Legendary English rock act New Order has broken up, according to a post from bassist Peter Hook on his MySpace.com site. "I'm relieved," he wrote. "Really hated carryin' on as normal with an awful secret, so let's move on, shall we?" Hook made similar comments in an interview last Friday on XFM, telling host Clint Boon that he and singer/guitarist Bernard Sumner were no longer working together.

New Order, which also included drummer Stephen Morris and guitarist/keyboardist Gillian Gilbert, formed in 1980 following the dissolution of their prior band, Joy Division. That act's lead singer, Ian Curtis, committed suicide on the eve of an American tour.

New Order went on to become one of the most influential acts in modern music, fusing synthesizers and dance beats to rock structures on classics such as "Bizarre Love Triangle," "Blue Monday," "Age of Consent," "Ceremony," "Temptation," "True Faith" and "Regret."

The group went on a five-year hiatus beginning in 1993, but reconvened for new studio albums in 2001 ("Get Ready") and 2005 ("Waiting for the Sirens' Call") that introduced its music to a new generation of listeners. New Order's last show was in November in Buenos Aires.

Curtis is the subject of the upcoming film "Control," the score for which was performed by New Order. The movie will premiere May 17 at the Cannes Film Festival in France.

As for Hook, he guests on the debut album from Perry Farrell's Satellite Party, due May 29 via Columbia, and has also formed a new band, Freebass, with former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke and Stone Roses/Primal Scream member Mani.