Depeche Mode Tribute

As usual most Depeche Mode interviews are all but interesting, with interviewers asking the most dull or commonly known questions (to which we all know the answers already anyhow). But luckily there’s still the indie press that often does a good job when interviewing bands. Side-Line magazine for example brings us a big interview that holds several things that you would never have known via other interviews. Read the full Depeche Mode interview. 

It’s not the first time that Side-Line has shown to know how to get things done properly. With this Alan Wilder interview and this 2nd Alan Wilder interview (later used by Alan Wilder to be turned into an open letter) they even caused lots of mayhem at the Mute / Emi offices.

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Available now for free download is a brand new free bonus mix of Recoil’s “Prey” (taken from the “subHuman” album). The mix has been approved by Alan Wilder and re-mixed by David Husser, a Frenchman, who was recommended by Paul Kendall and came to work at The Thin Line earlier this year. The mix is available for download right here: http://prey.recoil.co.uk .

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The new computer game “Need for speed - undercover” was released on November 20th, and 3 Recoil tracks have been included in the soundtrack. Sequences appear from “Shunt” (”Unsound Methods” CD), “Vertigen” and “Want” (both taken from the “Liquid” CD). “Undercover” is the 12th release of the popular racing video game series “Need For Speed”, developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts. It is released on PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Wii and other games consoles. Here’s the ‘plot’ of the game: The player becomes an undercover police officer venturing into the criminal underground of the fictional ‘Tri-City’. The idea is to take on various dangerous jobs and compete in races, in order to capture and take down a ruthless international crime smuggling syndicate of street racers and car thieves. Have fun !

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From the Recoil headquarters comes the news that they are preparing a brand new free bonus mix of “Prey” (taken from the “subHuman” album). The mix has been approved by Alan Wilder and re-mixed by David Husser. David, a Frenchman, was recommended by Paul Kendall and came to work at The Thin Line earlier this year. The mix will be available to download from the Official Recoil website and also from the Recoil myspace page where a 1 minute snippet is already available. 

This is what Paul Kendall aka PK has to say about David:“A distorting diamond. I had the good fortune of meeting David Husser over 6 years ago in Paris. Since then, we have collaborated on a number of projects and I have been amazed at his ability to teach an old dog new tricks. He is simply the best recording engineer I have ever met. His mixing and production skills have allowed me to sit in the corner of the studio grinning. Search for his old group ‘Y Front’, the album released in 2001 “Mellow Cosmos”, and you will hear the excellence of his fractured guitar/bass/ programming.”

Depeche Mode fanatics will probably remember Y Front mostly from their “Enjoy The Silence” cover they released on Art Beat Records back in 1998.

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Today Side-Line exclusively publishes an open letter from Alan Wilder (Recoil, ex-Depeche Mode), titled “Music For The Masses - I think not”, in which Wilder handles his vision on today’s shifting music market and the position of the artist in this. Originally intended to be an interview, it quickly turned into a small essay in which Wilder touches the volume war, the effect of excessive compression, the download spiral, alternative ways to release music, the birth of the fan powered release of the limited enhanced single ‘Prey’/'Allelujah’ in Russia, Mute Records, Depeche Mode, and much more.

This open letter offers you a unique insight in the music vision of Alan Wilder, one of the most influential musicians from the electronic scene. We encourage you to leave your comments, your point of view and thoughts! Check here to read the open letter. (Picture by Paul Heartfield)

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Out now is a special Russian release of the double sided Recoil single “Prey”/”Allelujah”. The release came to life due to popular demand or as Alan Wilder (ex-Depeche Mode) puts it as “a direct result of fan pressure“. The limited edition enhanced CD release of the double sided Recoil single “Prey”/”Allelujah” (with catalogue number CDMute372) package includes 2 “Prey” mixes (the Radio edit and the Album version) + the Reduction mix of “Allelujah” next to a never-before-seen film for “Allelujah”, directed by Dmitry Semenov. The release is accompanied by an exclusive downloadable booklet featuring video stills, “subHuman” art and commentary from Alan Wilder, Hepzibah Sessa and Dmitry Semenov.

The CD is being issued, with the support of Mute, through the Russian label Gala Records in conjunction withwww.depeche-mode.ru (check the link for ordering info) and is exclusively available on-line only via their website. In a reaction Wilder says: “We believe it represents an innovative approach towards CD marketing and distribution in the future, given the current complexities of record buying trends and an industry which, frankly, is in crisis.”

Order your copy now as only a very limited number of these Cd’s are being produced. When you order your copy you will also be automatically entering a competition. Prizes will include 5 exclusive signed printed copies of the booklet, vinyl copies of “SubHuman”, signed press shots and some other items. 

Here’s the tracklist of this gem:

1. Prey / 3.56 / Radio edit
2. Prey / 8.20/ Album version 
3. Allelujah / 9.23 / Reduction 
4. Allelujah / 9.18 (film)

Taken from 2007’s “subHuman” album released by Mute, “Prey” features the vocal and guitar talents of blues man Joe Richardson, while “Allelujah” introduces Carla Trevaskis. Check also our interview with Alan Wilder on the “subHuman” album.

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Recoil wins IGN's best of 2007 electronic album award

IGN, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, Inc., has selected Recoil’s “subHuman album as ‘Best Electronic Album’ for the year 2007. The reason for giving the award to the former Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder : “… But whereas Richard Melville Hall sampled and essentially remixed forgotten blues and folk songs into tight knit electro pop confections, Wilder has gone in the opposite direction, opting instead to employ the services of Texas Blues singer Joe Richardson and chanteuse Carla Trevaskis and craft intricate electronic numbers around their distinctly hypnotic vocals. The result is a mutated expansion of blues, folk, and electronic music that is rendered in a mesmerizing and progressive manner. To wit none of the tracks on the album are shorter than 7-minutes in length.”

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Since October 1st you can download a free remix of the Recoil track “The Killing Ground” by the UK act The Slips, not to be confused with the Boston based avant-rock band with the same name. The duo, consisting of Rob Haggett and Dave Treahearn, succeeded in turning the track into a very attractive club song. 

In a chat with Side-Line, Alan Wilder says: “The Slips were suggested to me by Daryl Bamonte. They have assisted Mark Stent on a number of projects out of Olympic studios, London (Madonna, Gwen Stefani etc) and recently have started to make their own music as well as remixing for others.”

You can find the free download at the band’s myspace page at www.myspace.com/theslipsmusic . Hurry up to get it as it will only be online for a limited time. No official release is planned for the remix. The origial version of “The Killing Ground” can be found on Alan Wilder’s recently released“subHuman” album of which you can read the review here.

In related news, Alan Wilder also confirmed us that he is indeed soon to start work on a new album. His comment:“I can’t get away with another 5 year break! Mute may not exist by then…” Can it be any clearer?

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The Recoil machinery is going full speed. With the imminent release of Recoil’s 5th studio album “subHuman” on July 9th, the Recoil website now announces a live chat session with Alan Wilder on July 2nd at 7PM GMT. At the same time you’ll be able to join an exclusive listening session of the complete album. In order to be part of this chat session, sign up here. According toShunt, the official Recoil website, Alan Wilder will be on hand providing video commentary between tracks as well as answering questions about the album. A unique event for every Recoil fan, so do not miss out on this one!

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The track “99 to life” to be found on the upcoming Recoil album “subHuman” is not holding just a random text. “99 To Life”, actually the term used to describe the maximum Jail sentence handed out, short of the death penalty, is based on a real story says Richardson when speaking to Side-Line: “It’s about one of my closest friends. Sent to prison here in TX, after killing 3 men in a gunfight. It was actually self-defense, but they were white and he was Hispanic, and it was a long time ago, when we were young and dumb!”  More hot Recoil news coming up in the next days !

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