Depeche Mode -- Delta Machine

Details on Tuesday, as quoted on the Sounds of the Universe thread:

For Immediate Release

Depeche Mode Press Conference
Paris October 23 at 1:30pm

Depeche Mode - Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher – host a press conference in Paris October 23rd where they will be making an exciting announcement.

The press conference will begin promptly at 1:30pm and will be broadcast live online. Please stay tuned to depechemode.com for more details.

Depeche Mode have spent much of this year recording their forthcoming new studio album in Santa Barbara, California and New York City.

maybe I will finally see them live on the next tour

They seriously should invite Alan Moulder and Vince Clarke out on tour with them to a) make it awesomer and b) validate the need for a press conference.

Heh. Think you mean Alan Wilder?

they should invite all the Alans

Alan Parsons

TBF, the press release tease does not specifically say this is about an album. Wilder and the band have flirted with a reunion in recent years, and Gore's reunion with Clarke was interesting. Would not be shocked if Wilder returned.

Alan Vega would liven things up no end.
"We're all Alans! We're all lying in hell!"

they should invite all the Alans

My bad, but I approve of this idea!

Alan Cumming does a mean version of "Get The Balance Right"

TBF, the press release tease does not specifically say this is about an album.

Given that the press release does specifically TALK about the album they've been recording this year...

An album that everyone knows is coming, which they've already said is coming, which will surprise no one. So a press conference for a new album would be sort of anti-climactic. "Hey everyone, we've been working on a new album for most of the year, so tune in Tuesday for a special announcement: it's a new album!" But hey! Who knows? Maybe it's got a really cool name.

Fletch: "We've made an album that we're confident is up there as one of our best" etc. etc.

"And now we're going to proudly announce the dates for our World Tour!" etc. etc.

They did a press conference like this for Sounds of the Universe, they're just doing the same again. SOP straight down the way.

They've been doing press releases like this for years, no?

hold on - they organised a big press conference in Paris just to tell us they were still finishing an album that sounds kinda like Violator and kinda like SOFD?

And why not. Ben Hillier coproduction, tour dates announced for Europe, no title yet.

It usually feels like forever between DM albums, but it feels like "Sounds of the Universe" just came out. I can't believe it's been over three and a half years. Anyway, bring on the tour!

So is everyone poised for more bluesy-electro tracks about lust, sin and knees, then? :D

SoFaD is not among my favorite works by this band, so I'm a little disheartened.

however, "In Chains" is one of the best songs they ever did

I've never really understood why some folks are down on Songs Of Faith And Devotion, to me it's pretty much peak Depeche Mode stuff alongside Violator, Music For The Masses and Black Celebration. I dunno, maybe the heavier use of (*sigh*) 'real instruments' put some folks off, or the more 'alternative rock'-leaning vibe of the album, or maybe they were put off by the 'murky' quality of the recording (which I think adds to the overall atmosphere of the album, if anything).

Scratch beneath the surface of the recording and the arrangements, though, and I still feel it's a batch of SONGS as strong as those that were on the previous three.

I mean: 'I Feel You', 'Walking In My Shoes', 'Condemnation', 'Judas', 'In Your Room', 'Rush' and 'One Caress' are up there with Martin Gore's best-ever songs IMO.

I do think there's a lot of kneejerk "oh noes GUITARS" reaction to that album, which is just silly (especially when those guitars are fueling songs like "I Feel You")

"Condemnation" isn't their best effort, though.

It's a solid record, and by that I mean it sounds really solid, like, muscular. The singles were all pretty great, iirc. It's of a piece with the "lost" era of DP - Songs ..., Exciter and Ultra.

I do think there's a lot of kneejerk "oh noes GUITARS" reaction to that album, which is just silly (especially when those guitars are fueling songs like "I Feel You")

"Condemnation" isn't their best effort, though.

― Gandalf’s Gobble Melt (DJP), Thursday, October 25, 2012 6:17 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, exactly... and it's not like Depeche hadn't used guitars before: 'Enjoy The Silence' and 'Behind The Wheel', anyone? Or you could even go as far back as the middle eight to 'Love, In Itself'!

The only thing I don't like about 'Condemnation' is the video they made to go with it - otherwise, I love the song and think it's one of Dave Gahan's Top 10 vocal performances.

So is everyone poised for more bluesy-electro tracks about lust, sin and knees, then? :D

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, October 25, 2012 1:03 PM (32 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yup.

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

STOKED

First song: promising

These guys are the unlikeliest of Energizer bunnies

So it would seem like Mr. Martin Lee Gore has ruffled Simon Cowell's feathers a bit!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/x-factor/9705123/Simon-Cowell-fury-at-Depeche-Mode-star.html

Remarkably, this made front page of The Mirror tabloid newspaper here in the UK - so christ, it must have been a slow news day...

hahahaha

Hahah yeah, read about that the other day.

I guess Mr. Cowell doesn't understand that by branding Gore a 'weirdo', he is in some way (by extension) branding fans of Depeche Mode in the very same way. That's how I feel about it, anyway. I don't think Gore would be too bothered mind, he's been successful on a worldwide level on his own terms for... oooh, years now.

oh no, a weirdo, how insulting

I like how he says that as if he, Simon Cowell, is the most normal man on the planet

he thinks he's super-normal, and helps shape the mainstream of totally normal music, and is important.

Well, he did joke that Cowell should be shot. I'm surprised Cowell left it at "weirdo."

Still, if I was to guess which of these two had a fish fetish, I would say ... Cowell.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS8-3X9rr0iZGZpF6e8YDa-1UacOjDIJqQbk9zlgEFR6mkeDoGV

the disparity in insult is also hilarious

like, I'm certain in Cowell's mind calling someone a weirdo actually IS as nasty/violent as wishing for someone to get shot, but life kind of doesn't work that way

I think he means "weirdo" like "the people who are not normal who actually do shoot normal people, like myself, Simon Cowell"

really only two types of people in Simon Cowell's world: people that want to be like Simon Cowell, and all those weirdos who do that weird shit

And listen to that weird music.

“I am very happy with how the album turned out,” comments DM’s Martin Gore. “The music has a similar vibe to Violator and Songs of Faith and Devotion and I think the songs on the album are among some of the very best we’ve done.”

I loved it. It was better than Cats. I'm going to see it again and again.

Anyway, album out in March. Tour to follow in the summer.

Do we have a title yet?

They've had Playing the Angel and Sounds of the Universe so I'm guessing the new one is something like Cosmic Mopegasm

They are hard at work in the office devising a title.

Rumor has it it is called "Cosmic Mopegasm."

I reckon they should call it More Songs About Suffering, Sin and Knees

They should call it either "Depeche Mode" or maybe "Da Violator II." That would be awesome.

New Studio Album ‘Delta Machine’ coming March 26th on Columbia Records!

First single ‘Heaven’ next Friday, February 1st.

Full track listing and additional details: http://bitly.com/DeltaMachine

http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/c23.0.403.403/p403x403/398004_10151433523410329_2116556785_n.jpg

opening bands: Crystal Castles, Bar For Lashes

GOD DAMMIT WHY CAN'T I GO

Who has tickets and is a smugfuck? Hi there! Now Dan will kill me.

DEATH TO SMUGFUCK

ow

My first reaction was "Enough of the blues dirges already"

Well, it _is_ called "Delta Machine"

Yeah im still very ambivalent about the heavy blues bent of this record. I somehow miss the icy precision that was usually paired with it in the past

Well, it _is_ called "Delta Machine"

I just thought it was gonna have a lot of samples of table saws and planers, tbh.

I thought it was going to be about incremental changes

Burnt a CD for myself with the album in this configuration...

1. Welcome To My World
2. Angel
3. Heaven
4. Secret To The End
5. My Little Universe
6. Soft Touch/Raw Nerve
7. Should Be Higher
8. Broken
9. Soothe My Soul

Ah, that's better.

Don't know the album enough to see what you've changed but i'm surprised you took out Goodbye which is one of teh tracks that stood out on my first listen

Basically kept the first five songs the same and re-jigged the second half, cut down the length to about 40 minutes. I'm not a big fan of 'Goodbye' to be honest, but I love the way that 'Soothe My Soul' ends.

This album, like the last one, is the audio equivalent of tl;dr.

I think I actually prefer this one over Sounds Of The Universe, and definitely over Exciter.

You guys are pretty tough on Exciter

Exciter is mad underrated

It's a slow burner for sure - also it's got one of their best singles ('Dream On')

This is definitely better than SOTU and Exciter but yes, too long

I'm pondering who I'd like them to work with as producer for their next album.

That dude behind Recoil would be a good match, I reckon.

Trentemoller

the end of "Goodbye" has started reminding me of "Porpoise Song"

re new production directions :

trentmoller vs dm = more of the same surely ..

i mean a lot of trentmoller stuff is very dm-esque ...

obv Dave "Rave" Ogilvie

ummm .. 10 years ago maybe.

is he still involved and producing ?

not seen his name in credit lists for a long time .. but that could be cos i am not picking up the relevant stuff ...

he engineered "Call Me Maybe"

In 2011, Dave Ogilvie produced the instrumental mix for Call Me Maybe, the world-wide hit by Carly Rae Jepsen.

thanking u wikipedia

as much as some people would hate it due to the sonic brickwalling that he is known for, i would actually like to hear a collab between DM and jacknife lee.

the last jacknife lee 'solo' album (which i have never seen in a shop - despite it being a major record label release) was a bit of a slept on gem of noise based electro.

can definitely see the two making something of interest.

re dave : well i never ... from one extreme ..

ok so they played *But Not Tonight* for the first time EVER last night

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh4WHM_m2C8

with MG on vocals!

!

See this is why I should have been there, but they sadly did not select me as a winner, so.

Meantime, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top in the latest Record Collector says this:

I took a shine to Depeche Mode. I went to see them and it was SO heavy…it was rewarding to me as seeing James Brown in 1965….That inspired me and I was able to lightly steer the band.

Hero.

ZZ Top were inspired by OMD, too (as were Depeche Mode, funnily enough, although you'd never catch any former or current member that isn't Vince Clarke admitting to it).

So it would seem like they're playing 'Barrel Of A Gun', 'Black Celebration' and 'Higher Love' on this tour!

http://25.media.tumblr.com/7f52bbe0b9d397430e4ea51283b1dd19/tumblr_mmakuvXn9Y1qcoqfio1_1280.jpg

Setlist spread:

Speak & Spell = 1
A Broken Frame = 0
Construction Time Again = 0
Some Great Reward = 0
Black Celebration = 3
Music For The Masses = 1
Violator = 4
Songs Of Faith & Devotion = 3
Ultra = 1
Exciter = 0
Playing The Angel = 2
Sounds Of The Universe = 0
Delta Machine = 8

woah Higher Love..

Meantime a new remix surfacing for "Soothe My Soul" via Jacques Lu Cont

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/depeche-mode-rage-anew-in-soothe-my-soul-steve-angello-vs-jacques-lu-cont-remix-song-premiere-20130503

Incredible show tonight, much better than the one I saw in '09. In the past the live instruments seemed like embellishments (not a criticism) on top of the synth and other pre-programmed components. Now they sound much less constrained and freer with what they can play and how they can play it. Anyhow, it was awesome.

Slightly underwhelming O2 show last night. Dave was great as usual and the highs were spectacular - World in My Eyes, Behind the Wheel, Enjoy the Silence, Personal Jesus, Never Let Me Down Again, I Feel You, Halo - but it was a strange setlist, very heavy on the last decade, and some of the Delta Machine songs sound stolid live. Doubly annoying because the night before they played Walking in My Shoes (my favourite Depeche song), Policy of Truth, Question of Time and Black Celebration.

Annoyingly rockist too, thanks to the bloody drummer. Enjoy the Silence does not require a drum solo nor Just Can't Get Enough a latin beat,and I prefer Gore's guitar when it's providing precise embellishments rather than heavy riffs. I still had fun but, y'know.

This band is a long way - decades, really - away from three dudes standing behind synths and a twirling Dave. They have so many hits and iconic songs there's simply no way to do them all and satisfy everyone. The closest they came, really, was their hits tour some years back.

Yeah, part of me accepts that but another part of me was still disappointed. I preferred this setlist from the last time I saw them:

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/depeche-mode/2006/hyde-park-london-england-63d6b69b.html

And Billy Gibbons goes from being a fan to being a remixer:

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-billy-gibbons-depeche-mode/

LA show killed. All the Delta Machine selections sounded great live.

Oh also:

I am reasonably certain that Dave will never be able to sing "Should Be Higher" live

― the pheromones of hot clothing (DJP), Wednesday, March 27, 2013 8:26 AM

Incorrect! They did this, it was great, he sounded fantastic.

Here was our setlist via setlist.fm; looks like we got the alternate main set from DL's show:

Welcome to My World
(Extended intro)
Angel
Walking in My Shoes
Precious
Black Celebration
Policy of Truth
Should Be Higher
Barrel of a Gun

The Child Inside
But Not Tonight
(Acoustic; Sung by Martin)

Heaven
Soothe My Soul
A Pain That I'm Used To
('Jacques Lu Cont's Remix' version)
A Question of Time
Enjoy the Silence
Personal Jesus

Encore:

Home
Shake the Disease
(Acoustic; Sung by Martin)

Just Can't Get Enough
Never Let Me Down Again

No "Goodbye" to end the main set and no "I Feel You" in the encore, which I admit honestly surprised me!

Meantime according to Wikipedia, Martin's been doing a lot of changing up during his segments as the tour has gone on -- here are his usual selections:

"Higher Love"
"Only When I Lose Myself"
"The Child Inside"
"When the Body Speaks"
"Shake The Disease"
"But Not Tonight"
"Judas"
"Home"
"A Question of Lust"
"Somebody"
"Halo" (Goldfrapp Remix version)

Only a few tour films from Corbijn this time out -- "Should Be Higher" with the flames and circus performers was pretty good, loved the random "I will take Depeche out in nature and have them do random things" feeling of "Heaven," the doggies for "Precious" were, well, precious (in a good way). Contortionist poses for "Enjoy the Silence," Corbjin letterfonts for "Welcome to My World," there were at least a couple of others.

What else? Peter handled the keyboards as well as ever, Christian sounds like he has fully taken over the transformation of the group into a baroque rock band live. Fletch was Fletch. I mean he REALLY did not give a fuck and I love him for it. I think he only actually played keyboards three times. Martin's stage outfit was one of the most restrained I've seen from him in some years, just a silver demi-kilt plus whatever else he wore. He sounded a bit better than last time, wonder if he's taking some new singing lessons himself or prepping differently. Dave's voice really does sound better as he goes these days, he has aged in the best possible way. I was thinking how two of his most obvious role models when it comes to the stage -- Elvis more vocally, Freddie Mercury in terms of getting the crowd going -- passed on earlier before they reached the age he's at now, so there was never a full chance to compare/contrast. (Of course, he almost joined them several times over...)

Dope! I am going to see them Oct. 8 in Phx, which coincides nicely with the one-year anniv of me & my boyfriend, who is also a huge fan :D

So I gave Delta Machine a listen again from front-to-back tonight, and I guess it's grown on me a fair amount... I think this actually may have knocked Playing The Angel off the perch as my favourite post-Ultra album.

I just pulled up DM on Spotify and was surprised to be reminded they'd released an album only 2 years ago that I had COMPLETELY forgotten about.

the only missteps IMO are "Heaven" and "Slow", everything else ranges from good-if-not-necessarily-immediately-compelling to holy-shit-must-play-on-repeat

current fave song is "Secret to the End"

― the pheromones of hot clothing (DJP), Tuesday, April 2, 2013 10:50 PM (six years ago)

give "slow" a second chance. loud. stoned. you won't be sorry