In a recent interview with NME, Bernard Sumner, the frontman of New Order, reflected on the band’s journey into electronic music following the end of Joy Division. Sumner shared how the then-emerging genre served as uncharted territory for the band, allowing them to explore and create their distinct sound.
After the untimely death of Joy Division’s lead singer, Ian Curtis, in 1980, the remaining members – Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris – regrouped to form New Order. The band transitioned from their post-punk roots to a more electronic and dance-oriented sound, which ultimately helped define the emerging genre and earned them critical acclaim.
During his conversation, Sumner explained that electronic music has become increasingly difficult to navigate over the years as it has grown and evolved. He reminisced about the early days of New Order when they began experimenting with electronic music after the first album. At the time, there were very few artists working in the genre, particularly those focusing on dance-oriented tracks. This scarcity provided the band with a sense of novelty and creative freedom.
The musician’s comments on discovering a new area with New Order:
“It’s getting harder and harder because electronic music has been around for quite some time now. When we first started dabbling in electronic music after Joy Division and the first New Order album, it was like new territory. That’s more and more difficult now because electronic music has been around for such a long time, but when we started, there weren’t many artists that were working in the electronic field – especially the dance-orientated side.”
Bernard Sumner’s recollections of New Order’s early days shed light on the challenges of exploring a new genre in the absence of established conventions. The interview provided a glimpse into the band’s creative process and the environment that allowed them to experiment and develop their sound.
