Depeche Mode Interviews

1984-11-30 DRS3, Basel, Switzerland

François: Interviewer

François: What would Depeche Mode do when the floppy discs are being rejected by the computers, and so their tunes and sounds are not being played?

Martin: Panic. Luckily, I use an Emulator 1, and I used that on the last tour as well, and we've not had very many problems with that. It's just, just for this tour, Alan started using an Emulator 2, which is sort of, like, pushing it a bit, because they've only just come out. And on the British tour we have had quite a few problems.

François: Do DM ever dream of long solos on a guitar?

Alan: Sorry, Martin can play the guitar quite well.

Martin: And Alan can certainly bash out a steady beat on the drums.

Alan: But no, we just prefer to do it this way, because, in the long run, it's easier to get the right sounds, and it's easier to do it live, with keyboards, really.

Martin: It's not even easier to get the right sounds, it's easier to get interesting sounds. The guitars is very boring, really.

François: Aren't you making musicians unemployed by making music with digital instruments?

Alan: No, I don't... Firstly, I think, they will get a job, because there will always be work for those people. And secondly, you can't find technology. If the technology is there, use it. I think the only thing is, like Martin said, you have to use it in a good way. You have to have the good ideas and as many [clip is cut off].

François: After this techno-scene, there will likely follow an acoustic-revival-scene. How do they feel about this?

Martin: As you say, there is already a slight backlash. There's, like, a jazz revival or whatever, but-

Dave [in the background, sarcastically]: Yeah, there's a jazz revival.

Other people: Wow!

Martin: Yeah, there is. But I don't really think you can fight the technology, though, because it's by far the most interesting thing that is happening. Everything else is just regressive.