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English Electric (album)

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English Electric
Studio album by
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Released5 April 2013 (2013-04-05)
RecordedMotor Museum (Liverpool), Bleepworks (London)
GenreSynth-pop
Length43:05
LabelBMG, 100%
ProducerOMD
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark chronology
History of Modern
(2010) 		English Electric
(2013) 		The Punishment of Luxury
(2017)
Singles from English Electric
  1. "Metroland"
    Released: 25 March 2013
  2. "Dresden"
    Released: 20 May 2013
  3. "The Future Will Be Silent"
    Released: 20 April 2013
  4. "Night Café"
    Released: 2013

English Electric is the twelfth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), and their second since the 2006 reformation of the group. Preceded by lead single "Metroland" on 25 March 2013, it was released on 5 April by 100% Records. Unlike predecessor History of Modern (2010), which was compiled remotely via the Internet, English Electric saw OMD co-founders Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys write and record in person, with the aim of recreating their artistic chemistry in years past. The album was largely inspired by McCluskey's then-recent divorce.

English Electric met with positive reviews, and attracted favourable comparisons to the band's early-to-mid 1980s work—in particular the experimental Dazzle Ships (1983). It peaked at #12 on the UK Albums Chart and topped the UK Independent Albums Chart. As with History of Modern, the record was a Top 10 hit in Germany, reaching #10. It also made #8 on the Dance/Electronic Albums Billboard chart in the United States.

Background

Whereas predecessor History of Modern (2010) had been compiled remotely via the Internet, McCluskey and Humphreys wrote and recorded in person for English Electric, in the hope of rekindling the chemistry of days gone by. Humphreys stated, "We sat down and wrote the whole album in Andy's house in one go. We had a focus: to go back to our early sound, make a very electronic record, get rid of all the organic stuff, experiment and be free. We both felt like kids again, experimenting with our machines." McCluskey said of the album's songwriting content, "My wife and I separated, then ultimately divorced, and my two youngest children went to live in America with her, so I was left at home for English Electric with nothing else to do but write about the pain."[1]

The record was named after defunct British industrial manufacturer English Electric.[2][3] On 14 January 2013, the band announced details of the album release date, track listing, and a teaser video featuring the short Dazzle Ships-esque track "Decimal".[4][5] The video for "Atomic Ranch" premiered on Pitchfork on 4 February.[6] The animated videos for "Decimal", "Atomic Ranch" and "Please Remain Seated" were created by Henning M. Lederer, and were included on the bonus DVD of English Electric.[7][8]

Lead single "Metroland" premiered on the BBC Radio 6 Music radio show Radcliffe & Maconie on 11 February.[9] "Dresden" was released as the second single from the album on 17 May; the promotional video had premiered on The New York Times website a week earlier.[10] The single bundle features a remix by John Foxx and the Maths, who supported OMD on the UK part of their English Electric Tour.[11] For Record Store Day 2013, a 500-copy limited edition 10-inch picture disc EP of "The Future Will Be Silent" was made available, which includes an exclusive non-album track titled "Time Burns".[12][13]

The track "Kissing the Machine" originally featured on the 1993 album Esperanto by Elektric Music, a project by Karl Bartos after he left Kraftwerk. The track, co-written by McCluskey, was completely reworked by Humphreys for English Electric, and features Claudia Brücken of Propaganda (Humphreys' then-partner) as the voice of the machine.[14] "Helen of Troy" is a songwriting collaboration with Greek production outfit Fotonovela.[15] The track "Stay with Me" features Humphreys on vocals for the first time since the release of 1988 "Dreaming" B-side "Gravity Never Failed".

English Electric was released on CD, deluxe CD+DVD, heavyweight vinyl LP, a collector's tin boxset, and digitally.[4] Its cover art was designed by longtime OMD collaborator Peter Saville.[16]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100[17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
The Arts Desk[19]
Consequence of Sound[3]
Exclaim!(7/10)[20]
The Irish Times[21]
Magnet[22]
Mojo[23]
musicOMH[24]
PopMatters(8/10)[25]
Today[26]

English Electric met with positive reviews,[27] and attracted favourable comparisons to OMD's early-to-mid 1980s work—in particular the experimental Dazzle Ships (1983).[18][22][25] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 76, based on 15 reviews.[17]

In comparing English Electric to its predecessor, Thomas H. Green of The Arts Desk wrote, "...History of Modern, tipped its hat to all OMD's musical incarnations and was a mixed bag, if occasionally pleasing. Their new one, however, returns to their pristine synth-pop roots and is a corker."[19] PopMatters critic John Bergstrom called it "the best OMD album in at least 29 years", observing "a consistent theme and feel, though the individual songs take on a variety of moods and approaches."[25] Alan Ranta of Exclaim! noted, "English Electric brings to mind the effort Orbital put forth in 2012 (Wonky), which recalled that UK group's glory days while looking to the future... this album shows a band at the top of their game."[20] Irish Times journalist Tony Clayton-Lea felt the record borrows from Kraftwerk, but said, "What drags it out of the homage/pastiche area is the song craft, which is so ridiculously accomplished that you have no option but to whistle from start to finish."[21]

American indie rock musician Telekinesis wrote, "OMD... have reached back to their milestone that was Dazzle Ships, and made an absolutely gorgeous record that picks up where that one left off. And my goodness, have they aged gracefully."[28] English Electric went on to appear in critics' lists of the best albums of 2013;[29] in a poll of 3,200 Modern Synthpop readers, it was voted the 15th-best synth-pop album of the 2010s.[30]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Please Remain Seated"Andy McCluskey0:44
2."Metroland"McCluskey, Paul Humphreys7:33
3."Night Café"McCluskey, Humphreys3:46
4."The Future Will Be Silent"McCluskey, Humphreys2:41
5."Helen of Troy"McCluskey, Bitzenis, Geranios4:13
6."Our System"McCluskey, Humphreys4:33
7."Kissing the Machine"McCluskey, Karl Bartos5:06
8."Decimal"McCluskey1:16
9."Stay with Me"McCluskey, Humphreys, James Watson4:27
10."Dresden"McCluskey3:37
11."Atomic Ranch"McCluskey1:44
12."Final Song"McCluskey, Kurt Weill, Langston Hughes3:25
iTunes bonus track[31]
No.TitleLength
13."No Man's Land"4:26
Notes

Personnel

Credits for English Electric adapted from the liner notes.[32]

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[33] 68
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[34] 91
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[35] 49
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[36] 10
Greek Albums (IFPI)[37] 14
Irish Albums (IRMA)[38] 52
Scottish Albums (OCC)[39] 18
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[40] 60
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[41] 46
UK Albums (OCC)[42] 12
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[43] 1
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[44] 8

Release history

Region Date Label
Germany[45] 5 April 2013 BMG Rights Management
France[46]
United Kingdom[47] BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited, 100% Records
Italy[48] 9 April 2013 BMG Rights Management
United States[49]
Japan[50] 24 April 2013 Sony Music Entertainment Japan

References

  1. ^ Wilson, Lois (30 September 2019). "OMD". Record Collector. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  2. ^ "OMD interview". Later... with Jools Holland. Series 42. Episode 7. 31 May 2013. BBC Two. British Broadcasting Corporation.
  3. ^ a b Hardy, Tony (8 April 2013). "Album Review: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – English Electric". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b "OMD News: January 2013 – OMD Album Announcement". omd.uk.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  5. ^ Rock Cellar Magazine: "OMD Detail New Album, English Electric – Out on April 9th." Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  6. ^ Minsker, Evan (4 February 2013). "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Announce New Album and Tour, Share Video for "Atomic Ranch"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  7. ^ "OMD News – Atomic Ranch". Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  8. ^ "English Electric". OMD. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  9. ^ "OMD News – Metroland Premiere". omd.uk.com/. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  10. ^ "Exclusive Premiere: OMD's 'Dresden'". The New York Times. 10 May 2013. Archived from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  11. ^ http://blog.thequietman.co.uk/?p=1030 The Quiet Man, John Foxx official blog 21.03.2013
  12. ^ "OMD News – Record Store Day". Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  13. ^ "OMD debuts new track "Night Café", announces 10-inch EP for Record Store Day". Slicing Up Eyeballs. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  14. ^ "OMD News – Kissing The Machine". omd.uk.com/. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  15. ^ Ming Lai, Chi (21 April 2013). "OMD's Andy McCluskey Discusses English Electric". The Electricity Club. Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  16. ^ Chalcraft, Emilie (31 January 2013). "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark artwork by Peter Saville and Tom Skipp". Dezeen. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  17. ^ a b "English Electric – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  18. ^ a b Jeffries, David. "English Electric – OMD". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  19. ^ a b Green, Thomas H. (7 April 2013). "CD: OMD – English Electric". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  20. ^ a b Ranta, Alan (9 April 2013). "Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark: English Electric". Exclaim!. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  21. ^ a b Clayton-Lea, Tony (5 April 2013). "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: English Electric". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  22. ^ a b "English Electric". Magnet (97): 57. English Electric is a tremendously satisfying listen for fans who've worn out their copy of Dazzle Ships.
  23. ^ "English Electric". Mojo (234). Bauer Media Group: 90. May 2013. 'Night Cafe', 'The Future Will Be Silent' and the earworm that is 'Dresden' might just be some of their best ever pieces.
  24. ^ Green, Laurence (6 April 2013). "OMD – English Electric". musicOMH. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  25. ^ a b c Bergstrom, John (9 April 2013). "OMD: English Electric". PopMatters. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  26. ^ Mathews, Kevin (17 May 2013). "Music review: English Electric - OMD". Today. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  27. ^ Jones, Andy (27 January 2023). "OMD Interview: 'It's the Best Job in the World'". Classic Pop. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  28. ^ Lerner, Michael (23 April 2013). "Michael Lerner (Telekinesis) talks OMD's English Electric". Talkhouse. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  29. ^ Multiple sources:
  30. ^ "The top synthpop albums of the 2010s". Modern Synthpop. 12 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 January 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  31. ^ "English Electric by Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark". iTunes Store UK. Apple Inc. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  32. ^ a b English Electric (CD liner notes). Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. 100% Records. 2013. 100CD26.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  33. ^ "Austriancharts.at – OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – English Electric" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  34. ^ "Ultratop.be – OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – English Electric" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  35. ^ "Ultratop.be – OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – English Electric" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  36. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – English Electric" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  37. ^ "Official Cyta-IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Εβδομάδα: 15/2013)" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 20 March 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  38. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 15, 2013". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  39. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  40. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – English Electric". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  41. ^ "Swisscharts.com – OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) – English Electric". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  42. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  43. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  44. ^ "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  45. ^ "English Electric" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  46. ^ "English electric – Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – O M D" (in French). Fnac. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  47. ^ "English Electric". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  48. ^ "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – English Electric" (in Italian). Internet Bookshop Italia. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  49. ^ "English Electric: Omd". Amazon. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  50. ^ "オーケストラル・マヌーヴァーズ・イン・ザ・ダーク(OMD) : 電気仕掛けの英吉利人" [Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD): English Electric] (in Japanese). Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
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