terça-feira, 31 de março de 2009 - 21:19

Entrevista: Yahoo

A Yahoo Music publicou ontem uma interessante entrevista no seu blog, na qual se incluem os vídeos de Wrong e Corrupt (studio sessions).
Os boys fazem observações positivas sobre "Sounds Of The Universe". Leitura interessante.

Depeche Mode: The Y! Music Interview
Few bands from the '80s or the '90s have managed to remain as relevant and influential as Depeche Mode. It's almost impossible to believe that the seminal synth band has been making music for almost 30 years, not just considering all the odds stacked against them--the departures of Vince Clarke and later Alan Wilder; the early detractors who at first refused to take a guitar-less band seriously; the much-publicized addiction struggles of frontman Dave Gahan--but also considering how fresh and exciting their 12th studio album, Sounds Of The Universe, truly is. Recorded 28 long years after Depeche's legendary debut Speak & Spell, the new album is an ambient, atmospheric opus, the stunning work of a band still very much in its prime. That's no easy feat--few of Depeche's new wave peers have survived or aged so well. But Depeche Mode remain vital because they never remain the same. They switch it up from album to album, always progressing, always reaching and expanding, and that is why they've amassed so many fans who've followed them with such faith and devotion. After 30 years, Depecheheads still just can't get enough, and Depeche continue to gain new fans with each album. Among those fans are various A-list artists--of all genres, from metal to emo to pure pop--who have namechecked or covered the Mode over the years. Depeche's songs have been remade by everyone from Smashing Pumpkins to Tori Amos to Johnny Cash to Marilyn Manson to their '80s contemporaries the Cure; Hilary Duff even sampled their hit "Personal Jesus" in her recent single "Reach Out." (Hilary caught a lot of flak for that, but the band's Andy Fletcher and Martin Gore are quick to defend her in the interview below. DM's music is for the masses, after all.) We here at Yahoo! Music are big Depeche fans as well, so it was thrilling day indeed when we got to sit down with founding members Fletcher, Gore, and Gahan at New York's Greenwich Hotel to discuss Sounds Of The Universe; the many diverse artists they've influenced (including, yes, Hilary); and how the band has managed to survive and evolve over the last three decades. Watch below for a rare intimate chat with these techno-pop pioneers: [Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg86bPO5Fx4]

And for a peek at the electronic auteurs at work, check out these behind-the-scenes performances, taped live and semi-acoustic at NYC's Chung King Studios during the Sounds Of The Universe sessions. The songs here are stripped down to the bone, so to speak, and they still hold up--quite a testament to Depeche Mode's songwriting skills and Dave Gahan's raw charisma:



Video: Wrong (studio sessions)

Video: Corrupt (studio sessions)

sábado, 28 de março de 2009 - 00:38

In The Studio - Web Clip #15


Depeche Mode - In The Studio - Web Clip #15

A banda a trabalhar na canção "Corrupt".

sexta-feira, 27 de março de 2009 - 03:05

Sondagem Blitz

Está a decorrer uma sondagem no sítio da revista de música BLITZ (que ultimamente mais parece a Caras) sobre “qual dos concertos já anunciados para 2009 espera com mais ansiedade?”.
Passa por lá e vota DM.

quinta-feira, 26 de março de 2009 - 04:12

Depeche Mode na capa da...

Os Depeche Mode são estrela de capa de várias revistas por esse mundo fora. E por cá? Será que podem vir ser a capa BLITZ de Maio? Afinal Sounds Of The Universe vai ser editado a 20 de Abril. Sinceramente não me parece que tal venha a acontecer (a meu ver nunca tiveram por parte da BLITZ a devida atenção) mas que faziam uma boa capa ninguém tem dúvidas.

Abaixo ficam algumas das capas que os rapazes têm feito.
VISIONS
Rolling Stone
ROCK
D-SIDE

EMPOTV - Entrevista

A estação de televisão mexicana Electronic Meeting Point (EMPO) entrevistou o Andy e o Martin. Os rapazes falam sobre o novo álbum, o seu lançamento e a América latina. No final da entrevista Martin conta um episódio da última tour.

[UPDATE] O nome da estação de televisão foi corrigido, não é TeleHit mas sim Electronic Meeting Point. Obrigado|Thanks Minervaoatenea.

MTVla - Entrevista

A MTVla entrevistou Dave, que fala sobre o Sounds Of The Universe e sobre a Tour mundial.

terça-feira, 24 de março de 2009 - 14:34

Billboard - Artigo DM

A Billboard publicou ontem um artigo sobre os Depeche Mode.

Interessante a referência que o jornalista faz à audiência dos espectáculos dos DM.
Overseas, the touring numbers expand into the millions -- the kind of attendance that rivals U2, kings of the stadium tour. The 37 shows of the European leg of the Universe tour are expected to attract 1.4 million concertgoers.
in Billboard

Depeche Mode Prepares For Tour Of The Universe


In a room in New York's Greenwich Hotel, Dave Gahan is sitting erect in a straight-backed chair, immune to the wind outside that's blowing garbage cans down the street.
Gahan, the lead singer for Depeche Mode, is a rock star and he dresses the part, in all black. He folds one ringed hand gently over the other and speaks in thoughtful, measured, complete sentences. Onstage, Gahan can be a shirtless, sweaty beast. Right now, though -- months before the April release of his group's new album, "Sounds of the Universe" -- he's as composed as bandmate Martin Gore's lyrics.
"We're all very individual, but I've always loved a good melancholy song," Gahan says. "Not necessarily in tempo, but some sort of cynical, lyrical content matched with a beautiful melody can really do it for me. Because I identify with that sentiment, wanting to lift yourself from this place."
That contrast between melody and melancholy is perhaps why, after 30 years, Depeche Mode is still a force to be reckoned with. Together, Gahan, Gore and bassist/collaborator Andy "Fletch" Fletcher have almost broken up, almost died and almost been declared obsolete. Along the way, they've sold more than 100 million records worldwide, according to record label estimates. And they remain one of the world's biggest live acts, reaching 2.8 million people in 31 countries on their last tour alone.
"Sounds of the Universe" (Mute/EMI), due April 21, is the band's 12th album and is reminiscent of its "Violator" heyday of catchy dance beats with a hint of darkness. The accompanying world tour -- called, with a certain dark glee, Tour of the Universe -- is already selling out stadiums in difficult markets like Eastern Europe.
"Even at the very beginning, they seemed to connect to the audience much better than other bands," says Mute chairman Daniel Miller. "It was never an 'us and them,' it was very much a one-to-one."
EXPANDING AUDIENCE
The four-month, 57-date Tour of the Universe kicks off May 10 in Tel Aviv and closes September 5 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The band's first all-arena trek includes eight dates in Germany and two at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl, plus unusual stops like Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia and Latvia, all of which are nearly sold out.
The nostalgia factor certainly seems to help the band's touring in North America. According to Billboard Boxscore, total attendance at Depeche Mode concerts has increased during the past 10 years. 1998's Singles '86-'98 tour saw an attendance of 270,000; 2001's Exciter tour attracted 350,000, and 2005-06's Touring the Angel tour had 410,000 attendees.
Overseas, the touring numbers expand into the millions -- the kind of attendance that rivals U2, kings of the stadium tour. The 37 shows of the European leg of the Universe tour are expected to attract 1.4 million concertgoers.
For Miller, the consistency of the band's artistic output is a big factor in its continued popularity. "The mainstream pop kids tend to jump from one thing to another, from one artist to another," he says. "Then they get married and they give up. They might buy two albums a year. I think Depeche fans are very different than that. There are those in their 40s who've grown up with the band -- but there are a lot of people who have joined along the way and have become very loyal."
Those fans may find that the band is brightening up a bit on the new album, as Gore says -- despite a disturbing video for "Wrong" that involves victims of violent crime. Recorded very democratically in New York (home to Gahan) and Santa Barbara, California (Gore), "Sounds of the Universe" marks the first time the band has had too much material for an album, and that artistic abundance shines through the set.
"There are periods during the making of a record sometimes when you've got five or six songs recorded and you really need something else to stimulate the feel of it," Gahan says. "It's not there yet, and you have to wait until it comes, and it has to be worked at sometimes."
Not so on "Universe": The sessions yielded more than 20 finished tracks, some of which the group used for extras on a deluxe boxed-set version of the album. The ones that made the cut range from the soulful yearning of opener "In Chains" to the melodic swell of "In Sympathy."
"I've always had this big argument with Martin's wanting to put these sort of amazing tracks at the end (of albums)," Fletcher says. "I've said, 'Well no, you can't, you can't.' But with this album, there's no choice really. The songs that were going to be last and second from last were going to be good too."
LIGHT AND DARK
Gore says that the core tracks of "Universe" are "Peace" and "Little Soul," both of which concern liberation, light and freedom. "I wrote them back to back, and the flow of the album started to make more sense. I really felt they had a spirituality to them. That somehow set a cornerstone for the rest of the writing."
Any 30-year relationship is bound to have its rough patches, and the band has argued about roles and responsibilities. "It's really hard for us to gauge how dark anything is," Gore says, every bit as earnest and awkward as Gahan is cool and collected. "With every record, I think we get less dark. Sometimes Andy tries to keep me in check, he tries to put me in perspective. He says, 'But we're not mainstream, we're still really left-field.' Even if we think we've gone a lot lighter, it's probably not going to be noticed by most people."
For now, though, Depeche More is at peace with themselves and, increasingly, with one another. "I think Dave's songwriting is giving him the feeling of being a part of more, and more secure," says the band's manager, Jonathan Kessler. (Gahan wrote two tracks on "Universe," "Hole to Feed" and "Come Back.") "There's definitely a maturity, like, 'Hey, we've done this enough. It's better that all of us get along than not.'"
And though Kessler characterizes that harmony as "fragile," perhaps the band's personal dissonance helps make it what it is. "Fletch has a bit more of a pop head on him, Martin's a bit more left-field, Dave's a bit more rock, and it all fits together," Mute's Miller says. "You can't completely reinvent yourselves; you're the same people. But with all Depeche Mode records, there's always great songs, that unmistakable voice and then some experimentations. Those cards can fall in lots of different ways. But they're always moving forward."

Novas datas da Tour de Inverno confirmadas

Já é oficial. Foram hoje publicadas no site oficial da banda as primeiras datas da Tour Of The Universe de inverno.

Aguardamos que a data de 17 de Novembro no Pavilhão Atlântico também venha a fazer parte da lista.


Dezembro
10 - DUBLIN, Irlanda (O2 The Point)
12 - GLASGOW, Escócia (SECC)
13 - BIRMINGHAM, Inglaterra (LG Arena)
15 - LONDRES, Inglaterra  (O2 Arena)
18 - MANCHESTER, Inglaterra (MEN Arena)

SOTU - Electronic Press Kit (EPK)

Electronic Press Kit

Sounds Of The Universe (Electronic Press Kit)

[audio=http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/1/27/2287164/09.mp3]
Já é possível ouvir a primeira transcrição do Electronic Press Kit (EPK) de Sounds Of The Universe. O EPK aqui apresentado é modificado para utilização pelos meios de comunicação e difere do documento intitulado EPK que será possível encontrar como bónus em formato vídeo no álbum.

sábado, 21 de março de 2009 - 12:55

In The Studio - Web Clip #14


Depeche Mode - In The Studio - Web Clip #14

Dave a trabalhar nos vocais para a canção "Light".

sexta-feira, 20 de março de 2009 - 21:43

Box Set Artwork

Box Artwork


O sítio oficial dos DM publicou uma série de fotos da preparação da Artwork para a edição Box Set de “Sounds Of The Universe”.

Sounds Of The Universe - Box Set Artwork

Sounds Of The Universe - Box Set Artwork

Sounds Of The Universe - Box Set Artwork

Sounds Of The Universe - Box Set Artwork

Sounds Of The Universe - Box Set Artwork

Sounds Of The Universe - Box Set Artwork

Sounds Of The Universe - Box Set Artwork

Sounds Of The Universe - Box Set Artwork

Sounds Of The Universe - Box Set Artwork

Depeche Mode e MOTOR estádio tour

Os MOTOR vão ser a banda suporte dos Depeche Mode em 20 datas europeias na tour de verão, com início a 6 de Maio no Luxemburgo, onde também está incluído o Porto.
Precious - MOTOR mix
Precious (MOTOR mix)


Depeche Mode and MOTOR stadium tour!

MOTOR will be supporting Depeche Mode on 20 dates across Europe this coming summer. Motor’s remix of “Precious” was highlighted by Martin
Gore as the best remix of a Mode song ever, and their track “Yak” was included in the pre-show music on the last tour. Well this time,
instead of one track on a mixtape, we’re getting the real deal!!! The group is by far one of the most interesting and energetic live bands on the electronic music scene these days.
Motor will be releasing their third album, “Metal Machine”, later this year, preceded by the single “Death Rave”. Also forthcoming from the American/French duo are remixes for Acidkids and Kanye West! Motor will support Depeche Mode on these shows:

May
06 - Esch sur Alzette, Rockhal (Luxembourg)
12 - Athens, Terra Vibe Park (Greece)
16 - Bucharest, Park Izvor (Romania)
18 - Sofia, Vassil Levski Stadium (Bulgaria)
20 - Belgrade, Usce Park (Serbia)
21 - Zagreb, Arena (Croatia)
23 - Warsaw, Gwardia Stadium (Poland)
25 - Riga, Skonto Stadium (Latvia)
27 - Vilnius, Zalgirio Stadionas (Lithuania)

June
20 - Werchter, TW Classic Festival (Belgium)
22 - Bratislava, Inter Stadium (Slovakia)
23 - Budapest, Puskas Ferenc Stadium (Hungary)
25 - Prague, Eden Stadium (Czech Republic)
30 - Copenhagen, Parken (Denmark)

July
03 - Arvika, Arvika Festival (Sweden)
06 - Carcassonne,Esplanade Gambetta (France)
08 - Valladolid, Estadio Jose Zorrilla (Spain)
11 - Porto, Superbock Super Rock Festival (Portugal)
12 - Sevilla, Estadio de la Cartuja (Spain)

segunda-feira, 16 de março de 2009 - 18:16

Crítica: The Quietus a "SOTU"

O Website de música e cultura pop "The Quietus" publicou hoje uma crítica a "Sounds Of The Universe".

John Doran faz uma análise do  álbum faixa a faixa, mas os seus comentários em muitas das faixas referem-se mais ao álbum do que propriamente à faixa.
Many of these songs are built around a pop, proto industrial skeleton like material you'd find on Some Great Reward or Black Celebration but these tunes themselves are, necessarily, much more mature in tone and content.

The synth chord changes on the verse put this reviewer in mind of Genesis or Peter Gabriel in the early 80s - but in a good way



'In Chains'

Depeche Mode's twelfth album opens with a tone of such a high frequency that maybe some of their older fans may at first struggle to make it out. One can imagine men of a certain age, with a penchant for black 501s, black leather jackets and white vests being asked to sit in a booth and raise one finger when they thing they can discern the sound. It is joined by a burbling, clicking, analogue and insectile burr, which slowly becomes an orchestra of ancient and angry sounding synth tones. For a few disorientating seconds this sounds spookily like the Anglia TV ident from the 70s, before building into THX proportions. But this doesn't signify a "stunning return to X", or "their most uncompromising album since Y" or a "hauntological take on Z". Instead this fanfare, reminiscent of the work of the Radiophonic Workshop, is more a warning to the listener which says: "brace yourself, we have invested in a lot of vintage synthesizers, creaking drum machines and dusty sequencers, and we are not going to shy away from using them." If anything this slightly disturbing intro is misleading because it ushers in what is arguably the 29-year-old band's most mellow and mature album to date. The actual track 'In Chains' is the kind of bluesy cyber spiritual that the band made their own between 'Personal Jesus' in 1989 and 'John The Revelator' in 2005. Dave Gahan's smooth croon is set off by the feverish efflorescence of Martin Gore's guitar.

'Hole To Feed'

This is one of Dave Gahan's three contributions as a songwriter to the main album, worked on with his writing partners Christian Eigner (DM's regular drummer) and Andrew Phillpott. The construction of Playing The Angel was marred by jockeying for position between the singer and Martin Gore but this has given way to an almost Socialist division of labour. Instead of Gahan insisting on having a certain amount of space on the album before agreeing to even set foot in the studio now both parties (i.e. Gore and Gahan. Andy Fletcher doesn't write the music or play any instruments) write according to their abilities and the group as a whole receives according to its needs. This is as it should be. Gore remains the primary songwriter and Gahan is the front man and secondary song writer, while Fletch, perhaps more crucially is a facilitator. He stops the other two from killing each other and acts as a necessary intermediary for Gore. This is minimal acid blues and concerns the singer's addictive nature, and its minimalism is emphasized by the use of old equipment and a prominent, primitive rock guitar.

'Wrong'

The first single is classic Mode with Gore casting Gahan in the role of corrupt preacher, like a character from Flannery O'Connor's southern gothic novel Wise Blood, railing against his almost apocalyptic bad luck. His slightly mad ravings elevate the scenario to the scale of black comedy: "I was born in the wrong house / with the wrong sign / in the wrong ascendency. / I took the wrong road / that led to / the wrong tendencies. / I was in the wrong place / at the wrong time / for the wrong reasons / on the wrong night / of the wrong day / on the wrong week. / I used the wrong method / with the wrong technique". Buzzing MOOGs are the ideal accompaniment to the stentorian backing vocals that admonish the singer for all his bad choices/lack of choice, like an over-zealous, slightly gothic Greek chorus.

'Fragile Tension'

This song, like 'Jezebel', harks back to 'Lillian' from Playing The Angel and appears to be a bit of an eco-ballad or an elegy to the not-yet disappeared beauty of planet earth. However the melancholia of the synth and the sentiment aren't reflected in Gore's almost raucous guitar playing.

'Little Soul'

Many of these songs are built around a pop, proto industrial skeleton like material you'd find on Some Great Reward or Black Celebration but these tunes themselves are, necessarily, much more mature in tone and content. Abrasive metallic textures underlie this gentle meditation on death and (possibly) rebirth or continuation through children. There has been some talk of retro-futurism influencing this album and it's certainly clear on this track, with Gore's surf guitar calling to mind the exotica of the 50s and 60s mixed with the electronic tones of the space race era.

'In Sympathy'

How have Depeche Mode not already recorded a song called 'In Sympathy'? Anyway, there was a time that when the band were never far from singing about teenagers and being extremely creepy ('Behind The Wheel', 'Question of Time' etc) but nowadays they seem to be presenting enthusiastic and motivating songs to various children and young relatives. This isn't a bad song by any stretch but there's something ever so slightly prissy about the arrangement of it. There's no point in having loads of really cool old synth gear and then drowning it out with big washes of simplistic guitar.

'Peace'

This is much better, starting a bit like OMD's excellent 'Messages' before revving up the spiritual vibes again. Rather than being Gahan singing soulfully with Gore handling angelic backing vox, this is a straight duet between the two which can be read as the self-determination of recovering alcoholics and drug users who are now clean or a song declaring the end to inter-band arguing. The song has unashamedly massive Beatles-y melodies and stadium sized positivity. The necessary grit is provided by atonal squawks of noise and electro rushes. An album highlight.

'Come Back'

Gahan's finest songwriting moment on the album and possibly to date. This is a real piece of drugged up shoegaze, with warm opiate/amniotic fuzz pop guitars that calls to mind the Jesus and Mary Chain, Ultra Vivid Scene and Spiritualized. The lyrical conceit is one that Jason Spaceman from Spiritualized would be familiar with at least - the analogy between a relationship with a lover and a drug. In the background Steiner Parker synths create random misfires of noise and tune. Sumptuous.

'Spacewalker'

The Eastern synth pop style of this instrumental, made me initially think of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yellow Magic Orchestra but Martin Gore insists it makes him think of Martin Denny. So let's say that it sounds a little like YMO's cover of Denny's 'Firecracker' and an interesting piece of retro exotica and leave it at that.

'Perfect'

Overall Ben Hillier (Doves, Blur, Elbow) has done a grand job on Sounds Of The Universe. He has grasped the overall concept of finding spirituality in science and physics – a kind of religious atheism – and how our expectations of technology have changed over the years by marshalling a combination of bleeding edge technology and anarchic vintage equipment. Trouble is in this instance that this track sounds very much like one or two other tracks elsewhere on the album. The synth chord changes on the verse put this reviewer in mind of Genesis or Peter Gabriel in the early 80s - but in a good way.

'Jezebel'

More from Martin Gore's fascination with exotica. It's easy to imagine the youthful, bleach blond, rubber dress wearing Gore of yore singing this in the manner of a wistful but asexual torch singer. But this almost cabaret number is dedicated to a young woman who (presumably) has a bracing line in the kind of clothing that wouldn't go down too well in Saudi Arabia.

'Corrupt'

This opens like a track from Violator complete with Gahan's lizard croon: "I could corrupt you/it would be easy. / Watching you suffer / girl, it would be easy." It seems that despite maturity and all, the Mode can still be slightly creepy if they want. Who knows who the 'intended victim' of the song is and what she's done to upset the Basildon boys but this is perhaps a reminder that no matter how old they get physically, we don't want them to mature too much.

Crítica: Plásticos e Decibelios a "SOTU"

Julian Ruíz, jornalista, director e apresentador de “Plásticos e Decibelios” programa de música da rádio espanhola, publicou no seu blog uma crítica de “Sounds Of The Universe” muito interessante.
Julian refere-se a SOTU como um álbum bem trabalhado bem estruturado, um excelente álbum e conclui a crítica com a sua opinião pessoal de que “Sounds Of The Universe” é o melhor álbum do grupo desde violator.



El otro día escuchaba un extraño disco titulado precisamente “A sound in the Universe” de un extraño grupo llamado The Open Door Orchestra”. Hay un tema que me fascina-“Dance of the ancient sun monks -, con un revolucionario “punch” de percusión y el ambiente seco del electro.
Me preguntaba si Martin Gore o Ben Hillier tan proclives a coleccionar extraños discos habrían oido esta experiencia.
Es posible, porque de lo que no me cabe duda es de que “Sound of the Universe”  de esta Open Door Orchestra llamada Depeche Mode es un album  abierto a cualquier experiencia, muy trabajado, bien estructurado, con inspecciones a zonas sonoras reconditas y también rendición a los viejos sonidos analógicos de los sintetizadores.
Es un excelente album. Y deploro que tanto los grupos como las compañías no se atrevan a sacar como adelanto los mejores temas, por miedo a perder una baza considerable en la venta definitiva del album. En fín, ahí está el caso  “Wrong”.
Empecemos canción por canción:

In Chains.- Arrebatador inicio climático con toda clase de osciladores analógicos. Estoy por apostar que entre otros-suenan bastantes- se encuentra el EMS VCS3, la joya de sintetizador analógico que guarda el productor Ben Hillier. Es el tema más vanguardista, más innovador de todo el album, con un estribillo muy interesante con la fase “in chains” y la voz de ultratumba de Dave. Muy interesante tema. Con muchas capas sonoras. Vanguardista, industrial, pero con arte.

Hole To Feed.- Una decepción, como ya comenté en su día. Imagino que Gore y Fletcher tienen que soportar estos arrebatos de Gahan, que se ayuda en Christian Eiogner y Andrew Philpott. Pero el caso es que no hay melodía, los acordes carecen de interés y ni siquiera las masa sonoras de samplings, y sintetzadores digitales llaman la atención.No o es el “groove”  de percusión tampoco muy bueno.

Wrong.- Fletcher comentó que es un tema que desarrolla y evoluciona el rock industrial como tanto les gustas mencionar el estilo del grupo por parte de los americanos. Pero yo no decido que no tenga un estribillo claro, aunque reconozco que la mezcla de sintetizadores y analógicos y los “samplings” es un despliegue de algo nuevo en el estilo del grupo.

Fragile Tension.- Es directa, tiene un maravilloso “loop” de percusión, una secuencia, con osciladores antiquísimos, algo que te engancha, con otros sonidos muy asperos de los efectos de la guitarra de Gore. Pero hay una estrofa mágica, con estribillo, con acordes inteligentes. Gran tema. Podría ser un single. Me encantan algunos sonidos de los viejos Moogs y Polysix  Korg. de Gore. Delante de nuestros oidos está su gran colección de sintetizadores “vintage”.

Little Soul.- Una vez más Hillier y Gore exploran terrenos sónicos poco habituales, incluso cambian las intenciones de las atmósferas de percusión. Hay un sonido del ARP 2600, que retroatrae a los tiempos que producía los discos de Azul y Negro.. Pero la estructura de la canción es muy compleja. El sonido, el efecto de la voz de gahan es impresionante. En esos han trabajado mucho. En cada tema, las voces tienen  muy difentes efectos, y hasta cambios de tonalidades.

In Sympathy.- La canción más comercial de todo el album. Tremendamente, en el estilo habitual de la sónica de Depeche Mode. No lo puede ser más en acordes, en esa magia de los estribillos de Gore. Este debió ser el primer single. Indudablemente. La secuencia grave de la base no puede ser más radiable. Todo encaja como si fuera fácil y hay sonidos de sintes analógicos maravillosos, incluyendo los viejos PPG-estos digitales- de los alemanes.

Peace.- La obra maestra del album. Increiblmente poderosa. Quizá el mejor tema de Gore, al punto de poder ser un clásico como son “Peresonal Jesús” y “Enjoy the silence”. Además, cuenta con el truco que Dave y Martin la cantann juntos, se solapan muy inteligentemente. Algo que ha funcionado en otras ocasiones. La melodía puede, bueno, los acordes recuerdan a “Walking on my shoes” ,pero luego no. El tema empieza con el estribillo, pero en la estrofa hay un efecto de un “pad” oscuro, grave, increíble, probablemente de un sinte como el Prophet 5. Me la óí tres veces seguidas. Crea adicción.

Come Back.- Otro capricho de Gahan, pero este incluso es menos interesante que el anterior. Nadie duda que la letra no sea inteligente, profdunda, pero la melodía y los arreglos no están a la altura. Es como si Gorfe y Hillier dejaran caer a gahan hacia el vacío. para demostrar, ¿Qué?. No lo entiende. Pero supongo que el dinero de firmar canciones también es muy interesante. Hay sonidos que no están mal, pero no existe la esencia de la música electro.

Spacewalker.- En tal que le vea a Martin le diré que si es que ha estado hace poco con Jean Michel Jarre. Es un homenaje al gurú de la electrónica, porque se trata de un tema instrumental, con la misma estructura melódica, con los sonidos del viejo Voyetrra, del Farfisa, todos los viejos aparatos “vintage” de Jarre y de Gore. Me gusta mucho y es como demostrar que ya hay un pasado respetable en la música electrónica,  el legado de los últimos veinticinco años del siglo pasado.

Perfect.- Otra canción con un atractivo "loop" de percusión, con varias pistas y unos "samplings" muy extraños. Probablemente hechos con la guitarra de Martin. es posible que la estrofa esté mejor estructurada, sore todo, en la composición de los acordes , con sonidos muy interesantes, diferentes. Mientras escuchaba la canción , pensaba que estas canciones formaban un todo ,sobre el alto voltaje que había puesto el grupo. Un trabajo que tiene mucho que escuchar.

Miles Away/The Truth Is.- El tercer experimento Gahan,Eigner y Philpott. Esta vez, Gahan ha querido hacer de Gore con un estilo que se aproxima al “Barrel of a gun”. Pero me falta la maldita melodía. Hay buenos sonidos en el tema, cambia la percusión, Pero no es el tema que nos deja satisfechos.

Jezebel.-  En tal que escucho las primera notas, el desarrollo de los acordes, el tiempo de balada, aunque con un “loop” formidable hecho de “samplings” ya sé que Martin está intentando hacer y cantar otra “Home” – mi canción favorita, porque es triste- .. Desafortunadamente, “Jezabel” que tiene una buena estrctura, una buena estrofa, no tiene el sentido de la melodía de estribillo de Home. Una pena. Pero sé que es difícil. En cualquier caso, una solemne balada tecno.

Corrupt.- El último tema  es un muestrario de joyería de los avances sónicos, la nueva vanguardia de Depeche, el intento desesperado por crear algo nuevo en la sónica de los grupos pop electrónicos. Hay tres o cuatro “samplings” ,dos osciladores, en el tema que me dejan sencillamente k.o. Es como demostrarnos a profanos o músicos  que el grupo ha trabajado, se ha atrevido a viajar a territorios sónicos desconocidos, es la confirmación de que es un excelente album

“Sounds of the universe” es el mejor album del grupo, desde mi punto de vista, desde “Violator”

sábado, 14 de março de 2009 - 00:12

In The Studio - Web Clip #13


Depeche Mode - In The Studio - Web Clip #13

Os boys numa pausa a improvisar "Stand By Me".

sexta-feira, 13 de março de 2009 - 20:22

Novas fotos

Dave Gahan

Come Back - Studio session [update]

A Pitchfork TV disponibiliza um vídeo promocional da sessão de estúdio de "Come Back", a 8ª faixa de "Sounds Of The Universe".
O vídeo faz parte do DVD que integra a Boxset.
Ver vídeo

terça-feira, 10 de março de 2009 - 08:05

"Unisphere" num comercial de 1993


Recordam-se do fantástico comercial do concurso MTV "Are you faithfull? Are you devoted?" de 1993? O globo (designado por "Unisphere") da sessão de fotos promocionais de SOTU aparece por diversas vezes neste vídeo.

Podes ver este vídeo e outras raridades na nova secção video do sitio oficial. Vale bem a passagem.

Saldos

US Store
A loja oficial dos Estados Unidos tem alguns produtos em saldo. Podem-se encontrar t-shirts a $5, o tourbook e um poster da Touring The Angel, também a $5. Clica na imagem ou aqui para aceder à loja.

sábado, 7 de março de 2009 - 03:24

In The Studio - Web Clip #12


Depeche Mode - In The Studio - Web Clip #12

I'm the ghost in your house...

Neste vídeo podemos ouvir um pequeno excerto de "Ghost" (Tony Hoffer a mixar "Ghost").

quarta-feira, 4 de março de 2009 - 23:53

Tratamento: Final versions

Depois da dispepsia que apanhei no último domingo à tarde (a ouvir Hole To Feed e Come Back) deixo aqui algumas das músicas na sua versão final que fizeram parte do tratamento.


O tratamento passou por não ouvir mais Hole To Feed e Come Back (só as ouvi uma vez) e ouvir DM pré violator 4 a 6 horas por dia :D.


The Sun And The Rainfall



Blasphemous Rumours



Behind The Wheel



Strangelove




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