Depeche Mode Biography

Depeche Mode has been developing its style of music for almost 30 years, starting in Basildon, Essex. Dave Gahan sings lead, Martin Gore plays keyboards and guitar, and Andy Fletcher plays keyboards. Gahan is a co-writer while Gore is the primary songwriter. Depeche Mode began as a product of Britain's new romantic movement and evolved into the archetypal electro-pop band of the 1980s. They began as a joyful dance-pop band but progressively evolved a darker, more dramatic sound that eventually positioned them as one of the first acts to create a musical identity based entirely on the usage of synthesizers. The origins of Depeche Mode may be traced back to 1976, when keyboardists Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher from Basildon, England, formed the duo No Romance in China. Initially, Vince Clarke was in charge of vocals, but vocalist David Gahan was brought in to round out the band in 1980. After a final name change to Depeche Mode, the band dropped all instruments save their synthesizers and focused on a sleek, techno-based sound to highlight Clarke's infectious songs. Depeche Mode debuted in 1980 with Photographic, a tune included on the Some Bizzare Album label compilation, after gaining a following in the London club scene. They released Dreaming of Me in early 1981 after signing with Mute Records; while neither the single nor its follow-up, New Life, were very successful, their third attempt, Just Can't Get Enough, was a Top Ten smash in the United Kingdom, and their debut LP, Speak and Spell, was also a hit. However, just as Depeche Mode looked to be on the verge of a huge commercial breakthrough, primary songwriter Clarke unexpectedly left to create Yazoo with vocalist Alison Moyet, casting uncertainty on the band's future. A shattered frame While Gore took up compositional duties, the surviving members of the band enlisted keyboardist Alan Wilder to fill the technological vacuum left by Clarke's retirement. While A Broken Frame, released in 1982, only marginally differed from Depeche Mode's earlier work, Gore's foreboding compositions became more confident and complex by 1983's Construction Time Again. The following year, they released Some Great Reward, which featured Gore's dark, kinky preoccupations with spiritual doubt (Blasphemous Rumours) and psychosexual manipulation (Master and Servant), as well as the egalitarian single People Are People, which was a major hit on both sides of the Atlantic and typified the music's turn toward more industrial textures. Black Festivities The moody Black Celebration, released in 1986, continues the pattern of dismal sadness. Music for the Masses, released in 1987, pushed the group into the mainstream with three Hot 100 singles: Strangelove, Never Let Me Down Again, and Behind the Wheel. The album is expected to sell over a million copies in the United States alone. Following a sold-out tour, the 1989 double-live set 101 was released. The event was taped in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and was accompanied by a concert video produced by D.A. Pennebaker. Violator Depeche Mode became one of the most popular bands in the world during the early 1990s alternative music boom. Personal Jesus (number eight single), Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth, and World in My Eyes were all singles from the triple-platinum Violator album, which was released in 1990. Their 1993 album Songs of Faith and Devotion, which included a dramatic change in their extensive usage of electric guitars, debuted at number one on the charts. However, the group began to fall apart at its pinnacle of popularity, beginning with Wilder's departure in 1995. Gahan attempted suicide and then sought treatment for his heroin addiction at a drug rehabilitation center. Ultra Depeche Mode reformed as a trio after a four-year hiatus and produced Ultra in 1997, which included the songs Barrel of a Gun and It's No Good. A year later, the band embarked on a tour in support of The Singles 86>98, their freshly released hits CD. Depeche Mode performed 64 performances for nearly one million people in 18 countries. After the tour, each member took a long break, and Depeche Mode would not reassemble for another three years. Exciter was the band's follow-up to Ultra, and the singles Dream On and I Feel Loved had moderate success on foreign radio stations. Gahan released his debut solo album, the dark and seductive Paper Monsters, two years later. Gore followed suit with releasing Counterfeit2, an all-covers follow-up to his 1989 EP of the same name. Each member supported his work with separate tours in the United States and Europe; nevertheless, the band members quickly reunited, and their 11th studio album, Playing the Angel, became a Top Ten smash upon its release in October 2005. It was produced by Ben Hillier (Doves, Blur, U2, Elbow) and featured songs like Precious and John (The Revelator), and it reached number one on the album charts in 18 countries and was certified multi-platinum or gold in 20 others. Depeche Mode went on to perform in front of over 1.5 million people across the world, and the 2006 video DVD Touring the Angel: Live in Milan recorded one of the band's most memorable performances. Sounds of the Universe, which was also produced with Ben Hillier's help, was released in early 2009 and debuted at number three in the United States. Hillier completed a trio of albums with the release of Delta Machine in 2013, which was mixed by longtime Depeche collaborator Flood. Delta Machine went to number two in the United Kingdom and reached number six on the Billboard 200 in the United States. In November 2014, the concert video and CD Live in Berlin (directed by Anton Corbijn from a late-2013 gig) were released. Spirit, the band's 14th studio album, was released in early 2017. Simian Mobile Disco's James Ford produced the record, which was primarily motivated by the outcome of the 2016 US presidential election (Foals, Arctic Monkeys). Spirit debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, helped by the track Where's the Revolution.

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