The first release from the legendary Depeche Mode since the loss of founding member Andy Fletcher. Longtime visual collaborator Anton Corbijn keeps their stylish and moody vibes fully intact, with the added resonance of what must be a nod to Ingmar Bergman's classic chess scene from The Seventh Seal.
The scenes that Timothy Saccenti created were out of this world and beautifully captured by Ivan Abel. I was honored to be picked as musical director/arranger and tasked with coming up with different arrangements than what is on the album for 5 songs that we chose collectively.
Director Warren Fu uses a square aspect ratio to focus in on all the body parts that keep Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan's soul apprpriately soothed. Some of those parts are NSFW. And you should be careful of the snake.
There's an funereal, yet divine grace to the new Depeche Mode, but that's exactly what fans have come to love from these downbeat electronic legends. Director Timothy Saccenti captures the mood, mixing the Biblical with the celestial on an epic scale.