Sony Music Entertainment will continue the Depeche Mode 12″ vinyl singles project with the release of Sounds Of The Universe | The 12″ Singles on 4 August 2023.
Sounds Of The Universe | The 12″ Singles, a deluxe collector’s edition box set, contains seven 12″ vinyl discs presenting singles–including Wrong, Peace, the double A-side Fragile Tension/Hole To Feed–alongside B-sides, remixes, dub versions and other recordings contemporaneous to Depeche Mode’s 12th studio album, Sounds Of The Universe, originally released by Mute Records in April 2009.
Pre-order here: depechemodeboxsets.com
Sounds Of The Universe | The 12″ Singles offers a full range of ear-grabbing mixes–radio, club, dub and more–of Depeche Mode originals with three discs (Discs Two, Four and Seven) newly compiled for this collection, bringing together B-sides and mixes first released across CD and maxi-singles contemporaneous to the album’s release.
When it came time to record the Sounds Of The Universe album, DM’s classic core (Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andrew Fletcher) returned to the studio to make their second album with producer Ben Hillier, whose intuitive contributions to their previous studio album, 2005’s Playing The Angel, had created new sonic possibilities for the band. Sounds Of The Universe expanded Depeche Mode’s vision and repertoire while continuing their tradition of issuing monumental 12″ singles to supplement and compliment their album releases.
From their earliest days as a band, Depeche Mode have championed 12″ vinyl, embracing the format’s singular power and potential for innovation. The 12″ single allowed the band to explore new sonic possibilities while the tactile real-world beauty of physical packaging gave Depeche Mode room to develop their consistently sophisticated and commanding design aesthetic. Depeche Mode have used their singles discography as a means of offering fans the opportunity to enjoy left field remixes, rare B-sides, standout concert performances and other exclusive delights.
Sony Music Entertainment released the first two box sets in the Depeche Mode 12″ singles series–Speak & Spell | The Singles and A Broken Frame | The Singles–in August 2018 with the second batch–Construction Time Again | The 12″ Singles and Some Great Reward | The 12″ Singles–arriving in December 2018. SME released Depeche Mode’s Black Celebration | The 12″ Singles and Music For The Masses | The 12″ Singles on 31 May 2019. 2020 saw the release of Violator | The 12″ Singles in July and Songs Of Faith And Devotion | The 12″ Singles in October. The ninth collection in the series, Ultra | The 12″ Singles was released on 27 September 2021 with the tenth volume, Exciter | The 12″ Singles, arriving on 10 June 2022. The 11th volume in the series, Playing The Angel | The 12″ Singles, was released in November 2022.
Each box set in the series contains the singles from an individual Depeche Mode album pressed on audiophile-quality 12″ vinyl. The artwork for the exterior of each of the box sets draws on iconography inspired by the original releases, while the vinyl sleeves themselves feature the original single artwork.
Sounds Of The Universe | The 12″ Singles is the chronological 12th volume in SME’s Depeche Mode 12″ Singles Series with plans to release Delta Machine and Spirit box sets in similar deluxe audio-grade collector’s editions over the next 12 months.
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