Mute Records is arguably one of the most important independent music labels of all time, and certainly most successful and prolific. Since founding the label to release his debut single, The Normal’s‘Warm Leatherette’ / ’T.V.O.D’ in 1978, Daniel Miller went on to spearhead the careers of such music luminaries such as Fad Gadget, Depeche Mode, Einstürzende Neubauten, curating an enviable roster of artists that culminated recently with the signing of defunct rival Factory Records most popular act: New Order.
Now Daniel Miller is curating Mute: A Visual Document—a 320 page book of comprehensive discographies, including photography and video stills from legendary photographers, conceptual artworks, and “rare ephemera and equipment”. Also included is a family tree of Mute artists, and anecdotal and photographic contributions from important figures in the label’s history that include Moby, Alison Goldfrapp, Anton Corbijn, Bleddyn Butcher, Brian Griffin, Jon Spencer, Barry Adamson, Ivan Novak (Laibach), Angus Andrew (Liars), Adrian Shaughnessy and Tom Hingston.
The book follows the comprehensive 10-disc singles and b-sides boxset Mute: Audio Documents 1978 – 84, which was released in 2007. Exhaustive 10 CD box set from Mute Records, a collection of their singles, a and B-sides, released between 1978 – 84. The box contains four two-CD sets, each covering a specific time period (1978-81, 1982, 1983 and 1984) plus a bonus two disc set that contains 20 rarities by most of the artists featured in this box including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Fad Gadget, Nick Cave, Non, Silicon Teens and the Normal. The first four volumes will be available separately later in 2007, but the bonus two CD set will only be available with this box! 128 groundbreaking tracks by one of the finest independent labels to emerge during the ‘new wave’ revolution. Also features cuts from D.A.F., Boyd Rice, Smegma, Robert Rental and more. 2008.
Sure, it’s definitely just label friends, to which I only partially count myself. So I was all the more surprised by what there was to discover.
For those interested in buying: Here on 10CDs you will find the complete back catalogue of all MUTE 7″ singles from 1978- 1984 nice with A & B-page.
From this not only “things that are on the books and are also on the albums”. I’ve discovered a lot, I was amazed at what was pressed on vinyl at the time.
The rarities are all rather live stuff, of which the concert by The Normal & Robert Rental 1978 was the absolute highlight for me. (The label connoisseur already knows this as a vinyl bootleg) If you ignore the sound quality, the gig was 25 years ahead of its time. That could have rocked the club in 1993.
The only shortcoming is the price. But maybe there are for those who don’t need everything, download the single tracks at Mute The box should probably also be picked and the CDs appear individually – apart from the rarities, this definitely should not give any more. Who knows? I’m looking forward to part 2! 85- 91 I also find exciting.
Mute: A Visual Document, is a project helmed by author and musician Terry Burrows is being released by Thames & Hudson on November 28th
Depeche Mode The 12″ vinyl singles project continues with the release of “Violator | The 12″ Singles”.
A collector’s edition deluxe box set, contains ten 12″ vinyl discs showcasing the singles – Personal Jesus, Enjoy The Silence, Policy Of Truth, World In My Eyes – and key B-sides and mixes contemporaneous to Depeche Mode’s watershed “Violator” album.
From their earliest days as a band, Depeche Mode have championed 12″ vinyl, embracing the singular power of the format and the avenues of innovation the format opened up. The 12″ single allowed the band to explore new sonic possibilities while the tactile physical beauty of the packaging gave Depeche Mode room to develop a sophisticated and commanding visual aesthetic. Depeche Mode used their singles discography as a means of offering left field remixes and other delights for their fans.
Violator extended Depeche Mode’s increasingly mind-blowing run of 12″ singles (with a virtually unprecedented number of remixes for Personal Jesus alone). Violator introduced fans to some of the most enduring songs in the Depeche Mode catalog including Enjoy The Silence, Policy Of Truth and World In My Eyes.
Violator | The 12″ Singles contains the original and special edition versions of each single, including the etched vinyl version of Enjoy The Silence, the blue sealed edition of World In My Eyes plus a bonus promo 12″ of World In My Eyes which features exclusive rarities.
Later this month, Depeche Mode will launch a series of box sets collecting the band’s 12-inch singles. On August 31st, the first two boxes, “Speak & Spell” and “A Broken Frame”, will be released. All audio in this series has been newly remastered from the original tapes and cut at Abbey Road Studios.
The first box, “Speak & Spell: The 12″ Singles”, collects all of the singles around the era of the British electronic band’s 1981 debut “Speak & Spell”. It kicks off with a replica of the rare flexidisc containing “Sometimes I Wish I Was Dead” b/w Mute Records labelmate Fad Gadget’s “King of the Flies,” and continues with three 12-inch singles headlined by “Dreaming of Me,” “New Life,” and “Just Can’t Get Enough.” The original single versions of both “New Life” and “Just Can’t Get Enough” reached impressive peaks in the U.K. at No. 11 and No. 8, respectively. Despite their success, however, Speak & Spell proved to be Depeche Mode’s only album with founding member Vince Clarke.
The second box set, A Broken Frame: The 12″ Singles, addressed the period of the band’s 1981 sophomore album, their first to feature Martin Gore. This box has three 12-inch singles, with the A-sides “See You (Extended Version),” “The Meaning of Love (Fairly Odd Mix),” and “Leave in Silence (Longer).” All three songs placed in the U.K. top 20, with “See You” reaching the top ten.
Depeche Mode commented in the press release, “Our 12-inch singles have always been incredibly important to the band. It’s great to be able to re-share these songs with old and new fans in the way they were originally intended to be experienced. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.” The cover of each box set features street art iconography inspired by the original albums, while the sleeves of the actual 12-inch singles are replicas of the originals. This limited edition box set contains the singles from Depeche Mode’s second studio album A Broken Frame on audiophile-quality 12-inch vinyl, with audio remastered from the original tapes and cut at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. The artwork for the exterior of the box sets draws on street art iconography inspired by the original releases, while the vinyl sleeves themselves feature the original vinyl single artwork.
Speak & Spell: The 12″ Singles (Mute/Rhino, 2018)
Flexidisc (released as Flexipop 011, 1981)
Sometimes I Wish I Was Dead – Depeche Mode
King of the Flies – Fad Gadget
Dreaming of Me 12″ (released on 7″ as Mute Records 7 MUTE 013, 1981)
Dreaming of Me
Ice Machine
New Life 12″ (released as Mute Records 12 MUTE 014, 1981)
New Life (Remix)
Shout! (Rio Remix)
Just Can’t Get Enough 12″ (released as Mute Records 12 MUTE 016, 1981)
Just Can’t Get Enough (Schizo Mix)
Any Second Now (Altered)
A Broken Frame: The 12″ Singles (Mute/Rhino, 2018)
See You 12″ (released as Mute Records 12 MUTE 018, 1982)
See You (Extended Version)
Now This Is Fun (Extended Version)
The Meaning Of Love 12″ (released as Mute Records 12 MUTE 022, 1982)
The Meaning Of Love (Fairly Odd Mix)
Oberkorn (It’s a Small Town) (Development Mix)
Leave In Silence 12″ (released as Mute Records 12 BONG 1, 1982)
Leave In Silence (Longer)
Further Excerpts From: My Secret Garden
Leave In Silence (Quieter)
Some Great Reward The 12″ Singles
This limited edition box set contains the singles from Depeche Mode’s fourth studio album “Some Great Reward” on audiophile-quality 12-inch vinyl, with audio remastered from the original tapes and cut at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. The artwork for the exterior of the box sets draws on street art iconography inspired by the original releases, while the vinyl sleeves themselves feature the original vinyl single artwork.
This deluxe collector’s set includes six 12-inch vinyl discs.
Track Listing:
Disc 1
People Are People (Different Mix)
In Your Memory (Slik Mix)
Disc 2
People Are People (On-Usound Mix)
People Are People
In Your Memory
Disc 3
Master and Servant (Slavery Whip Mix)
(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me (Release Mix)
Master and Servant (Voxless)
Disc 4
Master and Servant (An ON-USound Science Fiction Dance Hall Classic)
Are People People?
(Set Me Free) Remotivate Me
Disc 5
Blasphemous Rumours
Somebody (Live in Liverpool 2006)
Two Minute Warning (Live in Liverpool)
Ice Machine (Live in Liverpool)
Everything Counts (Live in Liverpool)
Disc 6
Somebody (Remix)
Everything Counts (Live in Liverpool)
Blasphemous Rumours
Told You So (Live in Liverpool)
Construction Time Again
Next box set in the series. Deluxe limited-edition numbered box set containing six 12″ vinyl discs -mastered from the original tapes – including alternate mixes, 7″ versions, live shows and more. Construction Time Again marked the first time that Depeche Mode released limited edition versions of an album’s 12″ singles, each containing the original mix of each track. Depeche Mode’s commitment to the 12″ single format as a distinct art form became even more evident. The Construction Time Again – The 12″ Singles box includes three reproductions of limited singles which each feature four bonus live performances recorded at London’s Hammersmith Odeon on October 25th, 1982.
Songs Of Faith And Devotion The Singles
Vinyl Box Set-SONGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION THE 12” SINGLES deluxe limited-edition numbered box set will contain 8 x 12″ vinyl singles-Showcasing the singles– I Feel You, Walking In My Shoes, Condemnation and In Your Room–and key B-sides, mixes and live recordings contemporaneous to Depeche Mode’s Songs of Faith and Devotion album.-Songs of Faith and Devotion introduced fans to signature songs in the DM canon including “I Feel You” (the band’s highest-charting single worldwide), “Walking In My Shoes,” “Condemnation” and “In Your Room.”-Like each box set in the series, this release contains the singles from each Depeche Mode album on audiophile-quality 12″ vinyl, with audio remastered from the original tapes.-The artwork for the exterior of each of the new box sets draws on street art iconography inspired by the original releases, while the vinyl sleeves themselves feature the original vinyl single artwork.-Includes Single Poster Reproduction & Download Card
Ultra – The Singles 12″ Single, Box Set,
Ultra The 12″ Singles, a collector’s edition deluxe box set, contains eight 12″ vinyl discs presenting four singles–Barrel of a Gun, It’s No Good, Home, and Useless--with key B-sides, mixes and live recordings contemporaneous to Depeche Mode’s ninth studio album, “Ultra”, originally released 14th April 1997.
Three of the 12″ vinyl discs* in Ultra “The 12″ Singles” are comprised of tracks first released on CD singles throughout 1997. Each of these new 12″ discs features artwork reflecting the original CD single releases, now expanded to 12″ vinyl for the first time.
This box set contains the singles from Depeche Mode’s “Ultra” album on audiophile-quality 12″ vinyl, with audio mastered from the original tapes. The artwork for the exterior of the box sets draws on iconography inspired by the original release, while the vinyl sleeves themselves feature the original single artwork.
Depeche Mode has been performing a cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes” on its Global Spirit Tour for the past several months, and today the group released a music video for a studio version of the cut in honor of the iconic song’s 40th anniversary. Tomorrow marks 40 years since Bowie released the title track from “Heroes” – the second in his acclaimed and so-called ‘Berlin Trilogy’. Having made their rendition a staple highlight of their ‘immaculate’ recent live sets, Depeche Mode have honoured the song with an official cover and video recorded from the ‘Highline Sessions’ and directed by Tim Saccenti.
Of the song, frontman Dave Gahan says:
’Heroes’ is the most special song to me at the moment. Bowie is the one artist who I’ve stuck with since I was in my early teens. His albums are always my go-to on tour and covering ‘Heroes’ is paying homage to Bowie.”
Music video by Depeche Mode performing Heroes. (C) 2017 Venusnote Ltd., under exclusive license to Columbia Records,
The Fat Angel Sings 