Depeche Mode are in Milan for a few days. They meet us in a city hotel, after the International Press Conference of Tuesday 11 October during which they announced their new album “Spirit” and the European dates of the “Global Spirit Tour”. And exactly like two days ago, their fans follow them everywhere: outside on the street, a small group of them is confidently waiting for the band under the rain. As usual, duties are distributed among Depeche Mode members: Dave holds some videointerviews, while Fletch and Martin - the musical minds of the band - chat with other journalists. They immediately apologize for not being able to talk about “Spirit”, which is not yet complete, and they promise to return in March or April next year to explain the details of the record. We have nevertheless tried to have them disclose how Depeche Mode work nowadays and how, three years after “Delta Machine”, one of the biggest contemporary music machines has ignited again. Here’ s what they told us.
 
During Tuesday’ s press conference you have anticipated some snippets of new songs. In the only vocal part that was heard Dave sings “Where’s the revolution?”. Is it the title of one of the songs or are they just the lyrics to the chorus? What revolution are you referring to?

Fletch. The word “revolution” can mean many things, of course… We cannot anticipate much now - the album is not finished yet, and we would prefer to talk about these subjects when you guys will have had the chance to hear all of it, and will be able to ask more focused questions.
We have been doing this job for a long time, we are used to this routine. Now it was necessary to announce the tour quite in advance in order to start selling the tickets.
Martin: Making records is still important for us, this is why we want to talk about it later.
 
So let’ s talk about your work process and of how you have started to work together again after “Delta Machine”. Today Depeche Mode are a large and complex mechanism. Is it difficult to start it up back again?
Martin: No, actually. When a tour ends we go our own ways for some time. At that point you have passed two years with the rest of the band, and it is healthy not to see each other for a while - and in any case we all live in different parts of the world. At a certain point I start writing songs again, and Dave also writes something. When we feel we have enough material, we fix a meeting with our manager Daniel Miller. In the case of “Spirit”, we have involved producer James Ford from the very beginning. We listen to the tracks together, and from there we start again: we make plans, we talk about time schedules. But we have known each other for so long that the chemistry between us recreates instantly.
 
It’ s the first time you work with James Ford. Did you need a change in production or in sound?
Fletch: It is difficult to see Depeche work for a long time with the same producer, and the last albums have been more the exception than the rule. It is always important for us to have fresh ideas on the sound. James has worked well with other artists and, differently from Depeche who are slow, he is very fast. It has been a very interesting collaboration.
 
Is there something in his previous work, for example with The Last Shadow Puppets or with Florence & The Machine, that led you to him?
Martin: Our manager Daniel Miller suggested him to us. They had already worked together, and he thought he was right for our chemistry. We then listened to the albums he has produced, and what impressed us was that he always managed to obtain a great sound even though working on genres that were very different one from the other…
Fletch:… And also, he comes from electronic music with Simian Mobile Disco, in addition to having worked a lot with rock music. A combination which suits us well.
 
With all these years of career and experience behind you, how much do you still need producers and external collaborators?
Fletch: it is always good to have a boss and someone who tells us what to do…
Martin: Seriously, it is fundamental to have somebody who coordinates the project. We tend to close ourselves in our own spaces and we need someone who has an overall view of the project.
 
When you start working together again, do you also start thinking about the tour?
Fletch: Not completely. Obviously we do the first planning in terms of time. But first we think about the record, we record the songs. And only after that we think of how to bring them out live. To see them be reborn on stage, to see people’ s reactions to what you write, is one of the best things about being in a band. That’ s when we think about live production: also for this album we will rely on Anton Corbijn for the visuals, but we will get into the details later. Dave is the one who takes care of this part the most, and we are in good hands since Anton is a real genius.

Martin, during the years has your songwriting method changed in some way?
Martin: No, to tell you the truth it has stayed quite similar to the one I have always used. I start with a guitar or a piano, or with a beat or bassline created on my PC. And from there, from that atmosphere, I start singing, looking for a melodic line.
 
And how much has the importance you give to touring changed?
Fletch: We have always considered the studio and the tour as the two complementary halves of our career. They are of equal importance. We started by making electronic music, and for us it has always been important to demonstrate how well we play on stage, and that we can be as exciting as a rock band. Today the economic priorities have changed, especially for younger bands who must support themselves with concerts, but we are lucky: we still sell our music well, and gigs go well, so they remain in balance and equally important.
 
Will you play in sports halls again?
Fletch: for the moment we have announced the European stadiums, then we will go on to the ones in the US. Depeche Mode are a great band also for indoor venues, probably even better in that context, so we will definitely think about playing in those locations.
Martin: But the point remains the same. It is a band concert. From this perspective, we try not to give too much importance to the visuals. I remember that at a certain point, during the “Songs of Faith and Devotion” tour, we reduced the screens because people were looking at them more than they were looking at us.
 
You recorded “Violator” in Milan. In 2009 you presented “Sounds of the universe” and the relevant tour to the international press here, as you did for “Spirit” on Tuesday. Is there something in particular that binds you to this city?
Martin: We have such a special relation with the city that we do not even remember about these previous events… (laughs) 
Fletch: We are lucky: wherever we go we have great audiences, that are different from each other. Being in Milan I should say that Italians are the best, but the fact is that you guys are great singers, the Germans instead clap and keep the beat, and so on. Anyway the point is that London has become a boring city. Therefore audience aside it is important to be in cities that have a good “vibe”. Maybe today we are more sober, we do not party as much as we used to. But we tend to think that the backstage location is always as important as that of the concert…"