After decades of premier league blockbuster fame, Depeche Mode’s deluxe sex-dungeon soundtracks inevitably offer few fresh twists. That said, Spirit, their second album for the Columbia label, is still a pleasingly punchy, crunchy and angry affair. Making his debut working with the group, producer…

From synth-pop to tattoos and long hair – was the Depeche Mode/Soulsavers man always a rock star in pop clothing?Dave Gahan was once the very picture of cherubic innocence. Back in the early 80s, Depeche Mode were purveyors of bubbly synth-pop, but as the Essex boys’ music got heavier and more…