HALO IBD

Sinopsis

Recorded in England, Denmark and Italy between May and September 1989, Depeche ModeâÇÖs seventh studio album âÇÖViolatorâÇÖ was a landmark record beloved by fans and universally regarded as the bandâÇÖs creative highpoint.áááEventually selling 7.5 million copies following its release in March 1990, âÇÖViolatorâÇÖ gave the cult British band - Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy âÇÖFletchâÇÖ Fletcher and Alan Wilder - the critical acclaim they finally deserved. The adventurous, highly experimental approach that the band took for âÇÖViolatorâÇÖ recording sessions also yielded two of the bandâÇÖs most recognisable and successful singles in âÇÖPersonal JesusâÇÖ and âÇÖEnjoy The SilenceâÇÖ.áááProduced by the band with the influential studio guru Flood and mixed by the legendary Franúois Kevorkian, âÇÖViolatorâÇÖ is viewed as a hugely groundbreaking body of work by countless musicians and DJs, such was its progressive synthesis of electronic, rock, dance and pop music. The album revealed a new maturity and sensitivity to Martin GoreâÇÖs songwriting and allowed the bandâÇÖs inquisitive Alan Wilder to come to the fore as a principal architect of the bandâÇÖs approach to studio production.áááThis period in the bandâÇÖs history also found them forging a deeply trusted and influential partnership with photographer and designer Anton Corbijn, often viewed as the fifth member of Depeche Mode at this time. CorbijnâÇÖs work with the Area creative agency for the âÇÖViolatorâÇÖ project delivered iconic, integrated artwork, photography, videos and short films across the album, its singles, and tour design.ááááWritten by uber-fans Kevin May and David McElroy, with âÇÖHaloâÇÖ we find ourselves shadowing the band in the studio, on an intense, pivotal worldwide tour and on the sets of arty Super 8 vignettes. We watch as samples and sounds are painstakingly wrought into rhythms, as flights are missed to secure additional seconds of mix time, as label executives in boardrooms deliberate over the order of the albumâÇÖs singles. We find ourselves in downtown LA at the scene of an apocryphal riot as fans clamour to get their copies of the album signed. We observe the often misunderstood but hugely important role that the late Andy Fletcher played in the band and witness the tumultuous emotional pressures on the bandâÇÖs frontman, Dave Gahan.áááDuring an intense and pivotal two-and-a-half years in the life of the group, we follow Depeche Mode as they complete their metamorphosis into one of the most significant bands of a generation, and place the success and innovations of âÇÖViolatorâÇÖ at the dead centre of the rapidly-changing late-80s, early-90s musical zeitgeist.áááMore than an album biography, âÇÖHaloâÇÖ goes deep behind the scenes of the bandâÇÖs âÇÖViolatorâÇÖ period. The book takes the form of a detailed oral history from those who were there in the studio with the band, working behind the cameras, designing sleeves and appearing in the videos, support acts, tour managers, publicists and fans.The book features detailed interviews with central figures involved with the band as they transitioned their sound and image to a stadium-friendly aesthetic, as well as those whose trusted contributions were essential for the creation of âÇÖViolatorâÇÖ.áWith âÇÖHaloâÇÖ, authors Kevin May and David McElroy have produced an essential guide for Depeche Mode fans and anyone inquisitive about the making of a classic, genre-defining album.