2001 "Exciter" promo interview

Question 1: How do you look back on Ultra? Did it live up to your expectations?
Andrew Fletcher: It was very critically well acclaimed; our fans like it, but we think it was made under very difficult circumstances, as well, and the fact that all of us had big personal problems still but in the end, I think it was a good album, but I feel this album was made under the best circumstances possible and I think it shows.

Q2: At the moment, Martin, you're living on the west side of America, Dave's on the east and Fletch is here in the UK. What's it like when you get back together again?
Martin Gore: It's really irrelevant where we live. It's just we pick a place and we usually try and keep every member of the band happy so we've done some of the record here in London, we've done some of it in Santa Barbara, and some in New York. We get together and there has been this really good feeling in the band over the course of making this record so we've actually slotted back in to the work process quite easily.

Q3: What's going though your head before the release of the new album? Is this a nervous, hesitant time for you?
MG: No, I don't worry about that so much, but I actually really enjoy making music, so once that's finished and you have to go into the promo bit, that's what I don't like very much so I'll be happy when all the press, and radio, and tv's out of the way and we can start the tour.

Q4: Do you miss playing and recording when you're not doing it?
David Gahan: I don't miss recording. I miss playing live. I miss performing. I've always enjoyed that more than the painstaking process of recording. And it can be, cuz it can be really boring, ya know it's a long process, ya can't make it go any faster than it is going. Sometimes it seems like we're sitting in there doing nothing for days, but there's always work going on and the producer Mark and Gareth have been very instrumental musically, especially Mark, musically creating the sound of these songs and that's been good watching that happen, but it's never really happened fast enough for me.

Q5: What sort of music were you listening to prior to going into the studio? Does that tend to have an influence on the sound of a record?
MG: I was listening to quite a lot of abstract electronic music, really weird out there stuff the kind of stuff that people make not caring about how many records they sell. If they sell five copies I think they're happy. That was quite a good, fresh approach, quite a fresh new way of looking at things for me, cuz that always used to be the way in the old punk days, or the indie days, but then indie and alternative became something else and every indie and alternative band wanted to be the biggest band in the world, but I think a lot of this new abstract electronic music is good because it's, ya know they don't care again. I'm not saying our record is like that, because it still has a real commercial edge to it, but I think, especially a lot of the rhythm stuff, I think we, ya know, took some ideas.

Q6: What was the first track that you recorded for the album and how important is that track as far as the making of the rest of the album?
AF: We worked on "Dream On" first and it was probably the first or second song Martin had wrote for the album but I think it's the real defining track of the album. The mixture of electronic beats, with acoustic blues guitar, and some really good lyrics and a great catchy chorus, so it was great that we recorded that song first and I think was really important and set the way for the rest of the album.

Q7: What was the inspiration behind "Dream On"?
MG: I don't know. I always hate explaining away songs, because for me they mean something and for other people they'll mean something absolutely different but I'll tell you about the atmosphere of the song and the way it was created. We were gonna take, ya know the original demo I just played to Gareth and Paul, I just played it on the guitar, and the idea was to not use a guitar at all, just to take it off in a totally different direction and after we'd been working on it for about four days we had this real kind of edgy electronic percussion going in the background and we just cut the original guitar that I played in and it just sounded really good because it was just so different to what everything else that was going on in the track.

Q8: In the past you've worked with various producers, including Flood, François Kevorkian, and Tim Simenon. What made Mark Bell right for Exciter?
MG: I think when we started looking around for producers, we realized that there aren't that many people out there that are suitable for us, ya know we need somebody that's interesting, that's very good with electronics, and ya know when you start looking and having those kind of parameters there aren't that many people out there. Ya know we particularly liked the sound of the Björk stuff that he'd done. Ya know I think Mark's been a really great choice for us. He just doesn't do anything in a clichéd way, he just thinks very differently to most people.

Q9: Which process of making a record do you enjoy most?
MG: The overall process of making a record I really enjoy. That's why I'm involved in a band, because I feel passionate about music, creating atmospheres for the songs in the studio is just a mystical process. I really love that and Mark Bell this time, he's absolutely fantastic with atmospheres. He's just this guy that can create any sound, he'll just imagine a sound in his head, and just go and create it. There aren't many people that can do that.

Q10: What do you think Mark Bell has brought out of you as a vocalist?
DG: He's helped me to umm... I'm not one of the most confident singers in the world. I like to spend some time with a song, for quite awhile when Mart gives me the songs. Mark was just really encouraging and he liked what I was doing and immediately sort of would, ya know I need, I need a pat on the back, I need that encouragement, I need to know that I'm bring something to Martin's songs, otherwise I wouldn't bother. I know I am, in my heart, but ya know sometimes it's like what am I doing here? Martin can sing this song, why doesn't he just do it himself? I felt like that a few times during the recording of this album but Mark said what you bring here is really important, it's really valuable, it's part of Depeche Mode and it's part of what becomes the song. So he's really encouraged me with that, and Gareth's been great with that as well.

Q11: How would you describe the mood of Exciter?
AF: I think it's really weird, because I sort of see it as being optimistic but I played a track to a friend of mine who's not really a Depeche Mode fan, and I played him a song called "The Dead Of Night" and at the end he was going that's the darkest song I've ever heard in my whole life and I'm sort of thinking this is really uplifting. (laughs) But I think it is a lot more optimistic and there's a lot more melody than the previous album.
MG: I think we've always made weird pop and I think this is another great example of that. I think it won't fit in anywhere but we never have so that's not particularly a worry. But I just like being able to make music that's weird and if it's successful as well then that's good, isn't it.

Q12: Are you conscious of not repeating what you've done before and does that get harder as time goes by?
MG: I think it does get harder, because I think your quality control goes up or if it doesn't 't go up you know there's at least a certain standard you've got to achieve each time. You know we've got such a history behind us now, and we can't let ourselves down, you know we have to make sure that what we do is worthwhile, otherwise there's just no point anymore. Ya know I don't particularly financially need to do it anymore so the only reason for doing it is because I enjoy it.

Q13: Do you think Exciter will surprise people?
AF: Hopefully it will. There are a lot of 17 and 18 year olds that haven't bought a Depeche Mode record. Ya know we're looking to reach new people all the time cuz we feel our music deserves that.

Q14: How did you arrive at the album title Exciter?
DG: Well, I think it was a title that Martin was knocking around with Gareth (Jones) and Paul Freegard, who helped him sort of demo his songs, I think the idea came up then once. Mart just came in the studio one day and liked the idea of it. We just stuck it up on the wall and looked at it for awhile and I guess ya know, I kinda liked that it ties into Violator and Ultra and somehow it kind of works with those.
MG: I think we wanted to have an up title, I think that Ultra for instance was a real positive title and I think we wanted to have something that stands up alongside that also there's a reference as opposed to Violator, everyone keeps saying to me that it's like Violator, but for me I don't really see it like that. If it is a slight reference in a small way, than that's okay I don't mind that.

Q15: Tell us about the album sleeve by Anton Corbijn.
AF: It's actually quite phallic, the sleeve. It's a picture of cactus and it goes with the title Exciter, I think you can get the meaning there and um, yea it's been good to work with Anton again. He's been instrumental I think in creating our image over the last 15 years or whatever. And he always brings I think he always brings a good sense of humor to Depeche Mode and I think the cover has a bit of sense of humor as well.

Q16: Do you have any favourite lyrics on this album?
DG: I think it's like the combination, it's the way Martin writes the lyrics with the melody, I think "When The Body Speaks". I have a lot of fun with "Dead Of Night" for instance. I get to be sort of Dave Gahan on that, ya know big time. Ya know umm, in a gig and play out all my sort of fantasy, Bowie-esque type stuff, ya know Iggy stuff and the dark gothic man. "When The Body Speaks" was a real challenge and um, it's just a beautiful melody and "Goodnight Lovers", I loved it ya know. I felt like I was singing that to my baby daughter and Mark had said to me it's got a kind of lullaby feel about it.

Q17: What are some of the themes covered in the album?
MG: I think most of my songs are always about relationships in some form or another and this one is quite heavily love-based but not in a bland way I don't think. Ya know there's always some kind of twist, some kind of twisted element to the songs and there's always a lot of suffering. Ya know they're not out and out pop songs.

Q18: Do you have any particular favourite tracks on the album?
MG: I'm not really sure. I think my favourite at the moment is "The Sweetest Condition". I just think it's really interesting blend again of styles. And it's really bluesy and it's a lot of slide guitar in it and although we've used that before I think it's used in a different way and I really love the words in that song as well.

Q19: What about a song like "Goodnight Lovers", which has a lovely, sort of souly feel to it. Where did that song come from?
MG: With that one, I really wanted to recreate a Velvet Underground kind of feel, Velvet Underground with Nico, something like "I'll Be Your Mirror", it's very difficult to do that with out Nico, but ya know we got Dave to sing it real softly, almost whisper it and I think the overall effect of the chords and the way he sung it does, it's almost recreated it, and I was quite pleased with the end result.

Q20: Martin, you sing lead vocals on two songs on the album. Tell us which ones those are and can you tell us about those songs?
MG: I sing lead vocal on "Breathe", which is like a real kind of 50's torch song, it just sounds like, ya know, nobody in particular, but it sounds like something from Twin Peaks, but it's definitely got a real fifties feel to it, I just really like doing things like that, just totally off the wall things that people just really do not expect us to do and the other song that I sing on is "Comatose" which is for me one of the weirder songs, another one of my favorites on the record. It's the sound that's playing the cords on that is so on the edge that you feel like it's going to lose the plot as it's going it virtually doesn't 't back the vocal at all, it's like almost playing something atonally, but it somehow just about works, it sounds like some big steamboat in the background.

Q21: Martin, what do you get from your song writing?
MG: I just love capturing emotions, I think that is one of my abilities to capture emotions but this time around I think they all sort of like drag you in, all of the songs seem to drag you in and take you on a journey which I think is great if you can do that.

Q22: What would you like people to come away with after listening to the album?
MG: I think I'd like them to be excited, I know the title is Exciter and there's no pun intended there. Ya know because I think it is pop music, but it's weird and it's definitely got a contemporary edge to it. It's got a real, ya know modern feel to it. And ya know I want people to think it's a little bit special.

Q23: You've had the number one records, the million selling albums and all the rest of it. What equals success to you now?
DG: Well, to be honest, I'm quite content right now, I'm really excited about going out and performing these songs and playing some songs that are a challenge and that we haven't performed before and ya never know quite how it's gonna be and I've always enjoyed that much more than anything else, to be honest.
MG: Well, if the album's not successful, we'll all be really disappointed. Ya know I think we're all happy with it, I mean, it's like I said, I don't particularly need to do this anymore and I think we've created an nice record, something, I mean I can't see any reason why it shouldn't do well, but ya know, you never know.

Q24: How do you think this album's going to translate to playing live?
DG: I think really well, I think if we pick the right songs. We obviously won't perform all of it but there's certain songs on there like "Dead of Night", "Sweetest Condition", I'd like to have a go at "When The Body Speaks" some kind of version of that, it's kind of unusual for me to do like a ballad-y type song live. "Dream On" of course, I think " Free Love" will work well, "Comatose" and "Breathe", Martin could do either of those, ya know I think that would work well. He talked actually about maybe breaking them down a little bit, and he's done that before where he just maybe stands with an acoustic guitar for a couple of songs and does a couple of versions like that of the stuff that's on the album. That would be really exciting if he did that.

Q25: What are your aspirations and dreams for this album?
DG: I'm very proud of it, I'm very proud of the work that I've contributed to this record, and uh... cd we say now, isn't it?, and I want people to hear it, I want people to hear that hard work that I've done but I've enjoyed it so much as well, I've really enjoyed singing on this album, I didn't really say that before, I've enjoyed it more. I'm just in a real good place, I feel really content. Ya know I want it to sell millions of copies, ya know, I wanna pick up a Grammy next year, I wanna get an MTV award, I wanna pick up a Brit, I'd love to do that, I'd be lyin' if I said I didn't, but if it don't happen say la vie, ya know we've made a great record. We're go out and tour. I know our fans are really loyal and they'll be coming out to see us. There's not much more you can really ask for. I'm doing what I wanna do, ya know in my life, ya know. I'm very happy, I love livin' in New York, got a great family, ya know anyone would want my job.

Q26: Can you remember what your hopes and aspirations for the band were back in the early days? What would have equaled success for Depeche Mode back then?
AF: To be honest, we never really saw ourselves as us being successful or, you know, be(ing) on Top Of The Pops, ya know we really were just enjoying playing gigs and it was just a bit of fun, ya know we never really saw ourselves as being this hugely successful and we certainly didn't think that we would still be here 20 years later. So um, it was just a bit of fun among friends.
DG: I always felt like I was a big star in me own right, like right from the beginning to be quite honest (laughs) like where ever there was two men and a dog there in the pub.

Q27: Who inspired you to want to join a band?
MG: I think when we first got into electronics and became an all-synthesizer band, ya know obviously we were influenced by Kraftwerk, was probably the main influence and there was a bit of a scene going on then and then ya know quite a few bands like the Human League, I remember going to see the Human League. I was quite impressed with their show and I quite liked their first couple of albums.
DG: Definitely The Clash and it wasn't like, "I want to do what they're doing," musically. It was never about that when I first went to see a band like The Clash, it was like I can do that, I've been doin it in front of the mirror with a hairbrush for a long time anyway so ya know I could really do, I really kind of like had dreams of myself doin it and it wasn't long after that, that I found myself in that position and it's a lot scarier when you first stand up there in front of the people than what you imagine so it took me a good few years to actually probably move (laughs) like a step to one side or something during the gigs but, ya know we were lucky right in the beginning there we sort of umm, we had a bunch of friends that would run sort of various different clubs places in London and places in Southend, and Canvey Island stuff like that little like group of friends who like were listening to music that was like a little bit different to what everybody else was listening to. Ya know, there was some electronic stuff, a lotta Bowie, ya know Roxy Music, ya know Kraftwerk, stuff like that and um, ya know probably Iggy Pop and there's maybe 50 people or something, this group of friends that would come and go and change and uh, we would always be playing to this little audience where ever we were lucky enough to play a gig.

Q28: You've always had this incredible relationship with your fans. Is it still important for you to reach a new audience and also be given that opportunity via radio and television?
DG: To be honest, we've been a bit gypped in the past with that, sometimes radio and tv and MTV and all that, they don't know quite what we're about and what to do with us and we don't really go in with the Limp Bizkits of this world and what do they do with us when they're puttin' us on their playlists. I think we, there's a problem, but that's good thing as well, ya know that's worked in our favor definitely over the years, a little bit a mystery there is nice but I would like to a, I think there's a lot a people out there that don't really know what we do and I can't tell you how many times I get people come up to me in the street at home in New York, and they're like 'Ya know I saw you at your last show at the Madison Square Garden, never seen you guys before, ya know never really liked you, but that was amazing' ya know that kinda thing and that's really nice ya know, um I think we got a lot a diehard fans there that have been with us for years but it's always nice to break new ground. I really think this should be our year, ya know. I get strength from that too, I really feel like it's important for me to give off something that's positive, ya know, and it wasn't something that I was planning to do but I think there was time there where I was nothing but negative to myself and everything around me and there's too much of that in the fucking world, ya know there's enough of that already. As I said before I feel really blessed, I don't feel like that now, I feel like I got my soul back and I'm ready to kinda share it.

Q29: How would you sum up the relationship Depeche Mode have with their fans?
MG: The fans, they're umm... what's the word? Most of our fans are crazy, ya know they're so dedicated that they'll go out on day one and buy the record and we often suffer because of that, because we've got such a huge fanbase and then obviously the record just drops after that. But um, they are fanatical.

Q30: How would you describe your present relationship with each other, especially since you've been through so much together?
MG: We're actually getting on, and this sounds like a really boring story, people would love to hear that we hate each other and we fight all the time but we've actually got on so much better over the making of this record. Ya know, it's like we are ya know, really like a close knit family although in the past we've always had that bond, ya know there has been tension, ya know it's been quite well documented last few albums, Ultra and Songs Of Faith And Devotion, ya know of course there was going to be tension going on, because there was all kinds of behind the scenes stuff happening.

Q31: Any thoughts as to why you are getting on so well at the moment?
MG: Well, I think that probably one of the main reasons is Dave's very healthy now, very fit in mind as well, and he is a nice person and I think that sometimes that got lost in the past because of all the drugs he was taking.
AF: It's been really interesting because the last particular year and a half have been really enjoyable. It's well document that we went through our rough patches and that was personally as well. When we first started, it was like school friends and it evolved into sort of a family situation, it's like your brothers and sisters almost ya know, and then obviously going through um the terrible strain of the difficult years for 5 or 6 years and then personal relationships got pretty bad or could have got bad at times but the last year was, the great thing it's been really enjoyable to go to work, to go to the studio, and everyone's been getting on fantastically.

Q32: In view of the band's history, how do you think you have managed to stay together?
MG: I think that we all realize that we've created something special and ya know just the elements work, we had Vince leave very early on, I mean I think he told us that he was going to leave before the first album came out and so we just sort of carried on after that and ya know with Alan I think we did create some kind of legacy, so when he decided to leave I don't think we really thought about just ending it there, we thought ya know, this is too special we just gotta carry on through all the thick and thin, through all the problems we had with Ultra as well. There were times when we got very close to ending but ya know, I think it is too special just to like call it a day. The last year of Ultra was the worst and we've spoken quite a lot about that in the past. Ya know, I remember having so many crisis meetings during that about how are we going to carry on, there's no way were going to finish this and ya know, it was a bit of a nightmare but I think in some ways we thrive on misery (laughs) Ya know, somehow maybe that helps us.
AF: I just think it was a case of just over-excess in every way. Ya know, there were times when if I'd got a phone call saying Dave had passed away for instance, I wouldn't have been surprised. Ya know, when you get in that situation and you're trying to work and concentrate on things, it's very difficult, ya know and we really were on the edge during those times, ya know. I'm glad that we got through those times and we're enjoying ourselves again.
DG: I think we're very strong characters and I think, yeah, I mean there's been times when, ya know, we might not have made it individually some of 'em was, ya know, usually me, ya know, just kind of fallen by the way side a little bit and I had me problems with that and I kind of always knew I was gonna get through it, ya know, as long as I didn't die. I never felt at any point that I wasn't gonna make it. Well actually, that's a lie, there was like, a couple of occasions there where I, ya know, thought it was all over for me but um, I don't know, uh I lost a little faith and hope in myself and in like, life and stuff like that and I think everybody goes through that, but ya know, I kinda dragged it through the dirt for awhile and uh, when you're in a band, ya know, that could be a real problem. I don't know, I don't think it's any new story, ya know, it's, I think to be honest it's made me stronger, ya know and I see other people going through the same problems and friends and stuff like that as well, and God bless 'em, ya know, there go I but for grace of God that's me, ya know and I get strength from that too, ya know, I really feel like it's important for me to give off something that's positive, ya know, and it wasn't something that I was planning to do but I think there was a time there where I was nothing but negative to myself and everything around me and there's too much of that in the fucking world, ya know, there's enough of that already, as I said before I feel really blessed, I don't feel like that now, I feel like I've got my soul back and I'm ready to kind of share it.

Q33: Are there any defining moments that spring to mind when you look back at the bands career - the things that made the whole thing, the ups and downs, worthwhile?
DG: Yeah, there's definitely a lot of like key moments and one being obviously like, when we made, like, the 101 movie and we performed at the Rose Bowl in California and that was kind of like defying all the odds and ya know, there was people whispering ya know 'they're never gonna fill this place' and that kinda stuff, you could feel it but at the same time I had a real confidence that it was gonna be just fine and it turned out really well and at the same time, see, a lot of those high points sort of then become real low points as well like, afterwards, because what do you do to top that, that kind of thing and um, fortunately Martin's come up with another bunch of songs and we just go off and go in the studio and start again.

Q34: If there was one image which encapsulated your time with Depeche Mode, which one would it be?
DG: Definitely, for me, that image of the Rose Bowl, there was one point in the song 'Never Let Me Down Again' when I jumped up onto one of the risers , ya know, I noticed a couple of people in the audience were sort of waving their arms around so I joined in and then suddenly there was like, 70,000 people doing that and I was just overwhelmed, I kind of like, felt the tears and sweat coming like rolling down my face and um, but it was like joy, it was just like, pfff, it don't get better than this. Ya know, this is amazing. Ya know, Basildon boy makes good, ya know.

Q35: Have you started thinking about ideas for the next tour and what you're going to be playing?
MG: Well, the last time we went out and played, it was to support the Greatest Hits album so there we played just all the hits right across the board, this time around I think we can afford to be a bit weirder, ya know play some more of our more obscure album tracks. Ya know, I think we wanna get some visuals happening behind us again. Ya know, for me it's really boring always just to go and watch four people, five people whatever on stage playing instruments. You need some more interest value than that and I think we're starting the tour in America in around June time, then we'll be playing for about five months or so, so it'll be America followed by Europe, I think around till September.

Q36: Playing live is obviously something that you get a lot out of, but what is going through your head when you're up on stage?
DG: All sorts of stuff, to be honest now on the last tour, there was a lot a songs, like songs from "Songs Of Faith And Devotion" that kind of bring up all these sad emotions and lost time and like, stuff like that and then there's other songs that uh, over the course of twenty years that's a lot a living, a lot of emotions and all sorts of stuff floods across me, ya know and I try and stay in what's going on there at the time and often a lot of those sorts of songs like "In Your Room". That's kind of how it felt, ya know during those darker time for me if you like. I was in my own little room and I felt very protected in my own little room for a while and I was invincible, ya know, and I could come out when I wanted and go back in when I wanted and the room was a safe place but now that room kinda scares me and I don't really wanna go in there anymore so when I was singing that song on the last tour it was almost like I could sing it from outside the room go there for a little bit and look at it peer in and um, it was a lot more fun than sort of singing it like it was the last time I was gonna sing it every night like for instance on Songs Of Faith And Devotion, on that tour, ya know I really got off on the whole kind of darkness of that period of my life and it got really boring.

Q37: With the release of Exciter and a world tour beckoning, would you say this is a good time for Depeche Mode?
DG: I think so. As I said before, I don't think it gets better than this. If you're not enjoying it now and you're not embracing what we have here and we've created for ourselves and just enjoying it then don't do it anymore, ya know, stop. And I intend to keep doing it, ya know I'm enjoying being part of this and making music and I can't wait to get out there really, to be honest.

Q38: You've been quoted as saying you see Depeche Mode as almost sort of outsiders. Would you have it any other way?
MG: No, we've always gone out of our way to be out on a limb because what's the point of making music if you're gonna make music like everybody else. We've always wanted to make what is 'alternative' music, and like I said earlier the meaning has changed these days, ya got so many bands who sound the same and it's become the mainstream. Ya know at least what we do doesn't sound like anybody else, it's just out there somewhere.

Q39: Do you have a vision for the future?
AF: Not really, no I think we do take it a year at a time, we know what we're doing till the end of the year, we don't really know what's happening after that. I would like to think that we was gonna make another album and things like that and again, but it goes back to the same rules if we feel we've got something to offer and if we can keep the music as strong as we're doing at the moment then we should keep going, if things don't happen that way then we should finish it.

Q40: You mentioned earlier about the tremendous success that the band have around the world. Can you give us an idea of some of the countries where Depeche Mode are successful?
AF: Well, places like China, for instance, ya know we did once a gig in Hong Kong, Peter Gabriel played with us, uh, played with us?, played before us, a week before, and he played to basically 80% Europeans, we got a crowd that was three times as big which was 98% Chinese. Our records are selling well in India, and places like that, so is South Africa, South America, and in of course Eastern Europe we're absolutely huge. We never planned it this way, but it is an achievement.
DG: Actually, probably, thinking about it, our music's never really sounded very English, in the past it was more industrial sounding, ya know, not your standard sort of English sounding pop music somehow. Probably that's got something to do with it and for a while that worked in our favour in America because we were like, the oddball English band, ya know. But we've always been that kind of band that's not really fit in, we don't really fit. We don't really fit in as personalities together either to be honest. Ya know, the three of us, ya know are very different personalities.

Q41: What would you say each of you bring to Depeche Mode?
DG: Something very different um, and I think that is what has worked for us in our favour, to be honest. We are very different, Fletch and Martin are very close and they've always been buddies but I've always been the oddball, to be honest. Ya know, I've always been not that intimate with anybody, I'm a bit of a loner, and, um, I don't mean that in a bad way, I enjoy that, I'm up in my head a lot. I like to joke around a lot. I like to think over the years I've brought an element of fun to Depeche Mode, ya know, I'm kind of known for bringing the darkness along, and um, I don't think I'm totally to blame for that. I think Martin's brought a lot of that too, in his music. Um, Fletch is very much this sort of, ya know he's very organized in his thoughts and very structured and we have disagreements a lot in that way because I'm kinda more like, up in my head and I see visuals of what we're doing and things like that but Fletch needs to see it written down, in writing, ya know, he's more that kind of guy which is definitely important in a band. You need to have somebody that's that personality. Martin um, ya know, I don't really know Martin and I don't think he really knows me but there something, there's some kind of thing that we know about each other. Ya know, it seems like I've known Martin for a long, long time. It's like an old scarf or a pair of shoes, ya know, it fits and it feels good when you put it on. I don't know if he feels the same about me but it's comfortable, and I kinda know where's he's gonna go.

Q42: You've been making music now with Depeche Mode for quite some time. Do you find it strange to think that you've been doing this for almost your entire adult lives?
MG: Well, we've been doing it for 21 years or so.
AF: It's like being in one continuous dream and sometimes I feel all of a sudden I'm going to wake up and then I'm gonna be doing my old job, with a synthesizer in suitcase going to a small little place in Canningtown, basically. So it does seem like a real dream, and it's gone very fast, very fast.
MG: Me and Dave were saying the other day, we only feel about 20 so ya know, there something not quite right there.