Integral

Venerable synth-pop institution Pet Shop Boys made a rare foray into political commentary with their 2006 album, ‘Fundamental’, which took well-aimed pot shots at neo-conservative policies, religious fundamentalism, illegal immigration, and other relevant issues of the day. One of the more strident numbers on ‘Fundamental’ is the biting ‘Integral’, which lambasts the then-ruling Labour Party’s national identity card plans, neatly couched in an intentionally mocking over-the-top production underlay by veteran knob-twiddler Trevor Horn and a typically impeccable melodic overlay by the dynamic duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. Check out the dystopian, futuristic video clip, which casts Tennant in the role of an omnipresent Big Brother figure in a pastiche-filled, ‘1984’-approximating setting.