THE ART OF NOISE

Studio-based house-band of the London-based ZTT label initially, the production crew consisted of session musicians who help record the first Frankie Goes To Hollywood plus super-producer Trevor Horn (a former member of The Buggles and Yes) and music journalist Paul Morley, whose main responsibility was penning sleeve notes.  The band creating electronic instruments with sampled voices and, often, very heavy drumbeats that were later sampled in hip-hop records.  However, after one album, the session musicians (who included notable orchestral arranger Anne Dudley) split with Morley and Horn and took the name to a new label.

Moments In Love

1985, UK.  ZTT Records (P ZTPS02)
1. Moments In Love Is....Going Slowly
2. Beat Box Is...The Confidence Trick (And The Hare)

The tortoise-shaped disc is outlined with examples of the masks used by the band initially to hide their identities, as they wished to be presented as a faceless band.

Peter Gunn

1986, UK, China Records (WOK P 6)
1. Peter Gunn
2. Something Always Happens

This image of a hand clutching a medal containing the Art Of Noise's initials is taken from the artwork of their album In Visible Silence. This instrumental was originally written by Henry Mancini for the TV series of the same name, but was also famously covered by Duane Eddy.  The veteran guitarist added a new recording of his lead guitar line for this version.

Paranoimia

1986, UK.  China Records (WOK P 9)
1. Paranoimia
2. Why Me

This rectangular disc shows a television set containing Max Headroom, the supposedly computer-generated TV presenter who supplied guest vocals here.  In truth, Headroom was actually Canadian actor Matt Frewer under a ton of prosthetic make-up.