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DEPECHE MODE MUSIC & INFORMATION

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Depeche Mode is an English electronic band, founded in 1980, originally from the town of Basildon, United Kingdom. They are one of the most enduring and successful bands to have emerged during the new wave/new romantic era. As of 2006, it was estimated that Depeche Mode had sold over 91 million records (56 million albums / 35 million singles) worldwide and have had 44 songs in the UK singles chart. They are the best selling band to have never had a UK number 1 single. The original line-up was Dave Gahan, Martin L. Gore, Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke. Clarke left in December 1981 and later went on to form Yazoo, The Assembly and most successfully Erasure. Clarke’s replacement, Alan Wilder joined the group initially in January 1982 as a live keyboardist but became an official member in December 1982. He left mid-1995 to fully concentrate on his Recoil project. The band have been highly influential in the electronic music scene, in part due to their innovative work, recording techniques and use of sampling. Their landmark album is arguably 1990’s Violator, which reached the #2 position in the UK, #7 in the US, and sold over 8 million copies worldwide. The country of Germany must be regarded as a central point of the group’s success: Depeche Mode had 6 number 1 albums in Germany and 25 top ten singles (2 number 1 hits). The community of the fans in Germany has gained its own name from Depeche Mode: The Black Swarm. Their name is derived from a French fashion magazine, Dépêche mode, which band member Martin Gore has said means “hurried fashion” or “fashion dispatch”. In their early days they were reknowned for never using a live drummer, so as not too hide this fact, they placed the drum machine in clear view during their live performances on stage. Now they often use a session musician when on tour.