Alan Wilder
Encyclopedia
Alan Charles Wilder is a British musician, formerly of Depeche Mode
. His current musical project is called Recoil
, started as a side project to Depeche Mode. When he left the latter in 1995, it became Wilder's primary project. Wilder has also provided production and remixing services to the bands Nitzer Ebb
and Curve
.
He is a classically trained musician and renowned contemporary music producer.
, west London. He began piano at the age of eight, through the encouragement of his parents. Later on, he learned the flute at St Clement Danes Grammar school and became a leading musician in his school bands. He was influenced musically at school by Ted Ing, a percussionist. Alan and Ted formed Cloaca, (which also had Stefan Heller on bass guitar, Simon Thomas on vocals and guitar and eventually were joined by Mike Christer on guitar), a band which played many gigs in the west London area supporting the likes of Gary Numan
's 'Tubeway army' and 'Henry Strand and the Westway Band' featuring The Clash
's Mick Jones
and Joe Strummer
. After school, Alan worked as a studio assistant at DJM Studios. This led to him ending up working for bands such as The Dragons, Dafne and the Tenderspots (as Alan Normal), Real to Real (featuring Adrian Chilvers on Bass, Pete Fresh on guitar, Wolfgang Marlander on Drums and Paul St. James Vocals), The Hitmen, and The Korgis
, appearing on the UK No. 13 single "If I Had You" (1979).
, Depeche Mode placed an advertisement in the music magazine Melody Maker
: "Keyboard player needed for established band – no timewasters." Even though the ad was looking for someone under 21 (Wilder was 22) he lied about his age to get the job, and got away with it. He joined Depeche Mode in January 1982, initially as a tour keyboardist, and soon thereafter as a full member of the recording band.
Wilder wrote a handful of songs for Depeche Mode, including "The Great Outdoors" (the B-Side to "Get The Balance Right"), "Two Minute Warning" and "The Landscape Is Changing" (and a B-Side, "Fools") from the album Construction Time Again
, and "If You Want" and "In Your Memory" from the album Some Great Reward
. However, Wilder's more notable contributions to Depeche Mode were as a musician, arranger, and producer.
In addition to playing synthesiser throughout his time with Depeche Mode, Wilder also played piano on the band's signature ballad "Somebody
," and oboe on the band's hit anthem, "Everything Counts
." In the documentary film 101
, Wilder demonstrates how different synthesiser parts of a song are split and arranged across a sampling keyboard for playing them live during the concert, just one small example of Wilder's ongoing contributions to Depeche Mode during his time as a member of the group. For the recording of the album Songs of Faith and Devotion
and its corresponding Devotional Tour
Wilder learned to play live drums.
For "Enjoy The Silence
" from the album Violator
, Wilder is credited with taking Martin Gore's melancholy ballad-esque demo and re-envisioning the song as a percolating, melodic dance track. The resulting single went on to become one of the most commercially successful songs in Depeche Mode's history.
In particular, the band's massive and intense Devotional Tour
of 1993–1994 took its toll on Wilder as the other members of Depeche Mode self-destructed around him. Dave Gahan was indulging in extreme drug use, Martin Gore was drinking excessively and Andy Fletcher
experienced a nervous breakdown
. Wilder also indulged in excessive drinking (resulting in kidney stones), but not to the same extent as his bandmates. He was the only band member actually working between tour dates in order to ready the band for future concerts, in numerous cases performing the rigorous soundchecks alone.
After his split from Depeche Mode, Wilder was approached by Robert Smith
with an offer to join The Cure
. Wilder respectfully declined.
According to Wilder himself, the possibility was offered on behalf of The Cure by Daryl Bamonte (tour manager for both Depeche Mode and The Cure, and brother of The Cure member Perry Bamonte), and he declined as joining another band was the last thing on his mind.
Roger O'Donnell, who re-joined The Cure around the same time, has in turn suggested this actually never happened, saying "I'm sure Alan would have lasted about 5 minutes in that environment especially after having left Depeche Mode for the reasons he did!"
He briefly reunited with Depeche Mode during the Teenage Cancer Trust concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 17 February 2010, and enjoyed a rapturous reception. During the encore, Alan accompanied Martin Gore on piano for "Somebody".
Martin returned the favour and played a DJ set on one of Recoil's Selected Events.
In 2011 Alan provided 2 mixes for the Depeche Mode track : "In Chains".
label boss Daniel Miller and was inconspicuously released as a mini-album on 12" vinyl. An album, Hydrology
, soon followed in 1988 and both were eventually re-issued by Mute on CD as Hydrology plus 1+2. These early Recoil recordings revealed Alan's position as a pioneer in the newly emerging world of sampling
technology and demonstrated how he could turn the Depeche Mode sound around to create something entirely new. Wilder described the project at the time as "an antidote to Depeche Mode; a way to alleviate the frustrations of always working within a pop format".
Almost immediately, Wilder found himself back in the studio to record what would become the most successful Depeche Mode album to date, Violator
. It wasn't until the band finally allowed themselves an extended break after the enormously successful World Violation Tour
that Alan could return to Recoil—not, however, before agreeing to produce Ebbhead, another album for label-mates Nitzer Ebb
.
It was during this time that he cemented a working relationship with lead singer Douglas McCarthy
who would return the favour by singing on Recoil's next album, Bloodline. For the Bloodline LP, released in 1991, Wilder recruited guest vocalists for the first time, with further contributions from Toni Halliday
and Moby
helping to produce an album that demonstrated his ability to concoct slow-burning soundscapes drenched in drowsy paranoia.
Electro Blues for Bukka White featured long-gone disembodied blues-man Bukka White
muttering and wailing underneath an eastern drone that both eulogised and ignored him. Like the rest of Bloodline, the effect is disconcerting but ultimately very moving. The recordings also marked the first Recoil single, a cover of Alex Harvey
's song "Faith Healer".
Between 1992–93 Wilder resumed his Depeche Mode duties as the band recorded the album Songs of Faith and Devotion
. Released to universal acclaim, it topped the charts in the UK, US, Germany and a host of other countries. Enjoying hits with "I Feel You", "Walking in My Shoes", "In Your Room" and "Condemnation", Depeche Mode embarked on their most adventurous tour to date, enduring a gruelling fifteen months on the road. Although the group had reached the pinnacle of success, aspects of the lifestyle had taken their toll on everyone and things eventually came to a head. In June 1995, having spent fourteen years as an integral part of one of the most popular and influential bands the UK has ever produced, Alan Wilder made the decision to leave Depeche Mode.
Free from his group commitments, Wilder could now focus solely on Recoil. In September 1996, he began work in his own studio, The Thin Line, gradually piecing together the unnerving scores that would become Recoil's next album Unsound Methods
. The final results were more impressive than ever—what emerged appeared to take up where Songs of Faith and Devotion had left off. Guest vocalists this time played a more up-front role than ever and featured Maggie Estep
, Siobhan Lynch, the reappearance of Douglas McCarthy
, and Hildia Campbell. The styles of each could not be more removed from one another helping to create a startlingly original and diverse collection. The more organic style of Unsound Methods incorporated every imaginable musical genre from trip-hop to gospel, with a recurring theme of obsession in all its manifestations, taking one to the edge of unease, through dark, dub-infected landscapes, reverberating with shivering piano, seductive strings and a deep electronic pulse.
In the spring of 2000, Recoil released Liquid which this time utilised the unique qualities of internationally acclaimed fellow Mute artist Diamanda Galás
, 1940s gospel crooners the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet, along with New York spoken-word performers Nicole Blackman
and Samantha Coerbell. The worldwide music press received the Liquid album with a host of glowing reviews and Wilder was awarded a Grand Prix du Disque
from the Académie Charles Cros in 2000. Strangely enthralling and genuinely unhinging, Liquid masquerades as the aural equivalent of a disturbing movie. Wilder's intoxicating soundscapes kick up clouds of the same dark dust that falls on David Lynch
or Nine Inch Nails
, but where others may hammer out their message with histrionic force, his touch is lighter and characteristically more subtle.
Following a five-year break from recording, Alan Wilder returned with Recoil's fifth studio album, entitled subHuman
released in July 2007, and recorded using Apple Inc Macintosh
computers, Logic Pro
software, and a Pro Tools
system. Wilder's skill at blending diverse and eclectic musical styles with often controversial subjects has produced an album of complex sonic imagery and expansive dynamic range. Collaborating this time is blues-man Joe Richardson, whose evocative vocal style is complemented by accomplished guitar and harmonica performances. Born in southern Louisiana
, Richardson spent years immersed in the murkier side of New Orleans life and offers a unique commentary on conflict, religion, incarceration and personal struggle. English singer Carla Trevaskis, a songwriter in her own right, brings an expressive range and control to subHuman and has worked with artists as diverse as Fred de Faye (Eurythmics
), Cliff Hewitt (Apollo 440
) and Dave McDonald
(Portishead). Says Wilder: "We seem to have learnt nothing from past experiences and our so called 'civilised' world is still awash with personal and global atrocities. From suicide bombings in the Middle East, to ethnic cleansing in the Balkans; from the homophobic rhetoric of the Christian fundamentalist preacher, to the activities of Western governments engaged in their 'war on terror
'". SubHuman asks us to reach within ourselves and extract the very essence of what makes us human—and more importantly what allows us to subordinate others, sometimes with the most brutal consequences. "We are all 'subhuman' in somebody's eyes".
In February 2008, Wilder released an open letter on the Side-Line
Magazine website, titled "Music For The Masses – I think not". In the article Wilder handles his vision on today's shifting music market and the position of the artist in this.
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
. His current musical project is called Recoil
Recoil (band)
Recoil is a musical project created by former Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder. Essentially a solo venture, Recoil began whilst Wilder was still in Depeche Mode as an outlet for his experimental, less pop-oriented compositions...
, started as a side project to Depeche Mode. When he left the latter in 1995, it became Wilder's primary project. Wilder has also provided production and remixing services to the bands Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb is a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris , Douglas McCarthy , and David Gooday .-Band name:...
and Curve
Curve (band)
Curve was an English music group formed in 1990 chiefly around the collaboration of singer/songwriter Toni Halliday and bassist/guitarist/programmer Dean Garcia.-History:...
.
He is a classically trained musician and renowned contemporary music producer.
Early years
Wilder was born into a neither "rich nor poor" family and was raised in ActonActon, London
Acton is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...
, west London. He began piano at the age of eight, through the encouragement of his parents. Later on, he learned the flute at St Clement Danes Grammar school and became a leading musician in his school bands. He was influenced musically at school by Ted Ing, a percussionist. Alan and Ted formed Cloaca, (which also had Stefan Heller on bass guitar, Simon Thomas on vocals and guitar and eventually were joined by Mike Christer on guitar), a band which played many gigs in the west London area supporting the likes of Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
's 'Tubeway army' and 'Henry Strand and the Westway Band' featuring The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
's Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
and Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
. After school, Alan worked as a studio assistant at DJM Studios. This led to him ending up working for bands such as The Dragons, Dafne and the Tenderspots (as Alan Normal), Real to Real (featuring Adrian Chilvers on Bass, Pete Fresh on guitar, Wolfgang Marlander on Drums and Paul St. James Vocals), The Hitmen, and The Korgis
The Korgis
The Korgis are a British pop band, originally composed of singer / bassist James Warren and singer / drummer Andy Davis , both former members of 1970s band Stackridge, along with unofficial members violinist Stuart Gordon and keyboardist Phil Harrison.-Career:The Korgis released their first single...
, appearing on the UK No. 13 single "If I Had You" (1979).
Depeche Mode
Following the departure of Vince ClarkeVince Clarke
Vince Clarke is an English synthpop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been involved with a number of successful groups, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly and Erasure....
, Depeche Mode placed an advertisement in the music magazine Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
: "Keyboard player needed for established band – no timewasters." Even though the ad was looking for someone under 21 (Wilder was 22) he lied about his age to get the job, and got away with it. He joined Depeche Mode in January 1982, initially as a tour keyboardist, and soon thereafter as a full member of the recording band.
Wilder wrote a handful of songs for Depeche Mode, including "The Great Outdoors" (the B-Side to "Get The Balance Right"), "Two Minute Warning" and "The Landscape Is Changing" (and a B-Side, "Fools") from the album Construction Time Again
Construction Time Again
Construction Time Again is the third studio album by the British electronic band Depeche Mode, released in 1983. This was the first Depeche Mode album with Alan Wilder, who composed the songs "Two Minute Warning" and "The Landscape Is Changing"...
, and "If You Want" and "In Your Memory" from the album Some Great Reward
Some Great Reward
Some Great Reward is the fourth album by the British electronic group Depeche Mode, released in 1984. The album peaked at #5 in the UK and at #51 in the US. The title comes from the last lines of the bridge in "Lie to Me" when it repeats near the end....
. However, Wilder's more notable contributions to Depeche Mode were as a musician, arranger, and producer.
In addition to playing synthesiser throughout his time with Depeche Mode, Wilder also played piano on the band's signature ballad "Somebody
Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody
"Blasphemous Rumours"/"Somebody" is Depeche Mode's twelfth UK single and first double A-side single, released on 29 October, 1984.Both A-side songs are from the album Some Great Reward...
," and oboe on the band's hit anthem, "Everything Counts
Everything Counts
"Everything Counts" was Depeche Mode's eighth UK single and third US single , from the then upcoming album Construction Time Again...
." In the documentary film 101
101 (album)
-Disc one:A Side# "Pimpf" – 0:58# "Behind the Wheel" – 5:55# "Strangelove" – 4:49# "Something to Do" – 3:54# "Blasphemous Rumours" – 5:09B Side# "Stripped" – 6:45# "Somebody" – 4:34...
, Wilder demonstrates how different synthesiser parts of a song are split and arranged across a sampling keyboard for playing them live during the concert, just one small example of Wilder's ongoing contributions to Depeche Mode during his time as a member of the group. For the recording of the album Songs of Faith and Devotion
Songs of Faith and Devotion
Songs of Faith and Devotion is the eighth album by the British electronic music group Depeche Mode, released in 1993 on Mute Records. The album incorporated more guitar textures than previous releases. Upon its release, Songs of Faith and Devotion reached number one in both the UK and US album...
and its corresponding Devotional Tour
Devotional Tour
Devotional Tour was a 1993 concert tour by English electronic band Depeche Mode in support of the group's eighth studio album, Songs of Faith and Devotion, which was released in March 1993....
Wilder learned to play live drums.
For "Enjoy The Silence
Enjoy the Silence
"Enjoy the Silence" is Depeche Mode's twenty-fourth UK single, released on 16 January 1990, and the second single from the then upcoming album Violator....
" from the album Violator
Violator (album)
Violator is the seventh studio album by the English electronic group Depeche Mode, released by Mute Records on 19 March 1990.Preceded by the hit singles "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" , Violator propelled the band into international stardom. The album yielded two further hit singles,...
, Wilder is credited with taking Martin Gore's melancholy ballad-esque demo and re-envisioning the song as a percolating, melodic dance track. The resulting single went on to become one of the most commercially successful songs in Depeche Mode's history.
Departure
On 1 June 1995 (his 36th birthday), Alan announced his departure from Depeche Mode:- "Due to increasing dissatisfaction with the internal relations and working practices of the group, it is with some sadness that I have decided to part company from Depeche Mode. My decision to leave the group was not an easy one particularly as our last few albums were an indication of the full potential that Depeche Mode was realising.
- Since joining in 1982, I have continually striven to give total energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the furthering of the group's success and in spite of a consistent imbalance in the distribution of the workload, willingly offered this. Unfortunately, within the group, this level of input never received the respect and acknowledgement that it warrants.
- Whilst I believe that the calibre of our musical output has improved, the quality of our association has deteriorated to the point where I no longer feel that the end justifies the means. I have no wish to cast aspersions on any individual; suffice to say that relations have become seriously strained, increasingly frustrating and, ultimately, in certain situations, intolerable.
- Given these circumstances, I have no option but to leave the group. It seems preferable therefore, to leave on a relative high, and as I still retain a great enthusiasm and passion for music, I am excited by the prospect of pursuing new projects. The remaining band members have my support and best wishes for anything they may pursue in the future, be it collectively or individually."
In particular, the band's massive and intense Devotional Tour
Devotional Tour
Devotional Tour was a 1993 concert tour by English electronic band Depeche Mode in support of the group's eighth studio album, Songs of Faith and Devotion, which was released in March 1993....
of 1993–1994 took its toll on Wilder as the other members of Depeche Mode self-destructed around him. Dave Gahan was indulging in extreme drug use, Martin Gore was drinking excessively and Andy Fletcher
Andrew Fletcher (musician)
Andy Fletcher , known as "Fletch", is a co-founder and member of the English synth band Depeche Mode.-Depeche Mode:...
experienced a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
. Wilder also indulged in excessive drinking (resulting in kidney stones), but not to the same extent as his bandmates. He was the only band member actually working between tour dates in order to ready the band for future concerts, in numerous cases performing the rigorous soundchecks alone.
After his split from Depeche Mode, Wilder was approached by Robert Smith
Robert Smith (musician)
Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
with an offer to join The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
. Wilder respectfully declined.
According to Wilder himself, the possibility was offered on behalf of The Cure by Daryl Bamonte (tour manager for both Depeche Mode and The Cure, and brother of The Cure member Perry Bamonte), and he declined as joining another band was the last thing on his mind.
Roger O'Donnell, who re-joined The Cure around the same time, has in turn suggested this actually never happened, saying "I'm sure Alan would have lasted about 5 minutes in that environment especially after having left Depeche Mode for the reasons he did!"
He briefly reunited with Depeche Mode during the Teenage Cancer Trust concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 17 February 2010, and enjoyed a rapturous reception. During the encore, Alan accompanied Martin Gore on piano for "Somebody".
Martin returned the favour and played a DJ set on one of Recoil's Selected Events.
In 2011 Alan provided 2 mixes for the Depeche Mode track : "In Chains".
Recoil
Recoil began in 1986 as a two-track experimental EP. Simply entitled 1 + 2, this collection of primitive demos caught the attention of Mute RecordsMute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
label boss Daniel Miller and was inconspicuously released as a mini-album on 12" vinyl. An album, Hydrology
Hydrology (album)
Hydrology is a Recoil studio album, released January 25, 1988.Hydrology was Alan Wilder's second Recoil release. The CD and cassette version included the first release, 1+2....
, soon followed in 1988 and both were eventually re-issued by Mute on CD as Hydrology plus 1+2. These early Recoil recordings revealed Alan's position as a pioneer in the newly emerging world of sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
technology and demonstrated how he could turn the Depeche Mode sound around to create something entirely new. Wilder described the project at the time as "an antidote to Depeche Mode; a way to alleviate the frustrations of always working within a pop format".
Almost immediately, Wilder found himself back in the studio to record what would become the most successful Depeche Mode album to date, Violator
Violator (album)
Violator is the seventh studio album by the English electronic group Depeche Mode, released by Mute Records on 19 March 1990.Preceded by the hit singles "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" , Violator propelled the band into international stardom. The album yielded two further hit singles,...
. It wasn't until the band finally allowed themselves an extended break after the enormously successful World Violation Tour
World Violation Tour
World Violation Tour was a 1990 concert tour by English electronic group Depeche Mode in support of the act's seventh studio album, Violator, which was released in March 1990. It was estimated that by the end of the tour, Depeche Mode had toured to 1.2 million fans.-Tour details:The band rehearsed...
that Alan could return to Recoil—not, however, before agreeing to produce Ebbhead, another album for label-mates Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb is a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris , Douglas McCarthy , and David Gooday .-Band name:...
.
It was during this time that he cemented a working relationship with lead singer Douglas McCarthy
Douglas McCarthy
Douglas John McCarthy is the vocalist of Chelmsford, Essex-based EBM band Nitzer Ebb.Apart from writing and performing with Nitzer Ebb, McCarthy has also appeared on recordings by Recoil and has released material in collaboration with DJ Terence Fixmer as Fixmer/McCarthy...
who would return the favour by singing on Recoil's next album, Bloodline. For the Bloodline LP, released in 1991, Wilder recruited guest vocalists for the first time, with further contributions from Toni Halliday
Toni Halliday
Antoinette "Toni" Halliday is an English musician best known as the lead vocalist, lyricist, and occasional guitarist of the band Curve.-Early life and career:...
and Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
helping to produce an album that demonstrated his ability to concoct slow-burning soundscapes drenched in drowsy paranoia.
Electro Blues for Bukka White featured long-gone disembodied blues-man Bukka White
Bukka White
Booker T. Washington White , better known as Bukka White, was an American Delta blues guitarist and singer. "Bukka" was not a nickname, but a phonetic misspelling of White's given name Booker, by his second record label .-Biography:Born between Aberdeen and Houston, Mississippi, White was the...
muttering and wailing underneath an eastern drone that both eulogised and ignored him. Like the rest of Bloodline, the effect is disconcerting but ultimately very moving. The recordings also marked the first Recoil single, a cover of Alex Harvey
Alex Harvey (musician)
Alex Harvey was a Scottish rock musician. With The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, he built a reputation as an exciting live performer during the 1970s glam rock era.-Biography:...
's song "Faith Healer".
Between 1992–93 Wilder resumed his Depeche Mode duties as the band recorded the album Songs of Faith and Devotion
Songs of Faith and Devotion
Songs of Faith and Devotion is the eighth album by the British electronic music group Depeche Mode, released in 1993 on Mute Records. The album incorporated more guitar textures than previous releases. Upon its release, Songs of Faith and Devotion reached number one in both the UK and US album...
. Released to universal acclaim, it topped the charts in the UK, US, Germany and a host of other countries. Enjoying hits with "I Feel You", "Walking in My Shoes", "In Your Room" and "Condemnation", Depeche Mode embarked on their most adventurous tour to date, enduring a gruelling fifteen months on the road. Although the group had reached the pinnacle of success, aspects of the lifestyle had taken their toll on everyone and things eventually came to a head. In June 1995, having spent fourteen years as an integral part of one of the most popular and influential bands the UK has ever produced, Alan Wilder made the decision to leave Depeche Mode.
Free from his group commitments, Wilder could now focus solely on Recoil. In September 1996, he began work in his own studio, The Thin Line, gradually piecing together the unnerving scores that would become Recoil's next album Unsound Methods
Unsound Methods
Unsound Methods is the third Recoil studio album, released in 1997. It was recorded at Alan Wilder's home studio, The Thin Line, in Sussex, during sessions that lasted from September 1996 to March 1997. The album was produced by Alan Wilder, with assistance and coordination by Hepzibah Sessa, and...
. The final results were more impressive than ever—what emerged appeared to take up where Songs of Faith and Devotion had left off. Guest vocalists this time played a more up-front role than ever and featured Maggie Estep
Maggie Estep
Maggie Estep is an American poet and writer. She has published six books and released two spoken word albums: Love is a Dog From Hell and No More Mr. Nice Girl.Estep was born in 1963 in Summit, New Jersey...
, Siobhan Lynch, the reappearance of Douglas McCarthy
Douglas McCarthy
Douglas John McCarthy is the vocalist of Chelmsford, Essex-based EBM band Nitzer Ebb.Apart from writing and performing with Nitzer Ebb, McCarthy has also appeared on recordings by Recoil and has released material in collaboration with DJ Terence Fixmer as Fixmer/McCarthy...
, and Hildia Campbell. The styles of each could not be more removed from one another helping to create a startlingly original and diverse collection. The more organic style of Unsound Methods incorporated every imaginable musical genre from trip-hop to gospel, with a recurring theme of obsession in all its manifestations, taking one to the edge of unease, through dark, dub-infected landscapes, reverberating with shivering piano, seductive strings and a deep electronic pulse.
In the spring of 2000, Recoil released Liquid which this time utilised the unique qualities of internationally acclaimed fellow Mute artist Diamanda Galás
Diamanda Galás
Diamanda Galás is an American avant-garde composer, vocalist, pianist, organist, performance artist and painter.Galás has been described as "capable of the most unnerving vocal terror", with her three and a half octave vocal range. She often screams, hisses and growls...
, 1940s gospel crooners the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet, along with New York spoken-word performers Nicole Blackman
Nicole Blackman
Nicole Blackman is a New York City-born performance artist, poet, author, and vocalist.-Literary career:Blackman is involved in the North American goth, spoken word and transgressive literature scenes....
and Samantha Coerbell. The worldwide music press received the Liquid album with a host of glowing reviews and Wilder was awarded a Grand Prix du Disque
Grand Prix du Disque
The Grand Prix du Disque is the premier French award for musical recordings. The award was inaugurated by l'Académie Charles Cros in 1948 and offers prizes in various categories. The categories vary from year to year, and multiple awards are often made in any one category in the same year...
from the Académie Charles Cros in 2000. Strangely enthralling and genuinely unhinging, Liquid masquerades as the aural equivalent of a disturbing movie. Wilder's intoxicating soundscapes kick up clouds of the same dark dust that falls on David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
or Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, but where others may hammer out their message with histrionic force, his touch is lighter and characteristically more subtle.
Following a five-year break from recording, Alan Wilder returned with Recoil's fifth studio album, entitled subHuman
SubHuman
- CD/DVD: Mute / LCD STUMM 279 :* includes CD album as above plus a DVD featuring:*High-quality 24-bit and 48 kHz recording of subHuman*5.1 DTS and AC3 Surround Sound versions of subHuman...
released in July 2007, and recorded using Apple Inc Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
computers, Logic Pro
Logic Pro
Logic Pro is a hybrid 32 / 64 bit digital audio workstation and MIDI sequencer software application for the Mac OS X platform. Originally created by German software developer Emagic, Logic Pro became an Apple product when Apple bought Emagic in 2002...
software, and a Pro Tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
system. Wilder's skill at blending diverse and eclectic musical styles with often controversial subjects has produced an album of complex sonic imagery and expansive dynamic range. Collaborating this time is blues-man Joe Richardson, whose evocative vocal style is complemented by accomplished guitar and harmonica performances. Born in southern Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Richardson spent years immersed in the murkier side of New Orleans life and offers a unique commentary on conflict, religion, incarceration and personal struggle. English singer Carla Trevaskis, a songwriter in her own right, brings an expressive range and control to subHuman and has worked with artists as diverse as Fred de Faye (Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
), Cliff Hewitt (Apollo 440
Apollo 440
Apollo 440 are an English band formed in Liverpool in 1990. Apollo 440 have written, recorded and produced four albums, collaborated with and produced other artists, remixed as Apollo 440 and as ambient cinematic alter-ego Stealth Sonic Orchestra, and created music for film, television,...
) and Dave McDonald
Dave McDonald
David Bruce McDonald is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. McDonald attended school at the University of Nebraska and was signed by the New York Yankees in . He played with the Yankees in and with the Montreal Expos in .-External links:*...
(Portishead). Says Wilder: "We seem to have learnt nothing from past experiences and our so called 'civilised' world is still awash with personal and global atrocities. From suicide bombings in the Middle East, to ethnic cleansing in the Balkans; from the homophobic rhetoric of the Christian fundamentalist preacher, to the activities of Western governments engaged in their 'war on terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
'". SubHuman asks us to reach within ourselves and extract the very essence of what makes us human—and more importantly what allows us to subordinate others, sometimes with the most brutal consequences. "We are all 'subhuman' in somebody's eyes".
In February 2008, Wilder released an open letter on the Side-Line
Side-Line
Side-Line is an online music magazine specialising in electronic music, and electro-goth/industrial in particular. It was founded in 1989 as a print publication, and had a circulation of 6,000 in Europe and America...
Magazine website, titled "Music For The Masses – I think not". In the article Wilder handles his vision on today's shifting music market and the position of the artist in this.
Early work
- The Dragons – "Misbehavin'" (1977)
- Dafne & The Tenderspots – "Disco Hell" (1979)
- The KorgisThe KorgisThe Korgis are a British pop band, originally composed of singer / bassist James Warren and singer / drummer Andy Davis , both former members of 1970s band Stackridge, along with unofficial members violinist Stuart Gordon and keyboardist Phil Harrison.-Career:The Korgis released their first single...
– "If I Had You" (1979) UK No. 13 (The track also appears on The KorgisThe Korgis (album)The Korgis is the first studio album by English pop band, The Korgis.It was released on Rialto Records in the UK in 1979.The album includes the singles "Young And Russian" and "If I Had You" ....
, as well as all of the band's compilation albums.) - Real to Real – "White Man Reggae" (March 1980)
- Real to Real – "The Blue" (1980)
- Real to Real – Tightrope Walkers (November 1980)
- Real to Real – "Mr. and Mrs." (March 1981)
- The Flatbackers – "Serenade of Love" (1981)
- The Hitmen – "Ouija" (1981)
With Depeche Mode
Wilder appeared on all of Depeche Mode's releases from "Get the Balance Right" (31 January 1983) up to "In Your Room" (10 January 1994), later taking part in reissues and compilations containing material from his time in the band.As Recoil
Wilder is on a promotional world tour in 2010 along with Paul "PK" Kendall in support of the collection album "Selected", released in the beginning of 2010.Collected
Alan organized with Omega an auction selling a lot of DM collectable items on September 3rd 2011 in Manchester. A DVD called "Collected +" was released as promotion for these events.Covers & collaborations
- 1991 – Alan mixed the Nitzer EbbNitzer EbbNitzer Ebb is a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris , Douglas McCarthy , and David Gooday .-Band name:...
song "Come Alive" from their As Is EP. - 1991 – Wilder and Flood produced the Nitzer EbbNitzer EbbNitzer Ebb is a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris , Douglas McCarthy , and David Gooday .-Band name:...
full album EbbheadEbbheadEbbhead is the fourth album of the British EBM group Nitzer Ebb. Co-produced by Depeche Mode's Alan Wilder in collaboration with Flood, it was released by Mute Records on .-Track listing:# "Reasons" – 4:17# "Lakeside Drive" – 3:59...
. - 2001 – Mr. Wilder provided strings and ambient sounds for the song "Polaroid" from the CurveCurve (band)Curve was an English music group formed in 1990 chiefly around the collaboration of singer/songwriter Toni Halliday and bassist/guitarist/programmer Dean Garcia.-History:...
album "GiftGift (Curve album)Gift was the fourth all-new studio album to be released by the British band Curve.Following two years of legal wrangles between the group and their then record company, Universal Records, the online success of Curve's self-released album Open Day at the Hate Fest convinced Universal - who had been...
". - 2003 – Alan provided strings and sounds for "The Digital Intervention" track called "Coma Idyllique" from their album "Capture". PK, a longtime RecoilRecoil (band)Recoil is a musical project created by former Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder. Essentially a solo venture, Recoil began whilst Wilder was still in Depeche Mode as an outlet for his experimental, less pop-oriented compositions...
collaborator is one of its members along with Olivia Louvel. - 2012 - Alan covers 2 tracks: "Inheritance" and "Dum Dum Girl" for a Talk TalkTalk TalkTalk Talk were an English musical group, active from 1981 to 1991. The group had a string of international hit singles including "Today", "Talk Talk", "It's My Life", "Such a Shame", "Dum Dum Girl", "Life's What You Make It" and "Living in Another World"....
tribute album cd/book set.
Remixes
- 1989 Toni HallidayToni HallidayAntoinette "Toni" Halliday is an English musician best known as the lead vocalist, lyricist, and occasional guitarist of the band Curve.-Early life and career:...
– "Time Turns Around" (Euro-Tech Version) - 1991 Nitzer EbbNitzer EbbNitzer Ebb is a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris , Douglas McCarthy , and David Gooday .-Band name:...
– "I Give to You" (Wilder Mix Full Version) - 2010 Nitzer EbbNitzer EbbNitzer Ebb is a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris , Douglas McCarthy , and David Gooday .-Band name:...
– "I Am Undone" (Alan Wilder Remix) - 2011 Depeche ModeDepeche ModeDepeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
– "In Chains" (Alan Wilder Remix) - 2011 Depeche ModeDepeche ModeDepeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
– "In Chains" (Myer vs Wilder Deconstruction) - 2012 SonoioSONOIO-NON SONOIO - Blue Remixes:Track listing-SONOIO Red:Track listing-Official sites:** page on MySpace* hosted on Vimeo* on Facebook...
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External links
- Shunt – The Official Recoil Website
- Recoil Official Store
- The Official Recoil / Alan Wilder Message Board
- The Official Recoil MySpace Page
- Apple Pro Profile
- Alan Wilder interview 07/2007
- Alan Wilder interview 06/2007
- Alan Wilder interview 03/2004
- Alan Wilder interview Spring 2000
- The Alan Wilder & Recoil Group
- Recoil – A Graphic Anthology
- RECOIL19.NET – A Visual RECOIL Discography
- Russian website dedicated to RECOIL