Large-scale world tour, the spectacular new album "Delta Machine" - in the recently ended previous year, Depeche Mode were as omnipresent as they were busy. It was almost forgotten that frontman Dave Gahan had released a record in 2012 with the British Soulsavers called "The Light The Dead See" with consistently exquisite pieces ranging from swamp blues, gospel and spiritual songwriting, which fully deservedly has won our Soundcheck. Shortly before the end of the year, Soulsavers and the Depeche Mode singer were brought back into memory: in early December, an extended version of "The Light The Dead See" appeared, which also includes a DVD as a visual counterpart. What is present is an appearance at the Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, a touching video for "Take Me Back Home" and a elaborated wine cellar interview with Dave and Soulsavers-head Rich Machin. Similarly relaxed and in a good mood as in that interview were the two in the following conversation. After all, there is always something to do.

Like for instance, Rich is the middle of moving, while Dave is still on "Delta Machine" tour with Depeche Mode. Both happily look back on 2013 - not in the least because the extended edition of "The Light The Dead See" was finally realised. "I hold the album really close to my heart", says Dave. "And so, I'm even more glad that it is now available on DVD also. As for myself, I of course was in 2013 mostly busy with Depeche Mode, so I'm extremely grateful that Rich has worked so hard on releasing it. 'The Light The Dead See' is a very special record in my discography."
So we agree openly - and regret at the same time, that until now performances or even a tour were not possible in practice: "Of course I would not have minded to go on tour with Dave," laughs Rich, "but that was, for the obvious reasons, just not possible. The performance that we have documented on the DVD is subsequently also the only one to have ever taken place for 'The Light The Dead See'." It is almost a bit of a wonderful display of perfect interplay between the musicians harmonising with Dave's singing, as if it's all they ever did. "If it's like that, then of course we are very proud," said a delighted Rich. "Actually, the show was scheduled at a very short notice, and we only had about two days for the soundchecks." Dave adds: "I ​​arrived even later, so the band could only practice with me for one day. It was actually far too little time for a presentation of such a fantastic record. But on stage, that which had started in the studio, eventually continued on stage: At one time, the songs more or less wrote themselves. Live, also, the songs fit together as usual, because, at once, it all came together between me and the musicians. Such a thing is rare."

It's also a pity that the performance takes no longer than half an hour. "It was clear to us from the beginning that we would not be able to have a complete show," says Rich. "It should all make sense, so we opted for the tracks that sounded most live in our ears. And since we played in front of only 75 viewers, we definitely wanted to make the concert available to the general public." Quite a contrast to the huge arenas and stadiums, in which Depeche Mode have been playing for decades - and for that very reason, this was something special for Dave. "The performance was really wonderful. A huge accomplishment of the whole band to put something like this together in such a short time," he says. "Of course I enjoy the tours with Depeche Mode very much, but with Soulsavers everything was suddenly completely different: a very intimate show in a comparatively tiny location. And I must admit that at first it was even a little too intimate for me. I'm just not used to performing in front of less than 100 people in a space where the audience is barely one meter in front of the stage. Yet Rich and the rest of the band were very supportive the whole time, so I completely got lost in the songs after a short while." Not that it would have been any different with Depeche Mode, as the widely sold-out "Delta Machine" tour demonstrates, with which the band will still impress fans around the world well into the new year. "Of course 2013 was fantastic," Dave says excitedly. "We've been on the road for more than six months, and that is still not the end - also because of repeatedly adding additional concerts. We are very pleased that 'Delta Machine' was positively received by the audience. The fact that the Soulsavers DVD will now be released is for me a very nice icing on the cake of an excellent year." Even Rich and his bandmate Ian Glover were anything but idle in the past twelve months, although Soulsavers neither have a new album nor tour planned. "Ian and I have basically been writing songs all year long," says the Briton. "2013 was for us far more productive than it might seem at first. In principle, we should go into the studio in January immediately and begin recording. We already attracted some very interesting guest musicians, which will hopefully substantiate very soon." So, before "The Light The Dead See", Soulsavers were mostly known as an act aiming their focus on down beat, triphop and the alternative-dark side of dance music, before working with Dave in a more organic direction. Will Rich tend to maintain this style or go back to the roots? "Both musical incarnations of Soulsavers have pleased me very much," muses the Englishman. "At the moment, it looks as if the next album will be a combination of both. Dark grooves on one side, bluesy and sacred elements on the other." With regards to the latter, that would in any case fit musicians like soundtrack composer Daniele Luppi - or neo-classical pianist Dustin O'Halloran, who keep popping up on Soutsavers records. "It's quite possible that we will do a double record in 2014. In addition to a regular album, an instrumental EP has been planned together with Daniele and Dustin, which is expected to appear in spring already. But I can not yet say whether this will be baptised under the name Soulsavers - but I think that this is not so important.The main thing is that the result is good." To which the most interesting question of course is whether the cooperation with Dave as a singer will be repeated. "If we want to go on tour with Dave, we really have no other choice but to create a larger repertoire," smiles Rich. "So we will probably have to make a second album with him. But seriously: of course it is much better to have more than ten tracks live. And we will have that soon, because the next record with Dave is already being considered." The Depeche Mode frontman sings the same tune: "I have been in constant contact with Rich. He keeps me up-to-date concerning new songs and ideas where I could come into play," he says. "Sure, Rich does collaborate with many different artists such as Mark Lanegan, and my voice does not always fit all of his compositions. But he always puts the songs aside for me of which he thinks that we can make something out of them together. The poor soul - I'm afraid he is going to need having a lot of patience with me, because my schedule is so full. But 'The Light The Dead See' is certainly not a one-time-thing - if everything goes the way we imagine it to be, a new Soulsavers album with my vocals should appear approximately in spring 2015." But Rich is, as mentioned, busy enough already - knowing that the next record with Dave will come sooner or later. "I am fully aware that Depeche Mode is his main band and that he assigns all other projects as having subordinate priority. I very much liked 'Delta Machine' also, of which, funnily enough, people always ask me if I recognise a Soulsavers influence now that 'The Light The Dead See' is out." He shakes his head: "I do not think about such things. My favourite songs on the album are 'Angel' and 'Broken', and those have practically nothing to do with our music." Other 2013 favourites of Rich are rather non-electronic: "I loved the albums by Chelsea Wolfe and Julianna Barwick - very good singers and pretty gloomy folk songs, too. I also thought Psychic by Dark Side was interesting, because you get to hear Listening-electronica on guitars. My highlight, however, was Dream River by Bill Callahan - he's the best singer-songwriter whom I currently know."

Speaking of singer-songwriters - this direction seems to be getting more attractive for Dave also. Because most recently, after Soulsavers, he guested "Low Guns" as a singer, a very intense string-acoustic piece by the British SixToes. "I spontaneously very much enjoyed the song - probably because I saw a great similarity with 'The Light The Dead See' in it. But since Depeche Mode are currently touring, it will unfortunately remain a short visit with SixToes." And once the "Delta Machine" tour will come to an end in spring, Dave claims to have absolutely no intention of rushing right back into work. "By that time, I will not have been at home for almost a year, apart from a few short breaks", he points out. "I think it is only understandable that I will want to spend time with my family. I'm very much looking forward to playing basketball with my daughter again and to do a lot with my son - and my wife, I can not say too often how much I admire the way she runs the household during my absence. But, knowing me, I'll get a big thirst for new music again after some time and then it will continue." First and foremost, probably with Soulsavers - we therefore expect a record in about a year that will be in no way inferior to the quality of "The Light The Dead See". And until then, everyone who has a history with music will not play songs like "Take Me Back Home" or "Presence Of God" again without first visually bringing out Soulsavers' extended version of the album into their living room too. Because anticipation is, as they say, the greatest pleasure.