Milestones: New Order’s ‘Technique,’ flavored by Ibiza, released 21 years ago today

Milestones is a periodic feature marking important album releases, concerts and musical figures in the history of ’80s college rock.

ALBUM: New Order, Technique

RELEASE DATE: Jan. 30, 1989

PERSONNEL: Bernard Sumner (vocals, guitar, synth, melodica, programming), Peter Hook (bass, electronic percussion, synth, programming), Stephen Morris (drums, synth and programming), Gillian Gilbert (synth, guitar, programming).

SINGLES: “Fine Time” (No. 11 on UK singles chart, No. 2 on U.S. dance, No. 3 on U.S. modern rock), “Round & Round” (No. 21 on UK singles chart, No. 1 on U.S. dance, No. 6 on U.S. modern rock), “Run 2” (No. 49 on UK singles chart)

REVIEWS: Back in 1989, NME gave Technique a 9 on its 10-point scale, writing “New Order’s layoff has provided them with enough space to grow and develop personally and artistically. In the ferment of their withdrawal they’ve fashioned an LP of unflinching honesty, free from the masks of false identities of their past.” Rolling Stone gave the album 3 of 5 stars, writing, “While providing cerebral dance music that satisfies pop demands, Technique proves that New Order is also in step with clubland’s fickle fans.”

REISSUED? New Order’s first five albums were reissued in expanded 2CD sets in 2008 by Rhino Records, but were immediately decried by fans for their poor mastering. Rhino last summer released new “corrected” versions of the five titles, including Technique.

IN RETROSPECT: Revered as an iconic singles band, New Order delivered, with its fifth album Technique, what now holds up — alongside 1985’s Low-Life — as its strongest front-to-back effort. Recorded in part on the island of Ibiza off the coast of Spain, the album famously finds the band flavoring its songs with doses of acid house and the so-called “Balearic beat.” Technique may be the band’s best melding of its twin personas, equally informed by post-punk guitar rock and the pulsing sounds of the dancefloor. It’s all here: Hooky’s swooning basslines, grand washes of synth and processed guitars over metronomic dance beats and, or course, Sumner’s often-enigmatic lyrics.

See ‘Technique’ tracklisting, cover art and music videos after the jump…

Tracklist: New Order, Technique

1. “Fine Time”
2. “All the Way”
3. “Love Less”
4. “Round & Round”
5. “Guilty Partner”
6. “Run”
7. “Mr. Disco”
8. “Vanishing Point”
9. “Dream Attack”

Official videos released off of New Order’s Technique:

PREVIOUSLY IN MILESTONES

• Milestones: Remembering INXS’s Michael Hutchence on his 50th birthday

PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS

• ‘Ceremony: A New Order Tribute’ proceeds to benefit Tony Wilson charity
• The Other Two reissuing ‘The Other Two & You,’ ‘Super Highways’
• Bernard Sumner’s Bad Lieutenant cancels debut U.S. concerts
• Video: Bad Lieutenant plays New Order’s ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ in Paris
• Bernard Sumner’s Bad Lieutenant playing Chicago, New York; full U.S. tour in 2010
• New Order’s botched CD reissues finally to be re-reissued by Rhino Records
• New Order spinoff Bad Lieutenant announces ‘Never Cry Another Tear’