Name: Depeche Mode - Before We Drown People Are Good Remixes
Brand: Columbia International
SKU: 1121299v1
Price: 26.99 EUR
Availability: InStock

Depeche Mode

Memento Mori Indie Exclusive Opaque Red Vinyl Edition

2LP | 2023 | EU | Original (Sony)

49,99 €*

Incl. VAT plus Shipping Costs

Release: 2023 / EU – Original

Genre: Pop

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"Memento Mori" represents Depeche Mode's 15th studio album overall, while Gahan and Gore present the first long player with a two-piece lineup following the tragic death of band co-founder Andrew "Fletch" Fletcher in 2022. Produced by James Ford, with assistance from Marta Salogni, "Memento Mori" matured during the early stages of the worldwide Covid pandemic; a period that also had a thematic influence on the songs. The 12 album tracks bridge a variety of moods and musical textures - starting with the ominous opener and ending with the denouement at the end, the emotional spectrum spans from paranoia and obsession to psychic liberation and joy, as well as countless emotional interjections.

The single "Ghosts Again" precedes the album release of "Memento Mori" with an impressive harbinger. The song already represents nothing less than a flawless Depeche Mode classic: Dave Gahan's imagery-rich lyrics like "wasted feelings, broken meanings... a place to hide the tears we cry" combine over an uplifting, optimistic groove with a hypnotic guitar figure from Martin Gore.

"For me, `Ghosts Again` captures the perfect balance between melancholy and joy," Gahan says. "It`s not too often that we record a song that I can not only listen to over and over again - I`m also super excited to share it with the world," adds Gore.

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Of crocodiles and the synthesizer boom

Growing up in the post-war East End of England town of Basildon, which was known for its high crime rate and the local disco Crocs, which was home to a real crocodile in the early 1990s. Almost as infamous as the Croc was a group that performed at Crocs; Depeche Mode with original lineup Dave Gahan, Andrew Fletcher, Martin Gore and Vince Clarke. They rode the New Romantic wave that was just emerging, which made acts like Gary Numan, O.M.D. oder The Human League big. The synthesizer boom that accompanied it gave them a hard time. According to earlier lore, they carried their heavy synthesizers on subways and trains to concerts before they could afford tour buses and roadies. After the quartet had unsuccessfully sent demos to record companies, Daniel Miller, founder of the British indie label Mute Records, became aware of them at a Fad Gadget concert. There they played in the fall of 1980 in the London club Bridgehouse as an opening act.

The Hype around four boys from Basildon

With the hit I Just Can’t Get Enough and New Life they made the teen hearts beat faster and climbed to the British Top Ten. After the release of Speak & Spell, Clarke left the band to pursue other solo projects such as Yazoo, The Assembly and Erasure. The light disco sound now became more melancholy electro pop, but the 1982 LP A Broken Frame still held its own in the British charts. It continued with the follow-up album Some Great Reward, which was recorded at Berlin’s Hansa Studios. The vibrant Berlin of the 90s proved to be the perfect place to fuel new creativity for the synth pop stars’ third studio album. The sample-based machine sound of the 1984 album brings with it the hits People are People and Master and Servant. Two singles that reached high chart positions worldwide for the first time. On the single compilation The Singles 81-85, the early work was summarized in October 1985. A must-have in every fan collection is also the album Black Celebration 1986, which drills directly into the heart of every electro fan with dark sounds and a touch of black romanticism. The roller coaster ride went on and on for the four Brits; after the album Music For The Masses released in 1987, in which the band used significantly more real instruments and integrated influences from minimal music, they made the commercial breakthrough in the U.S. and advanced as the first synth band to become a stadium act.

Synthesizer Legends

They went down in history as one of the few bands that were allowed to play a concert in the GDR in 1988. The band received 5000 DM for the concert at that time. Also crucial for the success of the group was the Dutch artist Anton Corbijn. He accompanied them since the video Shoot for_A Question of Time_ as an art director and created numerous covers, lettering and media-influenced stage designs for the band and still influences the visual image of Depeche Mode today. However, Depeche Mode’s vinyl is still in high demand in the 21st century. Albums like Playing The Angel (2005), Sounds Of The Universe (2009) and Delta Machine (2013) show that the band can convince even in an electro-heavy age. The band cited The Velvet Underground, Kraftwerk, David Bowie, Neil Young, Roxy Music, Sparks und Siouxsie and the Banshees as influences; Martin Gore also cited Elvis Presley as a personal influence. From countless bands inspired by their music and quite a few teenage days sweetened, the band electrified the masses with their synth-pop and has continued to do so ever since. 2023 is set for another tour.

Depeche Mode HHV Records 61 Items

Of crocodiles and the synthesizer boom

The Hype around four boys from Basildon

Synthesizer Legends