Construction Time Again - Background and Themes

Background and Themes

In January 1983, shortly before the release of the "Get the Balance Right!" single, lyricist Martin Gore attended an Einstürzende Neubauten concert, giving him the idea to experiment with the sounds of industrial music in the context of pop. This experimentation hinged on the band's first use of a Synclavier, a synthesizer that not only contained a large number of pre-programmed sounds, but also allowed for samples to be imported. With this, the band proceeded to travel around the neighbourhood where they could tape "found" sounds and feed them into the Synclavier, then manipulate the noises to fit into their songs. These sounds consisted mainly of hammering anvils, clanging pipes, running water, and the like.

That spring, the band converged in London to begin recording their third album, Construction Time Again, and changed recording studios as well. For the previous two albums, the band had recorded at Blackwing Studios, but would switch to John Foxx's "The Garden" studio. This change, along with the addition of Gareth Jones to the production team facilitated the band's transition from the hook-driven pop songs of their past (a transition that had begun to take shape in 1982 with the more noticeably melancholy "Leave in Silence"). The band continued perfecting their industrial formula over their next two albums, 1984's Some Great Reward and 1986's Black Celebration.

This album introduced a transition in lyrical content for the group. Construction Time Again would include a bevy of political themes, sparked by the poverty Gore had seen on a recent trip he had taken to Thailand. These themes were in stark contrast from the love-themed pop numbers of the band's early career.