Oppenheimer Analysis
Oppenheimer Analysis
Oppenheimer Analysis (OA) is Andy Oppenheimer and Martin Lloyd. They first met at the 1979 World Science Fiction Convention in Brighton, England. They quickly became good friends, sharing an interest in the work of David Bowie, electronic music and early synthesizer bands such as the Human League and Soft Cell. They also shared a love of old science fiction movies, 1950s graphics and comic book imagery and a fascination with post-World War II propaganda, the politics and aesthetics of the Cold War, and the social impact of the atomic bomb.
Over the next few years Andy and Martin frequented the growing club scene, including Studio 21 in Oxford Street, and became involved in the developing Futurist and New Romantic style sub-cultures. During this period Martin recorded as Analysis, both alone and with David Rome of Drinking Electricity. They released their first single, “Surface Tension/Connections” on David’s Survival label in 1981. Meanwhile Andy held his own occasional club nights and continued to work as a science writer and editor, later becoming a nuclear expert.
In 1982 Andy and Martin began writing and recording together at Feedback Studio in Battersea, and performed several times as Oppenheimer Analysis at The Bell, Islington, the 1983 World David Bowie Convention in Hammersmith, the Starzone Birthday Party at Camden Palace, the 1984 European Science Fiction Convention in Brighton and other live venues. Their first demo tape and the later twelve-track “New Mexico” cassette were sold at gigs and by mail-order, and were reviewed in Melody Maker, Sounds and Soundmaker. Oppenheimer Analysis later became recognized among electro-music aficionados as a pioneering combo which has influenced other bands during the club and home-recording phase in the early 1980s.
In 2005 they re-formed and a twelve-inch four-track EP of early material, including “Cold War” and “The Devil’s Dancers”, was the first release on the New York-based Minimal Wave label. In 2006 a CD-R EP of new songs, “Der Wissenschaftler”, was home-released. Their songs are still played at clubs, on the internet and on the radio.
A 7” EP of Martin’s early solo recordings are available from Minimal Wave.
On Friday March 24th, 2006 Andy and Martin performed live as OA for the first time in 22 years at Zwischenfall, Bochum in Germany. More gigs followed in Germany, Belgium, London, Newcastle and Brighton. Their last live gig together was at Brave Exhibitions in London in 2011. Martin Lloyd died suddenly on 30 April 2013. All further releases are testament to his memory and to his great work with Oppenheimer Analysis, as a pioneer producer in early electronic pop music and to his long association and friendship with Andy Oppenheimer. Andy has since dedicated songs and radio interviews to his memory. Andy Oppenheimer is now singing, composing, recording and playing live as Oppenheimer MKII and Touching The Void.