A Secret Wish came out in 1985, right at the moment when Propaganda went from being an intriguing Düsseldorf art-pop project to one of the most ambitious acts on the ZTT label. It’s their debut album, and you can really feel that sense of arrival – big ideas, big sound, and a band clearly determined not to blend into the mid-’80s synth-pop crowd.

Sonically, the album is glossy but tense, icy yet dramatic. You get sleek Fairlight textures, thunderous gated drums, and a strong European art-music influence that sets it apart from more chart-friendly new wave. There’s a definite Kraftwerk lineage in the precision and electronics, but it’s filtered through Trevor Horn’s maximalist production style, so everything feels cinematic and oversized. It’s pop music, but it’s serious, moody pop with sharp edges and a slightly industrial undertow.

A few tracks still jump out immediately. “Duel” balances elegance and power beautifully, while “p:Machinery” sounds like machinery actually strutting down a runway. “Dr. Mabuse” leans darker and more theatrical, and “Dream Within a Dream” gives the album a haunting, almost philosophical closer.

What keeps A Secret Wish fun to revisit is how confident and strange it still feels. It’s polished without being safe, cerebral without being cold, and packed with moments that reward repeat listens. Even now, it sounds like a band aiming higher than their peers – and mostly hitting the mark.