2017 Spirit (88985411xxx)

тоже отметился рецензией.

Spirit is Depeche Mode’s most pointedly topical album, but the synth giants still write universal, stadium-sized music. These songs make you feel like singing in response to today’s headlines.

The 14th studio album from synth giants Depeche Mode begins with frontman Dave Gahan declaring that “We are not there yet/We have not evolved.” It’s the first of many admonitions Gahan issues on what turns out to be the most pointedly topical and compassionate effort in the band’s career. Over solemn piano chords and a lockstep electro groove that hints at the cadence of a protest march, Gahan laments how “we feel nothing inside” as we “track it all with satellites” and “watch men die in real time.” By track two, “Where’s the Revolution,” Gahan begins calling for out-and-out revolt, chiding the audience: “Come on people/You’re letting me down.” In his golden-throated baritone, Gahan reminds us that we’ve been “pissed on/For too long,” our “rights abused” by governments who “Manipulate and threaten/With terror as a weapon.”

Apparently, principal lyricist and songwriter Martin Gore is no longer content to focus all his attention on the spiritual searching that has defined Depeche Mode’s music for more than 30 years. Over that time, few artists have so artfully portrayed the inner dialogue between redemption and indulgence. By the band’s 1990 breakout Violator, Gore had basically invented his own syntax for the human condition as a purgatorial struggle between sinful pleasures and a yearning for higher peace. And Gahan, with his ability to invest urgency, soul, and a feeling of debauched weariness into subjects like S&M and tortured love, has never failed to translate Gore’s restless malaise to the throngs who fill stadiums to connect with it. Gahan turns despair into sex appeal unlike no other. But this time, he’s tasked with looking up from his satin, regret-stained sheets and making us believe that an aging rock star really cares about civil unrest.

Gahan delivers Gore’s state-of-world address for three songs in a row before going back to the band’s bread-and-butter obsessions. Later, though, on “Poorman”—which self-consciously references the spartan electronic gurgle of the Violator hit “Policy of Truth”—Gore and Gahan risk coming off as oblivious to the irony when they observe that “corporations get the breaks/Keeping almost everything they make” and ask, “When will it trickle down?” But Depeche Mode deliver anthems with such proficiency that sincerity barely matters. A song like “Where’s the Revolution” makes you feel like singing in response to today’s headlines. Depeche Mode still make universal, stadium-sized music that’s limber enough to fit through your bedroom doorframe, as if it had been conceived with your life in mind.

In some respects, though, their consistency works against them. The sixth album since the departure of multi-instrumentalist/arranger Alan Wilder, Spirit sees Depeche Mode once again shuffling through the most quintessential components of their sound. On “Cover Me,” Gore’s haunting Lanois-esque guitar twang allows you to close your eyes and picture yourself under the Northern lights Gahan sings about. But aside from “Cover Me,” Spirit lacks the ambience of Depeche Mode’s most atmospheric material. If only producer/mixer James Ford (Florence and the Machine, Foals, Arctic Monkeys) had disheveled the sounds a bit, Spirit could have better asserted its place in Depeche Mode’s body of work.

Instead, Ford—who is also one half of the electronic duo Simian Mobile Disco—mimics the vibe of the band’s iconic work with producer Flood. But even Flood didn’t imitate himself when he mixed the last DM album, 2013’s far more creatively resolute Delta Machine. Nevertheless, this is a band whose effortlessness can misguide you into thinking they’re not trying. Don’t be fooled. In the bridge of “Where’s the Revolution,” Gahan repeats the line “the train is coming, the train is coming... get on board.” You can draw inspiration from that lyric whether or not you take to the streets or petition your elected officials. Gore’s directive is less about activism and more about opening your heart so that it guides your conscience. For him, the term “spirit” has come to encompass politics, but it’s fueled by the same eros that’s driven the band’s music since day one. Which is why Spirit is so convincing in spite of its radical shift in tenor. For both the band and audience, that shift couldn’t have come at a better time.

Ребят! А в хай резолюшн никто не качал альбом?

альбом не однозначный
мне понравился
одни треки больше одни меньше, но плохих нет

жду с нетерпением когда привезут CD deluxe

и тогда колонки на полную а в них Scum и Poison Heart

Ещё одна

Вот как так то

dMUniverse, Dyskografia, Global Spirit Tour 2017-2018

Interview with Charles Duff (MATRIXXMAN) – keyboard programmer for Depeche Mode’s new album – „Spirit”

Posted by Karolleks on 2017-03-17

„Sure thing” Charles said to us, when we poke him once upon time via Twitter asking for the interview. And this is it! Karolleks doing the inteview with Matrixxman brings us behind the curtain of the Spirit – 14th depeche MODE album, which is out today.
Before Spirit

Karolleks: I just want to add that we thank you a lot for your kind will to do that interview with us. It is really highly appreciated!

Matrixxman: It’s my pleasure Karol. Glad I can be of service to you

Karolleks: How did you end up working with Depeche? Is it something you always wanted to do or just got an offer and went along with it?

Matrixxman: I am still not quite certain how this all came about. I suppose there were a number of candidates for this particular position and for whatever reason Martin seemed to like my stuff. Truth be told, the offer came at a time when my own techno career started to really pick up so it was hilarious timing-wise. I had also just moved to Berlin and was in the midst of heavy touring in Europe and then the phone call from Martin came. For a brief moment I was worried about having to cancel DJ gigs (as in, would there be repercussions? Might I piss some people off? Etc.) but I rather quickly came to my senses and realized it was worth it no matter what the cost to my own career was. It turned out to be one of the most crazy adventures of my life thus far.

Karolleks: Did you know Depeche well before? Any particular album/song that is your favorite?

Matrixxman: I hadn’t thought I would ever have the chance to work with a band like them, to be honest. The whole thing kind of blindsided me. I was certainly a fan before this all happened. My favourite album would undoubtedly be Violator. My favourite song would be a tie between Behind the Wheel and Shake the Disease. I find myself coming back to that album more frequently than I’d like to admit

Karolleks: How much do the demos differ from the final versions?

Matrixxman: Contrary to what I heard of some of the previous producers, James had a special reverence for the vibe of the original demos and worked hard to keep that core energy intact. Some of the tunes took sharp turns but more or less, I’d say many of them were already so strong as demos they didn’t need a ton of work. Gore has his finger on the pulse, so to speak. Virtually all of the beats and sounds he came up with entirely on his own were cool as hell. Far cooler than what most of my peers.

Karolleks: Was there any particular song that the band struggled with and that took much more time for them to get it finished?

Matrixxman: Hmm. Cover Me required some quality time. Maybe there were some others but this one stands out in my mind. This particular track Dave wrote initially. He was adamant that we should all try to get busy and „fuck it up” as the kids would say. At first I had a tough time coming up with compelling things for this tune but Dave did a great job of urging us to get weird and creative. James did some really cool tweaking of the voicing of the chords which helped push it in a darker direction. I came up with a sort of Pink Floyd-ish arpeggiated synth pattern that I hummed to Martin and we set about making that. Kurt worked his synth magic as well. Next thing you know, all of the contributions really brought the track to life. It took on this eerie, cinematic quality that wasn’t previously present.

Karolleks: Were there any more songs that never made it to the album/deluxe version ? If so, how many of them?

Matrixxman: Yes. There were a few indeed. Can’t recall how many exactly but there were a couple at least.

Karolleks: Were they finished songs ? Or just eliminated at the very beginning (at demo stage)? Did you start working with them, but they never got finished ? Do you have any idea if the band is planning to release them separately (as b-sides or some extras)?

Matrixxman: There were a few demos that were gorgeous but didn’t make the cut for some reason. I think the basis for the album had already been roughly fleshed out so new candidates weren’t being brought to the table any longer. We never even got a chance to start on them. I legitimately have no clue what their plans are for those remaining tunes but if I had to say, they might never see the light of day.

Karolleks: What was the biggest obstacle while programming the keyboards and during the production of Spirit overall?

Matrixxman: Well, for starters I had never used modular synths AT ALL before this album. Lol. And then my ass walks into the studio and I’m confronted with wall to wall modular synths. I remember thinking to myself „Holy shit. What on earth am I going to do?” It worked out though. I am quite comfortable with your traditional synth keyboards; I know my synthesis architecture and sound design reasonably well so ultimately it didn’t prove to be too problematic. A little bit of messing around before the studio sessions started helped out immensely. But damn if I wasn’t mortified at first.

Karolleks: Did you have any contribution to working with vocals? Among the reviews around the world, people noticed that Dave’s vocals are mostly filtered (meaning it’s not a clear pure vocal, there’s always some effect added). And while in Scum it just seems to be intentional for the way it sounds, what was the reason to do that for other songs ? Did Dave have any difficulty with tuning his voice, or it was just an idea how the vocals should be done on this record? Whose idea was it? It seems like it’s one of the things that reviews are not to happy about on this album.

Matrixxman: I didn’t personally work with the vocals at all during the album but in reference to Scum, I’m pretty sure Martin’s original demo had heavily distorted vocals on it. So that would explain why Dave’s vocals had the same treatment on that particular tune. Dave gave exceptional vocal deliveries in the studio. His takes were damn near flawless from my perspective so I can only assume that any effects on the vocals were Dave and Martin’s choice or perhaps informed by James.

Karolleks: Spirit seems to be a lot more different if it comes to length of the songs on this record. Namely, this album is significantly shorter in total than it’s precedents, although the number of songs stays the same. Was it the original idea of the band or did James Ford have an influence on it ?

Matrixxman: That’s a good question. I believe James kind of reached a point where he felt the album was more or less done and it seemed intuitively like the right move for him. Not sure how much communication took place between him and the band.

Karolleks: Was there any particular order on which of the songs were you guys working ? Did you work a little on each songs all the time, or did you just got one song finished and moved to another?

Matrixxman: We were working on one song at a time mostly. I can’t recall how the order was dictated. Occasionally we would go back to another older song but it was a fairly linear process in which we were focusing on one song usually.

Karolleks: Whose idea the coda of Cover Me was? Did Dave’s demo include that or did you come up with this in the studio? It’s a very interesting and I must say – amazing piece of music.

Matrixxman: The coda was either James‚ or Dave’s doing but creatively speaking, it was an amalgamation of everyone’s talent then and there. I’m happy that the arpeggio thing I contributed helped tie it together. Kurt came up some epic synth stuff as well.

Karolleks: Was there any idea of yours that the band didn’t want to go along with and you thought of it as a big mistake?

Matrixxman: I wanted to do some super 80s style drums on one tune or another, and it got shot down ultimately. I get it though; they lived through the 80s so they’ve already been there and done that. I was just following my impulses to do something very retro at that moment. But it’s cool. I respect their opinion.

Karolleks: When you guys were working in the studio, there were rumors around the world that Peter Gordeno and Christian Eigner have contributed into your work in the studio. Is that true ? If yes, which songs did they work on with the band ? It is known that they worked on Dave’s demos for this album.

Matrixxman: I have no clue actually. They could have been involved but I’m not sure.

Karolleks: What is your personal favorite on this album?

Matrixxman: Eternal. It’s so dark and chilling. It makes me want to cry.

Karolleks: To what extent did Andy Fletcher contribute to the creative part of the album ? How would you describe his contribution to the band in the studio?

Matrixxman: He would suggest we try a different key or perhaps speed up or slow down a song. He would make this suggestion frequently. He did have a good perspective with regard to the overall „vibes” of the tunes and would know when something needed more work or if it was good as is. Andy was also the only one who would hang out with us in the evenings so we enjoyed many a night with him after the long studio sessions. At times of frustration he actually provided a great boost in morale for the team I think.

Karolleks: Was there anything significantly different/special that you noticed when working with Depeche comparing to other bands and artists?

Matrixxman: Yeah, they’re simply brilliant geniuses. It was an exceptionally fun yet creatively challenging experience. Most of my other studio sessions I’ve done previously kind of pale in comparison, which is understandable.

Karolleks: What do you think of Depeche Mode live? (the sound, show, performance in total). Have you ever been to a Depeche Modeconcert before and are you going to any of Depeche shows during the upcoming Global Spirit tour ? Did you see them rehearsing ?

Matrixxman: Never seen them live! I would love to catch them one day. I may have seen them briefly rehearsing one night.

Karolleks: How do you like Spirit overall ? What in your opinion are the pros and cons of this album ?

Matrixxman: I am very proud of it. It’s cons would only be that I would have liked to have more songs on the album but that was not my decision.
After Spirit

Karolleks: And lastly, what are your plans for the future? Any new projects? Is there any chance for you to be supporting DM on the upcoming tour? Would you be willing to work with Depeche again?

Matrixxman: I have left the world of DM to return back to my dark techno lair. Just released a couple 12″ EPs and there is a bunch more on the way. I will not be touring with DM but if you happen to reside in Europe I’ll be playing some cool festivals this summer like Dekmantel, and of course, Berghain now and again.

For the time being I am just releasing my own music at the moment but who knows what the future has in store. It would be an honour to work with DM again (and perhaps even in the capacity of a producer) should the opportunity present itself.

Подскажите! В этот раз мы не видим перспектив High Resolution, DTS и т.д.?
А японские издания Blu Spec CD что из себя представляют?
там те же 16/44.1 или что-то повкуснее?
Что купить то !!!

Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan On The New Album 'Spirit'

March 19, 20177:52 AM ET

Heard on Weekend Edition Sunday

Depeche Mode burst onto the scene in the 1980s with a new, synth-driven sound and an appeal to the dark and broody. Decades later, the band's sound remains familiar — but its latest album, Spirit, feels rooted in the present. Singer Dave Gahan says songs like "The Worst Crime" were written as tension mounted worldwide around the 2016 presidential campaign in the US and Brexit in the UK.

"Actually, this is one of my favorite songs on the album: It has a beautiful melody, but lyrically it's pretty slamming," he says. "The way we divide each other — you know, racial divides. [It's] kind of calling out to really question that, to kind of check yourself — me included, everyone else included. Like, where do you really stand, what are the choices you're really making? Do you really love thy neighbor, and are you willing to accept the differences? We just seem to be slipping backwards."

Gahan spoke with NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro about dealing with divisions within his own band, and why he believes Depeche Mode became the preferred music of misfits and outsiders. Hear more of their conversation at the audio link.

Depeche Mode
Dave Gahan: Kritik nicht so wichtig

Das neue Album von Depeche Modes ist seit dem Wochenende erhältlich. Jetzt verriet Sänger Dave Gahan, dass er nicht viel auf Kritiken gebe.

"Ich bin von der Menschheit enttäuscht"

20. März 2017 | 14.57 Uhr

Interview mit Depeche Mode-Kopf Martin Gore

Düsseldorf. Die britische Band Depeche Mode hat soeben ihr neues Album "Spirit" veröffentlicht. Martin Gore, der Kopf der Gruppe, spricht über seine Idole, den Musikgeschmack seiner Kinder und die verblüffende Vorliebe der Neonazis für seine Band. Von Philipp Holstein, Berlin

Viel Gewusel im Waldorf Astoria am Bahnhof Zoo: Depeche Mode sind in Berlin, um ihr neues Album "Spirit" vorzustellen. Es ist noch düsterer als gewohnt und brummt sehr versonnen in der Mittellage vor sich hin – die Welt, sie ist halt so zurzeit. Dave Gahan, der Sänger, der sich einen dünnen Bart über der Oberlippe hat wachsen lassen, schreitet über den tiefen Teppich in der zweiten Etage. Alle werden still und schauen ihm hinterher: wie eine Schlange bewegt er sich, so charismatisch und elegant.

In einer großen Suite, die aber bis auf zwei Stühle und ein Tischen leer ist, residiert sein Bandkollege und Widerpart Martin Gore. Früher gingen Depeche Mode mit einem Dealer und einem Psychologen auf Tour, munkelt man, der Dealer war für Gahan, der Arzt für Gore. Nachdem Gahan fast an einem Drogencocktail gestorben wäre, schon klinisch tot war, lassen sie es ruhiger angehen. Gore ist 55, sehr ruhig und sehr freundlich. Er trägt einen grauen Flausch-Pulli und Doc Martens, und er sitzt goldgelockt da wie ein König im Exil.

Welche drei Platten haben Sie zu dem Mann gemacht, der mir heute gegenüber sitzt?

Gore Mein erster und größter Einfluss ist David Bowie. Als ich elf war, kam "Ziggy Stardust" heraus, und mein Cousin schenkte mir die Platte. Ich weiß gar nicht mehr warum. Ich war sofort gefangen genommen, ich war fasziniert.

Und die zweite Platte?

Gore Als ich zehn war, fand ich einen Kasten mit Schallplatten. Es waren alles Singles, und sie gehörten meiner Mutter. Elvis, Chuck Berry, Del Shannon, The Platters. Platten aus der Rock 'n' Roll-Ära. Wegen dieser Singles verliebte ich mich in die Musik. Ich saß in meinem Zimmer vor einem kleinen Plattenspieler und hörte wieder und wieder dieselben Songs.

Und die dritte Platte?

Gore Das ist das Weiße Album von den Beatles.

Oh, ausgerechnet das Weiße Album. Es ist ihre schwierigste Platte.

Gore Ja, das stimmt. Deshalb mag ich sie. Es ist so anders. Sehr spannend. Man hört der Platte an, dass Paul und John sich in andere Richtungen entwickelten.

Ich hätte gedacht, Sie würden Kraftwerk als Einfluss nennen. Haben Sie die Gruppe jemals getroffen?

Gore Wir haben mal in Aachen gespielt. Das war sehr früh in unserer Karriere, 1982, glaube ich. Und wir hörten, dass Kraftwerk zur der Show kommen würden. Wir waren unglaublich aufgeregt, denn Sie waren unsere großen Idole. Wir benutzten damals einen PPG-Synthesizer. Der war eigentlich nicht zum Reisen geeignet. Und er ging während des ersten Songs kaputt. Der Auftritt wurde grausam, denn das war ja unser wichtigstes Keyboard. Wir trafen Kraftwerk dann nicht mehr. Man sagte uns nachher, sie hätte es schrecklich gefunden und seien vor dem Ende der Show gegangen.

Wie hören Sie Musik?

Gore Fast nur als Downloads. Ich habe aber auch einen Plattenspieler und manchmal kaufe ich mir Vinyl. Aber selten.

Wie stoßen Sie auf neue Musik?

Gore Nach Techno suche ich auf der Internet-Plattform Beatport. Ich höre aber auch viel klassische Musik. Die finde ich bei iTunes.

Ihr Sohn müsste jetzt 14 sein.

Gore Vierzehneinhalb.

Welche Musik mag er?

Gore Er mag die Band The Killers.

Glauben Sie, man kann den Musikgeschmack seiner Kinder beeinflussen?

Gore Hm. Ich habe fünf Kinder. Drei sind schon groß, zwischen 14 und 25, zwei noch ziemlich klein. Das jüngste kam übrigens am Montag auf die Welt.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch!

Gore Danke. Jedenfalls glaube ich nicht, dass man ihre Vorlieben beeinflussen kann. Es liegt in den Genen, ob sie ein Ohr für Musik haben. Ob es ihre Leidenschaft wird. Meine Kinder sind sehr musikalisch.

Das Depeche-Mode-Debüt "Speak & Spell" von 1981 war ihr erstes optimistisches Album. Und ihr letztes.

Gore (lacht laut auf)

Was ist danach mit Ihnen passiert? Was hat sie so traurig gemacht?

Gore Vince Clarke ist gegangen. Seitdem bin ich traurig. (Anmerkung: Clarke war Gründungsmitglied bei Depeche Mode, stieg aber früh aus und gründete die Bands Yazoo und Erasure)

Glauben sie nicht, dass über Melancholie bereits alles gesagt ist?

Gore Ach, wenn man diese Logik auf alle Kunstbereiche anwenden würde, müsste man gar nicht mehr anfangen, neue Kunst zu produzieren.

Lange Zeit schrieben nur Sie die Songs für Depeche Mode. Das hat sich verändert. Dave Gahan hat vier Stücke auf der aktuellen Platte geschrieben. Verschiebt sich das Machtgefüge?

Gore Dave schrieb bereits drei Stücke auf "Playing The Angel", drei auf "Sounds Of The Universe" und drei auf "Delta Machine". Und nun hat er wieder drei geschrieben, das vierte haben wir gemeinsam geschrieben. Das geht also schon eine ganze Weile so.

Man spürt neuerdings Zorn und Wut in Ihren Stücken, in "Fail" vor allem.

Gore Ja. Ich bin enttäuscht von der Menschheit zurzeit, das sind trostlose Zeiten. Wenn man beim Liederschreiben mit vollem Herzen dabei ist, ist die Reaktion Zorn.

Deutschland fühlten sie sich immer schon verbunden. Was macht uns so attraktiv?

Gore Wir kamen 1983 nach Berlin. Wir wollten unbedingt im Hansa-Studio aufnehmen, wo Bowie gearbeitet hatte. Und es war toll. Das waren die 80er, und West-Berlin war der Ort, an dem man sein musste. Tolle Clubs, große Künstler. Ich hatte eine deutsche Freundin damals. So zog ich her für zwei Jahre.

Wo lebten Sie?

Gore In Charlottenburg.

Hat Deutschland ihre Ästhetik beeinflusst?

Gore Ein bisschen bestimmt. Nehmen sie Kraftwerk oder den Krautrock. Das sind wichtige Einflüsse für mich.

Mögen sie aktuelle Künstler von hier?

Gore Ich mag Atom TM sehr. Und Alva Noto. Und das Label Raster Noton.

Das sind alles Techno-Künstler. Diesen Einfluss spürt man auch in den Remixen Ihrer Songs. Suchen Sie die Remixer aus?

Gore Wir alle. Außerdem haben wie einen Freund, der sich sehr gut auskennt. Wir sitzen dann zusammen und entscheiden, wem wir die Aufträge geben. Auf der Deluxe-Edition der aktuellen Platte haben wir übrigens selbst Remixes geliefert.

Der US-Neonazi Richard Spencer hat sie jüngst als offizielle Band der alternativen Rechten bezeichnet. Er sei ein Fan, und zwar wegen des angeblich faschistischen Elements in Ihrer Musik. Was sagen Sie dazu?

Gore Wir waren schockiert. Und sehr verdutzt. Nehmen Sie irgendeins unserer Alben, schauen sie auf die Texte, und Sie werden sehen, dass wir eher links als rechts stehen. Ein Freund von mir sagte, der Kerl möge sich mal Bilder von uns aus den 80er Jahren ansehen. Wir trugen Make-up und Minirock: Sehen diese Typen aus wie die Posterband der Rechtsradikalen?

Philipp Holstein führte das Gespräch.