That’s why for me it’s a perfect album title.” “We’ve gone back to a lot of old vintage gear, without making the album sound too retro. “We’ve used a lot of old analogue synthesisers and drum machines, which conjure up image of the universe and space travel somehow,” Martin explains. The album title ‘Sounds Of The Universe’ has various meanings, from its spiritual subtext to its retro-futuristic arrangements. We’re even doing a deluxe version of the album with about 17 or 18 tracks, including old demos from current and previous albums.” We’ve recorded about 20 songs, which is pretty good for Depeche Mode. “Martin’s been writing really prolifically, to a high standard. “The overriding thrust of the album is the number of high quality songs,” Andy agrees. “The overall atmosphere in the studio has been fantastic. “We’ve had the luxury this time of recording a lot more songs than we really need, all of which have been of great quality.” “All of us have had a really good time being together,” says Martin. “It’s a tremendous record, just to blow our own trumpet,” laughs Dave. Recorded in Santa Barbara and New York, ‘Sounds Of The Universe’ was born from positive creative chemistry, and it really shows. Old tensions have been resolved, hatchets buried and bad habits conquered. From Dave’s overlord chant on the mighty first single Wrong to Martin’s velvet-lined Scott Walker croon on the sensual lounge-music ballad Jezebel, and from the sci-fi gospel-blues hymn In Chains to the sleazy electronic glam-rock stomp Corrupt, this is a classic Depeche Mode album.Īs they approach their 30th anniversary, Depeche Mode are on a personal and musical high. Musically, ‘Sounds Of The Universe’ will please fans of every age and taste.
DEPECHE MODE SONGS OF THE UNIVERSE ALBUM PLUS
Lyrically, it contains many of the band’s enduring obsessions – lust, spirituality, romantic yearning, sinful temptation and sadomasochism – plus more overt black humour than any of their previous albums.
‘Sounds Of The Universe’ is Depeche Mode’s latest forward-thinking masterpiece, a Violator for the 21st century. They overcame internal friction and critical hostility to become one of the most influential bands of the post-punk era, namechecked by everyone from The Killers, MGMT, Coldplay, Pet Shop Boys and Marilyn Manson. With global sales in excess of 100 million, including Number One albums and dozens of classic singles, Depeche Mode belong to a select premier league of supergroups – alongside U2, REM and Metallica – who have survived from the early 1980s with their ideals, their creative vision and their core members intact. Eclectic and energised, they sound like a band reborn. ‘Sounds Of The Universe’ finds Martin Gore, Dave Gahan and Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher back at the top of their game after almost 30 years together.
Groundbreaking, chart-topping electronic legends Depeche Mode return in April 2009 with their most dazzling and diverse album in decades.