Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Topic

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are an English electronic band formed in Meols, Merseyside in 1978 by Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys. Regarded as pioneers of electronic music, the group combined an experimental, minimalist ethos with pop sensibilities, becoming key figures in the emergence of synth-pop. OMD were Britain's first performing, two-piece synthesizer band and have been described as the "original synth-pop duo"; despite a shifting line-up, the central pairing of McCluskey and Humphreys remains the group's primary identifier. In the United States, the band were an early presence in the MTV-driven Second British Invasion.
McCluskey and Humphreys led the 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 1980 anti-war song "Enola Gay", and gained further recognition via Architecture & Morality and its three hit singles. Although later reappraised, Dazzle Ships was seen as overly experimental, and eroded European support.