OMD

On August 26th, one of the pioneers and most prominent representatives of synth-pop – the British band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) – will hold a concert at Lukiškės Prison 2.0 in Vilnius. Well-known hits such as "Electricity", "Messages", "Enola Gay", "Locomotion", "Souvenir", "Sailing On The Seven Seas", "So in Love", and others not only made OMD one of the most significant bands of the 1980s, but also became a source of inspiration for many pop music stars to this day – from Depeche Mode and Duran Duran to Moby, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, and others.

OMD's birthday is considered to be October 12, 1978, when lead singer and bassist Andy McCluskey and keyboardist and vocalist Paul Humphreys performed for the first time at Eric’s club in Liverpool. The young men, who had previously played in other projects, were united by a passion for krautrock, Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, and David Bowie. A simple Korg M-500 Micro Preset synthesizer, which McCluskey's mother bought on credit, played an important role in shaping OMD's musical style – it determined the laconic rhythm, complemented by melancholic vocals and memorable melodies with interludes.

The first OMD single "Electricity", which A. McCluskey described as "a faster, punkier version of Kraftwerk's 'Radioactivity' with a chorus", helped the duo sign their first record deal and release their debut album, which included another hit – "Messages". OMD gained wider recognition in Europe and attention in the US with "Enola Gay" – a controversial composition from their second album "Organisation", where the pulse of the dance floor and a passionate melody contrast with sensitive lyrics about the US plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

After releasing the album "Organisation", OMD became a four-piece band – drummer Malcolm Holmes and saxophonist and keyboardist Martin Cooper joined the duo. This is considered the band's "golden" lineup. The third OMD album "Architecture & Morality", which includes classics such as "Maid of Orleans", "Joan of Arc", and "Souvenir", emphasized the band's creative and professional growth. This was followed by the experimental, yet commercially unsuccessful album "Dazzle Ships", after which the band decided to turn towards pop and a simpler style – and it paid off. Along with the albums "Junk Culture" (1984) and "Crush" (1985), listeners received hits such as "Locomotion", "Tesla Girls", "Talking Loud and Clear", "So In Love", "Secret", and the highly successful US track "If You Leave", which featured in the film "Pretty In Pink".

In 1989, when other band members decided to form their own group, The Listening Pool, Andy McCluskey remained the only OMD member. The first solo OMD album by McCluskey, "Sugar Tax" (1991), which featured hits like "Sailing On The Seven Seas" and "Pandora’s Box", was quite successful, and listeners also appreciated "Walking on the Milky Way" from the album "Universal" (1996).