Depeche Mode's Violator

A lecture exploring the technical and creative process behind Depeche Mode's album Violator, with a focus on the electronic side of production.

The band had just completed the massive world tour for Music For The Masses, culminating in the legendary 101 concert in California. What comes next after such a peak? That is the central question here. The songwriting was finished, and now guitar-based songs had to be transformed into an electronic sound universe - a universe that had changed dramatically with the technological developments of the 1980s. The collaboration between Alan Wilder and producer Flood proved crucial to the sound Violator ultimately achieved.

The lecture examines which sounds were used, how they were assembled, and how audio clips from films, classical music and other sources found their way into the songs. No special musical or technical knowledge is required - everything is explained through sound and images. The lecture includes concrete examples of the journey from raw song through electronic arrangement to finished production, and also features concert elements.