Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are an English electronic band formed in Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, along with Martin Cooper and Stuart Kershaw; McCluskey has been the only constant member. Regarded as pioneers of electronic music, OMD combined an experimental, minimalist ethos with pop sensibilities, becoming central figures in the late-1970s/early-1980s emergence of synth-pop. McCluskey and Humphreys led precursor group the Id from 1977–1978, 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. The group embraced a more radio-friendly sound on Junk Culture; this change in direction led to greater success in the United States, and yielded hits including "If You Leave". From Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestral_Manoeuvres_in_the_Dark) under Creative Commons Attribution CC-BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode)