one of the earliest synthesizer-driven bands to break out of thepost-punk scene and lead the charge toward the defining sound of the [1980s]."[5]PopMatters noted how OMD's work "gave credibility to ambitious pop" and led to "the emergence of a generation of electronic bands", includingTalk Talk,ABC,Blancmange, and theVince Clarke projectsDepeche Mode,Yazoo andErasure.[2] Clarke recognised OMD as being "ahead of their time", and credited their "really great tunes and ideas" with directly inspiring him to become an electronic musician.[182][183] ThePet Shop Boys found common ground in their affection for OMD, drawing particular inspiration from "Souvenir" (1981).[184][185] Lead singerNeil Tennant named the group as "pioneers of electronic music"[186]—a viewpoint shared by multiple outlets.[b]
OMD impacted 1980s peers such asHoward Jones,[192][193]Tears for Fears,[194][195]Frankie Goes to Hollywood,[196]A-ha,[197][198]Men Without Hats,[199]Alphaville,[200]China Crisis,[201] andDuran Duran, for whom "Electricity" (1979) was an early influence.[194][202] The band became "heroes" toKim Wilde songwriter/producer,Ricky Wilde.[203] Within rock music, OMD directly inspiredZZ Top's introduction of synthesizers and onstage dancing,[204][205] and helped fosterNew Order's emergence as an electronic act from 1983.[2][206] Physicist and formerDare keyboardist,Brian Cox, recalled being an "obsessive" fan of the group, adding that their music "shaped [his] character".[207] OMD were also influential onU2, whose singer,Bono, adorned his bedroom wall with a poster of theirdebut album cover; bandmateAdam Clayton later contributed to the group's official 2018 biography.[208] OMD's impact extended toindustrial artists likeNine Inch Nails,[209][210]Skinny Puppy'sNivek Ogre,[211]Ministry'sAl Jourgensen,[212] andFront Line Assembly'sRhys Fulber, who observed an "amazing" combination of "art, experimentation and pop".[213]
Simple Minds'Jim Kerr said of OMD, "I was more than instantly charmed... they had somehow arrived almost fully formed and with a talent for spitfirehooks that permeated right through their songs."[138] FormerKraftwerk memberKarl Bartos lauded the band's "magnificent melodies", likening them to "Italian folk music, the very music[Giacomo] Puccini absorbed".[193] OMD have garnered praise from other 1980s peers includingTrevor Horn,[84]Toyah Willcox,[24]the Human League'sPhilip Oakey,[193]Thompson Twins'Tom Bailey,[193] andMute Records founderDaniel Miller,[193] whileGary Numan credited the group for "some of the best pop songs ever written".[194] Frontman McCluskey has gained the admiration of musicians such asPaul McCartney,[214]Heaven 17'sMartyn Ware,[215]The Teardrop Explodes'sDavid Balfe,[193] andJoy Division'sPeter Hook, who labelled him a "really underrated" talent.[216]
OMD are recognised for their influence ondance music in the 1990s and beyond.[217] The band inspired performers includingOrbital,[218]Paul van Dyk,[219]Mike "μ-Ziq" Paradinas,[220]David Guetta,[221] andMoby, who cited them as "synth heroes" and a decisive factor in his career choice.[181][222] Critics noted OMD's influence on a new generation of synth-pop artists such asLa Roux andCrystal Castles, and observed namechecks from adjacent synth-driven acts likeRobyn andthe xx.[223][224] The group have also inspired rock and pop artists includingNo Doubt,[167]the Killers,[224][225]Barenaked Ladies,[226]MGMT,[227]AFI,[193][228]LCD Soundsystem,[224][229]the Shins,[230]Low,[231]the Divine Comedy,[232]Sharon Van Etten,[233]Red Hot Chili Peppers'John Frusciante,[234][235]Belle and Sebastian'sStevie Jackson,[236] andTake That'sGary Barlow.[29] "Electricity" prompted the formation ofNation of Language, as well as the radio career ofSteve Lamacq.[237][238] SingerAnohni said ofArchitecture & Morality (1981) andDazzle Ships (1983): "Those records, they really changed me when I was a kid. I'd never heard anything quite like it... this really scary, futuristic landscape."[239] CriticJohn Earls noted how the "wildly uncommercial"Dazzle Ships went on to be cited by various bands includingArcade Fire andRadiohead;[18] the former's longtime orchestrator,Owen Pallett, declared it the "best record ever" and one that "saved [their] life".[240][241] The album has also impacted artists such asDeath Cab for Cutie,[242]Saint Etienne,[127]Future Islands,[243] and producerMark Ronson.[244][245]
The OMD tribute albumsMessages andPretending to See the Future (both 2001) contain cover versions by acts includingWhite Town,the Faint,Cosmicity,Mahogany and theAcid House Kings.[246][247] In 2020,Boy George streamed a cover of "The View from Here" (2017), adding that he wished he had written the track.[248] A sample of "Sacred Heart" (1981) features on the 1998 instrumental track "Crabcraft" byConsole, and in turn, on "Heirloom" byBjörk (who lyricised and renamed "Crabcraft" in 2001).[249][250] Elsewhere, OMD's songs have been interpreted or sampled by artists such as Vince Clarke,[183] David Guetta,[221] Moby,[251] MGMT,[252]John Foxx,[253]Hot Chip,[254]Leftfield,[255]Xiu Xiu,[256]Angel Olsen,[257]NOFX[258] andGood Charlotte,[259] as well as by the rappersKid Cudi andLushlife.[145][260] The group's influence extends toalternative metal bandDeftones,[261]country duoSugarland,[262] actor/writerScott Aukerman,[263] novelistAnna Smaill,[264] filmmakerNoah Baumbach,[265][266] and musician/producerSteven Wilson, who has worked in varied genres. Wilson dubbed OMD a "wonderful collision of ideas", whose albums "stand up very, very well as experimental pop records with the most enjoyable kind of songwriting".[149] The group were inducted into theGoldmine Hall of Fame in 2014, described as "one of rock's most underrated and underappreciated bands".[3]
Studio albums
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)We were trying to have no image.
[Paul] Humphreys and Andy McCluskey were working-class Liverpudlians with limited musical experience.
[Toyah Willcox:] ...They wereexperts at the ethereal sound.
Humphreys had left the band—for the first time—during the making of this[Crush] LP... 'I only went for a week'.
One of new wave's original invaders. [...] What always has separated OMD from the majority of the second British invasion was their talent for memorable melodies.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)Starting with 1984'sJunk Culture, OMD morphed from a risk-takingart-pop band to the still-inventive but commercially calculating act that found American success.
OMD... were on the cutting edge of [sampling] in a lot of ways.
Strange doodles awash with radio voices and Cold War speeches... OMD's enthusiastic dalliance with these elements in their music would very soon pre-empt the rise of sampling and indeed, use of taped speeches and similar peppering much of the future music of the 1980s and the 1990s.
We weren't trying to be pop stars and weren't terribly interested in presenting ourselves as sexy or colourful... we were just about the music.
Experimentation with the new music technologies [is] still at the heart of the duo's creative process.
[OMD's] once bold musical strokes are now merely pretty colors.
John [Doran] talks aboutPretty in Pink and makes the case that OMD's later, more commercial records are just as good as these two classics [Architecture & Morality andDazzle Ships].
Junk Culture... crashed into the UK Top 10 amid a positive critical reception.
Crush was the first of two OMD albums produced by Stephen Hague... reviews were on the whole positive.
The very earliest incarnation of OMD... found a happy halfway point between avant-garde experimentalism and chart-friendly pop. 2010'sHistory of Modern, the group's first record since 1986'sThe Pacific Age, echoes that golden period, even down to its Peter Saville-designed cover.
The Punishment of Luxury follows in the sonic footsteps of 2013'sEnglish Electric, in that it's a gentle upgrade of that sculpted-from-marble early '80s sound.
[Interviewer:] You transitioned [to synth-pop], and Gary Numan wasone of the reasons why? [Roland Orzabal:] Absolutely... then there were these other bands emerging, like Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Depeche Mode, of course, [the] Human League. And then we [bandmate Curt Smith and I] were into an entirely different area of music.
...All these influences were coming at us.
It wasn't all ear-splitting mega-wattage, though. [Trent] Reznor also highlights the influence of the invading English synthpoppers – Gary Numan, Soft Cell, OMD – who permeated the airwaves during his youth.
These are some [of] the vinyl records that changed my perceptions...
Much of today's dance-pop is descended from OMD's early sound.
The true populist musical movement of the Nineties was the post-acid house scene coming out of clubland, the music that [OMD] helped bring to fruition.
In 1983 [OMD] released the slightly bonkers but deeply influentialDazzle Ships, which may not have sold much at all, but is held close to the hearts of... a whole host of dance types.
Speaking of inspirations, I recently got to rework OMD, which is a thrill for any electronic musician.
Murphy guides you through his new New York dance-punk troupe's new album." ... [Murphy:] "I was constantly listening to the 'Sweet Dreams'-era Eurythmics stuff and Bronski Beat and the first couple of OMD records.
Jason [sic] Mercer, the Honolulu-born singer-songwriter for the Shins...
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