The Story

Brian Hazard of Color Theory tells the story behind Color Theory presents Depeche Mode

What inspired you to record a tribute album rather than another album of originals?

I was invited to contribute a track to another Depeche Mode tribute, soon to be released in the UK. I decided on “I Want You Now” because I envisioned a mirror opposite of the original, and knew it would stand out from the other tracks in the set. I found myself energized and thrilled with the result, and thought of several other DM songs that would be just as fun to do. There are a lot of DM tributes out there, so I set out to create something unique - a set of songs and interludes that flow together like a true Depeche Mode album.

How did you select the songs that you recorded for this project?

I stayed away from the singles and focused on underrated songs that are well written, but might benefit from a different arrangement. Some of my all-time favorites aren't included, like "Somebody" and "The Things You Said,” because I can't imagine them any other way. Everybody loves "Enjoy the Silence" and "Personal Jesus", but it would’ve been too predictable to include them. It’s been done too many times before.

How did your approach to recording this material differ from recording an albums worth of your own material?

My mixing capabilities have grown by leaps and bounds over the course of this project. Since production values are such an important part of Depeche Mode's music, I worked tirelessly to bring my mixes up to the same level. The reason I find myself going back to Depeche Mode’s music again and again is that the arrangements are brilliant. The individual melody lines are elegantly simple, but they weave together to become far more than the sum of their parts. I hope I was able to create some of that same magic.

From a vocal standpoint, it was much easier to record Martin Gore's songs than my own. I've lived with them for most of my life, so they were already a part of me before I sang a note.

Why did you include "Ponytail Girl", a Color Theory original, on an album of Depeche Mode songs?

When I first wrote and recorded “Ponytail Girl” for my fourth CD, Life’s Fairytale, I would never have thought it could be mistaken for Depeche Mode. My lyrics are full of specific concrete imagery, while Martin’s seem purposely vague and suggestive. The non-traditional structure of the song, which builds in a gentle crescendo over the course of four minutes until it finally explodes in a chorus of voices, is unlike anything I’ve ever heard from DM.

Back at the height of Napster’s popularity, I logged into the service and asked users individually to correct the mistake. Nobody believed me. One told me he knew for a fact that Martin Gore was singing! All his friends said so. I guess there’s no fighting that logic.

Despite differences that seem obvious to me, fans all over the world continue to embrace “Ponytail Girl” as a Depeche Mode song. So I included it. And maybe it’s meant to be just a little bit tongue-in-cheek.

Who is the girl on the album cover?

Her name is Daniela Neuhauser. We’ve never met. Thomas Hanewinkel, my good friend and webmaster of www.colortheory.de, was in charge of art design for the album. He searched the internet for images that had both a Depeche Mode and a Color Theory flavor. We eventually decided on a collection by the German photographer Thomas Epping. They are dark and intimate, clearly hinting at past suffering. At the same time, they seem hopeful.

Can you tell us a little bit about your approach to each song?

I Want You Now - I created its evil twin. My version is aggressive, uptempo, and in-your-face. I expanded on the original structure by making the "And I don't want to be like one of the boys" section a chorus, and building on it with harmonies and countermelodies until it overflows with vocal lines. The introduction is sparse and orchestral, in dramatic contrast to the thick and harsh textures that follow.

Sister of Night – I knew the song would make a great club track, but the original doesn’t have enough substance to fill six minutes at a fast tempo without being repetitive. To keep things interesting, I added an entirely new section based on what I felt were the three central lyrical themes: “heal me”, “I’m trembling”, and “do you feel it too?” They play off each other and eventually dissolve away, leaving the piano hook that forms the centerpiece of the track.

It Doesn’t Matter – My vocal arrangement was inspired by the chorus of a song by Morten Harket (the lead singer of a-ha) called “Los Angeles”, in which Morten sings a duet with himself. Both voices are mixed at an equal volume, in contrast to the standard loud lead and quiet backup vocals. I strove for the same effect - a chorus that swells and blossoms and then gently dies away. The overall feel of the track is Twin Peaks meets “Waiting for the Night”.

Sweetest Perfection – I’m reminded of a time back in my early college years when I played keyboards and sang backup in a Duran Duran-inspired band called European White Disco. Nick, the lead singer, and I drove to the music store in his Alfa Romeo convertible to buy a Korg M1, which was THE must-have synthesizer at the time. He was playing a cassette by The Cult, and I pointed out that each track starts with the entire band playing at full force. Nick told me, “they don’t f*ck around.”

Here is the House – One of my all-time favorite love songs. When I hear the original, it always sounds to me like Dave and Martin are singing it to each other. Nothing wrong with that of course, yet I wondered how it would sound as a duet with a female vocalist. I tried it, but with a little feedback from my friends, ended up using my vocals only. My version starts exactly where the original leaves off. If you play them back-to-back and you’ll see what I mean.

I Am You – Remember all those Nirvana hits in the 90’s with the quiet verses and exploding choruses? This one is all about contrast. The verses are carried by the deep rumbling bassline from the original, while the choruses feature distorted synths and a pounding drum loop that combine to form a thick wall of sound. This song also marks my vocoder debut (known to non-musicians as “the robot voice”).

World Full of Nothing –“Though it’s not love, it means something.” I see that as an optimistic statement. To reflect that optimism musically, I layered the arrangement slowly over the course of the song until it climaxes into eight tracks of rich vocal harmony. Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac plays drums on this one - seriously! The acoustic drum loop was taken from a sample CD that he released. The Chinese zither at the end serves as a common thread between the song and the interlude that follows it.

Surrender – I was told by many fans that I had to do this one. I’m glad I did. It sounds nothing like the original. The bridge section (“we’re living in a world full of illusion”) was completely overhauled to the point where you wouldn’t recognize it without the lyrics. My vocal melody was greatly influenced by Martin’s dressing room warm-up performance of the song on the One Night in Paris DVD. Special thanks to Lance Vaughn for mailing it to me, without my even asking!

But Not Tonight – The original carries so much nostalgia for me that I almost didn’t do this track for fear of draining the emotion. The arrangement is light and upbeat. I introduced several small variations to Dave’s monotone vocal line to make it my own. The inclusion of a piano break makes it the most “classic Color Theory” track of the set. Most importantly, it creates the same feelings in me that the original still does after all these years.

One Caress – It wasn’t too hard to make this one sound different than the original, especially since I didn’t have a spare string orchestra lying around. The lyrics center upon darkness and redemption. While the original arrangement embodies the optimism of redemption, mine speaks to the darkness. In fact, the word itself is highlighted at various points throughout the song. The end product has an almost sinister quality, despite the Motown feel of the backup vocals.

Leave in Silence – Something about the extended format of the original is hypnotizing and engrossing. It’s a great song to take a nap to, and I don’t mean that as a bad thing. I took it in a more club-oriented, almost futurepop direction, while preserving its basic structure and length. While the opening chant serves the original well, it isn't energetic enough for this context. Instead of dropping the section altogether, I created a new, more rhythmic chant.

Ponytail Girl – Though the differences are subtle, this is not the same mix that I released in 2001. I recovered the old files from the archives and mixed it again from scratch, using the same gear and techniques I employed on the rest of the songs. Since I used the same keyboard and vocal microphone on both albums, the result blends seamlessly.

After many months of concentrated effort, I’m grateful to have undertaken this project. It was profoundly inspiring to “work with” my all-time favorite band, and to experience these amazing songs at a deeper level than I ever have before. It was truly a labor of love.