Art of Noise

(Who's Afraid Of) The Art of Noise (Reviewed by Flix):

Artist: Art Of Noise
Album: (Who’s Afraid Of?) The Art Of Noise!
Year: 1984
Genre: Synthpop
Label: ZTT/Island
Track List:
A Time For Fear (Who’s Afraid) 4:43
Beat Box (Diversion One) 8:33
Snapshot 1:00
Close (To The Edit) 5:41
Who’s Afraid (Of The Art Of Noise) 4:22
Moments In Love 10:17
Momento 2:14
How To Kill 2:44
Realization 1:41

The year was 1984. I was listening to one of my favorite UK DJ’s who suddenly played this strange song. It started with repeated samples of the ignition of a car followed by strange orchestral sounds, heavy drums and a haunting baseline. I was even more puzzled when a sampled voice kept repeating “dum dum da dum dum dum dum”. I thought my favorite DJ had lost it and was playing several songs at once. Minutes later I discovered, that I was listening to (Close) To The Edit – the debut single of Art Of Noise. I was a fan from that moment on.

Art Of Noise were producer and founder of ZTT Records Trevor Horn, engineer Gary Langan and keyboarders Anne Dudley and J.J. Jeczalik. If the four names rings a bell it could be because they were the team behind Malcolm McLaren’s 1983 hit Buffalo Gals and McLaren’s Duck Rock album.

This album is absolutely amazing, even by today’s standards. Moments In Love is arguably the most beautiful instrumental synth track of the 80’s. If you are into sampled music and enjoys 80’s synth, then this album should be part of your music collection.

The band has changed line-up a few times since then. Anne Dudley is probably the most famous of the original four from her scores to movies like: Knight Moves, Buster, Say Anything, Crying Game and Full Monty among others.