OMD were like nothing else on the planet. Tim Hughes talks to the group’s frontman

It’s the fag end of the 1970s and pop is on the brink of a revolution. Punk may have killed off the worst excesses of prog rock, but in the clubs a new sound is taking over — thrilling, pulsing, and entirely plugged in — the synthesizer.

And in the vanguard were two mysterious young men from Merseyside, with crisp shirts and banks of impressive-looking equipment, bristling with buttons, dials and switches. They were called Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark — and they sounded like nothing else on the planet.

Their first single, the zip-zap synth classic Electricity might as well have been a band mission statement; its slow-building rhythm, fizzing beat and soaring melody encapsulating what these well-read design-and design-obsessed art school kids were all about. A world apart from the vacuous image-obsessed new romantic scene also taking off at the time, this was grand, symphonic and geeky. Heck, it came with a lyric expounding not only the genius of the national grid but the search for renewable energy, for heaven’s sake.

It was the kind of music Faraday would have enjoyed, that Tesla would have nodded his head to, that would have had Edison rocking. And, 35 years on, it still sounds amazing.

“I think that we accidentally created something that was not really of its own time,” says Andy McCluskey, who set up the band with old schoolfriend Paul Humphreys. “Therefore, it appears to have transcended the decades and become ‘timeless’.

Inspired by German electro pioneers Krawtwerk, and bolstered by a tour supporting synth upstart Gary Numan the following year, OMD went on to clock an impressive career — scoring 17 top-40 singles and some of the best albums ever made — four going gold and two platinum.

Songs like Messages, Enola Gay, Souvenir, Joan of Arc, Maid of Orleans, and Genetic Engineering still sound fresh, atmospheric and haunting. They have weathered well. As have Andy and Paul, who have just released their 12th album, English Electric, and are touring with Malcolm Holmes and Martin Cooper, who went on to make up OMD’s seminal line-up. On Monday, they play Oxford’s New Theatre.

“We started as a live band and have always loved playing live so we are really looking forward to touring again. The biggest difference is the equipment which is much more flexible and reliable, and the age demographic in the audience now seems to be incredibly broad, going from 16 to 65.

“We have also consciously tried to go back to doing things as we did when we were just starting out. We are trying to unlearn some of the more conventional songwriting techniques that we have picked up along the way. The response to our new album seems to suggest that we have succeeded.”

That the band are together at all is no mean feat. They broke up for almost a decade. But, says Andy, it feels good: “We all grew up together and began playing music together as teenagers. We shared a decade of the most incredible journey and it was obvious that we should all play again. I am delighted that everyone agreed to do it.

“There have been conflicts but less than any other band that I have heard of. We are all very different characters but have learned to appreciate the different elements that each of us brings to the collective whole.”

Is he surprised at the longevity of OMD? “Yes! Especially as we only planned to do one gig in 1978 as a dare!

“There was a time when it seemed that we were banging our heads against a wall of indifference. Things began to change in the last 10 years and we were offered a few concerts. But things have exploded for us in recent years, and now it seems that we are ‘cool’ all over again.” Outside of OMD, Andy busied himself with a string of musical endeavours — not least setting up Atomic Kitten and co-writing many of their songs — including chart-topper Whole Again. The experience, he confesses, was not entirely happy.

“I learned a great deal about computer programming of music with the Kittens and also just how dirty and back stabbing the real manufactured end of pop is,” he says.

“ It is much better to be in your own band. I have no plans to do anything like that again. OMD has become rather full time and rewarding again.”

Music technology has changed beyond all recognition since 1978. But they have embraced everything computers can offer. “We have kept up with studio and music technology,” he says. “Many younger artists are very purist about using the original analogue synths for authentic retro sound. We are happy to use the software plug-in modern versions. They are a lot easier to carry!”

Looking back, what is his favourite OMD album? “Probably Architecture and Morality. We were young and fearless and had perfected our own way of doing things that sounded like no one else but, amazingly it sold millions of records.”

And song? “That’d be Romance of the Telescope. We can never do anything more haunting and powerful. The old songs have been good to us, and are loved by many people. We treat our back catalogue with respect and will never tire of hearing the audience respond to the opening bars of Enola Gay or Electricity.

“Our ethos was to always try to go where we had not gone before, and we contained sharp extremes in our musical output that simply reflected our desire for variety.”

While still current, Electric Company seems to hark back to a golden age of technology and invention. But, says Andy, it still finds the band looking forward.

“When you start as kids trying to ‘be the future’, you naturally become reflective upon your own history and the changes in the creative landscape that you have witnessed over time. English Electric was an attempt to address these issues whilst trying to avoid something purely nostalgic.”

It is accompanied by a new single, Dresden, which, with its soaring melody, driving bass and melancholic lyrics, is classic OMD.

Andy is proud of his band’s contribution to electro-pop, which will be celebrated at Monday’s gig.

“We did not change the world, nor did we solve any great global problem,” he says. “However, when someone takes the time to tell you that some small piece of music that you created has touched their lives and is forever in their heart or soul, that is the greatest reward.

“We are honoured to still be allowed to make music and have people listen to it.”

  • OMD play the New Theatre, Oxford, on Monday
  • Tickets £33.50 from atgtickets.com