certain songs can transport you to a particularplace in space and time. that’s the beauty of greatmusic. if you’re a newcomer to the world ofdepeche mode, you’re about to experience some ofthe best records that this unique english group haveever created, here remixed and rearranged by someof the most potent, pioneering names in dancemusic. but if you’re a lifelong fan, you’ll already knowthat the band offer a very particular kind of magic.as well as the unique chemistry at the very heartof the group, their ability to offer insight andmelody from behind a bank of electronic synths andguitars has remained unmatched for the best partof thirty years. and that’s the truth.

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from tim simenon and françois kevorkian toviennese duo kruder and dorfmeister, depeche modehave been at the forefront of remix culture forthe best part of three decades now. although theircatalogue is full of songs that have been broadcastto the world via the remix (with even early eightiesoutput like ‘everything counts’ (in larger amounts)and ‘master and servant’ (slavery whip mix) alludingto the size and content of the re-edited musicwithin), it was 1987’s ‘music for the masses’,produced by the band with dave bascombe, thatsaw depeche mode switch from synth-popcontenders to globe-straddling superstars.concurrently, dj culture had started to bubble up tothe mainstream and songs like ‘behind the wheel’were just itching for the right mix. globally, their timehad come.

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for a band with such a strong and extensivecatalogue, it was not an easy task to decide whichsongs needed revisiting and which ones should beleft untouched on the studio shelf. some, like‘strangelove’, ‘never let me down again’ and‘everything counts’, are such a part of the band’sidentity that leaving them out could have caused anonline riot. the job of depeche mode has always been

to excite and inspire – and that’s precisely what wehave here. not only has more than half a decadepassed since ‘remixes 81-04’, it’s also time to re-evaluate the catalogue old and new and release acompanion piece to the original.

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of course, it’s dave’s defiant voice that’s at theheart of so much of depeche mode’s music, andthat bold mixture of glacial kraftwerk cool and newyork city club heat never bubbled with morepotency than on their 1990 album ‘violator’. producedby flood and mixed by legendary new yorkdj/producer françois kevorkian, fk ensured that thesingles from ‘violator’ connected to your very core,and on ‘world in your eyes’ and ‘policy of truth,’ inparticular, the dub-techno hooks dug deeper thanever before. twenty years later, the results remaintruly transcendental. equally incisive in its precisionis the pulsating orbital vocal mix of ‘happiest girl’which saw dr. alex paterson from the orb add asuitably breezy electronic sheen to the song. andwhile the album that followed – 1993’s ‘songs offaith and devotion’ – veered closer to rockiershores than ever before, the remix talent thatsurrounded it showed that not only were depechemode inspiring and attracting world-class work fromemerging electronic artists, but that the band’schoice of remixer was helping to usher in a newgeneration of studio superstars: ‘walking in myshoes’, for example, was mixed by william orbit,mark ‘spike’ stent and johnny dollar with portishead.months later, the soon-to-be bristol heroes wouldreturn for ‘in your room’ as did françois kevorkianwith goh hotoda for a house remix of album closer‘higher love’. they even dabbled with andrewweatherall-style sabresonic techno on the helmetat the helm remix of the album’s first single ‘i feelyou’, which was mid 90s acid mastery of the kindwe’ll never see or hear again. that darkness alsoseeped into the anandamidic mix of ‘walking in myshoes’ courtesy of sonic experimentalists spirit feel.

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but the shift towards dark sonic explorationand discovery was never more apparent than on1997’s ‘ultra’, produced by tim simenon of bomb thebass. a stark but artistically startling body of work,it’s undoubtedly right up there with the band’s best.not only did ‘ultra’ feature some of dave gahan’sfinest vocal performances to date (it’s no surprisethat there are as many bootleg remixes of ‘it’s nogood’ floating around as there are originals), but in‘barrel of a gun’ (remixed by underworld, plastikmanand united aka marc waterman + paul freegard),‘it’s no good’ (hardfloor) and ‘home’ (of which airdelivered a defining and artistically chilling moment forboth band’s careers with their ‘around the golf’ remix),they prove they have songs as as mid career-defining as anything anyone who came before themcreated.

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the band returned with ‘the singles’ album andtour (as astute as ever, 1997’s ‘painkiller’ wasremixed by a fledgling dj shadow), but didn’t returnto full album duties until 2001’s ‘exciter’ lp. poweredonce again by three super-soulful singles (‘dream on’,‘i feel loved’ and ‘freelove’) and refuelled for thedancefloor by dave clarke, danny tenaglia and deepdish respectively, depeche mode rarely sounded moredisembodied than on the smooth, tech-house ‘toughguy’ remix of ‘dream on’, by matthew ‘bushwacka!’ b,resident dj at what was then the best undergroundnightclub in london, the end. this remix wasimportant for two reasons: one, it proved thatdepeche mode were more than capable of writingaching blues-driven lullabies and two, itdemonstrated that they were still keeping their earsto the ground in electronic circles, well into the newdecade. bushwacka! would later reveal that hisremix was made in tribute to a recently deceasedfriend; the fact that the song already sounds like aghostly prayer only adds to that poignancy.

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in retrospect, 2005’s ‘playing the angel’ – producedby ben hillier – mostly set the guitars to stun.after the serenity of return single ‘precious’(remixed by sasha, motor and kompakt records’boss michael mayer) english super-producer stuartprice finally got to remix his heroes depeche modewith the raucous ‘a pain that i’m used to’. and whilehe’s far more informed by pop music thandisco/techno devotee françois k, jacques lu cont(price’s remix moniker du jour) delivered a wall-busting club mix of ‘pain…’ that’s right up therewith his best work for madonna and scissorsisters. and while ‘pain…’ pointed the way, therewas also light at the end of the tunnel. m83’sunder-stated but magisterial mix of ‘suffer well’took the band closer to woozy psychedelia thanever before. the work of french musician anthonygonzalez, he even adds some dreamy falsetto vocalrefrains, bringing some previously untapped shardsof light to the mix. it wouldn’t be long before they’d all be back.

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never standing still when it comes to musicaltrends, depeche mode’s wide-reaching sonic palettewould be used for the remix project thatsurrounded ‘the best of’. as they would soondiscover with chilean dj ricardo villalobos’ era-defining‘the sinner in me’ (ricardo villalobos’ conclave mix) inibiza in the summer of 2006, there are more shapesand arrangements waiting to be found in theirsongs than they sometimes give themselves creditfor. a sublime percussive rework from the mostprestigious techno dj living in berlin, for some it wasactually the moment at which they heard the bandfor the first time. it’s no surprise that berlin –home to so many seminal shows in the ‘80s - wouldprove such an inspiration for both the band andtheir german brethren. taking an even darker trip,hannover’s oliver huntemann’s aching, echo-ladennew techno mix of ‘everything counts’ took martin’swry look at ‘80s thatcherism and dumped it in a

dark after-hours corridor in berlin. working withstephan bodzin, it became another instant classic.

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like ‘the best of’, a slew of brand new remixeswere commissioned for the cd you’re holding now.these are important for two reasons. one, becausedepeche mode fans are the most passionate breeda band could ever wish for, and two, because therumour that former members alan wilder andvince clarke were involved is akin to a family being reunited with a long lost sibling. that both alan andvince have chosen songs that mean so much (‘inchains’, the brooding ‘sounds of the universe’ showand album opener, and ‘behind the wheel,’ still one ofthe most defining statements martin ever made)only adds to the impending sense of musical drama.alan’s take on ‘in chains’ is a contemplative collectionof scorched industrial synths that shears martin’sguitar lines out of the picture and before you knowit, we’ve been transported back to the darkmelodrama of ‘songs of faith and devotion' – it’squite the trip. and that’s followed by vince clarke’stake on ‘behind the wheel’, which shows that theband’s former songwriter still knows how to strikea chord. ushering in a series of cascading riffsbefore erupting into a brilliant crescendo, clarke’sproduction is a deft techno update and a fantastictribute to his former band mates. just as hauntingin its execution and chilling subject matter, leweekend’s remix of ‘…universe’ out-take ‘ghosts’(sample lyric: ’i’m the ghost in your house, callingyour name’) is a seldom heard song that conjures upclassic kraftwerk on the original version andbecomes a shimmering b-line-driven house anthemwith a climax to die for.

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still, it’s not just about the electronic elderstatesmen on the new mixes. swedish housemaster eric prydz has proved time and time againthat he can cannily blend underground sounds withcommercial kudos and his main room remixes of

‘personal jesus’ and ‘never let me down again’ willensure that these songs remain in the same housemusic hemisphere as timo maas’ mix of ‘enjoy thesilence’ did over six years ago. there are also someproducers coming to the party for the first time.newcomer alex metric’s mix of ‘personal jesus’ isinformed by alter ego and fellow house producersteve angello alike while norwegian duo stargate(who made beyonce 'irreplaceable' and rihanna a 'rudeboy') turn in a glacial pop makeover of ‘personaljesus’ which sees the band breathing the same sonicair as madonna and gaga and is guaranteed toconfuse growing kids all over again. (of course, in2011, ’someone to be your prayer, someone who’sthere’ can mean whatever people want it to mean,and only one of these meanings will be religion.) alsomaking their debut for depeche mode are karlssonand winnberg from band miike snow, whose space-age synth lines are the perfect accompaniment to super-charged songs like ‘tora! tora! tora!’ and‘when the body speaks’, while royksopp’s richlymelodic remix of ‘puppets’ is a reminder thateveryone in the band can have their pulse quickenedby quirk on occasion.

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as we stated at the very start, depeche modeevoke different memories in all of us. if you wereto transport ‘personal jesus’ or 'everything counts'in a time capsule into the far-flung future, we’repretty sure that they would be causing havoc withpeople’s minds in the same way that they’ve beendoing back here for the past twenty years. manyof the songs that appear on this album are destinedto outlive every single one of us. the shape andform they choose to exist in, however, is impossible topredict.

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ralph moore

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dream.on (bushwacka tough guy mix)produced by mark bell. remix + additional production by bushwacka-

suffer.well (m83 remix)produced by ben hillier. remix + additional production by m83-

john.the.revelator (UNKLE reconstruction)produced by ben hillier. remixed by j. lavelle and r. file.programmed by r. file. additional engineering by edmund monsef. bass by chris goss.mixed by chris allen -

in.chains (tigerskin's no sleep remix)produced by ben hillier. remix + additional production by alex krueger-

peace (SixToes remix) produced by ben hillier. remix + additional production bySixToes-

lilian (chab vocal remix edit)produced by ben hillier. remixed by chab for kimcoentertainment inc.edited by dave 'saxon' greenep + roland brown-

never.let.me.down.again (digitalism remix)produced by depeche mode + dave bascombe. additional production by daniel miller. remix + additional production by digitalism -

corrupt (efdemin remix)produced by ben hillier. remix + additional production by efdemin-

everything.counts (oliver huntemann + stephan bodzin dub)produced by daniel miller + depeche mode. remix + additional production by oliver huntemann + stephan bodzin-

happiest.girl (the pulsating orbital vocal mix)produced by depeche mode + flood.remixed by dr alex paterson + thrash. engineered by greg hunter.dj nancy noise-

walking.in.my.shoes (anandamidic mix)produced by depeche mode + flood.remixed by spirit feel-

personal.jesus (the stargate mix)produced by depeche mode + flood.remix produced + mixed by stargate.additional production by sandy vee.recorded by mikkel s. eriksen + miles walker. all instruments by mikkel s. eriksen + tor erik hermansen.additional drum programming by sandy vee-

slowblow (darren price mix)produced by tim simenon. remix + additional production by darren price -

wrong (trentemøller club remix)produced by ben hillier. remix + additional production by anders trentemøller-

world.in.my.eyes (dub in my eyes)produced by depeche mode + flood.remix + additional production by françois kevorkian. engineered by lloyd puckitt. overdubs by alan friedman-

fragile.tension (peter bjorn + john remix)produced by ben hillier. remix + additional production by peter bjorn + john-

strangelove (tim simenon/mark saunders remix) produced by depeche mode + dave bascombe. additional production by daniel miller.remixed by tim simenon + mark saunders -

a.pain.that.i'm.used.to (jacques lu cont remix) produced by ben hillier. remix + additional production by jacques lu cont -

the.darkest.star (monolake remix)produced by ben hillier. remix + additional production by monolake-

i.feel.you (helmet at the helm mix)produced by depeche mode + flood.remixed by mark ‘spike’ stent-

higher.love (adrenaline mix edit)produced by depeche mode + flood.reconstructed + mixed by françois kevorkian + goh hotoda.additional production by alan friedman, goh hotoda + françois kevorkian.edited by roland brown-

fly.on.the.windscreen (death mix)produced by daniel miller + depeche mode. remixed by gareth jones-

barrel.of.a.gun (united mix)produced by tim simenon.remixed by united (marc waterman + paul freegard). remix engineered by alan branch. edited by pk. extra vocals by vanessa-

only.when.i.lose.myself (dan the automator mix)produced by tim simenon.reprogrammed and remixed by dan the automator with spiritualguidance from mike v. + prince paul grishnock-

ghost (le weekend remix)produced by ben hillier. remix + additional production by sie medway-smith + ernest saint laurent-

personal.jesus (alex metric remix edit)produced by depeche mode + flood.remix + additional production by alex metric. mixed by uberzone-

never.let.me.down.again (eric prydz remix)produced by depeche mode + dave bascombe. additional production by daniel miller.remix + additional production by eric prydz-

behind.the.wheel (vince clarke remix)produced by depeche mode + dave bascombe. additional production by daniel miller.remix + additional production by vince clarke-

leave.in.silence (claro intelecto ‘the last time’ remix)produced by daniel miller + depeche mode. remix + additional production by mark stewart-

in.chains (alan wilder remix) produced by ben hillier. mix arranged + produced by alan wilder. additional sound design by daniel myer+paul kendall-

when.the.body.speaks (karlsson + winnberg remix)produced by mark bell. remix + additional production by karlsson + winnberg. mixed by vaughan merrick-

puppets (royksopp remix)produced by depeche mode + daniel miller. remix + additional production by svein berge + torbjørn brundtland -

tora!.tora!.tora! (karlsson + winnberg (from miike snow) remix)produced by depeche mode + daniel miller. remix + additional production by karlsson + winnberg. mixed by vaughan merrick-

freestate (clark remix)produced by tim simenon. remix + additional production by chris clark-

i.want.it.all (roland m. dill remix) produced by ben hillier. remix + additional production by roland m. dill-

a.question.of.time (joebot presents ‘radio face’ remix)produced by depeche mode, daniel miller + gareth jones. remix + additional production by joe ‘joebot’ harbinson-

personal.jesus (sie medway-smith remix)produced by depeche mode + flood.remix + additional production by sie medway-smith. bass + guitars by ernest st laurent.strings played + arranged by james banbury. mixed by sie on the second floor -

master.and.servant � (rss remix)produced by daniel miller, depeche mode + gareth jones.remix + additional production by rss-

in.chains (meyer vs wilder deconstruction)produced by ben hillier.mix produced by alan wilder.sound design + arrangement by daniel myer

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dream on/john the revelator/in chains/peace/lilian/never let me down again/corrupt/everything counts/happiest girl/walking in my shoes/personal jesus/ slowblow/wrong/world in my eyes/ fragile tension/strangelove/a pain that i'm used to/the darkest star/i feel you/ higher love/fly on the windscreen/barrel of a gun/only when i losemyself/ghost/ behind the wheel/leave in silence/when the bodyspeaks/tora!tora!tora!/freestate/ a question of time/master and servantwritten by martin l gore. publishedby emi music publishing ltd. licensedby grabbing hands music ltd. ‘john the revelator’ inspired by the traditional work of the same name

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suffer well/i want it all written bygahan/eigner/phillpott. published by emi music publishing ltd.licensed by jjsr productionsinc./universal music publishing ltd.

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puppets written by vince clarke.published by musical momentsltd./sony music publishing

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depeche mode is dave gahanmartin gore andy fletcher

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alan wilder was a member of depeche mode from 1982–1995

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vince clarke was a member of depeche mode from 1980–1981

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management: jonathan kessler for baron inc.

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depeche mode office:jd fanger, venusnote ltd.

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compiled by depeche mode + roland brown.mastered by mike marsh at the exchange

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design mat cook, intro london-

official web site: www.depechemode.com

-c2011 reprise records. all rights reserved.