Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Tesla Girls

What this video is

Released in August 1984 as the third single from Junk Culture, 'Tesla Girls' arrived at a pivotal moment for OMD: following the commercial disappointment of the avant-garde Dazzle Ships (1983), the band had pivoted toward accessible synth-pop. The video, shot in early July 1984, embodies the tension between artistic intent and commercial obligation — Virgin Records demanded an MTV-compatible promo for the US…

Why it matters

A canonical artefact of UK mid-1980s synth-pop, 'Tesla Girls' demonstrates the genre's capacity for self-aware pop craftsmanship. Retrospectively praised as among OMD's finest pure pop moments and a standout of 1984's alternative chart landscape, the video and single illustrate how British New…

The director

Simon Milne was an active UK music video director during the early-to-mid 1980s, working within the flourishing British promo industry during the New Wave era. His work on the OMD 'Tesla Girls' promo (1984) places him in the mid-tier of UK directors…