This approach to music was rare in the 80’s, but commonplace now, so it’s hard to overstate the influences Depeche have had on all electronic artists today. These altered versions of songs weren’t simply remixes, but at times complete overhauls and re-imaginings that would leave some hard-pressed to even recognize the original version at all. We’re all very much used to remixes being everywhere these days, but Depeche were arguably the first band to truly embrace this idea.
They also opened my mind to the power of the remix. I truly love aspects of all music, but electronic will always be my most passionate love, and Depeche helped form my outlook. With the exception of Kraftwerk, they were my introduction into this strange electronic world that I have never left since.
TOP 10 DEPECHE MODE SONGS HOW TO
No other band has been more of an influence in how to listen to music than Depeche Mode has been for me.ĭepeche Mode symbolizes a lot of stuff for me. It helped me appreciate those songs I initially didn’t like, aided me in expanding my own horizons, and helped me understand that music exists to be messed with, and in turn, mess with us. I learned to not focus so much on the lyrics and refrains, but the details and the ambiguities. Each successive remix and b-side I heard forced me to pay closer attention to the album versions and soak in the nuances. What in the world was happening here? Sherwood’s remix was completely stripped of all vocals, with a sparse electro beat and a “zoom zoom zoom, bop bop bop” vocal sample from who knows where, further solidifying the completely alien take on a band that I had left for dead. I thought to myself “OK, surely that last mix was a lark, and I KNOW this next song sucks and there’s no way to salvage it.” Again, what I heard blew my mind. What was THIS? This was the same band? What was this weird, metallic, industrial sounding noise with the backward vocal snippets and odes into ambience? The next track was the Adrian Sherwood remix of “ People Are People“. The first song on the first tape I listened to was the Metalmix of “ Something To Do“. “Eh, whatever, hand them over”, I said passive-aggressively, “but don’t expect me to actually like this crap!”. I was still actively shunning them as nothing but a mere electronic curiosity with poor hair sense, but my friend had some blank cassettes that would surely change my mind. He had all of their singles and albums, even related releases for the offshoot bands like Erasure and Recoil, and couldn’t wait for their next album to be released. A friend of mine had an older cousin who worshipped the Mode and collected every little thing they did. This was my take on the Mode for the next three years. I had enough, based on these two songs, and I would be damned if I ever soiled my ears to the point of listening to anything else they’d done and would ever do. Then I stumbled upon the video for their other most terrible song ever, “ Master and Servant” which found the band flailing around in bondage gear, looking stupid, smirking, winking, writhing, and strutting. Even as a child, I listened to that song and had the wherewithal to just say “NO”. “People are people, so why should it be, you and I should get along so awfully…” What does that even mean? Martin Gore is responsible for some pretty terrible lyrics in his day, and this is one of his worst ever. I was also familiar with the rage that song produced in me, and still produces to this day.
I first learned of Depeche Mode when I just a kid in 1985, and the one song I was familiar with was “ People Are People“.
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