Architecture And Morality
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

I'm completely blown away by this album - it's so full of surprises. It starts as a Cold War inspired atmospheric exercise, a la "Spacelab" by Kraftwerk or "Warszawa" by David Bowie. Heavy on rich synth sounds of the era. It moves seamlessly to industrial instrumentals that masterfully layer noise and disparate sounds. Throughout they throw in bouncy pop songs that carry that Soviet synth sound, overlaid with vocals with loads of reverb and echo. Given that this album came out in 1981, it feels like a "granddaddy" reference for so many bands, and albums that would follow. Hell, it sounds futuristic to this day. One of the best albums in recent memory! (And this is one I listened to probably 30 albums into this exploration).

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