Telecommunication

This song doesn't sound like any typical track from the early 80s. The punch of the power chords blends with synthesizers that seem to come from another galaxy, and suddenly you're listening to something that doesn't fit the radio of the time. There are no choruses packed with distorted guitars like in the fashionable ballads; instead, the rhythm advances with arpeggiated percussion and layers of sound that overlap as if they were crossed transmissions. The lyrics don't speak of love or heartbreak, but of ultraviolet pulses, radio light, and solar systems, as if someone were trying to communicate from the future or beyond. It's this contrast between the futuristic and the raw that makes it sound different: a mix of science fiction and pure energy.

They recorded it at Battery Studios in London in 1981, with Bill Nelson at the helm as producer. The track was released as the second single by the band on September 18 of that year, just as synth-pop was beginning to take shape on the dance floors. Although it didn't reach the traditional charts in the UK or the United States, it peaked at number 19 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, sharing space with Modern Love Is Automatic. What's curious is that, despite not being a massive hit at the time, it eventually gained a cult following among genre enthusiasts, especially for its experimental sound. Engineer Mike Shipley gave the synthesizer layers that metallic sheen, and brothers Mike Score and Ali Score, along with Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds, crafted a structure that avoided the clichés of the era. The short duration, barely two and a half minutes, didn't stop it from leaving a mark: it's one of those songs that, when you listen to it, makes you want to play it again to discover something new each time.