New Order's 1986 album Brotherhood marked a crucial turning point for the band, blending their post-punk origins with emerging dance and synth-pop influences in a way that no previous release had achieved. Though often overlooked compared to its predecessor Low-Life and successor Substance, Brotherhood proved transformative for the band's long-term survival and cultural significance, helping establish them in North America with the hit single 'Bizarre Love Triangle' and paving the way for future masterworks.

The album's structure embodied what drummer Stephen Morris described as a "schizophrenic mood"—one side harking back to the moody, experimental post-punk of their Joy Division days and early works like Power, Corruption, and Lies, whilst the other delved deeper into dance and synth-pop stylings. Released during the golden age of independent music and Factory Records' experimental ethos, Brotherhood mirrored the broader shift of Manchester's music scene towards the forthcoming Madchester movement, making it essential to understanding how the band bridged two distinct sonic identities and influenced the trajectory of British independent music.