Rocktrospectiva: The Inventive "Who's Afraid Of Art Of Noise" Turns 40

 

Released on 19 June 1984 "Who's Afraid Of Art Of Noise" was the debut studio album by English avant-garde synth pop band Art Of Noise, the album spawned three singles "Beat Box", "Close (To The Edit)", & "Moments In Love", the album reached No. 27 on the UK charts and No. 85 on Billboard 200, the album is considered a techno-pop classic that encapsulates the popularity of synthesizer and popular music in 1984, as a dawn of new pop sensibility where sequencers, samplers and drum machines made the day. 

 

This is such an experimental rock and new wave both, too brash and innovative, a groundbreaking record, entertaining and cutting-edge in many ways, because back then, it was considered as an album trully inventive, reasonably danceable, and what contemporary listeners back then, thought it would be the sound of the future. 

 

One of the most remarkable tracks is still "Close (To The Edit)", a strong funk groove with a certain sense of humor in the vocals, part of the thrill and amusement on this record is the sense of juxtaposition and sound playing around, something that was and still not common in pop music, the political "A Time For Fear (Who's Afraid)" is fantastic, and the abstrack "How To Kill" achieved same levels of sampling, slams and sonic beats with a serene orchestration, "Beat Box" captures heavy grooves with quirky vocals bits and curious gloomy, with patented Trevor Horn orchestral stabs and the gently arrangements from Anne Dudley's vibes, and this is something palpable in the brilliant "Moments In Love" which probably is the most triumphantly track here, a strange instrumental tune that still resonates today, an 80's., standard classic. 

 

The album had brilliant critic, considered a frightening album, innovative, danceable and groubreaking for the 1984 standards, the music here is thrilling inventive, reasonably,danceable, and with interesting cuts of love, dance, politics and laugh too. 

 

Who's Afraid Of Art Of Noise Track List: 

 

1. A Time For Fear (Who's Afraid)

2. Beat Box (Diversion One)

3. Snapshot

4. Close (To The Edit)

5. Who's Afraid (Of The Art Of Noise)

6. Moments In Love

7. Momento

8. How To Kill

9. Realization