“Relax. You’re quite safe here. Am I dreaming? No…”

Indeed, you’re not dreaming: In Visible Silence, the second LP by The Art of Noise, is being reissued and expanded this spring.

This album found the original Art of Noise collective fragmented. Years after collaborating on megahits for ABC, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Yes (as well as their own landmark efforts, the 1983 EP Into Battle with The Art of Noise and Who’s Afraid of The Art of Noise? in 1984), there was an acrimonious split, with producer Trevor Horn and writer Paul Morley taking opposite sides from Gary Langan, Anne Dudley and J.J. Jeczalik, the group’s respective engineer, arranger and programmer. Langan, Dudley and Jeczalik departed ZTT Records, taking the Art of Noise name with them to China Records, a U.K. subsidiary of Chrysalis.

Their first album as a trio, In Visible Silence, shed some of the group’s earlier pretensions; the trio began appearing in public without masks, and earned their second U.K. Top 10 hit with a cover of Henry Mancini’s theme to Peter Gunn, complete with featured solos by rockabilly guitarist Duane Eddy. They even crossed over into the U.S. Top 40 with a new mix of the single “Paranoimia” featuring monologues by the quirky sci-fi television personality and Coke pitchman Max Headroom, a stuttering “computer graphic” played by American actor Matt Frewer in heavy makeup. It was that mix of dance and kitsch that opened the doors for their greatest success, 1988’s cover of Prince’s “Kiss” with Tom Jones on vocals.

The new 2CD edition of In Visible Silence features the remastered album and all its B-sides and remixes (five of which make their CD debut), plus the premiere release of 12 outtakes from this unique era of the group’s history. ZTT/Art of Noise aficionado Ian Peel has curated the material on this set and penned an essay, “Raiders of the Lost Art,” detailing his two-year mission to track down the master and session tapes.

Look for the reissue of In Visible Silence on May 19, nearly a week ahead of a special one-off Art of Noise show in Liverpool by Langan, Dudley and Jeczalik featuring a “reboot” of the album.

In Visible Silence: Deluxe Edition (China Records/Warner Music XWOL-2 (U.K.), 2017)

Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Disc 1: Original LP and singles

1. Opus 4
2. Paranoimia
3. Eye of a Needle
4. Legs
5. Slip of the Tongue
6. Backbeat
7. Instruments of Darkness
8. Peter Gunn (feat. Duane Eddy)
9. Camilla: The Old, Old Story
10. The Chameleon’s Dish
11. Beatback
12. Paranoimia (feat. Max Headroom) (7″ Mix)
13. Legs (7″ Mix) **
14. Hoops and Mallets **
15. Something Always Happens
16. Why Me? **
17. A Nation Rejects
18. Backbeat (Reprise) *

Disc 2: Outtakes and 12″ mixes

1. World War II *
2. The First Leg *
3. Happy Harry’s High Club *
4. Chameleon 4 *
5. Beddoo-Bedoo *
6. Panic *
7. Camel *
8. Second Legs *
9. Trumpton Boogie *
10. Chameleon 1 *
11. A Nation Regrets *
12. Legs (Inside Leg Mix) **
13. Legs (Last Leg Mix) **
14. Peter Gunn (feat. Duane Eddy) (Extended Version)
15. Peter Gunn (feat. Duane Eddy) (The Twang Mix)
16. Paranoimia (feat. Max Headroom) (Extended Version)
17. Paranoimia (feat. Max Headroom) (The Paranoid Mix)

* previously unreleased ** previously unreleased on CD

Disc 1, Tracks 1-11 released as China Records WOL 2, 1986
Disc 1, Tracks 12, 16 and 17 and Disc 2, Track 16 released as China Records WOK X9, 1986
Disc 1, Tracks 13-14 and Disc 2, Track 12 released as China Records WOK 5, 1985
Disc 1, Track 15 and Disc 2, Track 14 released on China Records WOK 6, 1986
Disc 2, Track 13 released on China Records WOK R5, 1985
Disc 2, Track 15 released on China Records WOK R6, 1986
Disc 2, Track 17 released on China Records WOK L9, 1986