Dave Gahan – SIDE-LINE

How interesting was the Vince Clarke Q&A session in London? Find out here on video!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 15:22:01 +0000

(By our UK correspondent Simon Helm of Cold War Nightlife) A few days ago we posted a review of the first solo concert of Vince Clarke at the LSESU in London, with Sunroof (comprising Daniel Miller and Gareth Jones), and today we present you a review of the additional Q&A session featuring Daniel Miller which took place at Rough Trade East on Sunday, November 19th.

Vince Clarke needs no introduction, so Daniel Miller didn’t give him one. The mastermind behind Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly, and Erasure, Clarke was in London to perform his solo album, Songs of Silence. A Q&A session at Rough Trade East allowed the Mute label boss to put some questions to Clarke and talk about their shared history.

Update: Mute in the meantime posted a video of the Q&A.

When Vince Clarke met Daniel Miller

The first time Clarke and Miller met was a bit of a disaster. Dressed up in futurist clothes, Clarke had travelled from Basildon with Dave Gahan to pitch Depeche Mode’s demo tape to London-based labels. When they tried Rough Trade, the counter staff pointed them at Miller, who was in the back preparing the artwork for a Fad Gadget record. When the Mute man emerged, he took one look at the Mode boys and kept walking.

Miller chuckles at the lost opportunity, which he recovered from when Depeche Mode supported Fad Gadget at the Bridgehouse in Canning Town. He notes a controversy that has arisen because Stevo, the notorious Soft Cell manager and Some Bizarre label boss, has claimed that he “let” Miller “have” Depeche Mode for Mute. Rubbish. Depeche Mode did what they wanted – and, as Clarke confirms, that was to work with the genius behind The Normal, Silicon Teens, and the sound of Fad Gadget.

The lockdown stopped Erasure from working together

On to the new album. Clarke explains that lockdown stopped Erasure from working together. Inspired by repeated viewings of Bladerunner 2049, he decided to make the soundtrack for a sequel in his basement studio using modular kit. Drones provided the fluidity, while additional elements were layered on top. “It was never intended as a record,” Clarke said. “It was really just for me to learn to use the synthesizer.”

When Miller asked Clarke what he was up to, some tracks were passed across, and Miller suggested they become an album. “I was in total shock, because it wasn’t what I intended,” Clarke told the audience.

The only track with lyrics used a recording of a traditional miner’s union song, which Clarke had struggled to set to music previously. Miller explained that it proved impossible to track down the rights holder for the vocals – drawing a laugh when he explained that Mute would “Take care of them.”

New Erasure album in the making

Clarke revealed that there is a new Erasure album planned for release next year, but he has not played the music to Andy Bell, yet. “We never write remotely. It just doesn’t work for us. We have to be in the same room, at the same time, to make a complete song.”

Miller let on that there is more coming from the Erasure camp. “Andy [Bell] is also working on a solo album at the moment.” No word whether it will also feature Eurorack modules or found sound, but it will undoubtedly come with its own stories.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan intervenes in fight at LA concert – Watch the video now

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 11:34:15 +0000

During a Depeche Mode concert at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, frontman Dave Gahan intervened to stop a fight that broke out in the crowd. The incident occurred while the band was performing “Never Let Me Down Again”. Gahan paused the performance to address the situation near the stage and inquiring if everyone was okay.

Gahan used his mic to address the people involved in the row saying: “Hey, nothing’s that important (…) he’s lost his fucking phone. That’s what he’s worried about. His phone. There’s enough shit going on in the world without you guys.”

After slapping hands with one of the people involved in the row, the band resumed by starting “Never Let Me Down Again” allover again.

The Los Angeles concert was part of the North American leg of Depeche Mode’s ‘Memento Mori Tour’. A few days ago Depeche Mode members Dave Gahan and Martin Gore were honored with “Depeche Mode Day” at Los Angeles City Hall.

Below is a video of the incident.

Here’s a video shot from a different angle.

For more on Depeche Mode, see Brian Griffin, the iconic Depeche Mode photographer, dies aged 75 on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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December 13 is Depeche Mode Day from now on

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 09:58:32 +0000

(Photo via MaximoTV) Los Angeles has declared December 13 as Depeche Mode Day at the City Hall. The day honors the band’s impact on the city’s music scene.

Depeche Mode’s relationship with Los Angeles and the KROQ radio station is a very special one. All started in the 1980s, with KROQ playing a pivotal role in promoting the band in the city. Another iconic moment was the Music for the Masses Tour, which ended with a concert at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in 1988. The whole was documented in the concert film “101” by D.A. Pennebaker. It is Alan Wilder who came up with the album’s title; the performance was the 101st and final performance of the tour (and coincidentally also the number of a famous highway in the area). The band’s performance on June 18, 1988 was attended by approximately 60,453 people. This attendance was a record at that time for the venue.

Forward to 1990 with the famous Depeche Mode riot at Wherehouse Records in Los Angeles. This in-store signing, sponsored by KROQ of course, drew an unexpectedly large crowd of over 20,000 fans, leading to a chaotic situation where the police had to intervene.

The event turned into a near-riot, with fans pressing against the store’s windows and creating a tumultuous scene. The band later released a special promo cassette featuring a band interview and “Something to Do (Metal Mix)”, which was previously unreleased in America, as a gesture to the fans who had attended the event. This cassette was distributed through KROQ.

In a speech councilwoman Monica Rodriguez expressed her gratitude to the attendees, recognizing Depeche Mode’s enduring influence in Los Angeles. Band members Martin Gore and Dave Gahan were present at the event. Gore delivered a brief speech reflecting on the band’s special connection with Los Angeles, noting the early support from KROQ radio station and recalling their first headline stadium show in the city. He also mentioned the Wherehouse Records riot in 1990, an event that gained national attention and inadvertently boosted the band’s profile. Dave Gahan from his side added a lighter note, jokingly wishing for such support during the band’s earlier days.

Check out this video from the Depeche Mode Day declaration.

For more on Depeche Mode, see Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan intervenes in fight at LA concert on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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The last Depeche Mode show with Vince Clarke – Watch it now

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 17:36:28 +0000

In 1981 Depeche Mode were: Vince Clarke, Andrew Fletcher, Martin Gore and Dave Gahan. When the Speak & Spell tour ended on Monday November 16 1981 at the London Lyceum, Depeche Mode knew they would end up with 3 soon after. In November 1981, Vince Clarke publicly announced that he was leaving Depeche Mode. Soon afterwards, Clarke joined up with blues singer Alison Moyet to form Yazoo (or Yaz in the United States).

Vince Clarke performed for the final time with Depeche Mode on Thursday 3 December for a television show, Off The Record, in Chichester. For those who wandered what that show looked like, you can now check it out below. Poet John Cooper Clarke was the support act.

The setlist:

00:00 Off The Record Intro
00:20 Photographic (Some Bizarre Version)
03:38 New Life
06:36 Puppets
10:10 I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead
12:19 Tora! Tora! Tora!
15:20 Just Can’t Get Enough
19:04 Boys Say Go!
21:48 What’s Your Name?

Why did Vince Clarke leave Depeche Mode?

It was with their third single “Just Can’t Get Enough that Depeche Mode struck gold. It was also the only Depeche Mode video to feature Vince Clarke. As a result they were soon playing on Top of the Pops. At this point Vince had decided to part ways with Depeche Mode as he felt that they were in favor of taking a different musical direction than the one he wanted to pursue citing arguments regarding songwriting, and admitting his own dogmatism where it comes to creating music. He also added: “There was never enough time to do anything. Not with all the interviews and photo sessions”

Clarke also said he was sick of touring, which Gahan said years later was “bullshit to be quite honest”. Gahan went on to say he “suddenly lost interest in it and he started getting letters from fans asking what kind of socks he wore.”

In a later interview with Vice, Clarke would say that he left Depeche Mode because the band was young and weren’t getting along adding “nothing more, nothing less, no regrets”.

Initial talk of Clarke’s continuing to write material for Depeche Mode ultimately amounted to nothing. According to third-party sources, Clarke offered the remaining members of Depeche Mode the track “Only You”, but they declined. Clarke, however, denied in an interview that such an offer ever took place saying, “I don’t know where that came from. That’s not true.”

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Television Set’.

About Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode formed in Basildon, Essex, England, in 1980, initially under the name Composition of Sound. The lineup that became Depeche Mode came together that year around Vince Clarke (keyboards, guitars), Andy Fletcher (keyboards, bass) and Martin Gore (guitars, keyboards), with Dave Gahan joining shortly after as lead vocalist. The band adopted the name Depeche Mode at a gig at the Bridge House in Canning Town on 24 September 1980, where Mute Records founder Daniel Miller saw them and signed the group.

Depeche Mode’s debut single, “Dreaming of Me,” was recorded in December 1980 and released on Mute in February 1981, followed that October by the debut album “Speak & Spell.” Vince Clarke left the band that November, going on to form Yazoo and later Erasure; Alan Wilder joined on keyboards in 1982 and became an official member from the 1983 single “Get the Balance Right!” The band’s catalog through the 1980s includes “A Broken Frame” (1982), “Construction Time Again” (1983), “Some Great Reward” (1984), “Black Celebration” (1986) and “Music for the Masses” (1987), the latter turning the band into arena headliners in the US off the back of their Rose Bowl concert, later documented in the film “101.”

“Violator” (1990) and “Songs of Faith and Devotion” (1993) marked the band’s commercial peak, but Wilder departed in June 1995, continuing his own project Recoil, leaving Gahan, Gore and Fletcher as a trio. The band released “Ultra” (1997), “Exciter” (2001), “Playing the Angel” (2005), “Sounds of the Universe” (2009), “Delta Machine” (2013) and “Spirit” (2017) as a three-piece, touring with long-serving live members Christian Eigner (drums, keyboards, since 1997) and Peter Gordeno (keyboards, bass, since 1998). Alongside the band, Gahan released solo albums “Paper Monsters” (2003) and “Hourglass” (2007), and Gore released “Counterfeit²” (2003).

Depeche Mode was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 7 November 2020. Andy Fletcher died on 26 May 2022, and Gahan and Gore continued as a duo, releasing “Memento Mori” in 2023 with Eigner and Gordeno again on the road. The band has sold more than 100 million records and placed 54 singles on the UK charts. Vince Clarke left the band in November 1981, shortly after the release of debut album “Speak & Spell,” going on to form Yazoo and later Erasure.

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HI-LO presents his remix of Depeche Mode’s ‘Speak To Me’ – available now on Columbia Records

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Sat, 12 Aug 2023 08:33:03 +0000

HI-LO’s remix for Depeche Mode’s “Speak To Me” is out since yesterday. The track is taken from Depeche Mode’s most recent album “Memento Mori”.

For his remix, HI-LO (real name Oliver Heldens) used the original melody as a base, building a thick wall of techno over the top alongside Dave Gahan’s signature vocals.

“It’s an absolute honor to do a remix for the iconic Depeche Mode, especially for such a special song like ‘Speak To Me’. The song felt very honest and real to me, so I tried my best to stay true to the original spirit but also put my own twist on it. I built around the vocals and the synth pads with a more melodic approach than the usual peak-time techno stuff I am producing but still incorporated some earth-shattering yet warm-sounding bass synths and some heavy drums to take it to a different realm. Thanks, Dave and Martin, for trusting my vision!,” HI-LO says

You can check out the new remix below.

For more on Depeche Mode, see Depeche Mode photographer Brian Griffin talks about his new photo… on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan covers The Gun Club’s ‘Mother of Earth’ for upcoming Jeffrey Lee Pierce tribute album

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 11:35:05 +0000

Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan pays tribute to The Gun Club with his rendition of “Mother of Earth”, the closing track from the A-side of the 1982 album “Miami”. The cover is part of ‘The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project’, a tribute to the late frontman of The Gun Club which so far already delivered 3 tribute compilations.

The release of Gahan’s version of “Mother Earth” is set for this Friday on various streaming platforms. Originally conceived in 2006 by the late Gun Club titan’s guitarist Cypress Grove this new tribute has been nearly ten years in the making and is the fourth volume in ‘The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project’ series. “The Task Has Overwhelmed Us” will be available on Glitterhouse Records from Sept. 29.

The Gun Club was an American rock band hailing from Los Angeles, California, active from 1979 to 1996. The band’s founder and lead singer-songwriter, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, continued to lead the group until his passing in 1996. The Gun Club’s musical style was influenced by punk rock, blues, rockabilly and swamp rock, and encompassed post-punk,punk blues, cowpunk, blues rock and gothic country. They were also called a “tribal psychobilly blues” band.

In the video for Gahan’s cover, you’ll see Suzie Stapleton on piano and backing vocals, James Johnston on violin, Gavin Jay on bass, and Ian White on drums.

For a visual treat, you can check out the video of Dave Gahan’s cover.

The album features other notable artists like The Coathangers, Jeffrey Lee Pierce (feat. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis), The Amber Lights, Mark Lanegan (feat. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis), Jim Jones and the Righteous Mind, Peter Hayes, Leah Shapiro & Humanist, Suzie Stapleton (feat. Duke Garwood), Hugo Race, Nick Cave & Debbie Harry, Cypress Grove, Alejandro Escovedo, Mark Stewart, Lydia Lunch, Jozef van Wissem, Jim Jarmusch, Chris Eckman & Chantal Acda, Pam Hogg (feat. Warren Ellis & Youth), and Sendelica (feat. Wonder & Dynamax Roberts).

You can also already check the version Nick Cave & Debbie Harry recorded of “On the other side”.

The Task Has Overwhelmed Us by The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Music For The Masses’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Mediamass website pronounces Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan dead, then alters story

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 24 May 2023 06:16:50 +0000

Rumors of Depeche Mode’s frontman, Dave Gahan’s, untimely death started spreading on Monday. The news itself is one of the latest instance in an ongoing series of false celebrity death announcements. It was the Mediamass website which published a first article on it. But none of the sources they cite can be traced back or proven.

The site altered the article now as you can see below.

According to the site’s initial post the speculation surrounding the alleged death of the singer gained momentum on Monday and Tuesday when a Facebook page titled ‘R.I.P. Dave Gahan’ amassed nearly a million ‘likes’. The page’s ‘About’ section is said to have provided a seemingly credible narrative of the British singer’s supposed demise: “At about 11 a.m. ET on Monday (May 22, 2023), our beloved singer Dave Gahan passed away. Dave Gahan was born on May 9, 1962, in North Weald. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

The Facebook page however doesn’t seem to have existed. Neither do the so-called tweets that would have been spread.

Still according to the site representatives for the singer formally confirmed that Dave Gahan is alive: “He is the latest addition to a growing list of celebrities who have been targeted by such hoaxes. He is alive and in good health, please refrain from believing everything you read on the internet.” And again there is no trace of this communication.

Mediamass describes itself as a satirical website, but let’s be honest, there is nothing satirical about the death of well known person.

The only conclusion we have is that Mediamass, whose website is plastered with Google Adsense adverts, has launched a pure clickbait campaign to attract visitors (and clicks). We are not putting a link to the website for this reason.

For more on Depeche Mode, see Czech electropop act Lakeside X opening act for Depeche Mode in Prague on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Wesley Eisold (Cold Cave) interview: ’It’s a dream to support Depeche Mode’

János Janurik — Mon, 15 May 2023 11:30:08 +0000

(Photo by Travis Shinn, interview by our correspondent János Janurik) You might think that appearing as a warm-up act in front of a cult band that is popular all over the world is one of the best things in life, and that you have a bit of a stake in the success of the concert evening. But in reality, Depeche Mode‘s support acts don’t always have it easy, although the band has actually always had a good hand for its support acts. Some of them managed to endear themselves to Depeche Mode fans and even won fans for their own music projects. Others, however, had a hard time getting away from possibly being pelted with bottles on stage by the exuberant and impatient fans.

This spring, at the tour opener of the current “Memento Mori World Tour” in North America, the stage belonged to the females. At the first 9 concerts in the USA and Canada, Welsh musician and producer Kelly Lee Owens performed for American audiences as the support act for Depeche Mode on their first concert tour without Andy Fletcher. On the last night of the first leg of the world tour, fans were able to see singer Dave Gahan’s daughter live for the first time at the legendary Madison Square Garden. The proud dad watched Stella-Rose’s performance secretly in the company of his bandmate, Martin Gore.

Fans in Europe are still considered fanatics, which means that Depeche Mode’s supporting bands have to pull their socks up if they want to get the desired appreciation, i.e. a friendly applause, up on stage.

💡 TIP: And for those that want to go a step further, every concert not only allows them to experience the magic of music but also creates unique memories to cherish. If you are also a fan of their music, you can design Custom Keychains Canada with band elements, which can be the best carrier to connect memories and daily life. You can incorporate performance theme elements or images of your favorite musicians into your keychain. Especially with the convenient express customization service, you can keep your love alive without waiting.

The concert series opens in Amsterdam with a performance by Cold Cave, a dark wave project led by Wesley Eisold, who has already been a guest in Germany. This time he and his companions will play only one Germany concert in Leipzig, the remaining shows will take place in the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Slovakia. Our editor, Janos Janurik will see him live in Bratislava and contacted him to give an interview for us.

SL: You have just completed live performances in Whitby (TOMORROW’S GHOSTS FESTIVAL) and in London (O2 Academy Islington). How did these concerts go?

CC: That’s right. London was the last show we played and both in the UK were lovely for us. Great connection.

SL: The great artists of the Dark Wave movement, which have also inspired you, also came mainly from England, just think of bands like Joy Division, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cult or The Sisters of Mercy, who have founded their own music genres. Was this noticeable in the reaction of the British audience? What kind of feedback did you get on those two nights?

CC: That’s a part of our appeal but another part of it is the lyrical and sentimental aspects of this. Sometimes it feels like genre is irrelevant. I’m a child of the 80’s so that’s what I love… which all works in LA too.

SL: Depeche Mode, whose dark songs from the 80s, such as “Blasphemous Rumours” or the whole “Black Celebration” LP also found favour in the dark wave environment, have had to struggle for years with the problem that they have not achieved the recognition they deserve in their own country. People in the UK still don’t seem to forgive them for not being the charming synth-pop boy band they once were at the beginning of their career. In America, on the other hand, where rock music – such as Bruce Springsteen’s live performances – still moves the biggest crowds, Depeche Mode have enjoyed cult status practically since their legendary Rose Bowl – “101” – concert. How do you see it as a musician? You come from the USA, but your music has more of a European character. Are there big differences in terms of the fanbase on the two sides of the Atlantic?

CC: If music is meant to transcend then it usually does. I find the people at our shows similar around the world. It’s really very international to me. DM’s reign around most of the world makes sense to me. They’re the best at what they do. I can’t complain. I put out my own music. No management or label help. Not much press. Don’t follow the rules. And still going.

SL: Wesley, you’re from Los Angeles. Many people first think of the endless coastline and surfing when they think of this city. Of course, there’s also Jim Morrison, who had a big influence on dark wave artists with the psychedelic rock band, The Doors. How did you discover this style of music? Who are your big favourites? How did you get involved in the LA music scene?

CC: I’m from nowhere. I grew up moving every year and have only been in LA for a decade which is five times longer than I lived anywhere else. That said The Doors were a first love of mine even though I was on the opposite side of the country. When you grow up trying to patch an endless void you just find this music or it finds you. I’m not involved in the LA scene. I don’t think that way. I grew up in punk & hardcore and stopped being concerned with scenes in my early twenties. I like my own scene. It’s an island I built for me and anyone who wants to come visit.

SL: Speaking of Jim Morrison, you’re also into poetry. How do you decide whether the lines you put together in your head become a poem or a song lyric?

CC: Good question. It’s really just where my interest is at when it appears. Sometimes they get used for both.

SL: A mutual friend of ours who also lives in Los Angeles is an active participant and supporter of the dark culture scene there, along with his wife. How did you meet Douglas McCarthy? Have you worked together on any projects?

CC: Amy, my partner, knows Douglas from Detroit. We then toured together ten years ago around the county for a month. I don’t think we’ve made music together but I care about him deeply and he’s always been there for us.

SL: Douglas has opened for Depeche Mode several times with his bands Nitzer Ebb and Black Line, as well as solo, and is also close friends with the band members. Has he recommended you as a possible support band for Depeche Mode’s current tour?

CC: I don’t think so.

SL: A musical collaborator of yours, Bryan Black aka Black Asteroid has also done remixes for Depeche Mode and with another project called Motor he has even released a joint single with Martin Gore called “Man Made Machine”. Please tell us a bit about your joint project!

CC: I met him in Paris 2013 at a Rick Owens runway show. We hit it off and I ended up singing on a few of his tracks. Even did it live a few times. Love his work.

SL: Are you a fan of Depeche Mode yourself? If so, when did you hear them for the first time? Do you have a favourite song or album by them? Have you seen them live? When and where?

CC: Of course! Hard to pick but maybe “It’s No Good”. Amy has seen them I think almost twenty times starting in mid 80’s.

SL: You are going to perform with Cold Cave on five nights (actually six, because in Amsterdam there is also a second show) before Depeche Mode as a support act at big outdoor / stadium concerts. You are also going to do a Germany gig in Leipzig at the legendary Festwiese. When was the last time you were on tour in Germany? What memories do you have of those concerts?

CC: It’s been a few years since a tour. I went to high school in Stuttgart and always love being there. One of the greatest countries. Definitely looking forward to Leipzig. We were there last in 2019 and the year before that with the Jesus and Mary Chain.

SL: I’m going to see your live performance in Bratislava. My 13-year-old daughter is also going to be there, she is also a big fan of synth pop and really likes her dad’s favourite bands. You also have an 8-year-old son. Has he already shown an interest in music? What does he think of your musical works?

CC: He lives and breathes it so far. Often joining us live for a song too. We are both lucky they are down for our music! He’s a great focus group for of a song is good or not.

SL: Your partner, Amy Lee, plays synthesizer alongside you. Which musicians are going to accompany you at the concerts with Depeche Mode?

CC: Amy Lee, Ryan McMahon and Anthony Anzaldo.

SL: Which song or album of Cold Cave would you recommend to those who don’t know your work yet? By the way, are you working on anything new right now?

CC: Always working! Hard to choose. My music really follows my immediate mood so would depend upon that. Maybe “Glory”.

SL: Thanks for the answers and hopefully you will gain many new fans for Cold Cave thanks to the shows together with Depeche Mode!

CC: Thank you! It’s a dream to support Depeche.

Cold Cave “Memento Mori” shows with Depeche Mode:

Amsterdam (16./18.5.)
Antwerpen (20.5.)
Stockholm (23.5.)
Leipzig (26.5.)
Bratislava (28.5.)

Cold Cave Discography

For more on Depeche Mode, see Mediamass website pronounces Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan dead, then… on Side-Line.

János Janurik

I began my career in online music journalism in 2001, writing about artists I had followed since the late ’80s and early ’90s, including Depeche Mode, Erasure and The Cure. I later edited the Hungarian Mute microsite for EMI Music Hungary. This led to interviews with Erasure, Nitzer Ebb and Alan Wilder, and some of those collaborations developed into lasting friendships. Since 2014, I have been part of the editorial team of depechemode.de. I also contribute interviews to Reflections of Darkness, Peek-A-Boo Magazine and Kaput Mag. I maintain a close connection to Mute Records artists and have also supported releases on Very Records. I am proud to collaborate with Side-Line Magazine, where I regularly publish interviews and features.

Depeche Mode announces support acts for their 2023 European tour

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 12:24:20 +0000

Depeche Mode has unveiled the lineup of support acts for their ‘Memento Mori’ European tour, set to begin next month. The duo, comprising Martin Gore and Dave Gahan, took to Instagram on April 12 to share the names of the five acts accompanying them during their 34-show run across Europe and the UK.

Cold Cave and Young Fathers are among the artists slated to join Depeche Mode on tour, along with Berlin-based band Hope, former Savages vocalist Jehnny Beth, and British trip-hop outfit Haelos (or Hælos).

The support acts for Depeche Mode

Here’s a short roundup of who these artists are. Cold Cave is a project by Wesley Eisold and blends darkwave, noise, and synthpop, drawing comparisons to Joy Division and New Order. Young Fathers is a Scottish group formed in 2008, who has won the Scottish Album of the Year Award twice and released a fourth album, “Heavy Heavy”, in 2023. Berlin-based band Hope, formerly Mamsell Zazou, creates dark, dystopian music influenced by their city’s art scene. Jehnny Beth, a French musician and former Savages frontwoman, has released solo albums and collaborated with numerous artists, including Trentemøller, Julian Casablancas, and Gorillaz. British trip-hop band Hælos, from London, released their second album, “Any Random Kindness”, in May 2019, showcasing their ‘dark euphoria’ sound.

The European leg of the tour will commence with two shows in the Netherlands on May 16 and 18. Following these performances, Depeche Mode will visit countries such as Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, the UK, and Austria before concluding the tour in Norway on August 11.

These tour dates promote the band’s 15th studio album, ‘Memento Mori’, which was released last month.

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For more on Depeche Mode, see Long lost Depeche Mode documentary goes online in the BBC Storyville… on Side-Line.

About Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 7 November 2020. Andy Fletcher died on 26 May 2022, and Gahan and Gore continued as a duo, releasing “Memento Mori” in 2023 with Eigner and Gordeno again on the road. The band has sold more than 100 million records and placed 54 singles on the UK charts. The 2023 European tour supported “Memento Mori,” released that March as the band’s first album since Andy Fletcher’s death the previous year.

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Depeche Mode pays tribute to Andy Fletcher during entire ‘Memento Mori’ tour

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 15:24:44 +0000

Depeche Mode kicked off their extensive Memento Mori tour in Sacramento, California bringing a touching homage to the late Andy Fletcher during the performance of “World in My Eyes.” Andy Fletcher, founding member of Depeche Mode, died on Thursday, May 26 2022, at the age of 60 leaving a wife and two children behind.

This tribute will continue throughout the entire tour, and glimpses of the tribute can be seen in the photo and video taken at The Kia Forum, Los Angeles, on March 28. As evocative images of Fletcher appeared on the screen behind the band, Gahan honored him, saying, “our friend, Andrew Fletcher,” as the song concluded.

Dave Gahan and Martin Gore set the tone for the concert series with Memento Mori’s introductory songs, “My Cosmos Is Mine” and “Wagging Tongue,” before transitioning into a series of ’90s classics. The pair will refrain from delving too far into their early ’80s material, only including a handful of songs from before the Black Celebration era.

During Gore’s customary two-song solo segment, he revitalizes “A Question of Lust” and performs Memento Mori’s “Soul With Me.” In the encore, Gahan and Gore deliver a rendition of “Waiting for the Night” from Violator, a track that hadn’t been performed live since 2009.

You can check the full album out below.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Twisted mind’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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The new Depeche Mode album ‘Memento Mori’ is indeed probably their best from the past 20 years

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 13:23:44 +0000

(Photo by Anton Corbijn) The new Depeche Mode album, ‘Memento Mori,’ has been hailed by some as their best work in the past 20 years. However, this praise might be attributed more to the lack of strong releases in recent times rather than the actual merit of the album.

Dave Gahan, the first Depeche Mode member to experience a near-death encounter, survived a severe overdose in 1996 after two minutes without a heartbeat. Tragically, Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher wasn’t as fortunate; his arterial rupture on May 26, 2022, left Depeche Mode as a duo. The unexpected passing of Fletcher added a layer of depth to “Memento Mori” and takes listeners on an emotional rollercoaster through its various tracks.

The album does have its strong points, such as Gahan’s return to a more subdued singing style and a shift towards subtler electronic sounds. The evident influence of Kraftwerk can be both a strength and a weakness, as Depeche Mode has long been known for their distinct sound. While it’s refreshing to hear these influences, one cannot help but question if the band is losing their own originality.

What about the production on this new Depeche Mode album?

While the production quality is polished, it falls short of the standard set by Alan Wilder during his time with the band. Some tracks, like “Caroline’s Monkey,” have potential but could benefit from a more refined touch. Other songs, such as “Before We Drown” and “People Are Good,” serve as reminders of the band’s former glory.

The album concludes with 2 quite powerful tracks like “Never Let Me Go” – which has a bit of a post-punkish attitude – and the epic “Speak to Me,” leaving listeners wanting more of this. However, one can’t help but wonder what these tracks would have sounded like under Wilder’s guidance. Especially “Speak To Me” has a lot of potential.

In conclusion, “Memento Mori” is a respectable attempt by Depeche Mode to create a memorable album in the wake of Fletcher’s passing and amidst challenging times. We actually enjoyed it quite a lot. However, it also serves as a reminder that their post-Alan Wilder output has yet to reach the same heights as their earlier work, but the ship has turned in the right direction. Hopefully it will get to the harbour pretty soon.

PS: No thanks to Sony, they didn’t provide a promo of the release.

For more on Depeche Mode, see Depeche Mode’s Secret Gig in LA – An interview with attendee Attosa… on Side-Line.

About Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 7 November 2020. Andy Fletcher died on 26 May 2022, and Gahan and Gore continued as a duo, releasing “Memento Mori” in 2023 with Eigner and Gordeno again on the road. The band has sold more than 100 million records and placed 54 singles on the UK charts. “Memento Mori” followed “Spirit” (2017) as the band’s next studio album, and the first released after Andy Fletcher’s death in 2022.

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Depeche Mode extends ‘Memento Mori’ World Tour with additional North American leg

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 15:59:10 +0000

Depeche Mode has just announced an extension to their ‘Memento Mori’ world tour with a second North American leg. The band will add 29 new dates to their tour, running from late September until mid-December 2023. The tour will see the band perform in several cities, including Austin, Houston, Dallas, Orlando, Brooklyn, Nashville, and Toronto, among others. The North American tour will conclude with two gigs in Los Angeles, at the city’s Kia Forum and Crypto.com Arena.

The ‘Memento Mori’ tour is not limited to North America, as the band is scheduled to tour in Europe, the UK, and Ireland this year. The tour will see the band perform in venues such as the O2 Arena in London and the AccorHotels Arena in Paris.

The first North American leg of the ‘Memento Mori’ tour saw the band selling out their shows in March and April. The support acts for the first leg includes Kelly Lee Owens and Stella Rose And The Dead Language.

Stella Rose is the daughter of the band’s lead singer, Dave Gahan. And for those who don’t know Kelly Lee Owens, she is a Welsh musician, singer and producer, and known for her electronic music style, which combines elements of techno, ambient, and pop. Owens has released several albums, including her self-titled debut album in 2017. She has also worked with other artists, including Daniel Avery, Björk, and Jon Hopkins. It is not yet known who will open for the band during the second North American leg.

Depeche Mode’s announcement extends their global trek to 75 dates in support of the group’s upcoming 15th album, “Memento Mori”, which is set to be released March 24 via Columbia Records. “Memento Mori” is the follow-up album to the 2017 album “Spirit” and is their first release since the death of founding member Andy Fletcher in May 2022. The tour’s title, which translates to “Remember that you must die,” is a nod to the Latin phrase memento mori, which is used as a reminder of human mortality.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘s ’.

About Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 7 November 2020. Andy Fletcher died on 26 May 2022, and Gahan and Gore continued as a duo, releasing “Memento Mori” in 2023 with Eigner and Gordeno again on the road. The band has sold more than 100 million records and placed 54 singles on the UK charts. The North American leg extended the “Memento Mori” world tour, the band’s first tour cycle since Andy Fletcher’s 2022 death.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Depeche Mode performs 4 tracks at French Taratata TV-show including 2 new songs, ‘Ghosts Again’ and ‘Wagging Tongue’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 12:59:46 +0000

On February 14th, Depeche Mode took the stage to perform four tracks for the popular French television program, Taratata. This highly-anticipated performance was recorded for later broadcast on March 24th, 2023, which is the same day that the band’s latest album, “Memento Mori,” is set to be released.

While uploads of the performance have been taken down from Reddit and YouTube, there’s no doubt that this event will continue to generate buzz among fans leading up to the broadcast in March. Recordings of the performance are circulating in private chat groups.

The setlist of the TV performance:

Ghosts Again
Wagging Tongue
Precious
Personal Jesus

“Memento Mori” is the upcoming fifteenth studio album by Depeche Mode set to be released on 24 March 2023, through Columbia and Mute. The album was produced by James Ford and Marta Salogni. It was preceded by the single “Ghosts Again” and will be the first Depeche Mode studio album to be released after the death of co-founder and keyboardist Andy Fletcher on 26 May 2022.

Although work on the album began prior to Fletcher’s death, Dave Gahan stated in an interview with NME that Fletcher did not record any material for the album. The album will be promoted by a Memento Mori tour.

This is the track list of the album. All tracks are written by Martin L. Gore, except where noted.

My Cosmos Is Mine (Martin L. Gore)
Wagging Tongue (Martin L. Gore, Dave Gahan)
Ghosts Again (Martin L. Gore, Richard Butler)
Don’t Say You Love Me (Martin L. Gore, Butler)
My Favourite Stranger (Martin L. Gore, Butler)
Soul with Me (Martin L. Gore)
Caroline’s Monkey (Martin L. Gore, Butler)
Before We Drown (Dave Gahan, Peter Gordeno, Christian Eigner)
People Are Good (Martin L. Gore)
Always You (Martin L. Gore)
Never Let Me Go (Martin L. Gore)
Speak to Me (Dave Gahan, Marta Salogni, Christian Eigner, James Ford)

Here’s already a live performance in Paris on the program Quotidien with Yann Barthès with “Ghost Again”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8q1PgU9Pwk

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Memento Mori’.

About Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 7 November 2020. Andy Fletcher died on 26 May 2022, and Gahan and Gore continued as a duo, releasing “Memento Mori” in 2023 with Eigner and Gordeno again on the road. The band has sold more than 100 million records and placed 54 singles on the UK charts. The Taratata performance came during the promotional run for “Memento Mori” (2023), the band’s first album released as a duo.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Depeche Mode to release new single ‘Ghosts Again’ ahead of ‘Memento Mori’ album

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 21:22:35 +0000

Depeche Mode are set to release their 15th studio album “Memento Mori” on March 17th. The album will be preceded by the lead single “Ghosts Again” which will be released on February 9th.

Depeche Mode’s 15th studio album “Memento Mori” was produced by James Ford and Marta Salogni. In case you might have forgotten James Ford produced the band’s previous album “Spirit”.

Here’s a first impression of some of the single.

And here’s a remixed unofficial version by Germany’s finest remixer Dominatrix of course.

Marta Salogni is an Italian record producer, mixer and recording engineer, who as a producer has worked with Björk, M.I.A., Groove Armada and Django Django to name but a few. As an engineer, Salogni worked with producers such as Danton Supple and David Wrench. Alongside Wrench, she has worked on projects with The xx, Goldfrapp, and Tracey Thorn’s 2018 Record alongside producer Ewan Pearson.

James Ford from his side is an English record producer, songwriter and musician, known for being a member of Simian Mobile Disco and The Last Shadow Puppets as well as his production work with the Arctic Monkeys, Foals, Florence and the Machine, Haim, Gorillaz, Klaxons, Jessie Ware and Kylie Minogue.

In further news, Dave Gahan and Kurt Uenala’s cover of The Raveonettes’ “Chains” is available now. The song originally appeared on The Raveonettes debut “Whip It On” from 2002 and the new version will be included on the re-worked version of the album “Rip It Off” out on vinyl later this year alongside other artists such as MØ, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Black Angels, Trentemøller and more.

Here is the track.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Ghosts Again’.

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Sonic Seducer goes Depeche Mode in two dedicated issues of the magazine

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 15:05:53 +0000

The German magazine Sonic Seducer has two Depeche Mode issues out. The first is the issue 11-2022 which is out now and which can still be ordered in their shop if you haven’t bought it yet. The issue comes with an extended Depeche Mode title story plus interviews with Dave Gahan and Martin Gore. Added to this you get an original “Memento Mori” tour poster and more.

Next is the Depeche Mode special issue celebrating 40 years of “A Broken Frame” including a 2023 calender (with rare and exclusive photos from the band’s whole career). As an extra you get a story written by Martin Gore plus alternative cover art by Brian Griffin and the “Remode” cover CD. This issue is only available in the magazine’s shop.

Both issues can be ordered right here.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Walking in their shoes’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Stella Rose (daughter of Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode) releases debut single and video, ‘Muddled Man’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 13:31:42 +0000

Out on October 26 via KRO Records is the debut single and video of Dave Gahan’s daughter Stella Rose. The New York City based musician was already active with the band Stella Rose and the Dead Language but now does a full solo effort helped by producer Yves Rothman.

Rothman’s name might ring a bell as for his work with Yves Tumor, Girlpool, or Blondshell. KRP Records is a record label created by producers and musicians and was founded by Justin Raisen, Lawrence Rothman, and Yves Rothman.

The first single from Stella Rose will be the track “Muddled Man” for which you can see the video right below. The track features punk, synthpop and grunge elements while the vocals refer a bit to what you can expect from the New York rock scene. The video itself was produced and directed by Primordialfreaks.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘6122 (To Andrew Fletcher of Depeche Mode)’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Video of Depeche Mode’s ‘Memento Mori’ press conference available – and not many of you have watched it

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 07:14:40 +0000

6 days ago a video of Depeche Mode’s “Memento Mori” press conference was made available, but so far less than 150.000 people have seen it. So, since apparently it was not all that well spread, and because many of you had asked about it on October 5th, a day after the conference took place at Berlin’s Theater am Schiffbauerdamm, we now repost the video on Side-Line as well.

In the video Depeche Mode announced that they will release a new album, called “Memento Mori” early next year, and that they will embark on their first tour in five years. The news follows the death of founder member Andy Fletcher, who passed away during the making of the album earlier this year, and also was postponed because of this for obvious reasons.

Martin Gore says this in the video regarding Fletcher’s passing: “We started work on this project early in the pandemic, and its themes were directly inspired by that time, after Fletch’s passing, we decided to continue as we’re sure this is what he would have wanted, and that has really given the project an extra level of meaning.” Dave Gahan adds: “Fletch would have loved this album. We’re really looking forward to sharing it with you soon, and we can’t wait to present it to you live at the shows next year.”

Here are some screenshots from the video of the press conference followed by the video itself below.

But there’s a lot more in the video itself, which – as we said earlier – surprisingly has not gathered a lot of views. You can watch the full 21 minute video below introduced by studio footage and new material, which kinda sound good too.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Muddled Man’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Depeche Mode officially announce new tour and album ‘Memento Mori’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 17:01:01 +0000

Yesterday we announced that Depeche Mode would launch a ‘Memento Mori Tour’ in 2023, their 19th tour as a band. That news has now been confirmed during a Berlin press conference together with the launch of an all new album called “Memento Mori”, their 15th studio album so far, expected for release in Spring of 2023 via Sony/Columbia.

During the press conference in Berlin today Martin Gore said the following regarding the new album: “We started work on this project early in the pandemic, and its themes were directly inspired by that time. After Fletch’s passing, we decided to continue as we’re sure this is what he would have wanted, and that has really given the project an extra level of meaning.” Dave Gahan added, “Fletch would have loved this album. We’re really looking forward to sharing it with you soon, and we can’t wait to present it to you live at the shows next year.”

For Depeche Mode it will be their first live shows in five years, since their 2017-2018 ‘Global Spirit Tour’ that is. The ‘Memento Mori’ world tour will kick off on March 23rd, 2023, in the USA and more precisely in Sacramento, CA. The first left of the tour will be a special, limited series of North American arena dates before the band heads to Europe for their summer stadium tour.

The North American dates will include stops at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Chicago’s United Center, Los Angeles’ Kia Forum and Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, among others. The European stadium tour will start on May 16th, with stops at the Stade de France in Paris, Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, Milan’s San Siro Stadium, and London’s Twickenham Stadium among many others.

Tickets go on general sale this Friday 7th October at 10am right here.

The dates known so far:

Thu 23 Mar 2023 Sacramento | Golden 1 Center
Sat 25 Mar 2023 San Jose | SAP Center at San Jose
Tue 28 Mar 2023 Inglewood | Kia Forum
Thu 30 Mar 2023 Las Vegas | T-Mobile Arena
Sun 02 Apr 2023 San Antonio | AT&T Center
Wed 05 Apr 2023 Chicago | United Center
Fri 07 Apr 2023 Toronto | Scotiabank Arena
Sun 09 Apr 2023 Québec | Centre Videotron
Wed 12 Apr 2023 Montreal | Centre Bell
Fri 14 Apr 2023 New York | Madison Square Garden
Tue 16 May 2023 Amsterdam Zuidoost | Ziggo Dome
Sat 20 May 2023 Antwerpen | Sportpaleis
Tue 23 May 2023 Stockholm | Friends Arena
Fri 26 May 2023 Leipzig | Festwiese Leipzig
Fri 26 May 2023 Leipzig | Festwiese Leipzig
Sun 04 Jun 2023 Düsseldorf | Merkur Spiel-Arena
Sun 04 Jun 2023 Düsseldorf | Merkur Spiel-Arena
Tue 06 Jun 2023 Düsseldorf | Merkur Spiel-Arena
Sun 71 Jun 2023 Bern | Stadion Wankdorf
Sun 11 Jun 2023 Bern | Stadion Wankdorf
Sun 17 Jun 2023 Twickenham | Twickenham Stadium
Tue 20 Jun 2023 München | Olympiastadion München
Tue 20 Jun 2023 München | Olympiastadion München
Thu 22 Jun 2023 Lille | Stade Pierre Mauroy
Sat 24 Jun 2023 Paris | Stade de France
Tue 27 Jun 2023 Kobenhavn © | Parken
Thu 29 Jun 2023 Frankfurt | Deutsche Bank Park
Thu 29 Jun 2023 Frankfurt | Deutsche Bank Park
Tue 04 Jul 2023 Décines Charpieu | Groupama Stadium
Fri 07 Jul 2023 Berlin | Olympiastadion Berlin
Fri 07 Jul 2023 Berlin | Olympiastadion Berlin
Wed 12 Jul 2023 Rome | Stadio Olimpico di Roma
Eri 14 Jul 2023 Milano | Stadio San Siro
Sun 16 Jul 2023 Bologna | Stadio Dall’Ara
Fri 21 Jul 2023 Graz | Wörthersee Stadion Klagenfurt
Fri 21 Jul 2023 Klagenfurt | Wörthersee Stadion
Fri 28 Jul 2023 Budapest | Puskás Aréna
Sun 30 Jul 2023 Prague | Letisté Letany
Wed 02 Aug 2023 Warsaw | PGE Narodowy
Sun 06 Aug 2023 Tallinn | Tallinna Lauluväljak
Tue 08 Aug 2023 Helsinki | Kaisaniemen puisto
Fri 11 Aug 2023 Oslo | Telenor Arena, Oslo

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘s ’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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First reactions on death Andy Fletcher (Depeche Mode) from former colleagues and friends

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 27 May 2022 10:48:35 +0000

The sudden death of Andy Fletcher yesterday has – as predicted – caused a big shockwave throughout the electro pop community. Several former colleagues and people close to the band have in the meantime posted condolences.

We picked the most relevant ones.

Alison Moyet was one of the first to react: “I have just heard the news. Since we were 10. Same estate. Class mates to label mates. He who kept faith with all the old gang and they with him. It doesn’t compute. Fletch. I have no words.”

Andy Bell and Vince Clarke from Erasure posted a picture of Andy Fletcher with as text an emoji of a broken heart.

Fletcher’s former Depeche Mode colleague Alan Wilder (Recoil) posted this: “A real bolt from the blue to hear about former Depeche Mode colleague Andy Fletcher yesterday. My thoughts and condolences are with his wife Grainne and all the family at this distressing time. RIP ‘Fletch’.”

Mute and Daniel Miller: “We mourn the loss of our dear friend Andrew Fletcher who passed away yesterday. Such an integral part of Depeche Mode from the very start of their remarkable journey, he will be missed beyond words. Our hearts go out to his family, Dave and Martin and to all the wonderful fans and friends who loved him. With love from Daniel and his entire Mute family.”

Phil Burdett who used to form a band, Norman & The Worms, with Martin Gore and who went to the same school as Fletcher posted the following: “So very sad to learn of the passing of Andy Fletcher my old school pal & eventual member of Depeche Mode. Whilst I have never been a fan of the band I have many good memories of the times at the end of my fourth/fifth form at St. Nicholas & he was an integral part of a very fertile period in Basildon at that time & somehow when contemporary friends are lost the sadness felt is made more vivid. He used to come & see me & Martin play at Norman & The Worms gigs & I always thought it odd that he was positioned in between us in this photo…out of all three in the picture two thought they would make it big…couldn’t have happened to a nicer chap…RIP Fletch…”

Deb Danahay who was very close to the band during its earliest history posted the following: “I’m still in shock… Andy never took drugs or even hard alcohol… he just loved a pint or two of lager with the boys… He never learned how to drive. He’d get the train back to Basildon to meet up with his old mates… he was a fiercely loyal friend… Something I’d love to tell devotees… that they’d travelled the same route on the same trains… I was at a DM event in Berlin with Gareth Jones and someone asked what Andy brought to the recording sessions, Gareth Jones was adamant that Fletch brought the whole process together…”

Orchestral Manoeuvres: “Tonight we are celebrating selling out The Greek Theatre in LA but it will be touched by a great sadness as all of us say farewell to Andy Fletcher from Depeche Mode. A beautiful person in an amazing band. We send alll our love to his family.”

Jurgen Engler: “Crazy news… R.I.P. Andy Fletcher… we hung out in Dusseldorf way back in the 80s on DM’s Some Great Reward tour… the band had invited me to meet them after the show… he was such a nice guy, easy going and curious… it’s hard to believe he left so young… I know the world won’t forget him 🖤”

Pet Shop Boys: “We’re saddened and shocked that Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode has died. Fletch was a warm, friendly and funny person who loved electronic music and could also give sensible advice about the music business. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends and to Dave Gahan and Martin Gore. Neil & Chris xx”

Blancmange: “Very sad news. I have great memories of times we shared all those decades ago. On tour I never won a single game of chess against him. Before either of us signed record deals we both worked at London Bridge. me under that railway arch as a graphic designer and he in a suit, at a solicitors I think, or may be an accountants. I’d quite often bump into him, each of us doing a double take to process the sight of each other not standing on some tiny stage next to synths and tape machines.
A lovely man. A gentleman.”

Soft Cell: “We are so sad to hear about the passing of Andy Fletcher. Depeche Mode and Soft Cell will forever be part of each other’s early histories and genre-defining the early 80’s. What a band, and what a success story. We send our love to Dave, Martin, Daniel and all the Depeche Mode team.”

New Order: “We are saddened to hear of Andy Fletcher’s passing. Our thoughts are with Depeche Mode, their crew, his family and friends at this difficult time.”

This article will constantly be adapted with new quotes.

For more on Depeche Mode, see DJ 7rym releases 2hr long Depeche Mode mix honouring Andrew Fletcher… on Side-Line.

About Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 7 November 2020. Andy Fletcher died on 26 May 2022, and Gahan and Gore continued as a duo, releasing “Memento Mori” in 2023 with Eigner and Gordeno again on the road. The band has sold more than 100 million records and placed 54 singles on the UK charts. Fletcher had been a member since the band’s 1980 formation, and his death left Gahan and Gore to continue as a duo.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Andy Fletcher (Depeche Mode) dead, aged 60

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 26 May 2022 22:40:51 +0000

We have had our fair share of bad news in the past few years, also this year started with bad news, but this news will cause a shockwave in the electro pop music scene as Andy Fletcher, founding member of Depeche Mode, died this Thursday, May 26, at the age of 60. Fletcher leaves a wife and two children behind. No further details regarding the cause of death were given.

The news was confirmed on the band’s official profile on social media as you can see below. Our sincere condolences to the family.

Andy Fletcher, full name Andrew John Leonard Fletcher, was born on the 8th of July 1961. Often referred to as as Fletch, he and schoolmate Vince Clarke formed the short-lived band No Romance in China, in which Fletcher played bass guitar. In 1980, Fletcher met Martin Gore at the Van Gogh pub on Paycocke Road in Basildon and with Clarke, the trio, now all on synthesizer, formed another group called Composition of Sound. Clarke served as chief songwriter and also provided lead vocals until singer Dave Gahan was recruited into the band later that year, after which they adopted the name Depeche Mode at Gahan’s suggestion.

Clarke left the group in late 1981, shortly after the release of their debut album “Speak & Spell”.

Their 1982 follow-up album, “A Broken Frame”, was recorded as a trio, with Gore taking over primary songwriting duties. Musician and producer Alan Wilder joined the band in late 1982 and the group continued as a quartet until Wilder’s departure in 1995. From then on, the core trio of Gahan, Gore, and Fletcher remained active, up to the release of their 2017 album “Spirit” and ensuing world tour.

The role of Fletcher in Depeche Mode

Fletcher’s role within Depeche Mode was often a topic of speculation. In early incarnations of the band, he played (electric and later synth) bass but as the band evolved after Vince Clarke’s departure in 1981, Fletcher’s role changed as each of the band members took to the areas that suited them and benefited the band collectively. He was the only member of the band who did not receive a songwriting credit.

Fletcher handled many of the band’s business, legal, and other non-musical interests over the years. In later years, this included acting as the band’s “spokesperson”, with Fletcher often being the one to announce Depeche Mode news (such as record album and tour details).It apparently was also Fletcher who helped settling the dispute between Gahan and Gore following 2001’s “Exciter” album and tour over future songwriting duties within Depeche Mode.

His own label, Toast Hawaii

In 2002, Fletcher launched his own record label, a Mute Records imprint called Toast Hawaii (named after the dish) and signed the band CLIEИT. He coordinated the recording of their eponymous 2003 debut and 2004’s “City”, while also producing “extended remixes” for their subsequent singles “Price of Love”, “Rock and Roll Machine”, “Here and Now”, “In It for the Money”, “Radio” and “Pornography”. CLIEИT left the label in 2006 and no further activity with Toast Hawaii was held or announced.

Initially to support CLIEИT’s live shows, Fletcher began touring as a DJ. Whenever he was on hiatus from Depeche Mode, Fletcher played occasional festivals and club gigs in Europe, Asia, South America and so on. The sets included various exclusive Depeche remixes. In late 2015, Fletcher embarked on a small tour of European clubs.

For more on Depeche Mode, see First reactions on death Andy Fletcher (Depeche Mode) from former… on Side-Line.

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Kid Moxie collaborates with Faderhead on ‘Shine’ single

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 02:19:00 +0000

Kid Moxie, aka Elena Charbila, has just release the single “Shine” which offers a harder sound that her previous cinematic pop music which has been featured in multiple TV commercials including a national Victoria’s Secret ad campaign, several TV shows and numerous indie films.

“Shine” was co-written and produced by Faderhead during a quick two-day session the two had last summer in Hamburg. The video is a glossy nod to Robert Palmer’s “Addicted To Love” with a queer twist.

Kid Moxie explains: “When Faderhead and I started writing the song I was definitely channeling some Depeche Mode vibes, and I even made a joke that Dave Gahan should be singing this. The line ‘I’m taking a ride with my best friend’ kept circling around my head, and then I decided that this song is indeed about a drive these two girls are taking, only a bit more sinister ’cause it ends up with them having sex in the back seat of the car.”

You can watch the video below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Interview with Depeche Mode photo book photographer Michaela Olexova: ‘We’ve all moved on, both professionally and personally’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 17:49:24 +0000

Back in the good old days, there was BONG, the official Depeche Mode fan club magazine which ran from 1988 until the closure of the club in 2002. Not that there was nothing before that as the magazine was previously distributed as a newsletter format publication known as the Depeche Mode Information Service, which ran from 1981 through early 1988. Anyhow, that all lays now in the past. Many friendships were built via the magazine, many relations as well and many readers were introduced to other bands such as Nitzer Ebb, Front 242, Pouppée Fabrikk, Cat Rapes Dog via the magazine’s penpal section. The last editor was Michaela Olexova (1994 – 2002) who also closed the doors of the magazine in 2002 with BONG 52, in beauty we must say and with a special attached CD holding 3 rare promo only remixes. Over the years we all also got to see her photographic skills as she became the in-house photographer for the magazine.

20 years later, Michaela revisited her photo archives and compiled the best pictures she took of the band during her reign in BONGland to publish them as “Dream”, a curated collection of Depeche Mode photographs from the period 1994 – 2002. You can order your copy right here: www.michaelaolexova.com.

We hailed Michaela who lives in London with her husband, daughter and cat.

Professionally you work as a website designer, photographer, digital creator, educator, and founder & creative director of Feel Good Websites these days. I see you deliver website templates, is that for WordPress only or for several different CMS types?

Michaela Olexova: My expertise is a brand and website design using the Squarespace platform which is a modern, clean and user friendly strategic tool to help you launch and grow your online business. I’m also about to introduce a new online course to help people create an authentic brand from the scratch that ignites their creativity, inspires them to dream big and believe that anything really is possible.

Let’s dive into the past. Being the former editor of the official Depeche Mode official fan club magazine Bong in 1994 – 2002, you have had some really direct access to the band. Is that still so now, I guess not, do you miss it?

Michaela Olexova: It’s been 20 years since the Bong magazine finished and we’ve all moved on, both professionally and personally. So although I’m still in touch with a few people I used to work with and may catch up with the Band members when they tour, we don’t have any more direct contact. It was a really exciting period in my life and I do miss it occasionally but it gave me so many wonderful memories which I wanted to bring back to life in this book.

Is the Depeche Mode era for you closed with this book now?

Michaela Olexova: I’m still a big fan of Depeche Mode and their solo projects so it can never really be closed… However, this book is one of my dreams come true, as the book title suggests, so I’m super happy and grateful that I can share this personal tribute with the world after all those years as a celebration of Depeche Mode, their music and their fans.

One thing I have realized when going through the book is that those past 20 years have flown away as if it all happened just yesterday. I guess it was also a trip down memory lane for you? How do you look back at that period?

Michaela Olexova: Yes, you’re absolutely right, it doesn’t feel like 20 years ago at all! The Bong magazine gave me a creative platform to explore my many passions and skills, whether it was design, photography, writing, music or production, and I was really lucky that I had the freedom to develop lots of my ideas and the Band trusted I was doing a good job. I guess this experience significantly influenced not only my life but also my career as it lead me to where I am today, running a creative design business and empowering women to dare to live their dreams.

How did you pick the pictures for this book and what order did you go for to present them in the book? I guess you ‘sit’ on a lot more material? What material did not make it and why?

Michaela Olexova: When I started organising my photo archive during the Covid lockdown, I realised I’ve got over 1,000 Depeche Mode photos. There are lots of photos from various tours, studio, behind the scenes and private photo sessions, so I decided to organise them in two chapters – Live and Life. I also had a good idea of the book format and knew I wanted to include about 70-80 photos in the final book so I made several shortlists. First, I went from 1,000 to about 300 photos based on my personal preferences, but also the quality of negatives, and then from 300 to the final 73 photos based on my intuition which then had to be scanned and digitally restored.

Your main focus is on Martin Gore and David Gahan, am I wrong these are also your favourite band members? By the way, where were those Martin Gore pictures taken, was/is that his own house’s garden?

Michaela Olexova: It’s funny you say that but it never really was my intention! The reason you see so many photos of Martin and Dave is simply because they’re both centre of the stage during the live shows and that’s all to it. There are also some great photos of Andy Fletcher on and off the stage – I especially like the ones from his visit to Prague – or Alan Wilder who left the Band soon after I started working with them. As for the photos of Martin Gore, they were taken at his country house in May 1995 when I was preparing my photo exhibition of portraits in Prague at the time and he kindly agreed to do a quick photo session to support my project.

I especially like that you also included non live pics in “Dream”, including studio sessions pictures made in a more relaxed atmosphere, or was that just the surface?

Michaela Olexova: The studio photos were taken over two days I spent with them at Rak Studios in London during the recording session of their album ‘Ultra’. I was there to do interviews with all the Band members for the Bong magazine and everyone was really relaxed and happy for me taking photos of the creative process. My favourite pictures are of Dave rehearsing for the song ‘The Love Thieves’, it was just him on the mic and me taking the photos inside the vocal studio which was a really special moment and I’m glad the relaxed atmosphere shows through these candid pictures.

I don’t know if you have a preferred era of the band visually? I personally was always quite attracted by the 1987 and 1989/1990 visual era of the band, I guess because that’s also when they released my preferred Depeche Mode albums. What about you and why?

Michaela Olexova: I guess the time around ‘Music For The Masses’ is really close to my heart as it’s when I discovered Depeche Mode and got attracted to their music. Growing up in the communist Czechoslovakia with hardly any access to the music or culture from the western part of the world, I was fascinated by their music, fashion, style and visuals. With Anton Corbijn’s moody black & white photos and videos, they managed to create a unique brand that was so different to anything or anyone else out there.

Doing promo for this book from the UK has been a postal nightmare, I see it happen with lots of products being shipped to the EU from outside the EU which don’t get delivered or in the best case get returned. Having your own company Feel Good Websites in the UK as well, do you see more of this Brexit ‘fun’ happening?

Michaela Olexova: Yes, I do but it’s not fun at all! To be honest, I was shocked how difficult it is to deliver a book from the UK to Europe. It’s still a mystery to me that the fans in USA, Brazil or Japan can receive their book within a few days while some of the fans in Europe have to wait for weeks or months because their delivery is stuck at the customs. Luckily, I run a digital business so I don’t have to deal with things like that on daily basis but there’s other post-Brexit issues which make things complicated for both, business owners and customers, and that’s a real shame.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘s ’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan hated filming ‘Enjoy The Silence’ video – watch now

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 08:05:04 +0000

Today we celebrate Epiphany, also known as Theophany in the east, a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God’s incarnation as Jesus Christ. In Western Christianity, the feast commemorates principally (but not solely) the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child, and thus Jesus Christ’s physical manifestation to the Gentiles. And there’s no other king more suitable in synthpop land than Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan in the iconic 1990 video by Anton Corbijn of “Enjoy The Silence” taken from the cult album “Violator”.

Although instead of a king Anton Corbijn actually wanted to reference the themes and storyline of the philosophical children’s book “The Little Prince” from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Recorded in 1989, “Enjoy The Silence” was released as the second single from what was their seventh studio album on 16 January 1990.

It was Dutch director Anton Corbijn who shot the video for the band with Dave Gahan dressed as a king, crown and cloak included as he walks through various landscapes in Scotland, Portugal and the Swiss Alps, with a deckchair. It wasn’t the only video shot for the song, you might remember that a second video was made for a TV promo. It was shot by the French TV (for the TV Show “Champs-Élysées” with Michel Drucker) featuring Depeche Mode lip-synching the song while standing on the observation deck atop the South Tower of the original World Trade Center.

Dave Gahan: “I felt like an idiot!”

The latter video was dismissed as ‘official’ video although Dave Gahan hated making the first video as he was forced to drag a cape in snow and later said “I felt like an idiot!” As a result he also refused to do some scenes.

Note that it was Alan Wilder’s production which turned the song into a hit because the original was a slow and dull track. Songwriter Martin Gore created a ballad-like first version of the song, which the band took into the studio in 1989. At band member Alan Wilder’s insistence, the song was re-worked into the up-tempo version released on the album. It shows that Wilder was a real genius asset in the band during all these years. But that’s for another article.

The different Depeche Mode videos for ‘Enjoy The Silence’

The World Trade Center version with a similar intro as the Anton Corbijn one.

The Anton Corbijn version.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘These Mortal Covers’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Dave Gahan & Soulsavers releases ‘Imposter’ cover album: “A Story Of Songs”

Jan Ronald Stange — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 14:34:21 +0000

(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange) Out on November 12 is the new album “Imposter”, a collection of songs from Dave Gahan & Soulsavers. This is Dave Gahan’s third collaboration with the Soulsavers, following their releases “Angels & Ghosts” in 2015 and “The Light the Dead See” in 2012.

As stated in their press info: “They didn’t write these songs, but listened to them, studied them, and gave them new life. It is a reflection of Dave’s life, a story told by others, but in his own distinct voice.

Recorded at the legendary Shangri-La Studios in Malibu, these versions of songs you know and some you might not range from sparse to lush, somber to joyful. The choices and sequencing were deliberate and meaningful, It shines a light on the enduring strength of poignant lyrics and well-executed melodies.“

We’ll get the first taste of “Imposter” on October 8^th with the release of “Metal Heart”, written by Chan Marshall (Cat Power), first released in 1998.

Tracklist:

The Dark End of the Street (Chips Moman/Dan Penn)
Strange Religion (Mark Lanegan)
Lilac Wine (James Shelton)
I Held My Baby Last Night (Jules Bihari/Elmore James)
A Man Needs a Maid (Neil Young)
Metal Heart (Cat Power)
Shut Me Down (Rowland S. Howard)
Where My Love Lies Asleep (Gene Clark)
Smile (Charlie Chaplin, John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons)
The Desperate Kingdom of Love (PJ Harvey)
Not Dark Yet (Bob Dylan)
Always on My Mind (John Lee Christopher, Jr., Mark James & Wayne Thompson)

More info at http://davegahan.com / https://www.instagram.com/theimposter/

Jan Ronald Stange

Sometimes – when I’m not cooking, biking, listening to music or attending concerts, I write stuff for Side-Line.com. Mostly about Norwegian bands, but it’s been some Swedish, English, American, Danish, German and others too… 😉

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Depeche Mode to re-release the concert film ‘101’ in a Blu-Ray and deluxe edition – get it now

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 17:38:39 +0000

Out on December 03 is a Blu-Ray edition, as well as a double DVD and deluxe version from Depeche Mode’s live concert film “101”. The concert featured was the final show of the “Music For The Masses” world tour recorded at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, on June 18, 1988. That’s 33 years ago… time flies!

The documentary, co-directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus included the winners of a contest who won an appearance in the Depeche Mode film.

The deluxe edition comes in a new HD edition based on 4K scans of the original film reels. The Blu-Ray includes 3 unreleased bonus performances of “A Question of Lust”, “Sacred” and “Something To Do”, as well as the official promotional video for “Everything Counts”.

And that’s not all, the set comes accompanied by a 48-page behind-the-scenes photo book featuring never-before-seen footage; a replica of the original American cinema poster (20 “x 30”); a 16-page book with the photos of Anton Corbijn, as included in the original version of the album; a double CD of the original concert version with 20 tracks from the concert and a download card giving access to 4K downloads of the movie and bonus performances, as well as 24-bit audio files from the live recording.

Although the Blu-Ray and DVD will have 5.1 mixes, there is no sign of audio-only surround sound as we got on the SACD in 2004. A standalone Blu-Ray and a two-DVD sets will also be available. Alos, included are interviews with Dave Gahan, Andy Fletcher, Martin Gore, Daniel Miller and Jonathan Kessler, but none with Alan Wilder. Rather weird…

Here’s a glimpse of what to expect.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘All Too Familiar’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan covers Metallica’s ‘Nothing Else Matters’ for charity

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 16:52:54 +0000

Out now is Dave Gahan’s cover version of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters”. Dave Gahan and a whopping 52 other artists have joined together to cover songs from Metallica’s landmark album “The Black Album”.

Out today this tribute, “The Metallica Blacklist”, celebrate the original album’s 30th anniversary. It sees all of its proceeds go directly to Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation and World Central Kitchen. Other artists include Weezer, Miley Cyrus, St. Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers, Ghost, The Neptunes and many many more.

“Nothing Else Matters” was originally released as a single in 1992.

The tracklist:

Enter Sandman – Alessia Cara & The Warning
Enter Sandman – Mac DeMarco
Enter Sandman – Ghost
Enter Sandman – Juanes
Enter Sandman – Rina Sawayama
Enter Sandman – Weezer
Sad But True (Live) – Sam Fender
Sad But True – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Sad But True – Mexican Institute of Sound feat. La Perla & Gera MX
Sad But True – Royal Blood
Sad But True – St. Vincent
Sad But True – White Reaper
Sad But True – YB
Holier Than Thou – Biffy Clyro
Holier Than Thou – The Chats
Holier Than Thou – OFF!
Holier Than Thou – PUP
Holier Than Thou – Corey Taylor
The Unforgiven – Cage The Elephant
The Unforgiven – Vishal Dadlani, DIVINE, Shor Police
The Unforgiven – Diet Cig
The Unforgiven – Flatbush Zombies feat. DJ Scratch
The Unforgiven – Ha*Ash
The Unforgiven – José Madero
The Unforgiven – Moses Sumney
Wherever I May Roam – J Balvin
Wherever I May Roam – Chase & Status feat. BackRoad Gee
Wherever I May Roam – The Neptunes
Wherever I May Roam – Jon Pardi
Don’t Tread on Else Matters – SebastiAn
Don’t Tread on Me – Portugal. The Man
Don’t Tread on Me – Volbeat
Through the Never – The HU
Through the Never – Tomi Owó
Nothing Else Matters – Phoebe Bridgers
Nothing Else Matters – Miley Cyrus feat. WATT, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo, Chad Smith
Nothing Else Matters – Dave Gahan
Nothing Else Matters – Mickey Guyton
Nothing Else Matters – Dermot Kennedy
Nothing Else Matters – Mon Laferte
Nothing Else Matters – Igor Levit
Nothing Else Matters – My Morning Jacket
Nothing Else Matters – PG Roxette
Nothing Else Matters – Darius Rucker
Nothing Else Matters – Chris Stapleton
Nothing Else Matters – TRESOR
Of Wolf and Man – Goodnight, Texas
The God That Failed – IDLES
The God That Failed – Imelda May
My Friend of Misery – Cherry Glazerr
My Friend of Misery – Izïa
My Friend of Misery – Kamasi Washington
The Struggle Within – Rodrigo y Gabriela

And you can listen to the complete album below.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘101’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Color Theory – Depeche Mode (Album – Eleventh Records)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 18:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: American musician Brian Hazard has been active as Color Theory since the late 90s. One of his main sources of inspiration is Depeche Mode and so in 2003 he released the album “Depeche Mode” as an ode to his idols and covered eleven songs from the Synth-Pop icons. There also was one original song by Color Theory featured. The album means a lot to the artist and got a very good response so it got a re-issue with a new artwork plus three extra covers.

Content: How much cover albums, tributes etc have been devoted to Depeche Mode? The specificity of this work is that Brian Hazard didn’t exactly choose for the hits of the band. The die-hard fans will for sure recognize all of the songs, but a song like “Surrender” (which originally appeared as B-side) is not exactly the most common and successful song of Depeche Mode. Color Theory reworked the different songs into a very own approach, still Electro-Pop driven, but very intimate and sung in a fragile way. Some songs are into pure Ballad style while others have something raw and even unpolished. The bonus cuts are more familiar songs.

+ + + : Covering Depeche Mode always remains a true challenge and not many versions are ‘better’ than the original songs. Color Theory doesn’t simply emulate Depeche Mode, but tried transposing the song into a very personal mould while holding on to the melody lines and some arrangements, but accomplished with totally different sound treatments. One of the best cuts however appears to be the original color Theory-song (cf. “Ponytail Girl”). Among the covers I especially recommend “Sister Of Night”, “But Not Tonight” for its happy Ballad-style and “Leave In Silence”, which sounds a bit raw.

– – – : The best way to enjoy this compilation is to forget Depeche Mode for a while, but how can we forget the original edit of songs like “It Doesn’t Matter”, “Sweetest Perfection”, “World Full Of Nothing”, “Shake The Diseases” or “Sometimes”. And how can we disconnect from Dave Gahan‘s unique timbre of voice while hearing Brian Hazard who sings a more febrile and in a less powerful way?

Conclusion: This compilation is nothing more than a sincere and humble ode to Depeche Mode, which reminds us of the unique status of the Gods of Synth-Pop music.

Best songs: “Ponytail Girl”, “Leave In Silence”, “Shake The Disease”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.colortheory.com / www.facebook.com/colortheory

Label: www.eleventhrecords.com / www.facebook.com/eleventhrecords Read the news on ‘Depeche Mode’.

About Color Theory

Color Theory is the recording project of American musician Brian Hazard, active since the late 1990s. In 2003 Hazard released “Depeche Mode”, an eleven-track covers album reworking songs by his main influence into a more intimate, Electro-Pop-driven style, alongside one original composition, “Ponytail Girl”. The album was later reissued on Eleventh Records with new artwork and three additional covers, across digital and CD formats. Color Theory returned to Depeche Mode material again in 2022 with the single “Sometimes + The Things You Said”.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan joins Humanist for new single ‘Shock Collar’ – watch the video

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 11:05:59 +0000

(Photo credit: Derrick Belcham) Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan has joined Humanist for their brand new single “Shock Collar”, for which the video can be viewed below. The eponymous self-titled debut album is due for release February 21st via Ignition Records.

Humanist features Mark Lanegan (Queens Of The Stone Age), Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode), Mark Gardener (Ride), Carl Hancock Rux (David Holmes, Portishead), John Robb (The Membranes), Joel Cadbury (UNKLE), Ilse Maria, Ron Sexsmith and Jim Jones (The Jim Jones Revue, Thee Hypnotics).

The main brain behind the project is guitarist and producer Rob Marshall. But it was Mark Lanegan who invited Dave Gahan to join. Gahan: “I liked the idea immediately… It’s a beast! I went for the vocal, with the visual of driving fast on an empty highway… We shot the video over a couple of days in New York, and it all came together”.”

Watch the video below.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Planet of Me’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Binary Park – Life On Lines / Extended Mixes (Digital EP – Infacted Recordings)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 19:30:04 +0000

Genre/Influences: Body-pop, EBM, IDM.

Background/Info: Earlier this year Torben Schmidt – Alfred Gregl and singer Huw Jones released the third Binary Park album. “Life On Lines” is a sophisticated and high-tech electro-work, which revealed the genius of this trio. And I’ve to say I now like the album even more than when it was just released. This EP features next to an intro six songs from the album all in an extended format.

Content: The main difference with the original songs is that they’ve been seriously extended. I can’t say they’ve been reworked, but you will discover longer instrumental passages like accentuating the visionary sound treatments of this group. While the vocals of Huw Jones are sometimes reminding me of Dave Gahan, the music remains a fascinating fusion between Haujobb, Lassigue Bendthaus and Covenant.

+ + + : This extended version format can be seen as a way to empower the pleasure, at least for all of those who like Binary Park. I think the EP is a nice extra to the original album. I’m still impressed by the sound intelligence of this group, mixing elements of pop, EBM and pure IDM together. The vocals inject an extra sexy touch on top of the production.

– – – : The EP brings nothing really new and is therefore first of all a release for the fans. I would have liked to get an album with totally reworked songs by Binary Park themselves.

Conclusion: This EP is a cool, little extra for all of those who have liked the “Life On Lines”-album. Binary Park is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most intelligent electro-pop formations from the scene or just the most poppy-inspired IDM group.

Best songs: “Faith Never Let Me Down – Extended Mix”, “Bad Connection – Extended Mix”, “Your Own Great Nation – Extended Mix”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www .binary –park .net / www .facebook .com /binarypark

Label: www .infacted –recordings .de / www .facebook .com /pages /Infacted –Recordings /124099254321690

About Binary Park

Binary Park is a German EBM/electro group of Torben Schmidt, Alfred Gregl and singer Huw Jones. Schmidt also founded Infacted Recordings in 2001 and remains active there as both label head and artist, alongside his other project, Lights Of Euphoria. Binary Park released “Life On Lines” earlier in 2018; this extended-mixes EP revisits six of the album’s tracks plus an intro, drawing comparisons to Haujobb, Lassigue Bendthaus and Covenant for its fusion of EBM and high-tech electro.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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We Are The Line – Songs Of Light & Darkness (CD EP – La Ligne Productions)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 19:30:03 +0000

Genre/Influences: IDM, experimental, electro-pop. Background/Info: I discovered this French formation by their previous EP “Through The Crack”, which was a nice experimental-pop format. This next work reveals 6 new cuts so in the end it rather looks like a mini-album instead of an EP. Content: The electro-pop and experimental format featured at “Through The Crack” are still running through the new work, but the global production became more sophisticated and IDM-orientated. We indeed discover an intelligent sound writing with great electronic treatments and spooky, haunting vocals, which also have something sensual. The way of singing sometimes reminds me of Dave Gahan, which is not that surprising as Depeche Mode is one of the bands sources of inspiration. + + + : This EP definitely appears to be a step forward in the young career of We Are The Line. It’s a modern and refreshing production with brilliant sound treatments and a sound that has been seriously improved. The vocals are passionate, which is another fascinating aspect of this work. – – – : I don’t have minus points, but just regret that this is not a full length album. That might be the next step… Conclusion: We Are The Line is a band I kept an eye on and this new work simply confirms I’d a good feeling about their potential. I’m really wondering how they next work will sound like, but I hope they’ll go on this way. Best songs: “An Hymn For Them All”, “Man Of Mistfortune”, “Undone”. Rate: (7½). Artist: www .wearetheline .org /fr / www .facebook .com /WeAreTheLineBand

About We Are The Line

We Are The Line is a French electro-pop and experimental project. “Songs Of Light & Darkness” followed the band’s earlier EP “Through The Crack” and was released through La Ligne Productions.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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Primal Scream to release much wanted ‘Give Out But Don’t Give Up: The Original Memphis Recordings’ in October

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 17:12:47 +0000

Out October 12th On Sony Music is Primal Scream’s “Give Out But Don’t Give Up: The Original Memphis Recordings”. The recordings were made in in 1993 when the band went to Memphis to make an album with Tom Dowd and the Muscle Shoals rhythm section of David Hood (bass) and Roger Hawkins (drums). That album never saw the light of day , until now.

You can order the vinyl version of this great release full of previously recordings on vinyl already, it is available right now on Amazon

Note that the original studio recordings from Memphis eventually became the band’s 1994 album “Give Out But Don’t Give Up” which they presented live as a support for Depeche Mode. The recordings itself were made at the Ardent Studios in Memphis and showcase the more country soul, rock’n’roll side of the band. During the sessions the band recorded 9 tracks.

The lost tapes

The reason why the recordings were never released are somewhat unclear. “I felt we went down there with such good intent, but somehow we lost our way afterwards,” Bobby Gillespie says. “There’s definitely a lesson to be learned about how creativity can go down the wrong track. We’re a band that constantly keeps moving and doesn’t look back, but, for years, I felt bad about us going to Memphis and not doing what we set out to do. Hearing these songs after all this time has made everything all right again. I feel redeemed.”

At the time once the band and Creation Records’ boss Alan McGee heard the recordings, however, they were both confused and underwhelmed and in the end brought producer George Drakoulias onboard to overhaul the recordings, with the band replacing, guitar, bass and drum parts over several sessions in the ensuing weeks until they were left with what became “Give Out But Don’t Give Up”.

Depeche Mode also came into the picture

For the Depeche Mode fans reading this, you can find some of the feeling back in this live recording from 1994 featuring Dave Gahan, who back then was going through quite a rough time as he was heavily addicted to all kind of drugs.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Josh T. Pearson covers Depeche Mode’s ‘Cover Me’ – listen here

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 12:43:01 +0000

Josh T. Pearson has released his cover version of Depeche Mode’s “Cover Me” (pun intended), a track he’d previously remixed for the band in 2017. You can listen to the track below.

“Cover Me” is the b-side to “A Love Song (Set Me Straight)” out on 21 August as a two-track bundle. “A Love Song (Set Me Straight)” is taken from Pearson’s latest album, “The Straight Hits!” out now on Mute. The album is the follow up to Pearson’s debut, 2011’s “Last Of The Country Gentlemen”.

“Cover Me” was the third single from Depeche Mode’s 14th studio album, “Spirit”. It was also the fourth single in the band’s catalog that was co-written by lead singer Dave Gahan.

Here’s the original version of “Cover Me” by Depeche Mode.

For more on Depeche Mode, see Legendary keyboard used by Alan Wilder (Depeche Mode) up for sale on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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‘Click Interview’ with Kilmarth: ‘Music Is A Legal Drug That Has The Immense Power To Make Us Escape’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 17:00:14 +0000

Belgian solo-project Kilmarth is driven by Cédric Wattergniaux. I know Cédric for quite a long time. We both got involved with Side-Line magazine. We met at festivals and always had great moments talking about music. I know him as a passionate music lover with an eclectic choice. Throughout the years he started composing music on his own and this way he set up Kilmarth. A first self-released EP “Catharsis” saw the daylight. It might be defined as an electronic mix between multiple influences, but in the end it comes close to IDM and experimental electronics. This interview is an opportunity to get more familiar with this new project.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: It seems you’re already composing music for several years now. How did it all started and how did you finally come to deal with this kind of music?

Cédric: As long as I can remember, music has always been an important part of my life. I listened to it, analyzed it, I wrote about it … but my biggest dream has always been to compose it. This dream was buried deep within me, but my ego told me that I was not able to do it. I once made the very late decision to finally take music theory lessons at the local music academy to better understand what music was from a theoretical point of view. Then I tried the classical guitar, which I abandoned by acquiring my first synth, a Korg Triton. As for the musical style, I did not try to get into a current one, it’s naturally the sounds that I liked the most that I chose to compose the music that related to a genre already present that I of course, liked a lot already.

Q: The name Kilmarth is directly linked to the great Daphne du Maurier, but what inspired you in this project name and the work plus life of this author?

Cédric: “The House Of The Strand” is a book I literally devoured when I read it, about 15 years ago. I am passionate about history, it is also my job (I am a history teacher) and the idea of time travelling has always been a child’s dream. The idea also to ask the question… Is it the reality of this trip or was it solely based on the absorption of a drug was a very interesting idea. So, I like to say that music is that drug that can be taken to help us penetrate other worlds, to penetrate the brain mysteries of some great composers of our time or earlier. It also makes me think of this excellent movie, that is for me, “Strange Days” by Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron (1995) where the hero penetrates the recorded thoughts of people by means of an apparatus connected to the brain. Music is a legal drug that has the immense power to make us escape and to paraphrase Dave Gahan, that unites people who are so different.

Q: You recently self-released your debut work “Catharsis”. What is it all about? What did you try to accomplish (sound-wise) and what has been your working method?

Cédric: I fell into a big depression almost two years ago. I could not do my job anymore. Finding myself in front of my DAW and my synth has become gradually a habit and also a therapy to get out of this problem. For 6 months, I almost never left my studio and “Catharsis” was born from that. Fortunately, I was able to count on my family and a handful of friends who have always supported me.

Q: “Catharsis” is the kind of work I instantly linked to productions released on labels such as Ad Noiseam, Tympanik Audio, Ant-Zen, Mindtrick Records, M-Tronic… Do you feel related with these labels? Would you like to get signed by a label or do you prefer the DIY attitude?

Cédric: These are magnificent labels that have written the most beautiful pages in the history of our scene. It would be an extraordinary honor to be part of these record companies. I think that the power of a label to distribute music is a major asset in a society where it is now necessary to put music almost in the ear of an auditor so that he can listen to new things. I do not have the time or the gift to be able to handle all parts of the music business as I should while living a normal life with my family. On the other hand, it is also important, for an artist, to have a free hand in the creative process. It is therefore necessary that everyone can have his own territory for the partnership to be effective. It must also be said that the world of music has experienced an incredible upheaval in recent years. Will these labels still exist in five years? The future will tell.

Q: “Catharsis” is a sonic crossover between numerous genres and influences, but how would you analyze the sound of Kilmarth and how do you see yourself as an artist?

Cédric: I, like many other people before me, served as a sponge to several artistic movements (literary, pictorial, …). The daily life that I could absorb for years and reject in the form of “Catharsis”. It is difficult for me to highlight, for example, a musical genre that I particularly like to achieve this result, although it is obvious that electronic music, in general, remains the one that has the most marked throughout my life. For the rest, I like to control what I do; like composition, production, artwork or even videos. Kilmarth is a personal project, although I like the influences of outside musicians like the help of a friend for one track on “Catharsis”. I would like to see more collaborations like that on future productions.

Q: You’ve been involved with Side-Line magazine for numerous years. What did you learn from this experience as a journalist and does it appear to be a precious experience now that you’re composing music yourself?

Cédric: My Side-Line years were an extraordinary experience. First of all because I was able to meet people who belong to our scene and that I respect a lot: you, Séba Dolimont who remains one of my best friends, Bernard, Benoît… I could also ‘meet’ people who I admire a lot musically like Klaus Kruse (PNE), NoyceTM, Mesh, Das Ich, De/Vision, Iris… It was a wonderful school to discover how the world of music is from the inside. From these different elements, I was able to build my project by being influenced by countless elements that have appeared throughout my life. Composing my music has also brought me even more respect for these artists that I met since the first demo to flamboyant careers. Each piece sometimes hides many efforts and often an incredible job that most people who listen to music or criticism cannot imagine. So I would say that the influence exists in both directions. I cannot criticize an album like I did in the past…

Inferno Sound Diaries

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ArtOfFact launches mega deal on Bandcamp (1$ releases) – here’s what you can expect!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 09:54:00 +0000

The fine Canadian label ArtOfFact records has launched a mega-sale with tons of releases priced at just 1$. You can visit this special sales page right here on Bandcamp.

Included in this special Bandcamp sale action are releases by such bands as Controlled Bleeding, Dead When I Found Her, Seeming, Out Out, Legend, Encephalon, Ghost Twin, Glass Apple Bonzai, Valhall, Noise Unit, SÓLSTAFIR, Nash the Slash, 3teeth, Mirror (Dave Gahan), Slow, Mobile Clones, Images in Vogue, …

Happy hunting!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Binary Park – Life On Lines (CD Album – Infacted Recordings)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 19:30:57 +0000

Genre/Influences: EBM, body-pop.

Background/Info: Binary Park strikes back with their third full length album in the band’s history. Driven by Infacted label owner Torben Schmidt (Lights Of Euphoria and Suicide Commando live keyboarder), Alfred Gregl (who has been involved with an endless number of projects) and singer Huw Jones, this new opus appears four years after the “Singularity”-album.

Content: Binary Park has been always something part. It’s not exactly what you can call a ‘cliché’ band, but an intelligent music format composed with electro-pop and EBM influences. Some of the songs make me think to an imaginary crossover between Depeche Mode (for some vocal parts), Haujobb and Covenant. There’s a constant switch from electro-pop to EBM, but both elements are still coming together.

A few songs have been driven by energetic rhythms, others are carried by groovy sequences while a few other songs are featuring alluring EBM bass lines.

+ + + : I remember the magic from the first album “Worlds Collide”, which comes a bit back at “Life On Lines”. This is a styled and elaborated composition bringing different influences together. The songs have been accomplished with different great effects revealing all the intelligence and production skills of the band. Next to the music Huw Jones also is a talented singer who sometimes reminds to the sensuality of Dave Gahan. One thing is for sure, Binary Park is a formation with a very personal sound and musicians revealing themselves as great sound architects.

– – – : The complexity of the production is maybe a reason why some dark-electro pop lovers will turn their back to this great, but sophisticated work. Don’t expect Binary Park to compose mellowing melody lines and catchy, danceable pop-songs. I’ve to admit there’re just a few sweeter sounding songs, which aren’t my personal favorites.

Conclusion: Electronic music is sometimes comparable to mathematics; exact sciences where every single detail sounds right! That’s precisely what “Life On Lines” is all about!

Best songs: “Welcome Home”, “Cropper II”, “Machine Core II”, “Your Own Great Nation”, “How Strange”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www .binary –park .net / www .facebook .com /binarypark

Label: www .infacted –recordings .de / www .facebook .com /pages /Infacted –Recordings /124099254321690

About Binary Park

Binary Park is a German EBM and electro-pop group led by Infacted Recordings founder Torben Schmidt, who also performs in Lights Of Euphoria, together with Alfred Gregl and vocalist Huw Jones. Schmidt set up Infacted Recordings in 2001, a history he detailed in a 2021 Side-Line interview. Binary Park debuted with “Worlds Collide” in 2011, followed by “Singularity” in 2014 and the “Nothing” EP in 2016. “Life On Lines” followed in 2018 and was reissued the same year as an extended-mixes digital EP.

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Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) featured on new Goldfrapp single ‘Ocean’ – listen here to full track

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 22 May 2018 13:39:30 +0000

Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan has joined up with Goldfrapp for the track “Ocean” on which he sings a duet with Alison Goldfrapp. The original version of the song was featured on Goldfrapp’s “Silver Eye album” released last year. This version is 20 seconds shorter with Gahan on vocals as well.

The new version will appear on the upcoming deluxe edition of “Silver Eye” and is due out July 6th. The deluxe edition will also features remixes of songs on the album by a series of remixers including Goldfrapp’s Will Gregory and Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard.

You can check out the track below.

For more on Depeche Mode, see Depeche Mode 12 singles collection boxsets to be released via Sony -… on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Apsürde – See Me Coming (CD EP – ScentAir Records)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 12 May 2018 18:30:40 +0000

Genre/Influences: Synth-pop.

Background/Info: Hailing from Budapest (Hungary), Gábor Csontos, Ádám Szakács and Ákos Szénási set up Apsürde in 2006. “See Me Coming” is the first EP from their forthcoming album. The EP features the title song plus an extra song and 4 remixes.

Content: Apsürde claims to be inspired by Depeche Mode and that’s an aspect of the sound you directly will recognize. Even if the singer’s timbre of voice has something close to Dave Gahan.

Remixes were done by Forteba and Tom Kreiner while there’s also an “8Bit Remix” plus an acoustic version (which is somewhat cinematographic-like) accomplished by Apsürde.

+ + + : Apsürde is just one more Depeche Mode-clone although it seems to be one emulating their idols with conviction and style. The songs are well-crafted revealing this magic 80s touch. It’s a sensual and danceable EP empowered by great vocals. I even dare to say that especially the title song sounds better than numerous Depeche Mode songs from the last years. There also is a great remix of the title song by Forteba.

– – – : I expect a bit more from the remixes. “See Me Coming” is a promising EP, but sounds as one of the endless releases influences by Depeche Mode.

Conclusion: If you’re into synth-pop and you like Depeche Mode, Apsürde definitely is worthy of examination. I’m looking out for the announced full length.

Best songs: “See Me Coming”, “See Me Coming – Forteba Remix”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www .facebook .com /apsurde

Label: www .scent –air .com / www .facebook .com /ScentairRecords

About Apsürde

Apsürde is a Hungarian synth-pop trio from Budapest, formed in 2011 by Adam Szakacs, Gabor Csontos and Akos Szenasi. The band’s debut album, “Inglourious Heroes,” followed later in 2018.

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Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan featured in newest Null + Void video for the track ‘Where I Wait’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 10:15:28 +0000

Out now is the newest video by Null + Void for the track “Where I Wait” featuring Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode. The track is taken from the upcoming album “Cyrosleep”. The video itself was directed by Tim Saccenti and was written together with Steven Graf. In the new video, you follow a desperate character in his attempt to transcend a physical space and escape his addictions via a hallucinatory female.

Kurt Uenala aka Null + Void may not be a familiar name for many music fans, but chances are you’ve heard his work. The Swiss-born New Yorker first made his name in 2003, debuting as Kap10Kurt on the compilation “The Sound Of Young New York”. It eventually landed him a gig recording with Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan next to artists such as Moby and The Kills.

You can watch the video below.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Ocean’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Depeche Mode cancels concert in Minsk, singer Dave Gahan hospitalized! (UPDATE)

Filip Wildhoney — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 21:11:56 +0000

Update: Dave Gahan’s condition has improved last night and the band will be continuing onwards to Ukraine today for the show in Kiev tomorrow night. To the fans who had tickets to last night’s show in Minsk, there will be more information in the next few days.

The British band Depeche Mode is currently on a huge tour around the world (first leg of the Global Spirit Tour). Unfortunately today’s concert had to be cancelled due to serious illness of singer Dave Gahan. A first statement was posted on the official website here.

First rumours on local social media report that the singer poisoned himself or has gastro-enteritis. The band will give an update during the next days. At this moment it is not sure if the next concerts in Kiev (July 19) and Warsaw (July 21) will take place.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Get the balance right’.

Kentin Jivek – No Age (CD Album – Manic Depression Records)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 16 May 2017 19:00:39 +0000

Genre/Influences: Experimental, neo-folk, cinematographic.

Background/Info: Parisian based artist Kentin Jivek has already been active for a couple of years now and can look back on a growing discography. This new opus is the 8^th full length of the French artist while he also accomplished a few more productions together with other artists like The Hare And The Moon and Miro Snejdr. “No Age” is the first album he released on Manic Depression Records.

Content: The sound of Kentin Jivek has seriously evolved throughout the years although remained faithful to the main influences based upon dark atmospheres and neo-folk. “No age” doesn’t sound those different, revealing mysterious sound atmospheres, which might remind you of the sonic ambiance from “Twin Peaks”. There’s a solid cinematographic style running through the songs.

Next to the dark and obscure ambiance this album is also characterized by the charismatic vocals of Kentin Jivek. His timbre of voice makes me a little bit think of a hybrid between Brendan Perry and Dave Gahan. The songs have been sung in English- and in French revealing a kind of dark- and somewhat intellectual poetry approach.

+ + + : “No age” is a delicate release filled with dark reverie and melancholia. This feeling is accentuated by intriguing atmospheres making the sound darker and darker. Kentin Jivek has created his own sound and perception of neo-folk mixed with ambient music. His charismatic vocals remain one of the main strengths of the work. There are many cool songs, but I have a preference for the “Twin Peaks”-like “Never Ending Love”. The minimalism of the arrangements is absolutely worthy of examination.

– – – : The dark poetry sometimes becomes a bit pompous, but it definitely is a part of this artist. Some of the most experimental passages can’t totally convince me.

Conclusion: I haven’t heard all of Kentin Jivek releases, but “No Age” is one of the best that I have heard. This is an album featuring a very own style and an artist with a captivating timbre of voice.

Best songs: “Never Ending Love”, “Fiesta De Los Muertos”, “A Song To Ease The Pain”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www .kentinjivek .com / www .facebook .com /kentin .kevij .7

Label: www .manicdepressionrecords .com / www .facebook .com /manicdepressionrecords

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Depeche Mode to announce tour dates and new album on October 11

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 17:18:08 +0000

As some might have noticed, there’s a countdown which has been placed on the Depeche Mode website. Although not officially announced yet it’s referring to the announcement of an upcoming tour and album which will be announced during a press conference in Milan, Italy.

The new album will be released in Spring 2017.

As we already reported various times, Depeche Mode returned to the recording studio back in April 2016, with both Gore and Gahan having written new songs. Before the new album, you can already expect a video singles collection, scheduled to be released on 11 November 2016 by Sony.

In the meantime Martin Gore also found the time to collaborate with The Mission on their new album “Another Fall From Grace”. The album also features guest backing vocals from Gary Numan, Ville Valo (HIM), Julianne Regan (All About Eve) and Evi Vine.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Spirit’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Order your copy of Depeche Mode’s ‘Video Singles Collection’ 3DVD set video anthology right now + more releases coming up

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 17:53:36 +0000

Out on on November 11, 2016 via SONY Music Entertainment – and already available for ordering right here – is be “Video Singles Collection”, a 3DVD library anthology containing more than four hours of Depeche Mode music videos (and two-plus hours of audio commentary) including work by Julien Temple, Anton Corbijn, D.A. Pennebaker, John Hillcoat and others..

“Video Singles Collection” is the first official Depeche Mode archival title to be released under the SONY imprimatur since it acquired the rights to the Depeche Mode catalog in July 2015. No Blu-ray set though, which is rather disappointing and surprising since the older videos really could use the format.

Note that more Depeche Mode releases will see the light as “Video Singles Collection” is the first in a series of retrospective projects around Depeche Mode. You might get yet another best of… hoorah…

Back to the actual item. The set includes 55 newly restored versions of the video singles in addition to four rare alternate videos and new commentary on specific individual clips, recorded by members of Depeche Mode especially for this release. Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder have not been asked to deliver input.

You can order the set right here from Storming The Base.

Here is the list of videos featured on the release:

Just Can’t Get Enough (directed by Clive Richardson)
See You (directed by Julien Temple)
The Meaning of Love (directed by Julien Temple)
Leave in Silence (directed by Julien Temple)
Get the Balance Right (directed by Kevin Hewitt)
Everything Counts (directed by Clive Richardson)
Love, In Itself (directed by Clive Richardson)
People Are People (directed by Clive Richardson)
Master and Servant (directed by Clive Richardson)
Blasphemous Rumours (directed by Clive Richardson)
Somebody (directed by Clive Richardson)
Shake the Disease (directed by Peter Care)
It’s Called a Heart (directed by Peter Care)
Stripped (directed by Peter Care)
But Not Tonight (directed by Tamra Davis)
A Question of Lust (directed by Clive Richardson)
A Question of Time (directed by Phil Harding)
Strangelove (directed by Anton Corbijn)
Never Let Me Down Again (directed by Anton Corbijn)
Behind the Wheel (directed by Anton Corbijn)
Little 15 (directed by Martyn Atkins)
Strangelove ’88 (directed by Martyn Atkins)
Everything Counts (Live – from “101”) (directed by D.A. Pennebaker)
Personal Jesus (directed by Anton Corbijn)
Enjoy the Silence (directed by Anton Corbijn)
Policy of Truth (directed by Anton Corbijn)
World in My Eyes (directed by Anton Corbijn)
I Feel You (directed by Anton Corbijn)
Walking in My Shoes (directed by Anton Corbijn)
Condemnation (Paris Mix) (directed by Anton Corbijn)
One Caress (directed by Kevin Kerslake)
In Your Room (directed by Anton Corbijn)
Barrel of a Gun (directed by Anton Corbijn)
It’s No Good (directed by Anton Corbijn)
Home (directed by Steven Green)
Useless (directed by Anton Corbijn)
Only When I Lose Myself (directed by Brian Griffin)
Dream On (directed by Stephane Sednaoui)
I Feel Loved (directed by John Hillcoat)
Freelove (directed by John Hillcoat)
Goodnight Lovers (directed by John Hillcoat)
Enjoy the Silence ’04 (directed by Uwe Flade)
Precious (directed by Uwe Flade)
A Pain That I’m Used To (directed by Uwe Flade)
Suffer Well (directed by Anton Corbijn)
John the Revelator (directed by Blue Leach)
Martyr (directed by Robert Chandler)
Wrong (directed by Patrick Daughters)
Peace (directed by Jonas and François)
Hole to Feed (directed by Eric Wareheim)
Fragile Tension (directed by Rob Chandler and Barney Steel)
Personal Jesus 2011 (directed by Patrick Daughters)
Heaven (directed by Timothy Saccenti)
Soothe My Soul (directed by Warren Fu)
Should Be Higher (directed by Anton Corbijn)

Bonus Alternate Music Videos

People Are People (12″ Version) (directed by Clive Richardson)
But Not Tonight (Pool Version) (directed by Tamra Davis)
Soothe My Soul (Extended) (directed by Warren Fu)
Stripped (Unreleased Alternate Cut) (directed by Peter Care)

Bonus audio

2016 audio commentaries by Dave Gahan, Andy Fletcher and Martin Gore

For more on Depeche Mode, see Depeche Mode to announce tour dates and new album on October 11 on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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David Gahan (Depeche Mode) records David Bowie cover for charity together with Mark Lanegan (The Screaming Trees), Martyn LeNoble and Christian Eigner

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 17:28:28 +0000

Martyn LeNoble & Christian Eigner will release a cover of David Bowie and Giorgio Moroder’s “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” featuring Mark Lanegan (The Screaming Trees) and Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode).

The single will be released on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016 and will only be available as a digital release.

The release comes after years of crossover collaborations in various projects and bands of Martyn LeNoble, Christian Eigner, Mark Lanegan and Dave Gahan. Martyn: “It truly was a labor of love, a farewell and a ‘thank you!’ Everyone’s contribution lifted the track. So long David Bowie.”

The original track (which you can hear below) was the theme song to the lovely 1982 American erotic horror film “Cat People” directed by Paul Schrader and starring Nastassja Kinski and Malcolm McDowell. Giorgio Moroder composed the film’s score, including the theme song which features lyrics and vocals by David Bowie.

Mark Lanegan is known for his solo albums, The Screaming Trees, and his countless collaborations (Queens of the Stone Age, Soulsavers, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan). Martyn LeNoble from his side recorded and toured with Dave Gahan, Mark Lanegan, Soulsavers, Porno For Pyros, Jane’s Addiction and The Cult. And finally, Christian Eigner plays drums for Depeche Mode, co-produced and co-wrote Dave Gahan’s solo album “Hourglass” and co-wrote the Depeche Mode single “Suffer Well.

Here’s the original:

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘s ’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Depeche Mode in the studio in Santa Barbara recording a new album – here’s the proof

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 11:08:35 +0000

(Photos by Johan Vanderhoeven) Side-Line reader Johan Vanderhoeven is in Santa Barbara, California right now, and he posted a picture proving that the Depeche Mode gang is in the city to record a brand new album.

Says Johan: “I know they were in Martin’s studio which is in the center of the city, so I quickly passed by to take a picture when Fletch came out to have a smoke.”

The new album will be the follow-up to 2013’s “Delta Machine” album. In a webcast interview with Rob Bell on 25 January 2016, Martin Gore announced a projected return to the recording studio in April 2016, with both Gore and Dave Gahan having already written and demoed new songs. The new album is currently anticipated for a Spring 2017 release.

And a while back we asked what you expected for the new Depeche Mode album, here is your TOP 10 requests.

Surely get instant facebook shares and more on female facebook video views click here.

For more on Depeche Mode, see That’s how Depeche Mode left the studio after recording there for 6… on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Did you know this? Special extremely limited Depeche Mode T-shirt to celebrate Dave Gahan’s release from custody back in 1993

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 16:47:00 +0000

Here’s a rare item which Dennis Burmeister (writer of the must-have luxurious edited Depeche Mode book “Depeche Mode : Monument – The English Edition“) reminded us of on Facebook earlier today.

The picture shows a shirt featuring Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan, tour manager Jonathan Kessler and Martin Gore’s security Darrell Ives, following Gahan’s arrest for a disturbance at the hotel they were staying at. The incident took place in Quebec City, right at the start of the first USA leg of the Devotional tour. Gaian spent the night in jail, and this photo was taken by the press. These shirts were made to commemorate the event and given to crew members only so it wasn’t exactly mass produced.

Daryl Bamontes tour diary back then included this: “September 6th, Quebec: Did a rehearsal tonight and we have the opening night of the North American tour tomorrow night. The hotel sent us a memo today (in french). Kessler translated it. It basically said that all power in the hotel would be cut between 5am due to work being carried out. Couldn’t they have let us known when we booked the room 3 weeks ago? The memo also said that extra “stuff” would be provided to “assist” guests to their rooms in the darkness. What this should have said was: “Several large, fat, ugly, stupid off-duty policemen will shine industrial strength flashlights in your face whilst hurking obscenities at you in French, therefore implying that you have no right to be in the hotel and so giving them every right to deny you access to the rooms that you have paid a lot of money for. “signed The Management” As you can imagine, a melee ensued, and Dave bumped into one of them. I’m sitting writing this in the waiting room of the local nick as Kessler tries to get David and Darrell Ives (Head of Security) out on bail. One of the band is in jail and we haven’t even done a gig yet!”

And the journal post continues by saying: “September 7th, Quebec: Went to court with Dave today. All charges were dropped. We were so happy we bought ice lollies on the way out of the courthouse and appeared on the front cover of the local newspaper eating them. You’ve gotta laugh, aint ya? Dave did a very good show tonight, considering he had done some bird bang to rights.”

Thanks to Dennis for getting this item re-surfaced.

Note that Martin Gore would get arrested later on in Denver, which also deserved him a crew-only T-shirt, including his mugshot and the text “Enjoy The Silence”. See the detail on the left.

For more on Depeche Mode, see Paul Kendall (Recoil, Nitzer Ebb, Depeche Mode, …) shows us his 10… on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Martin Gore reveals that work on a new Depeche Mode album starts in April

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 18:48:42 +0000

In RobCast, a weekly podcast by Rob Bella, Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore has announced that Depeche Mode will ‘probably’ start recording a new album in April. According to the podcast, which you can listen below, Depeche Mode are planning to have a meeting within the next few weeks to schedule the future plans. The new album , their 14th studio album, would again be holding songs penned by both Martin Gore and frontman Dave Gahan.

Listen to the podcast below (past minute 57):

For the band it will be their first new album since the March 2013 released “Delta Machine” which only had one moderately successful single, “Heaven” (none of the 3 singles from the album reached the UK Top 40 for instance). The album itself was quite poorly received by the press, with both NME and Pitchfork Media giving it an all-time low 5/10 (also Side-Line was not impressed and gave it a 4/10); The Independent rated it 2/5 just like The Observer did.

In short, the band will have to prove that they are able to deliver a good album after a few not so brilliant releases. It’s unclear whether the new album will again be released via by Columbia Records and Mute Records. And it’s also unclear who will be in the production seat (Ben Hillier? Flood? …).

To be continued. In the meantime read what fellow fans expect from the new Depeche Mode album.

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘ tribute of Depeche Mode’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Mirror album feat. Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan re-released on vinyl in remastered version (200 copies only!)

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 10:28:27 +0000

Out in February 2016, but available now for pre-order (USA / EU), is a remastered reissue, on both vinyl and CD, of Mirror’s debut “Mirror” album. The vinyl edition comes in a gatefold sleeve that includes many images from Mirror’s multi-media shows. Lyrics are also included on a printed inner sleeve. A limited to 200 copies edition on red vinyl is available for collectors (order it here in EU / order it here in the USA). The CD and vinyl is a replica of the original out of print independent release and comes in a digipak with a 16-page booklet. Mirror is the project by Canadian artist Thomas Anselmi who has a long history in the Canadian music scene. He founded the Vancouver punk-rock act Slow in the 80s and was also at the center of Circle C, who more or less invented Radiohead’s sound before they did in the 90s. Here’s what Thomas Anselmi says about his project: “As a songwriter, I’ve spent a lot of time in my music career trying to be innovative. And one thing that struck me was watching the way [David] Lynch would use music in films. Rather than being innovative, the music was used in a way that was familiar. In other words, anything that sounded kind of challenging melodically, I got rid of. I made everything in a way like a lullaby.” On “Mirror” you’ll find a rather impressive cast: Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) takes on vocal duties for the album opener “Nostalgia”; Joe Dallesandro makes an appearance on “City Lights”; Mike Garson (the pianist from David Bowie’s “Alladin Sane”) contributes; as do guitarist Knox Chandler, former Grapes of Wrath keyboardist Vincent Jones (who produced the record), and Download collaborator Phil Western. Below are 2 tracks from the release.

Read the review of ‘Mirror’.

For more on Depeche Mode, see Former support act from Depeche Mode, The Soft Moon, issues 12 inch… on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Stream the Dave Gahan & Soulsavers live concert from yesterday now

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 13:10:50 +0000

Yesterday’s sold out show of Dave Gahan & Soulsavers at the Theatre at Ace Hotel, Los Angeles, CA is now available for online streaming. The band were presenting their upcoming “Angels & Ghosts” album, the 5th full-length studio album from Soulsavers, out on 23 October 2015.

Included in the 16-track strong setlist are the songs “In The Morning”, “Shine”, “You Owe Me”, “Tempted”, “Tonight”, “All Of This & Nothing”, “Presence Of God”, “Just Try”, “Don’t Cry”, “The Last Time”, “Take Me Back Home”, “My Sun” with as encore “Kingdom”, “Dirty Sticky Floors”, “Condemnation” and “Walking in My Shoes”.

“Angels & Ghosts” is Soulsavers’ second collaboration with Dave Gahan, the frontman of Depeche Mode, as guest vocalist and songwriter, this time released under the moniker “Dave Gahan & Soulsavers”. Soulsavers are an English production and remix team composed of Rich Machin and Ian Glover. In support of the album, a tour with a 10-piece band will follow with 6 shows scheduled in the US and Europe in late October and early November.

You can watch the entire show below. Note that some clever people have downloaded the concert and are already selling bootleg DVDs of the show on eBay. The music business anno 2015.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) takes the road with new Soulsavers collaboration album – listen to the first song

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 07:06:24 +0000

Out on October 23 is “Angels & Ghosts”, yet another collaboration between Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) and Soulsavers under the Dave Gahan & Soulsavers moniker. A first song and video (not for epilepsy and migraine sufferers), “All Of This And Nothing”, can be viewed below. It’s the second time that Gahan has been collaborating with the Soulsavers (the English production and remix team composed of Rich Machin and Ian Glover) after 2012’s “The Light the Dead See” album.

The album will be released as digital download, as well as physical CD and vinyl worldwide through Columbia. In support of the album, a tour will follow with six shows played in the US and Europe in late October and early November.

Dates confirmed so far:

October 19 – Los Angeles – The Theatre at Ace Hotel
October 22 – New York – Town Hall
October 26 – London – Shepherds Bush Empire
October 30 – Berlin – Tempodrom
November 2 – Paris – La Cigale
November 4 – Milan – Fabrique

Here’s the first video:

For more on Depeche Mode, see Amazon continues to sell bootleg CDs from Depeche Mode, Sisters Of… on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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