OMD reissue ‘Junk Culture’ on vinyl, remastered at Abbey Road by Miles Showell
OMD reissue 'Junk Culture' on vinyl, remastered at Abbey Road by Miles Showell
The British synth-pop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) have reissued their 1984 album “Junk Culture” in a newly remastered vinyl edition, released today.
The reissue is pressed on 180‑gram black vinyl with the source material newly remastered from the original ½ inch reels and cut at half speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios.
The edition retains the original 10-track listing:
- Junk Culture
- Tesla Girls
- Locomotion
- Apollo
- Never Turn Away
- Love and Violence
- Hard Day
- All Wrapped Up
- White Trash
- Talking Loud and Clear
The new version follows previous half-speed reissues of OMD’s earlier albums “Architecture & Morality” and “Dazzle Ships.”
About OMD’s “Junk Culture”
Originally released on April 30, 1984, by Virgin Records, “Junk Culture” marked a stylistic shift for OMD following the commercial and well-receivced 1983 album “Dazzle Ships”. Co-produced with Brian Tench, the album moved toward a more mainstream pop sound while integrating Latin, funk, and Caribbean influences.
“Junk Culture” became the band’s fourth consecutive Top 10 album in the UK and produced several charting singles, including “Locomotion”, “Tesla Girls”, and “Talking Loud and Clear.”
Frontman Andy McCluskey referred to the album as “the catchiest, poppiest album [OMD] ever made.”
About Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electropop band formed in 1978 in Meols, Wirral, Merseyside, by co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards, vocals). Pioneers of the synth-pop genre, OMD blended experimental electronic sounds with pop sensibilities, helping shape the UK’s synth-pop movement and influencing artists like Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, and Erasure. Their innovative approach introduced the “synth duo” format to British music, combining minimalist electronic textures with melodic hooks.
OMD emerged from the ashes of their earlier band, The Id, with McCluskey and Humphreys initially experimenting under the side project VCL XI, inspired by German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk. Adopting the deliberately name Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (chosen over the tongue-in-cheek alternative “Margaret Thatcher’s Afterbirth”), they debuted live in October 1978 at Liverpool’s Eric’s club, accompanied by a tape deck nicknamed Winston. Their first single, “Electricity” (1979), was released on Factory Records.
Their self-titled debut album (1980) brought a minimal synth-pop style with war-themed lyrics. The re-recorded single “Messages” became their first UK hit. OMD’s breakthrough came with their 1980 anti-war anthem “Enola Gay”, a global hit from their second album, “Organisation”. Their third album, “Architecture & Morality” (1981), is considered a landmark, yielding three international hits: “Souvenir”, “Joan of Arc”, and “Maid of Orleans”. However, their experimental 1983 album “Dazzle Ships” polarized fans and critics, nearly derailing their career despite later being hailed as a “tortured masterpiece.”
After “Dazzle Ships”, OMD shifted toward a more accessible pop sound with albums like “Junk Culture” (1984), “Crush” (1985), and “The Pacific Age” (1986). Their 1986 single “If You Leave”, featured in the film “Pretty in Pink” cemented their place in the US market. By 1989, creative differences led Humphreys, drummer Malcolm Holmes, and saxophonist Martin Cooper to leave, forming The Listening Pool, while McCluskey continued under the OMD name, releasing the successful “Sugar Tax” (1991) with new musicians. The band disbanded in 1996, with McCluskey focusing on songwriting for acts like Atomic Kitten.
OMD reformed in 2006 with the classic lineup of McCluskey, Humphreys, Holmes, and Cooper, returning to their experimental roots. Albums like “History of Modern” (2010) and “English Electric” (2013) revitalized their sound, with singles like “Metroland”.
Celebrating over 40 years, OMD have sold over 40 million records, with 15 million albums and 25 million singles. Their most recent album is 2023’s “Bauhaus Staircase”.
Some interesting facts:
- Their first synthesizer was bought from McCluskey’s mother’s mail-order catalog for £7.76 a month, paid with dole money.
- The “Electricity” single inspired Vince Clarke to pursue electronic music, shaping the sound of Depeche Mode and Erasure.
- A red telephone box in Meols, referenced in their song “Red Frame/White Light,” received a blue plaque in 2019 for their 40th anniversary.
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