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Sauvage

May 2014

Techno Revolutionars

Lucrare de atestat.

Liceul Teoretic C.A.Rosetti

Profesor coordinator : Doina VisanCandidat : Dumbravescu Carmen

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I) 1.*Motivational speech* 2.Albums 3. Before Depeche - spicy bio facts- II) 1. Beginings 2. Growing succes

III) 2.Dark theems 3. New offerings

4. *Personal opinion*

IV) 1. Enjoy the silence…( this is not a chapter, just a song)

Contents

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Motivational Speech

Depeche appeard in my life by accident. It all happed in a Wednesday on the first of june 2005. My father had just arrived from work carrying with him a bunch of miniclip games alongsinde a pale painted music CD .Nothing out of the oridinary, I thought.Not being that passionate into gaming I auditioned the record entitled “Playing the Angel”. Owing to it’s dark tone and unwilling substance I wasn’t that impressed at first, I was quite skeptical at first, it wasn’t my type of music.Maybe, the album was destined to my father? I should have thought of this…maybe this was one of the good accidents…but still I can’t stop asking myself if D.M sang about my life , about theirs or just about life in general ?A few weeks passed and those hursh and mind twisting words started to bounce in my mind, that blanck eco had a new substance now, a new colour . I was expecting some relaxing 2000’ tunes speaking about love and freedom. But no, this guys were way pass that period. That was a new one. Yet something wasn’t quite right. The themes of the songs were mainly about: lies, shame and pain. After listening the hole thing I felt exhausted but released at the same time and wanting more .even if everything was a bit out of the context After a while, it seemed that the truth they spoked was something I trusted ,so.starting from then my journey began.” Fortunate enough .They were my joy, my reason and my support: thay gave me, not stability but a methahizical shoulder to cry on, every now and then. When I was to pick my topic I told myself that if a sigh from nowhere was to face me and could have ment something for me I would writte about that particularry thing or phenomena, Curiosly enough , a few days ago a car had just parked on my street when I was coming home from school . The speakers of the car were booming out some verses of great pleasure to my ears, which sounded something like this : “ words like violence break the silence, come crushing in , into my little world , painfull to me pierce right through me…oh can’t you understand , my little girl ? from the song ”Enjoy the silence” and YES! those words made me write about thie guys. And so, if I want to tell you something I’ll put you a song, for the’ve captured almast all emotions of happiness and angst one can have in a lifetime. Finally I can say that at some extent they are the mirror in wich everybody can see it’s true nature.

“Enjoy the silence”

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A new working mechanism had born... imagine you are going back in time. It’s 1981, the beginning of a new era, you are nearly 19 and D.M

have just released their debut album “Speak and Spell”. Prepare yourself to hear the story of a music legend. . You will withness it all : rules ,stakes and tragedies…

Band MembersCurrent Members:

Dave Gahan - lead vocals (1980–) Martin Gore - keyboards, guitars,

percussion, vocals (1980–) Andy Fletcher - keyboards, bass, percussion, vocals (1980–)

Past members:

Vince Clarke - keyboards, guitars, vocals (1980–1981)

Alan Wilder - keyboards, piano, drums,

percussion, vocals (1982–1995)

Albums realeases1.Speak& spell (1981)

2.A broken frame (1982)

3.Construction Time Again( 1983)

4.Some Great Reward (1984)

5.Black celebration(1986)

6. Music for the Masses(1987)

7. Violator(1990)

8. Songs of Faith and Devotion aka SOFAD(1993)

9.Ultra(1997)

10.Exciter(2001)

11.Playing the anglel(2006)

12.Sounds Of The Univers(2009)

13.Delta Machine(2013)

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Albums realeases1.Speak& spell (1981)

2.A broken frame (1982)

3.Construction Time Again( 1983)

4.Some Great Reward (1984)

5.Black celebration(1986)

6. Music for the Masses(1987)

7. Violator(1990)

8. Songs of Faith and Devotion aka SOFAD(1993)

9.Ultra(1997)

10.Exciter(2001)

11.Playing the anglel(2006)

12.Sounds Of The Univers(2009)

13.Delta Machine(2013)

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Dave Gahan„ To be honest , music saved me

”

Born in Epping, on the 9th of may 1962, the vocalist of Depeche

Mode , Dave Gahan, hasa strong religious

family ascendance. The relattives from his mother side were part of an organization named: The Salvation Army. He rejected from the very beginning this idea. In his childhood, he especially enjoyed going out with friends rather than attending the church mettings with his mother. When he was only 6 months , his father left home and was never to be heard. David Gahan was born into a

working class family.When David was 6 mounths old, his father left

the family. Several years later his mother Sylvia met her second husband. But the damadge was done,The Gahan family continued to grow with the birth of two boys:

Peter and Phil and sister Sue who lived with the impression, that their stepfather Jack, was their natura father. After Jack’s death Gahan met his biological father in 1972 for the first time, Shortly thereafter his father left again, but this time definitely. To fill in the gap, left behind by his runaway father he was

forced by different conjunctures: to become a rebel, as he will later affirm

“ I was prettly wild.I loved the excitement of nicking a motor, screetching off and being chased by the police. Hiding dehind the wallwith your heart beating gives you a real kick: ,,will they get you? ”

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Martin Lee. Gore ’’When I was young, I’ve losted myself in the fantasy world ”

Born on the 23th of june 1961.. M.Gore was raised by his stepfather and biological mother. „I led a normal childhood” Martin said about himself, „family life was stable , nothing too traumatic occured. I remembered I was a very good boy until the age of five when I started beating other children. One day my mother cought me putting a brick over another child’s head. My father was furious. He told me to never do that again and so I did, becoming a passive and harmless little chop”. He was an introverted child, according to his own sayings. „ ”. I lost myself in the fantasy world. At school I had a big shortage of self-confidence. The teachers only seldom heard my

voice. His interest in music started at the age of eleven , when he discovered a few old records of his mom in the cupboard , here including : Elvis, Chuck Berry , Del Shannon. After hearing those records for a couple of times , or more, he becamed more passionate in music, From there on

we can talk about the birth of a little fire in his heart. At 11 , his parents bought him his first guitar, and Norman And the

Worms was born. In the same period he started to write his first songs, even if they were silly. In retrospective he is proud of them now, His band lasted until 1979. „ I stayed at school until I was 18” , in opposition with Dave he really liked school. Before D.M, he worked at a bank. After finnishing high-school, that was it, he couldn’t have faced university.

I always had one friend or only a few friends and I spent most of my time in my room, reading fairy-tales

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Alan Wilder“ I was raised in a musicians

family”

Alan Charles Wilder was born 1 June 1959 in LondonAlan grew up in Acton, West-London, in a normal, and presumably conservative, middle class environment. "The youth isn't so rebellion there like in Basildon, where the others come from. My parents weren't rich nor poor."[4] They "wanted their children to have a musical education

Classical music was played at our house the whole time mainly due to my brothers practising the piano"I only got three O-levels because I was lazy [12], left school during the sixth form and went on the dole.[13] There wasn't an idea of what I wanted to do but a lot of things I wouldn't want to doAfter being turned down 40 times I got a job at DJM Studios in New Oxford Street. I was a tea boy, really, an over-worked gofer. The only good thing about DJM was

that when bands finished studio sessions they'd often leave their instruments behind so I could muck about on a keyboard or bash some drumsApparently his parents

weren't enthusiastic about his way of life and wouldn't give him any financial support. Many years later, Alan would say that one of the things he regretted was that he hadn't been in with his parents for a while because of "some sort of teenage angst".

Andrew Fletcher Before D.M I took religion seriosly alongside Vince

Clarke.

And, as arrogant as it sounds, I always had absolute conviction that I'd be able to forge a career for myself in music

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Born on 6 july 1961 in Nottingham. His father worked as an engineer, and his mother Joy was a housewife. He had a brother Simon ans two sisters Karen and Susan. Rumours about Fletch depression can be linked to the early death of his sister and his father maniac-depressive psychosis. His family moved in Basildon, a new founded town in the early 60’. The town expanded quickly ,but it was very unstable economicaly, finding a job there being nearly impossible. When he was eight, he becomed involved by accident with the church, entering the Boy’s Brigade so he could play football, at the request of his father. It wasn’t until 14 he got interested in music, picking his first chords inside a church. He took religion seriously , preaching alongside Vince Clarke.

In 1979 he did level A in politics, but instead of going to university he got a job at a insurance company, when he could have done better, and he did obviously, he’s now part of D.M.At the age of eighteen had stopped practicing as a Christian , but it remains in the blood. Fletch went to Nicholas Comprehensive and was in the same class as Martin. He got to know Martin and made him come to the Boys Brigade

too. He thought he might have converted Martin. But Marin was more interested in singing and the atmosphere, albeit Martin must have been influenced strongly by this experience. Many of his lyrics have a religious backround.

Beginings – Problems with labelsThe New Wave music genre gave us many amazing bands. One of the most interesting aspects of New Wave was the fact that it was so open-ended in terms of style.

This meant that a wide range of groups were able to contribute to the genre thanks to it lacking a certain musical homogeneity. The most important aspects of New Wave weren’t a strict adherence to specific songwriting rules but rather an attitude and spirit that combined aspects of punk and pop with a slick production sheen and more thought-provoking lyrics

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that were typically found in 80’s radio playlists.During the 80’s, Depeche Mode issued six albums.Their eears were open and when they heard the beginng of electronic music ( a single “Electricity” by an Electronical duo entitled Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) they heard their own feature. D.M couldn’t afford it, but they bought their own synthezisers (aka. ” Keyboards”) to make new waves of music. For their group name they’d copied the name of a French Magazine because they wanted to be “out front”. They made a demo tape, and took it to the record labels, and sat there in the office, insisting that the label play the tape. Back then, labels hardly behave that way, though David Gahan recalled, “ Most of them

would tell us to fuck off”. They’d say “just leave the tape with us” We’d answer” it’s our only one. “ Them we’d say “ Bye and go to another label “.But they were in London now, dragging their synthesizers around town by hand until their first Mute Recors single “ Dreaming of me “ got to #57 in English Charts. Their second single ,” New life” went up to #11. Then their third , a Top Ten now – “just can’t get enough”- wich even got them their first music video . With three hit singles in a row, the guys were now pleased to sing to an audience with new ears. But it wasn’t until Violator, they could really affirm as a powerfull act with growing roots in the history of music.

Growing succesOn the heels of their 1987 album Music for the Masses, Depeche Mode played a follow-up world tour in 1987—88 to sold-out venues. The tour culminated in a final concert at the Pasadena Rose Bowl with a sell-out attendance of 80,000+ (the highest in eight years for the venue).

1990 = Violator

The BIGGEST splash opening of any album came in 1990. Depeche Mode sold big, chart topping like those four Beatles, and other whoppers.

The cause of this topping was a synth-pop album named Violator, a title they explained as “a joke. We wanted to come up with the most

extreme, ridiculously Heavy Metal title that we could.” They thought of Violator as a pro-rapist word.

The group fallowed the succes of Violator with SOFAD in 1993 wich debuted on the charts at number one. Though a commercial and popular success, the album-wich reached platinum in may of 1993- and it’s characteristically synth-

heavy though mostly guitar-driven tracks did not fair as well critically „ This is a slicky produced , highly listenable album, but there is in the end a failure of nerve” A four-year hiatus, marked by Wilder’s departure from the group in 1995 to focus on his solo project, Recoil,

and Gahan’s heroin addiction, attempted suicide, and lengthy

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recovery, followed the release of Songs. In the same manner , Martin turns to alchool and Fletch goes mad.1995 = Alan leaves the band , The group’s nexteffort, Ultra, released in 1997, featured hits “It’s No Good” and “Barrel of a Gun” and stronger, more controlled vocals by Gahan.The 2000’ – A new Era 2001- Exciter’s sound is almost like a summer- breeze, a mix of compulsionary and organic sounds,2005 - Playing the angel

Considered one of the best albums since SOFAD The mood swings from hurt in tracks like "A Pain That I'm Used To" and "I Want It All" to hope, which tentatively radiates from "Nothing's Impossible". The first single, "Precious", manages to retain a pop catchiness while still remaining very much a lament. The whole album is an ode to isolation and confusion.Glowing with crystalline synths, softly menacing guitars and fragile contemplation, Playing The Angel conjures up an almost tangible sense of damage

2009 = S.O.T.U

„ I was dreaming of the past, and my heart was beating fast/ I began to loose control, I began to loose control… – Jealous Guy - The Beatles „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. The result sounds like a time machine back to the Eighties",

A „wrong” track

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".

Corrupt'

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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.

Dark themes

Alienation is a prevalent theme in Depeche Mode’s oeuvre.

The group formed in 1981 after feeling disenfranchised from the music scene.

“We felt rock came to a dead end and electronics were a way forward. We started out as a purist electronic band as we felt that was the only way to go with th music,” Gore says.

Depeche Mode’s 1981 debut Speak and Spell was a calling card that was led by the atmospheric debut single New Life and the danceable Just Can’t Get Enough. The group’s sound and image took an increasingly darker turn with each releas.

By the time the group’s twin masterworks – 1990’s Violator and 1993’s Songs of Faith and Devotion – arrived, the singer Dave Gahan transformed from pop posterboy to a writhing mascara-clad frontman. On the music front, the chilly synths of earlier albums made away for harder blues and rock elements.

Despite the paranoid sounds, the band still managed to crank out crowd-pleasing anthems such as the dazzling Enjoy the Silence, the pensive Personal Jesus and the rocking I Feel You.

Down-to-earth beats

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On the music front, the chilly synths of earlier albums made away for harder blues and rock

elements.

Despite the paranoid sounds, the band still managed to crank out crowd-pleasing anthems such as the dazzling Enjoy the Silence, the pensive Personal Jesus and the rocking I Feel You.

While admitting the band always had an eye for the future, Gore says Depeche Mode songs are always down-to-earth.

“The way I always try to describe it is that we try to capture the emotion and passion in music,” he says. “I find that if you can make that real for yourself it will -somehow translate to other people. We want to be realistic and honest with our music and not create some false world.”

New offerings

2013 – Delta Machine –

Another aspect, the band are honest about, is the tensions within the group.

The group’s internal ructions included both Gore and Gahan battling heavy substance abuse and the founding member Vince

Clarke quitting the band after their debut album to find success with Erasure.

With numerous albums recorded in fraught circumstances, Gore is delighted Delta Machine was created with relative ease.

While still imbued with its fair share of darkness, the 13th album has shards of light and hope.

The lead single Heaven is as close as the boys get to a gospel song. While the slow-burning ballad is an odd choice to introduce the album

We have never had a full game plan especially not a long-term one. I’d like to think that what we do happens organically. We just finished a tour , so we will take a break for a while When it feels right, we will get togheter and talk about the future.

Martin L. Gore – March 2014

“I don’t think that we genuinely appeal to the average person,” Gore says. “We are outsiders and we attract outsiders and there are a lot of them around at the -moment.”

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Gore says it summed up the new-found belief within the group.

Making Depeche Mode music is not a torturous affair anymore, he says.

“We have a really good formula going,” says Gore. “Dave puts a lot of time and effort into working on the vocals, which makes the recordings so much easier. He would go in every day and do vocal

warm-ups so when the time comes to record, it will be three or four takes and we’ve got it.”

Despite the success, the band’s outsider status continues.

The band’s guitarist, keyboardist and chief songwriter Martin Gore says there is truth to the statement that Depeche Mode are the world’s biggest cult band. “The Depechies” are not a normal lot, he

ConclusionsWho are they? What have we learned ? Pioneers in industrial rock, sensational in live concerts with a portfolio bagadge of 36 years and still counting .Not like any other bands DM oscilated their sound as quickly as their name. In the early 80’,the sound was a sort of techno music with pop elemets, later on confirmed to be a great recipe for international success. When their first album, "speak and spell "was conquering fresh audience that was when "people were people" and all the members were singing their hearts off. After this first breakthrough it was clear that they had something

seriously going on, so the only thing to do was to work, and work and again work issuing a total of 8 albums in the 80’. After a while a member thought it through and decided to the band “due to the increasing popularity”. And so, the next tranzitory period was marked by the dearture of Vince and the arrival of Alan. As from that moment. That former girlish glam band sorted out their adolescence drammas and went to a higher level of experience with a non album release..."get the ballance right"..and so it was . In 1987 they performed on Pasadena Stadium, gathering a crowd of 80.000, a record for the venue. Succes doesn’t come alone, so after just three years they released “Violator” . In 1995 , a downfall was

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announced by Dave’s heroin addiction and Gore’s drinking probems , and so, the band sufferd a major breakdown and left Alan no choise but to quit the team on the first of june ,later that year.Later on, things changed dramatically when the guys had started to work on their own solo performances. The question was why. Maybe they wanted a break just like Alan. Even so the fracture left behind by their own doings must have certaintly triggerd off Alan among others.

However, a thing is sure , we can always find an answer to this crisis in the 1997 “ Songs of faith and devotion “ . All in all , D.M can be represented by the mask of Ianus , from greek mythology, one side is showing laughter and joy, whereas the other one is in sorrow and pain. As to conclude, the sogs talk for theimselfs all you have to do is to listen.

Sitography:

http://thequietus.com/articles/01306-depeche-mode-sounds-of-the-universe-the-first-review-of-new-album

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Depeche_Mode.aspxhttp://www.allmusic.com/album/exciter-mw0000000268

http://www.last.fm/music/Depeche+Modewww. Wikipedia.org

Bibliography:Revista Sunete

Revista Roling Stones

Books:Depeche Mode Monument

Stripped

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