New Order
––––––––+ PIONEERS +––––––––
Always making the most of modern technology, but never following an obvious path, this pioneering band, one of the best regarded of the past 50 years have become – perhaps unwittingly – the ultimate trend jumpers, setters and mixers
For five decades, New Order have skipped with some aplomb between gloomy post-punk tunes, atmospheric electronica, jangly Brit guitar music, full-on electro, comedy pop and four-four dance, never really outstaying their welcome or sticking around long enough to be categorised or pigeonholed, and often throwing elements of some of the above styles – or even all of them – into one recording. Being so hard to pin down, then, it’s not surprising that they have helped to create and influence a wide range of genres of music, from goth to dance, post-rock to synth-pop.
But you can’t really talk about the band’s impact without mentioning their first incarnation, as so much about New Order’s sound, career and experimental approach was defined by former band Joy Division, not least three-quarters of their lineup. And there are just as many bands that will tell you that the biggest cementing factor was early Joy Division, as there are those that will say that it was New Order who ultimately defined their sound.