Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark — Electricity

JUL 01 1980 · 12:00

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark — Electricity (1980) Director: Henning M. Era: Post-Punk / Early Synth-Pop Dawn (1979–1980) - The transitional moment when UK electronic duos began producing promo clips for indie/major label re-releases, bridging Factory Records DIY aesthetics with Dindisc commercial distribution Exceptionally high. This is one of the earliest surviving promotional video documents for a record that is widely considered a founding text of synth-pop. Its visual austerity, mimed performance format, and association with Factory Records' broader cultural moment make it irreplaceable as a primary source for electronic music history. The video's metrics — low brightness, muted saturation, warm analogue colour temperature — are measurable signatures of its production era and serve as a reliable aesthetic benchmark for late-1970s / early-1980s British broadcast video. Context: Released to support the third reissue of OMD's debut single on Dindisc in early 1980, this promo video documents a pivotal moment in UK electronic pop history. 'Electricity' had originally appeared on Factory Records in May 1979 and was recognised by NME as 'the best example of Factory Records to date.' The video's stripped-down aesthetic reflects the band's early practice of performing live as a duo alongside a TEAC reel-to-reel tape machine rather than a conventional backing band — a Dadaist gesture that signalled a radical redefinition of pop performance. OMD were regarded as pioneers who introduced the 'synth duo' format to British popular music, and this clip is a primary visual record of that founding moment. The song itself was directly influential on Vince Clarke, Duran Duran, Howard Jones, Tears for Fears, and many other artists who defined the subsequent decade. Director notes: The promo was produced for the third and final 1980 Dindisc re-release of 'Electricity' to coincide with the debut album release campaign. It is documented as a mimed 'live' performance clip — a format standard for UK broadcast promotional videos of the era. The video is dated 1980 by both IMDB (tt8709394) and IMVDb, though FilmAffinity catalogues it under 1979. The 1980 date aligns with the Dindisc re-issue and album release context.