If one had to consume a synth-pop album which would encompass all avenues, all the talent, all the experimentation of the genre, and be accessible to everyone, British New Wave band Depeche Mode’s 1990 album Violator should almost certainly be the sole pick.
The album in general is only nine songs long, with a runtime of 47 minutes. It is a landmark in 90s music, which rang in the new decade by combining the evidently synth-heavy sounds associated with the cheese of the 80s, and the sounds of industrial rock and grunge which would come to define the experimental 90s. The album is a cohesive synthesis of the clubby and dreadful sounds of the band’s previous albums – Black Celebration; Music for the Masses – and distils it into a concise and eclectic package which can be listened to, in my personal experience, in all scenarios.
Upon reflection on the themes of the record, my personal understanding of the storytelling seems to consist of the struggles between the addiction towards a romantic partner, and the protagonist’s abuse of illicit substances. The opener ‘World In My Eyes’ sets this tone for the remainder of the project: the lyrical content can be cleverly interpreted in three or even four ways – begging the listener to get involved; acting as a metaphor for the explorative production on the album; a song about bringing a partner on a wild “trip” in a relationship; and an attempt at explaining what the narrator sees whilst on a substance-induced high. The song is up-tempo and accessible enough, with minimalist but layered synth production. Here we are introduced for the first time to Dave Gahan’s almost soothing yet operatic vocals which defined the band for their whole career.
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