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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 17 March 2017
Depeche Mode hopes its new CD gets ‘people to think a bit’

MARK KENNEDY “Spirit” continues the mours” before hitting big
AP Entertainment Writer band’s evolution in al- success with 1990’s “Viola-
NEW YORK (AP) — De- ternative-rock under the tor,” which produced the
peche Mode’s new album new guidance of produc- singles “Personal Jesus,”
kicks off with a dire warn- er James Ford, who has ‘’Enjoy the Silence” and
ing that we’re going back- worked with Florence and “Policy of Truth.”
ward as a society. Things the Machine and the Arc- The band found itself this
go quickly downhill from tic Monkeys. year on the list of poten-
there. Band member Andy tial inductees to the Rock
“Spirit” then tells us we’ve Fletcher said Ford, who also and Roll Hall of Fame, but
been lied to and advo- played drums on many of failed to make the cut for
cates revolution, convicts the tracks, managed to the Class of 2017.
everyone of treason and “freshen us up a bit.” The “To be honest, we were sur-
urges selfish scum to turn songs are drenched in prised. We never aimed to
their guns on themselves — dread, slithering synths and be in it. We think, ‘An elec-
and that’s just the first four strong hooks, exploring ev- tronic band in the Rock
songs. erything from trickle-down In this March 8, 2017 photo, Martin Gore, left, and Andy Fletcher and Roll Hall?’” Fletcher
“First and foremost, we economics to heartbreak. of Depeche Mode pose for a photo to promote their new album, said. “To be nominated is
wanted to make a fun al- Gore, who had a hand in “Spirit.” Depeche Mode’s 28-show North American tour will start quite good, really. I don’t
bum,” deadpans chief nine of the tracks, said the in Salt Lake City in August. Associated Press know if we’ll eventually go
songwriter Martin Gore. album might sound like a in. It’s not really on the top
“That was a joke.” reaction to recent politi- here. I just mean in a gen- doing now,” said Gahan, list of our wishes. It would
The gloomy British electron- cal and cultural shocks but eral sense and by pointing who mused that “Every- be nice if it happened, I
ic trio resurfaced this month was actually written in the that out, maybe it just gets thing Counts” would sit suppose.”
with its first new music in four second half of 2015 and people to think a bit.” nicely with the new tracks. If it ever happens, it would
years and the timing seems early 2016. Depeche Mode will go “Hopefully, there will be a be a remarkable crowning
impeccable. The dozen “The world was still in a on the road — their Live couple of little surprises.” for a group of acknowl-
new dark songs seem the mess then and it was quite Nation-backed, 28-show Depeche Mode was part edged misfits from East
perfect soundtrack to a depressing to me. I felt that North American tour starts of a wave of English pop- London that made its repu-
world rocked by Brexit and I couldn’t just ignore it. If I in Salt Lake City in August synthesizer bands to sweep tation making symphonies
Donald Trump. was going to actually write — mixing the new songs into America in the 1980s from smacking pots and
“It’s a little bit of a heavy and be honest to myself I with their go-to anchors, with light-hearted songs like pans and wearing eye-
listen,” acknowledges lead had to kind of like face it,” including “I Feel You” and “Just Can’t Get Enough.” liner, nail polish and black
singer Dave Gahan. “Look, he said. “Walking In My Shoes.” They matured with edgier, leather.
that’s what we do. It’s “I wanted to say that I feel “I try and find songs from socially conscious tunes “Definitely, we were not
about creating these at- that we’ve lost our way a some other albums that like “People Are People” the cool kids in town,” said
mospheres with this back- bit, that mankind has lost its will relate to what we’re and “Blasphemous Ru- Gahan.q
drop of the world we’re liv- way spiritually. I’m not talk-
ing in.” ing from any denomination
Angelina Jolie defends UN,

decries ‘tide of nationalism’

GENEVA (AP) — Angelina United Nations.
Jolie has made a strong de- “We have to recognize the
fense of the United Nations, damage we do when we
saying the world body, as undermine the U.N., or use
“imperfect” as it is, needs it selectively, or not at all,”
reform but also support. Jolie said. She said “there
The American actress and is not a single humanitar-
special envoy for the U.N. ian appeal anywhere in
refugee agency decried the world that is funded by
a “rising tide of nationalism even by half of what is re-
masquerading as populism, quired.” Jolie addressed a
and the re-emergence of ceremony honoring Sergio
policies encouraging fear Vieira de Mello, the U.N.
and hatred of others” dur- envoy to Iraq who died in
ing a speech at the U.N. in a 2003 bombing attack
Geneva on Wednesday. in Baghdad, and cited his
Saying she was speaking as faith in the institution de-
a “proud American” and spite its shortcomings.
“an internationalist,” Jolie “The U.N. is an imperfect or-
said some politicians were ganization because we are
elected “partly on the ba- imperfect. It is not separate
sis of dismissing internation- from us,” she said, adding
al institutions and agree- that de Mello believed it
ments.” She didn’t mention should be “more decisive,
President Donald Trump, less bureaucratic,” but “he
amid concerns that the never said it was pointless
U.S. administration could and he never threw in the
cut crucial funding for the towel.”q