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Depeche Mode
England

Depeche Mode is a legend that is still being written; after so many years touring, performing, and reinventing themselves, they're still making their music. Now, they have their very own music special, this month on Eurochannel. The special features the hit music videos from their songs Hole to Feed, Fragile Tension, Peace, Come Back and, for the first time on Eurochannel, the video of their stellar single Wrong off the band's latest album, Sounds of the Universe (2009).

Depeche Mode began in the 1970s, when guitarists Andrew Fletcher and Martin Gore and keyboardist Vince Clarke attended the same school in Basildon in Essex, England. The three of them were always the life of the party, and they were natural performers, but their sound was still young, still lacking in that innovation and passion that would someday make them superstars.

Then, in the early 1980s, the band was forever changed with the coming of singer David Gahan. Changing their name to Depeche Mode, which they "borrowed" from a French fashion magazine, the four of them became an unstoppable sensation. Their first album Speak and Spell was released in 1981, heralding a new sound for the band, and bringing forth a new age of music. Guitars gave way to synthesizers, and what followed was a decade of smash hits, including Never Let Me Down Again, Behind the Wheel and Strangelove.

For most bands this would have been enough, but 1990 and the birth of the grunge movement, coupled with the growth of house/techno music, Depeche Mode became something else, an alternative fusion which integrated rock and dance music. Their 1990 album Violator exploded in sales, driving them to international stardom complete with sold out concerts and worldwide recognition. Singles Enjoy the Silence, Personal Jesus, Policy of Truth and Halo are now household names, and have inspired countless other musicians throughout the years.

And yet, that still wasn't enough. Their latest work, which included Exciter (2001) saw the band change again, taking on a more acoustic, earthy sound, combining guitars with electronic effects (produced by Mark Bell, who was made famous by working on two of Bjork's albums). They soon went on to work with the bands they have inspired, and who inspired them, in Remixes 81-04 (2004), a 2-CD set of songs by the band remixed by other artists, and Playing the Angel (2005). The Best of Depeche Mode, Vol. 1 was released in 2006.

Just like Playing the Angel, their latest album, Sounds of the Universe (2009) contains songs written by Martin Gore and Dave Gahan. The launch also marks their reunion with producer Ben Hillier (Blur, Doves, and Elbow) who helped create the unique sound found on the album. The single Wrong, a kind of love-song to the features that made Depeche Mode so famous, has already become a hit single.

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