Review · 1990 · Synth-Pop
Depeche Mode - Violator
The verdict
Another theme of the 90’s is that, well, the 80’s were over. Nobody told Depeche Mode, though - they were just gaining strength as 1990 rolled around, and this album was considered their songwriting peak. These phrases may mean different things to different generations, but to me this album goes from goth kids on the dance floor music, to the backing track to a vampire drama, to the trance-ey brooding of a misunderstood, overlooked genius. That’s not meant to sound reductive - rather, take each of those tropes and elevate it to something sophisticated, at times something darker and almost twisted, with a pulse of unsettling obsessive energy lurking just under - or above - the surface, and you’ve got Violator.
I’ve learned that I don’t like droning, formless music. But after hearing the vampiric “Waiting For The Night” I’ve decided there’s a place for droning music with a pulse. Maybe my ADHD mind just can’t handle completely unstructured music, but give me a little beat to latch onto and a little hint of melody to guide me through the song and I’m back onboard.
It takes taste to restrain yourself when you’ve got such a huge library of new sounds at your disposal, and DM does a stellar job of using their new electronic sounds, which were probably emerging every day in 1990, in a controlled and additive way. The song is king here, and there’s no designing around a cool sound at any point, which is another feature of some other artists I’ve found off-putting.
Jams
“Personal Jesus”
“Waiting For The Night”
“Policy Of Truth”
From the roundup Jamwise #36 - Best Albums of 1990.