Halo: The Story Behind Depeche Mode's Classic Album Violator

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Halo: The Story Behind Depeche Mode's Classic Album Violator

Halo: The Story Behind Depeche Mode's Classic Album Violator

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The first in-depth look at the making of Depeche Mode’s ‘Violator’ and its enduring legacy, by Kevin May and David McElroy. Published on 29 September 2022 by Grosvenor House Publishing. Recorded in England, Denmark and Italy between May and September 1989, Depeche Mode’s seventh studio album ‘Violator’ was a landmark record beloved by fans and universally regarded as the band’s creative highpoint.

Recorded in England, Denmark and Italy between May and September 1989,Depeche Mode’s seventh studio album‘Violator’was a landmark record beloved by fans and universally regarded as the band’s creative highpoint. During intense and pivotal two-and-a-half years in the life of the group, we follow Depeche Mode as they complete their metamorphosis into one of the most significant bands of a generation, and place the success and innovations of ‘Violator’ at the dead centre of the rapidly-changing late-80s, early-90s musical zeitgeist. Depeche Mode performing at Wembley Arena on the World Violation Tour, November 1990 (photo credit: Michael Rose)They were, in many respects, still seen as an underground band in the eyes of those in the mainstream music industry when it came to an album launch, relying on radio play from local or university radio stations. This period in the band’s history also found them forging a deeply trusted and influential partnership with photographer and designer Anton Corbijn, often viewed as the fifth member of Depeche Mode at this time. Corbijn’s work with the Area creative agency for the Violator project delivered iconic, integrated artwork, photography, videos and short films across the album, its singles, and tour design. For the most part, he says, Depeche Mode just leave him to get on with it, a marked contrast to his other celebrated regular clients, U2. “U2 are a band who believe in meetings, so everything has a meeting. With Depeche, it’s an exception to have a meeting at all. When I did visuals for The Joshua Tree 30th anniversary tour, I also filmed the show in Mexico City. After the concert, U2 all came to look at the footage. At midnight! For two hours! I mean, Depeche – you couldn’t get them to watch a minute. It’s an incredible difference in attitude. But that’s also the charm of Depeche. They don’t do many interviews, there’s no big plans, they just make a record and tour.”

With ‘Halo’, authors Kevin May and David McElroy have produced an essential guide for Depeche Mode fans and anyone inquisitive about the making of a classic, genre-defining album. Martini: Aaaand that’s what we wish for. Thanks for the interview and the opportunity to review your book. This period in the band’s history also found them forging a deeply trusted and influential partnership with photographer and designerAnton Corbijn, often viewed as the fifth member of Depeche Mode at this time. Corbijn’s work with the Area creative agency for the ‘Violator’ project delivered iconic, integrated artwork, photography, videos and short films across the album, its singles, and tour design.

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The doors opened at 9pm and fans started filing in, offering anything Depeche Mode related to the band for them to sign. As well as sundry Violator related items, footage of the event shows a diverse range of Depeche Mode items including the band’s least-loved single ‘It’s Called A Heart’. Ever the professionals, they even signed that. The touring and media schedule had worked, pushing the band towards the edges of its then cult status, as many of those in the mainstream media woke up and realised that another group of four young lads from Britain were causing a hell of a stir on college campuses. Martini: In my country, we have a saying: „You know a man not by how he starts, but how he finishes.” And you did well. Congratulations! Kevin May was a journalist for nearly 30 years before switching to academic studies in the area of mental health in 2022. He edited a number of publications during his journalism career, including titles covering the travel and media industries. Kevin has co-hosted five podcasts and moderated at dozens of events in the US, China, India, Australia, Singapore and across Europe. Coincidentally, an early job in journalism was as a reporter in Essex, covering Depeche Mode’s hometown of Basildon. He first saw the band in 1990 on the World Violation Tour.

The book by David and Kevin is, after all, an attempt to capture the moment and time when everything merged into a perfect formula, as the authors saw it and wanted it then, not as we thought. Because often a contemporary view of work even disturbs the original understanding of the record. The guys perfectly reflect the spirit of the times and the intensive production process of Alan, Flood, and François as well as other great professionals who appeared from the demos to the final sounds of the tour in November 1990 with the band. Depeche Mode, on the other hand, were a synthpop band from Basildon, Essex, whose career already appeared to be in trouble after only two hit singles. Ominously, Vince Clarke, the band’s chief songwriter, failed to turn up for one of Corbijn’s shoots, and would announce his departure a couple of months later. In 1990 however, the American marketplace for promoting and selling records was one where it was generally still extremely difficult to do so efficiently and effectively. It is worth noting that by this time in their career, Depeche Mode were an established band, all aged in their late twenties or early thirties. They were not a British invasion era Beatles causing a teen frenzy, nor were they at the stage in their career Duran Duran found themselves when they first went to America and were besieged by the teen hordes. David:An impossible question to answer! I genuinely don’t have one I would say I dislike more than others...

Violator is a milestone in the history of the band, it is the milestone in the history of our subculture, and it is finally the milestone in the history of music and pop culture. I am a child of the Violator too (how it sounds ;-P). If not for this album, probably I wouldn’t dive deep into the in depeche MODE’s music as much as it happened after 1989. That’s why I strongly supported the Halo – the Violator bookproject from the beginning. During an intense and pivotal two-and-a-half years in the life of the group, we follow Depeche Mode as they complete their metamorphosis into one of the most significant bands of a generation, and place the success and innovations of 'Violator' at the dead centre of the rapidly-changing late-80s, early-90s musical zeitgeist. The band had played some 40 shows in North America over two legs in late-1987 and mid-1988, culminating in the 101st show at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in June, but also taking in destinations as diverse as Austin in Texas, Salt Lake City in Utah and Iowa's Cedar Rapids. Prior to the signing, Martin was interviewed by telephone on the show Request Video. The host Jim ‘The Poorman’ Trenton asked Gore if he was aware that it had been predicted that a crowd of ten thousand people would attend the event. More than an album biography, 'Halo' goes deep behind the scenes of the band's 'Violator' period. The book takes the form of a detailed oral history from those who were there in the studio with the band, working behind the cameras, designing sleeves and appearing in the videos; support acts, tour managers, publicists and fans.

Kevin: It’s a landmark album for many reasons, not just the songs. Everything came together at the same time, such as mainstream crossover, artwork, videos, the tour, and of course, the high quality of the production on Violator. Kevin & David: We’ve not seen any firm opinions from fans saying, for example, that Violator is a bad album or something they don’t listen to. Everyone has a favourite album of course, but Violator seems to be generally thought of as a fan favourite.David: My reaction was to say yes straight away! Kevin and I had of course gotten to know each other by the time he asked me, and I was aware of the Halo project. I was very surprised to be asked to join in with Halo, but I was hugely enthusiastic, to say the least. Kevin had written something for Almost Predictable Almost’s Violator month so he knew the album was a favourite of mine. Martini: What amazed/surprised you during the writing proses? What didn’t know and was eye-opening for you? The band’s US label Sire came up with a plan. They and Mute joined up with the Los Angeles radio station K-ROQ, long-time Depeche Mode supporters, and announced a Violator signing session at the record shop The Wherehouse which was based at 3rd and La Cienega in Los Angeles.



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