The band started off in 1982 and had their international breakthrough with “Take On Me” coming only 3 years later. Part of the success was the music video, which was part animated, part real, which lead to MTV taking it into their rotation. After that the single reached number one in the US-Billboard-Charts.
With its typical synth hooks, deep lyrics and melancholic sound, the album creates an atmosphere of nostalgia, that makes the band one of the biggest acts in the world. The first single released under the same name as the album became their biggest success after “Take On Me” and the album reached a number one chart placement in Germany as well as Top 10 placements in other countries like the UK and Norway right after its release. Critics also were great as the album got a four-star review from the Times Magazine.
The album shows lyrical novelties, with “Start The Simulator” which is composed by using the technical jargon of the Cold War era’s Space Race. “The basic idea,” Pal, guitarist and main songwriter says, “was to make a song using only technical terms and phrases, and still make it very emotional and personal. At the same time, it shows emotional depth and the connection Paul feels to his natural and adopted homelands, Norway and New York, with songs like “Shadowside”, “The Bandstand” and “Foot Of The Mountain”
Already before it’s original release in 2009 the album was believed in to have great impact. “We are happy, that one of the most important bands from the 80s and 90s still plays a big role in the next millennium.
