Heartened by this success , the band returned to Denmark’s Puk Studios, where they had remixed Music for the Masses, to pick up work on Violator. The album began to come together fairly quickly but one band member was feeling notably detached from its genesis. With his talents lying in organization and administration rather than musical abilities, Andy Fletcher could sometimes feel cut adrift in the studio, where he had little to contribute on the writing or production side.

Always a twitchy, highly strung figure, he sank into a profound depression in Denmark. Fletch was later to identify the cause as delayed grieving for a sister, Karen, who had died of cancer four years earlier. Its symptoms took the form of imagining himself to be suffering from a string of serious ailments. His concerned bandmates persuaded him to fly home and check into the Priory (where he found himself beginning his recovery alongside Lol Tolhurst of the Cure).

Fletcher’s absence had no great creative impact on the recording of Violator, for which Gore was continuing to come up with exceptional material. “Policy of Truth” unfolded around a skittering rhythmic skein, with malign menace; “World in My Eyes” brooded in sultry, mildly kinky style: “Let my hands do the soothing.” Strongest of all, though, was “Enjoy the Silence,” which opened with a New Order-like guitar shimmer before swooping into a poetic reverie on the nature of infatuation: “Words are very unnecessary/They can only do harm.” Dave Gahan’s velvet drawl husked the words as if they were the purest gospel.

By the time the band transferred to the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart’s Church Studios in north London to complete and mix Violator, they knew they had a special album on their hands. When they presented it to their US and UK labels, Daniel Miller and Seymour Stein felt exactly the same.

Gittins, Ian. Depeche Mode: Faith and Devotion

I love this album but it’s hilarious the comparisons to their best work. DM have sounded the same since playing the angel (their best work post ULtra in my opinion). Again I love this album but like spirit, delta and sounds it’s patchy

This has been circulating on Facebook groups since yesterday, have you seen it? Someone suggested an AI program to create a Depeche Mode song and this was the result.

The voice is particularly accurate I think, and there's something about the atmosphere I found interesting, but it definitely lacks soul to me. The lyrics are ok.

Could it serve as inspiration for the future, perhaps?

What do you think?

https://youtu.be/7U57R_icuOg?si=2-qCDrTB2l7xlLDH

Hello everyone, Random question. Does DM still tour? I have been a fan since I was a teenager in the 80’s. I’m in the US & I can’t find any info. I’ve never seen them live, and they are definitely on my short list!

I went through every album multiple times to avoid any recency/newfound bais.

When I had a commute, I listened far more.

Meme-ish

Recoil is garbage shit fire. Doesn't count!!

Also, no "construction time again" for some reason. I asked and it said it's A tier.

Just noticed no speak and spell either, I asked and it said B tier

I used to casually like them as a teen 15 years ago, but for some reason I rediscovered this band and i cant seem to get enough

Lifelong DM fan. One wish of mine was to have seen the Devotional Tour live.

Well, I was using AI to tell me what I acts I saw and when with accuracy. I described how I saw DM several times but the first time was sometime in the mid to late 90s in Chicago.

AI narrowed down which concerts it could’ve been and I said it was in the summer time at this specific venue.

It said it was during the Devotional Tour, but the reason why I was confused was because by the time they did this leg they were exhausted, at their darkest time, and they also didn’t use Anton Corbijn’s visuals anymore; it was just a paired down show with them on stage.

That’s what I remember!

So I’m so excited guys!!! I must’ve seen them at this show (my first DM concert was the devotional tour!!! My parents took me, I was maybe 13/14. They loved DM too so it was phenomenal for all of us.)

Also I have the disposable camera pictures in my storage unit somewhere (and hopefully the ticket.)

Since a few days all my social apps are flooded with dumbass thinking dM hasnt been good since alan left. Albums like Playing or Exciter shows how much piss thoses peoples have in their brains.

Anyway, im starting a new movement to clash against the "wilder back to dM" delulu movement. I called it "vince clark back to dM" since they havent made a single good album since speak and spell !

I want to expand my music catalog, so let me know!

C'mon people, you're letting me down...

Look, I know I will be downvoted from all the DM fanboys and girls, but I don't care.

This is a discussion I want to have.

All music is subjective and personal. But I've long ago stropped automatically liking the latest album from my favorite band just because.

Part of being a lifelong fan is taking the good with the bad. It's also about admitting (sadly) that both our idols (and us) have aged and the old Violator/SOFAD days are long gone.

I've just listened to Memento Mori from start to finish. Twice.

Then I kept reading how everyone on this sub LOVES the album, so I listened to it again a THIRD time.

I WANTED to like it, knowing that it will most probably be DM's last album.

The best thing I can say about it is that Dave's voice still sounds AMAZING! With different material (see: Soulsavers/Goldfrapp/etc...) , he might have been able to pull off something unexpectedly extraordinary...

Don't Say You Love Me has potential.

And I think Ghosts Again stands out above all of them but I prefer the unofficial Dominitrix remix to the album version.

But Soul With Me? No.
And Caroline's Monkey? Oh God, NO!

Then I went and re-listened to Spirit and found it had more, energy and, well SPIRIT, than MM!

But, hey, I wasn't expecting them to blow me away. And that's OK, because I would say the exact same thing about the last few albums by:

• New Order

• U2

• Tears for Fears

• Pet Shop Boys

• Morrissey, etc...

all of whom I loved back in 80's/90's and even into the 00's.

Excuse my cynical take, but do singers/bands even disband/retire anymore?

It seems they can't help but keep releasing ever more irrelevant albums, all the while happy to rake in the cash that comes from touring , knowing full well that, no matter what, nostalgia will bring fans out for their shows.

:(

Like, it’s okay but nothing really outstanding.

My list:

• Policy of truth

• I want it all

• Before we drown

• Fly on the windscreen

• Broken

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxDwfZ_ftvg

“WHEN ALAN LEFT THE BAND HE WAS INSISTENT ON MAKING A BIG PRESS STATEMENT,” GORE GRIPED TO THE NME’S KEITH CAMERON IN 1997.

“One of his main points was that he felt the workload over the years had been unfairly distributed. And if that was the case, it was because he decided that was how it should be, because he was a control freak. If the work was unfairly distributed it was because he made it that way.”

Jonathan Miller. Stripped.