Multiple box sets containing the group’s 55 singles will be released
Rhino Records has collected all of Depeche Modes singles and is comprising them into multiple box sets. The first two sets arrive on August 31st with each set in the series containing the singles from each Depeche Mode album on audiophile-quality 12″ vinyl, with audio remastered from the original tapes and cut at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. The artwork for the exterior of each of the new boxed sets draws on street art iconography inspired by the original releases, while the vinyl sleeves themselves feature the original vinyl single artwork.
Speak & Spell | The 12″ Singles contains a facsimile reproduction of the rare Flexi Disc “Sometimes I Wish I Was Dead” b/w “King of the Flies” (the Fad Gadget track as on the original release); Dreaming Of Me 12″: “Dreaming of Me” b/w “Ice Machine”; New Life 12″: “New Life (Remix)” b/w “Shout! (Rio Mix)”; Just Can’t Get Enough 12″: “Just Can’t Get Enough (Schizo Mix)” b/w “Any Second Now (Altered)”; original single poster reproduction; download card.
A Broken Frame | The 12″ Singles contains See You 12″: “See You (Extended Version)” b/w “Now This Is Fun (Extended Version)”; The Meaning of Love 12″: “The Meaning of Love (Fairly Odd Mix)” b/w “Oberkorn (It’s a Small Town) (Development Mix)”; Leave In Silence 12″: “Leave In Silence (Longer)” b/w “Further Excerpts From: My Secret Garden” and “Leave In Silence (Quieter)”; original single poster reproduction; download card.
The Depeche Mode 12″ singles series will continue over the coming years, with plans to release boxes containing the singles from each of the band’s albums in similar deluxe audiophile-grade collector’s editions.
When Depeche Mode entered the scene with the release of the group’s first single “Dreaming of Me” / “Ice Machine” on February 20, 1981, it laid the groundwork for one of the most transformative career paths in contemporary music. Depeche Mode combined elements of new wave pop, dance, rock, blues and electronic music to create emotional soundscapes for the future and the 12″ vinyl single – with superior sound and deeper grooves favored by dance club DJs and fans alike – proved the perfect sonic medium for the band’s sweeping vision.
Depeche Mode realized the format’s potential and embraced the power of 12″ vinyl and the avenues of innovation it opened up. The 12″ single allowed the band to explore new sonic possibilities while the physical beauty of the packaging gave Depeche Mode room to develop a sophisticated and commanding visual aesthetic. Depeche Mode used their singles discography as a means of offering left field remixes and other delights for their fans.
“Our 12″ singles have always been incredibly important to the band,” agree the members of Depeche Mode. “It’s great to be able to re-share these songs with old and new fans in the way they were originally intended to be experienced. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.”
Depeche Mode is currently in the midst of the Global Spirit Tour, a worldwide concert tour that started in May 2017 and will finish this summer with a pair of shows at the Waldbühne in Berlin on July 23rd and 25th. In all, the 15 month Global Spirit Tour will see the band play to over three million fans across Europe, North America and South America.
As part of the Depeche Mode’s ongoing charity partnership with Swiss watchmaker Hublot for the benefit of charity: water, a global non-profit bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing countries, a special limited-edition series of watches inspired by the band’s 55 singles are also being released. Each watch will be unique, with one watch made for each single, incorporating the artwork from the single into the design of the watch. Each watch will come housed in a custom Rimowa suitcase containing the watch, a Roland JP-08 synthesizer, a copy of the corresponding vinyl single, and a certificate of authenticity signed by the band. Net proceeds from the sale of the watches will go to charitywater.org.
