Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode are a renowned British electronic music band that rose to prominence in the 1980s and remains one of the genre’s most influential acts in the twenty-first century. Founded in Basildon, Essex, in 1980, the band’s primary lineup includes vocalist Dave Gahan; keyboardists Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher; and vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist Martin Gore. After achieving modest success in Europe with the 1981 release of their debut album Speak & Spell, Depeche Mode soon became an international hit thanks to successful follow-up works like Some Great Reward (1984). By the late 1980s, Depeche Mode were one of the biggest bands of the electronic music genre. Depeche Mode continued to evolve through the 1990s and into the twenty-first century. Thanks to a popular resurgence in the late 2000s, Depeche Mode returned to prominence with several new releases, including 2017’s Spirit, and the longest live tour in their history.

Background

Electronic music is a form of music produced with electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology. Electronic music can be created using either electromechanical sound-producing devices or through purely electronic means. Common electromechanical sound-producing devices include electric guitars, Hammond organs, and telharmoniums. Computers and sound synthesizers can be used to produce purely electronic sounds.

The history of electronic music dates to the late nineteenth century, when the first electronic musical instruments were created. The earliest electronic musical instruments subsequently appeared in the 1920s and 1930s. The 1940s saw the introduction of magnetic audio tape that could be used to record and modify sounds. This development led directly to the emergence of electroacoustic tape music. Also during the 1940s, musical visionaries in Paris pioneered an experimental electronic form of composition called musique concrète. In musique concrète, producers edited together recorded fragments of various natural and industrial sounds to create a unique auditory pastiche. The rise of musique concrète eventually resulted in the establishment of the world’s first dedicated electronic music studio. Another breakthrough came when German musicians began producing music using only electronic generators in the early 1950s. Around the same time, people also started using computers to compose music. American and European audiences first experienced live performances of electronic music in the early 1960s.

The influence of electronic music on popular music increased significantly in the 1970s, thanks to the introduction of polyphonic synthesizers like the Yamaha GX-1 and Prophet-5, as well as electronic drums and drum machines. Electronic music enjoyed a particularly strong presence in popular genres such as disco, synthpop, and new wave. The popularity and flexibility of electronic music increased even further in the 1980s with the creation of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) and the debut of Yamaha’s DX7 FM digital synthesizer. In the 1990s, electronically produced music began to enjoy widespread popularity due to the rise of genres like techno and electronic dance music (EDM). Since that time, electronic music and electronically produced music remain popular across a wide variety of genres and styles.

Overview

Depeche Mode is a popular electronic music group best known for songs like “Enjoy the Silence,” “Personal Jesus,” and “Just Can’t Get Enough.” The band’s origins can be traced back to 1976, when Vince Clarke and Andy Fletcher, a pair of keyboardists from Basildon, England, cofounded a musical group called No Romance in China. While No Romance in China folded after only a short time, Clarke pressed on and formed another band known as French Look with guitarist and keyboardist Martin Gore in 1979. The two were subsequently joined by Fletcher and, in 1980, vocalist Dave Gahan. Gahan suggested changing the group’s name to Depeche Mode after a phrase he saw in a French fashion magazine. While it is popularly believed that the name means “fast fashion,” it more directly translates as “fashion news” or “fashion update.”

Depeche Mode made their initial breakthrough playing in various London clubs. Buoyed by that success, the band released their debut single, “Photographic,” in 1980. Several more singles followed after they signed with Mute Records in 1981. The biggest hit of these early releases was the upbeat “Just Can’t Get Enough,” which quickly cracked the top ten on the British charts. “Just Can’t Get Enough” also appeared on Depeche Mode’s 1981 debut LP, Speak & Spell. Although Speak & Spell was a clear hit, Depeche Mode was soon dealt a blow when Clarke decided to leave the group to form a new band called Yazoo. In response, Fletcher, Gore, and Gahan drafted keyboardist Alan Wilder to replace the departing Clarke.

With Gore at the helm as primary songwriter, Depeche Mode returned to the charts with 1982’s A Broken Frame and 1983’s Construction Time Again. It was not until the 1984 release of Some Great Reward, however, that Depeche Mode achieved true commercial and artistic legitimacy. The band’s commercial success was further solidified with the release of Black Celebration (1986), a record that ultimately earned gold status in the United States. Their last album of the 1980s was Music for the Masses (1987).

Depeche Mode reached new levels of success in the early 1990s thanks to the rise of alternative music in the first part of that decade. The band’s Violator (1990) was a smash hit that went triple platinum. Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993) was equally successful. Shortly thereafter, the band’s fortunes took a turn for the worse. Gahan was forced to temporarily exit Depeche Mode in 1995 due to a heroin addiction and an attempted suicide. As a result, Fletcher, Gore, and Wilder continued as a trio starting with the release of Ultra (1997), though Gahan returned to play and record with group at times following his initial departure. In 2001, Depeche Mode released a follow-up to Ultra called Exciter.

The release of Playing the Angel (2005) marked the beginning of a resurgence for Depeche Mode that included several successful tours and the creation of additional albums like Sounds of the Universe (2009), Delta Machine (2013), and Spirit (2017). In 2020, Depeche Mode were honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Fletcher died at the age of sixty in 2022 from an aortic dissection, a tear in the aorta. Gahan and Gore continued performing as a duo. They released the album Memento Mori in 2023 and embarked on a tour.

Bibliography

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