Movement (New Order album)

Movement is the debut studio album by English rock band New Order, released on 13 November 1981 by Factory Records. It was produced by Martin Hannett, known for his work with Joy Division, New Order's predecessor band.

Following the suicide of Joy Division vocalist Ian Curtis in 1980, the remaining members – Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris – decided to continue as a new band, initially under the name "The No Names" before settling on New Order. The band's initial challenge was to find a new musical direction without replicating Joy Division's sound. Sumner took on the vocal duties, although his inexperience as a frontman is often noted in contemporary reviews of the album.

Movement largely retains the dark and melancholic atmosphere associated with Joy Division, featuring dense, atmospheric instrumentation and Sumner's often-strained vocals. The album's sound is characterized by Hannett's production techniques, which emphasize the band's use of synthesizers and drum machines. The influence of krautrock bands such as Kraftwerk and Can is also apparent, particularly in the album's more experimental and repetitive tracks.

The album received mixed reviews upon its release. While some critics praised its innovative use of synthesizers and its atmospheric quality, others found it to be too derivative of Joy Division and lacking in the melodic hooks that would characterize New Order's later work. Commercially, Movement reached number 30 on the UK Albums Chart.

Despite its mixed reception, Movement is now viewed as an important transitional album for New Order, bridging the gap between their post-punk roots and their eventual embrace of electronic dance music. Key tracks include "Ceremony" (originally written by Joy Division), "Dreams Never End," and "Senses." The album's artwork, designed by Peter Saville, features a blurred image of a funerary urn, a further reference to the band's origins in Joy Division.