One of the band’s finest ballads is featured on itĪlthough the group released plenty of truly wonderful ballads over the course of their career, the fragile When The Body Speaks might be their finest one so far. And we’re not talking about the tortured and painful sort of love – this LP is about the one that actually works and this is such a sweet thing to hear from these guys.ģ. Songs like Shine and Freelove are floating through the air like a warm summer breeze while love remains the main topic of the LP. Although album number ten has its sinister moments here and there, it’s the reduced and light sound design of Mark Bell that shows the band from their most delicate side ever. Yes, the boys from Basildon have always been about darkness. It’s the only Depeche Mode record to show their delicate and lighter side The band’s not done yet so we’ll see what might happen as they enter the final phase of their career.Ģ. Their latest album, 2017’s Spirit, however was a boost of quality and might even be a bit better than Exciter due to its great songs but it wasn’t a total surprise at all. Whether it was the reaction towards this album or something else, but the following three records (all created with producer Ben Hillier) played it safer, especially 2005’s Playing The Angel where the trio’s call for a certain darkness made them sound like their own cover band. Exciter‘s bright and reduced sound was clearly connected to Björk producer Mark Bell who supported the group in the studio, resulting in an unusual and surprising sound. The grungy rock sound of 1993’s Songs Of Faith And Devotion clearly broke with the band’s past and so did the gloomy trip-hop sound of Ultra. Prior to the release of Exciter every Depeche Mode album gave a surprising ‘Oh, that’s interesting’ feeling when you gave it its first spin. Let’s be honest: it’s the last time the band truly surprised us To celebrate its 15th anniversary we want to remind you about this almost forgotten gem.
Bright minimalistic beats? Reduced instrumentation with a lot of ‘click’ sounds? No grimly Anton Corbijn music videos and far too little black in general? Yes, this one was a different album, but it’s that special nature that makes Exciter indeed quite exciting, even if it sounds quite calm. The follow-up to 1997’s sort-of-comeback album Ultra didn’t deliver any big hit singles, and its quite unusual sound and look confused many devotees.
And although Depeche Mode fans don’t agree on much, most of them agree 2001’s Exciter isn’t one of those records.Įver since its original release on May 14th in 2001, Depeche Mode‘s tenth studio album hasn’t had an easy standing within the band’s loyal fanbase. Gore released enough albums worth being remembered. Black Celebration, Music For The Masses, Ultra – the gang around Dave Gahan and Martin L. Just take the legendary 1990 Violator album and its singles Personal Jesus and Enjoy The Silence. The biography of Depeche Mode is packed with lots of ups and downs and plenty of memorable hit singles and records. This article was originally published on and then slightly updated and refreshed for the record’s 20th anniversary five years later.
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