Depeche Mode Behind the Scenes - Part I

 by Stephen Fortner, Executive Editor

You’ve probably heard the latest single, “Wrong,” from Depeche Mode’s new album Sounds of the Universe, which drops in late April. To tide you over until our fantastic cover story in the May 2009 issue, we’d like to share some behind-the-scenes photos that the album’s producer, Ben Hillier, sent us. Given that they were taken in a dimly-lit recording studio, some are a bit blurry, but you can make out what’s there. I’m beginning to think that “Wrong” refers to the sheer number of gorgeous vintage analog synths that were involved, thanks in no small part to principal songwriter Martin Gore’s eBay obsession. Maybe what’s “Wrong” is that he has all this cool stuff, and you and I don’t — yeah, that must be it.

Four pictures are included here, and I’ll post some more tomorrow, so come back to the Latest News section on the Keyboard website, and check it out. Pending approval from the record label, we’re going to give away subscriptions to Keyboard and some Sounds of the Universe CDs to the first six people who correctly identify the gear in one of tomorrow’s photos. Stay tuned, and if you want a veritable feast of all things Depeche Mode, don’t miss our May ’09 issue. We’ve got a transcription of several key parts from their first big hit, “Just Can’t Get Enough,” as the Classic Cover tune in our “Play It!” learn-to-play section. We’ve got Mitchell Sigman, who played keyboards for ’80s new wave band Berlin, showing you how to clone the signature synth sound from Depeche’s huge 1990 hit “Policy of Truth.” Last but not least, we’ve got an exclusive interview with Martin Gore, Andrew Fletcher, and producer Ben Hillier, penned by regular contributor and Create Digital Music blogger Peter Kirn. I’ve edited the draft, and without giving too much away, I can tell you that it’s one of the most engaging and inspiring things I’ve had the pleasure to read lately.

Click on the thumbnails to bring up big pictures. These may take a few seconds to load on a slower Internet connection.

 DM Studio Shot 1: Most in the foreground is an Oberheim Matrix 12. To its left on the keyboard stand is a Roland Alpha-Juno 1 above a Roland Jupiter-6. To the left of all that is producer Ben Hillier, partially whited out by the Mac’s flatscreen display. On the other wall, to his right, is where things get even more interesting. That big rack contains two vintage ARP 2600 analog synths, and at far right is an EMS VCS3 above an M-Audio MIDI controller keyboard.

 

 DM Studio Shot 2: Here’s a view of the same room from a different angle, showing the Matrix 12 at dead center. At right foreground, a Rhodes Mk. I Suitcase electric piano is holding up an extremely rare analog synth, the Steiner-Parker Synthacon.

DM Studio Shot 3: Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore (left) plays an ARP 2600 as recording engineer Ferg Peterkin (right) gives feedback.On the wall behind Martin, from left to right: Part of an EML ElectroComp synth, a MacBook Pro, EMS VCS3, Korg Analog Sequencer, Korg MS-20, table lamp, Oberheim Matrix 12. In the foreground, you can see an additional MacBook Pro, and a couple of pieces of gear to its right is this tiny little keyboard facing to the right. That’s an EML PolyBox, another very rare unit that was intended to be hooked up to your monophonic analog synth. Through use of a divide-down circuit (not unlike the one used in home and church electric organs of the day), it let you play chords!

DM Studio Shot 4: The band worked by going into the studio and setting up multiple song production stations to work on demos that Martin Gore and David Gahan had brought in. These consisted of MacBook Pros running various DAWs and soft synths, flanked by vintage analog goodies to die for. Here’s one of the MacBook Pros running Ableton Live, with an EMS VCS3 to its left.