New Order

New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980, currently comprising Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert, Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman. The band was formed in 1980 by Sumner (vocals, guitars, keyboards and synthesisers), Morris (drums, electronic drums, keyboards and synthesisers) and Peter Hook (bass, backing vocals, keyboards and electronic drums) – the remaining members of post-punk group Joy Division, following the suicide of vocalist Ian Curtis – with the addition of Gilbert (keyboards, synthesisers and guitars).

By combining post-punk with an increasing influence from electronic dance music, New Order became one of the most critically acclaimed and influential bands of the 1980s. Though the band's early years were shadowed by the legacy and basic sound of Joy Division, their experience of the early 1980s New York City club scene increased their knowledge of dance music and helped them incorporate elements of that style into their work. The band's 1983 hit "Blue Monday", the best-selling 12-inch single of all time, is one example of how the band's sound became increasingly upbeat and electronic.

New Order were the flagship band for Manchester-based independent record label Factory Records. Their unlabelled album sleeves and "non-image" (the band rarely gave interviews and were known for performing short concert sets with no encores) reflected the label's aesthetic of doing whatever the relevant parties wanted to do, including an aversion to including singles as album tracks. Because of the band's dance-rock genre it has a complex discography, with many well-known songs not featured on studio albums or released in a variety of mixes. Throughout their career, the band's records were carefully art-directed by Mancunian designer Peter Saville.

The group disbanded in 1993 to work on individual projects, and reunited in 1998.

www.neworder.com