NEW ORDER Schallplatten & CDs

Review: New Order's 'The Perfect Kiss' stands out as their first single to be simultaneously released on a studio album, appearing on 1985's Low-Life. Recorded at Britannia Row Studios in London, the track merges alternative dance with rock influences, reflecting themes of love and mortality. Bernard Sumner himself has admitted he's unsure of its full meaning, though one of its most recognised lines - "pretending not to see his gun / I said, 'Let's go out and have some fun'"- was inspired by a real-life encounter with a gun-owning host in the United States. Created in a sleep-deprived rush just before an Australian tour, the song has since been reinterpreted by artists like Capsule Giants and Amoeba Crunch and remixed by collectives such as Razormaid. Spin magazine's John Leland praised its evocative melody and intensity, particularly the explosive finale where the band cranks every machine to full power.