The Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark frontman chats about art movements, political treachery, Kraftwerk's impact, and the brilliant album Bauhaus Staircase.
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The Spotlight shines On Andy McCluskey, the singer, songwriter, musician, and producer best known as the lead singer and bass guitarist of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (also known as OMD). Andy joined Spotlight On producer and guest host Michael Donaldson to discuss topics as varied as the political messages behind their latest work, post-modern society, Kraftwerk, and the Bauhaus art school.
OMD is not working the nostalgia circuit, though no one would blame them if they were. Instead, they continue to release new music that fans and critics rate as among the best of their classics and already have plans to spend a large portion of 2025 on the road.
Bauhaus Staircase, OMD’s latest album, and their recent EP, Kleptocracy, are out everywhere you get your music.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from the OMD album Bauhaus Staircase)
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0:00 - Introduction
1:34 - Kraftwerk's influence and early electronic music
3:00 - The formation of OMD and early musical experiments
7:52 - The Id: OMD's precursor band
10:41 - Andy and Paul's long-standing creative partnership
13:23 - Andy's background in fine arts and its influence on OMD
15:13 - OMD's album artwork and collaboration with Peter Saville
17:06 - Andy's love for art museums
18:41 - The inspiration behind "Bauhaus Staircase"
21:15 - OMD's political themes and current world events
26:40 - The role of art in maintaining democracy
28:52 - "Kleptocracy": Balancing serious messages with catchy tunes
33:57 - OMD's approach to making new music while staying true to their sound
37:54 - Connecting with younger fans and the changing music landscape
40:27 - Conclusion
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Visit Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark at https://omd.uk.com
Purchase OMD's Bauhaus Staircase from The OMD Store → https://100-percent.us/collections/omd
or Qobuz → https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/bauhaus-staircase-orchestral-manoeuvres-in-the-dark/l2u8xuw8wsaob
and listen on your streaming platform of choice → https://album.link/i/1701690732
Follow OMD on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/omdofficial
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/omdhq
Threads → https://www.threads.net/@omdhq
YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGt81JgXy5FiQUml-nqePKw
Twitter (X) → https://x.com/OfficialOMD
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