Depeche Mode
Violator (Mute)
Camila Grey of synth duo Uh Huh Her told us about her love for a Depeche Mode classic...
Camila Grey: My favorite album, is such a hard concept, because my musical taste is the amalgamation of so many inputs, over the course of my life.
If I had to pick one record that I've absolutely worn out, it would have to be Depeche Mode's Violator, which was released in 1990.
There is something that Dave Gahan's voice did to me as a kid. I would fantasize about being "Fletch" or Peter Gordeno, or Vince Clark (we actually worked with him at one point with UH HUH HER) and playing keys for them Live.
It's a record that would shape the entire sound of what alternative pop/electro rock in the '90s could be. Violator was the bridge between the '80s electro and the alternative guitar driven music explosion of the '90s. The sounds that emanated from "Enjoy the Silence" or "Personal Jesus" would forever shape my little burgeoning synth loving brain.
I love the minimalism that producer "Flood" (Mark Ellis) created in those tracks. Sometimes, the songs would be as simple as one synth bass line, and one beat...but the way Gahan and Gore would weave melody into that simplicity, and keep the pop sensibility, was astounding to me.
You could dance to it, yet it was cinematic and moody. I would forever pull from those emotions as a producer and songwriter later on in life. I love the dynamics that Francois Kevorkian provided in the mixes. They have so much depth, without being muddy.
I currently play keys for Morrissey, so for the last four years I did get as close to the Holy Trinity (Depeche Mode, The Cure, The Smiths) as humanly possible. Synth dreams do come true!
Uh Huh Her celebrate the 15th Anniversary of Nocturnes with Nocturnes: Redux, out August 7 via Kill Rock Stars.
