Depeche Mode is a musical group that was created in 1980 in Basildon, Essex.
The band's work is a combination of rock and electronica, and later synth-pop was added there. It is not surprising that such diverse music has attracted the attention of millions of people.
For all the time of its existence, the team has received the status of a cult. Various charts repeatedly brought them to the leading positions, singles and albums sold out at a breakneck pace, and the British magazine Q included the group in the list of "50 bands that changed the world."
The history of the formation of the group Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode's roots date back to 1976, when keyboardist Vince Clarke and his friend Andrew Fletcher first formed the duo No Romancein China. Later, Clarke formed a new duo, inviting Martin Gore. Andrew later joined them.
At the beginning of their journey, the vocal parts were on Vince Clarke. In 1980, singer David Gahan was invited to the group. Several tracks were recorded, which were based on a synthesizer, and the name was changed to the Depeche Mode group (translated from French as "Fashion Bulletin").
Further development and changes in the composition of Depeche Mode
The band's debut album, Speak & Spell, was released in 1981. Daniel Miller (the founder of the Mute Records label) contributed to this in many ways, who noticed talented guys at a performance at the Bridge House bar and offered them cooperation.
The first track recorded together with this label was called Dreaming of M, which was very popular. It peaked at number 57 on the local chart.
Shortly after the release of their debut album, Vince Clarke left the band. From 1982 to 1995 his place was taken by Alan Wilder (keyboardist/drummer).
In 1986, the melancholic atmospheric album Black Celebration was released. It was he who brought huge commercial success to his creators.
The album sold over 500 million copies worldwide, earning it gold status.
The album Music for the Masses gained even more popularity, which included 3 hot singles, and the album itself sold 1 million copies.
There was a real boom in alternative music, in the 1990s the Depeche Mode group raised it to a new level of popularity and universal recognition. However, in the same years the group experienced not the best of times.
In 1993, two records were released, but addiction to drugs affected the integrity of the team. Due to disagreements in the team, Wilder left.
David Gahan became addicted to drugs and often missed rehearsals. Martin Gore fell into a deep depression. For some time, Fletcher also left the team.
In 1996, Gahan experienced clinical death as a result of an overdose. The saving straw for him was the third wife - the Greek Jennifer Skliaz, with whom the musician has been together for 20 years.
In the fall of 1996, the team reunited again. From that moment until now, the Depeche Mode group consists of the following three members:
- Martin Gore;
- Andrew Fletcher;
- David Gahan.
A year later, the studio album Ultra was released, featuring the hits Barrelof a Gun and It's No Good. In 1998, the band went on a massive tour, playing 64 shows in 18 countries.
Early 2000s to present
In the 2000s, the band presented their fans with 5 albums, which included remixes and unreleased songs accumulated over the past 23 years.
In October 2005, Playing the Angel was released - the 11th studio album, which became a real hit. In the same year, the group went on a world tour, which turned out to be the highest grossing in the history of existence. The number of people at the concerts exceeded the 2,8 million mark.
In 2011, there were rumors about a new album, which was released 2 years later. The next work Spirit was released in March 2017. The first concert in support of this album was held at the Friends Arena in Stockholm.
In winter, a new single Where's The Revolution and a video for it were released, which gained almost 20 million views on YouTube.
In 2018, there were tours in support of the latest album. The group performed in cities across the US, Canada and Western Europe.
Musical direction
According to the members of the Depeche Mode group, their music was greatly influenced by the work of the progenitors of German electronic music - the electronic band Kraftwerk, created in the late 1960s. In addition, the British drew inspiration from American grunge and African American blues.
It is impossible to say exactly what genre the band plays in. Each of her albums is unique in its sound, has a special atmosphere that makes you feel deeper into the mood of each track.
Among all the songs you can find elements of metal, industrial, dark electronics, gothic. In many of them, a "breath" of the synth-pop genre is observed.
Depeche Mode is a unique example in the music industry. The group has come a long way of its development and formation, experienced triumphs and falls.
For almost 40 years of history, the band has gained millions of enthusiastic fans and released 14 studio albums.
Many of their tracks have the right to be called music (passed through the harsh test of time), they have retained their popularity to this day.
