Synthpop favorites Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark this morning announced they will release English Electric — their second post-reunion album and 12th studio set overall — this April, and both revealed the record’s tracklist and released a short animated teaser video set to the quasi-instrumental track “Decimal.”
The 12-track album will be released April 8/9 in a variety of formats, including CD, deluxe CD/DVD, heavyweight vinyl, “collectors’ tin boxset” and digitally, the band announced on its website. The tracklist and video for the Dazzle Ships-esque “Decimal” are included here as well.
The record’s first single, “Metroland,” will be released March 25.
Of the album, Andy McCluskey says: “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.”
According to a news release announcing the record:
“Highlights include the radioactive clatter of ‘Atomic Ranch’ — a song which pokes fun at convention with computerised voices — ‘Kissing The Machine’ — which was composed in collaboration with early influence Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos — ‘Helen of Troy’ — which revives the recurring historical figure motif — and the glacial, uplifting ‘Metroland,’ the first single.”
The release comes weeks before OMD’s previously announced U.K. tour, which runs April 28 through May 14, and is followed by dates in France, Belgium and Germany. No U.S. shows have yet been announced in support of English Electric.
The album is OMD’s first since 2010′s History of Modern, which itself was OMD’s first new album since 1996’s Universal and its first with its classic lineup — original members McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Martin Cooper and Malcolm Holmes — since 1986’s The Pacific Age.
The group toured heavily in 2010 and 2011, including that lineup’s first U.S. concerts since opening for Depeche Mode’s breakthrough Music for the Masses shows.
Tracklist: OMD, English Electric
1. “Please Remain Seated”
2. “Metroland”
3. “Night Café”
4. “The Future Will Be Silent”
5. “Helen of Troy”
6. “Our System”
7. “Kissing The Machine”
8. “Decimal”
9. “Stay With Me”
10. “Dresden”
11. “Atomic Ranch”
12. “Final Song”
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- OMD annnounces 13-date U.K. tour in support of upcoming ‘English Electric’ LP
- OMD to spend September, October finishing 2nd post-comeback album ‘English Electric’
- OMD set to begin work on next album ‘English Electric’ in early December
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Cannot wait, History Of Modern was a masterpiece of old and new sounds.
Love it. Love it. Love it. English Electric is sure to capture classic OMD brilliance and still find new ways to surprise us. I will be preordering this as soon as it comes available.
Hope they tour again. Best show I’ve seen in years.
Neat. I’m guessing these guys spent some of their downtime listening to They Might be Giants.
Last album and tour were great. Live show blew me away. Like the Dazzle Ships-ish track here. Good stuff.