DX5 performing Depeche Mode "Fools" (updated)

video upload by DX5

"Updating DM Fools, a cover I already perfomed 14 years ago [posted here]. Originally 'Love, In Itself' single B side (Construction Time Again era).

Gear used:
Left: Kurzweil PC1x
Right: Roland JX-8P
Emu Emax 1 (with DX7, JX8P and Kurzweil samples)
Emu Emax II (Library samples)
Backtrack recorded on its entirely by me from scratch on Pro Tools (including sequencing drums, bass, etc)
Original song composed by Alan Wilder
Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara"

DX5 performing Depeche Mode "Wagging Tongue" cover

video upload by DX5

"Instrumental cover song of my favorite Memento Mori song (by now).
Backing track previously recorded, instrument by instrument, by me on Pro Tools. No original sound were included on this cover.
Gear used:
Roland Promars MRS-2
Roland JP8000
Kurzweil PC1x
Roland JX-8P
Original song composed by Martin Gore/Dave Gahan
Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara"

DX5 Performing Depeche Mode "Stripped"

video upload by DX5

"Instrumental cover. Excerpt of one of my live streamings. Sound is a bit improved over the last uploaded isolated cover of this song (in 2009!).
Gear used:
Emu Emax.
Emu Emax II.
Composed by Martin L. Gore.
Performed by DX5 Jose Maria Bara."

DX5 performing Depeche Mode "Ghosts Again" cover

video upload by DX5

"Recorded at the second try. There is a wrong note at 3:35, I left it acting as watermark (for those stealing audio and selling it later :-)
Gear used:
Korg DW8000 (triggering the Access Virus TI Snow)
Roland JP8000 (arpeggiator receiving MIDI Clock from Pro Tools)
Kurzweil PC1x
Emu Emax
Backtrack previously recorded, instrument by instrument, by me on Pro Tools. Other gear used: Roland Promars (Bass), JX8P and a Roland TR808 (that I sampled years ago) for intro drums.
Original song composed by Martin L. Gore, Richard Butler.
Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara"

DX5 Depeche Mode 101 anniversary: Some songs played live without rehearsal.

video upload by DX5

Also see the extended video of Depeche Mode at the Rainbow Club in 1982 added to this post.

(04:03 Talk starts)
19:39 "Pimpf"
21:50 "Behind the Wheel"
31:36 "Strangelove", 38:55 "Sacred"
45:27 "Stripped", 52:30 "Somebody"
57:04 "The Things you Said"
1:04:58 "Black Celebration"
1:11:49 "Shake the Disease"
1:21:03 "A Question of Time"
1:27:45 "Never Let me Down Again"
1:39:41 "Just Can't Get Enough"
1:43:49 "Everything Counts".

"(Note: These are some of the songs played originally in Pasadena Rose Bowl, not the whole setlist).
It was 7 pm in Spain when I realized it is Depeche Mode 101 anniversary. Then, I quickly set something: a live streaming playing some songs from that gig. No time to rehearsal or prepare anything; just practised a few times some song and this is what we got.

Thanks everyone joining the chat. It was fun to share this with you!."

Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode Has Passed Away

Andy Fletcher passed away today at the age of 60. I saw Depeche Mode live for the first time as a teenager back on July 14, 1986, at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheter in Irvine, CA. I grew up with their music and still listen to them to this day. They will always be a staple in my life. I have Andy Fletcher and the rest of Depeche Mode to thank for so much magic in my life on so many levels, from being a kid frolicking about in the 80s, to an adult dealing with the trials a tribulations of the day. Depeche Mode is a big part of that and Andy Fletcher was core to the band. He will be sorely missed by so many of us.

This post features two images of Andy. One from Wikipedia, and one from Discogs. The following bio is from Wikipedia. Don't miss the last sentence.

"Andrew John Leonard Fletcher (8 July 1961 – c. 26 May 2022), sometimes known as Fletch, was an English keyboard player, DJ, and a founding member of the electronic band Depeche Mode. In 2020, Fletcher was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Depeche Mode.[1]

In the late 1970s, Fletcher and schoolmate Vince Clarke formed the short-lived band No Romance in China, in which Fletcher played bass guitar. In 1980, Fletcher met Martin Gore at the Van Gogh pub on Paycocke Road in Basildon. With Clarke, the trio, now all on synthesizer, formed another group called Composition of Sound.[2] Clarke served as chief songwriter and also provided lead vocals until singer Dave Gahan was recruited into the band later that year, after which they adopted the name Depeche Mode at Gahan's suggestion.[3] Clarke left the group in late 1981, shortly after the release of their debut album Speak & Spell.[2]

Their 1982 follow-up album, A Broken Frame, was recorded as a trio, with Gore taking over primary songwriting duties.[4] Musician and producer Alan Wilder joined the band in late 1982 and the group continued as a quartet until Wilder's departure in 1995. From then on, the core trio of Gahan, Gore, and Fletcher remained active, up to the release of their 2017 album Spirit and ensuing world tour.[5]

Fletcher's role within Depeche Mode was often a topic of speculation. In early incarnations of the band, he played (electric and later synth) bass. As the band evolved after Vince Clarke's departure in 1981, Fletcher's role changed as each of the band members took to the areas that suited them and benefited the band collectively. In a key scene in D.A. Pennebaker's 1989 documentary film about the band, Fletcher clarified these roles: "Martin's the songwriter, Alan's the good musician, Dave's the vocalist, and I bum around."


Andy Fletcher and Daniel Miller talking about Depeche Mode early days

video upload by Michele Bisceglia

"This interview was shot in november 2015, but never edited and published.
We were in Verbier, Switzerland, for the 3 days happening Audi-o-Rama.
Depeche Mode founding member and keyboardist Fletch & Mute Records boss Miller remember the day they met and discuss other stories about the early days of the band"

A search on the first video to feature Depeche Mode comes up with the following 1981 performance from Top of the Pops. Andy Fletcher is on the Moog Prodigy.

Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough 1981

video upload by memorylane1980s

The following is a live tribue by DX5. If you follow the site you should be familiar with his numerous covers of Depeche Mode. This site is about synths and the people who love synths. This is the first tribute I've seen by a fan of Depeche Mode and I wanted to include it.

Andy (Fletch) Fletcher, has sadly passed away today :( :( Chat and synth tribute to him.

video upload by DX5

DX5 Playing Depeche Mode "PEACE"

video upload by DX5

Gear used:
Left: Roland Promars MRS-2. Roland JP8000.
Right: Roland JX-8P. E-mu Emax.
Chorus variation (Emax) intentionally done as watermark.
Backing track previously recorded, track by track, by me.
Original song composed by Martin L. Gore.
Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara.

Playing Synthpop Songs Live (Streaming Edited Highlights)

video upload by DX5

"Edited highlights from the unplanned (no preparation at all) live streaming broadcasted on December 27, 2021 with me playing some synthpop songs.
00:00 Trust (edit) - The Cure.
04:45 Just Like Heaven - The Cure.
08:25 Waving.
08:28 Why Can't I Be You - The Cure.
11:39 My Secret Garden + Oberkorn intro (Hammersmith vers) - Depeche Mode.
19:06 Policy Of Truth - Depeche Mode.
25:24 Enjoy The Silence (+ intro while loading backtrack's PT session) - Depeche Mode.
32:33 Home - Depeche Mode.
38:21 Shake the Disease - Depeche Mode.
43:24 It's My Life - Talk Talk.
47:40 Save a Prayer - Duran Duran.
53:13 Fade To Grey - Visage.
57:13 New Life - Depeche Mode.
1:01:33 Photographic (+ sound test intro) - Depeche Mode.
1:06:04 Waving and end.

Synths used (L to R, Top to bottom): Roland Promars MRS-2, Roland JP8000, Kurzweil PC1x, Roland JX-8P, Emu Emax I and II.
All backtracks previously recorded on its entirely by me, track by track, on Pro Tools.
Video encoded with an analogue capture device (plus the usual hi8 camera), hence some colours are a bit distorted.
Performed live here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara."

DX5 playing Depeche Mode "The Landscape is Changing" cover (2021 version)

video upload by DX5

"Updating a cover I had already recorded ten years ago. I added slight corrections, also a few variations (a bit of lag on the intro brass, wrong notes intentionally played at 00:16, 01:19 and 04:17, etc) acting as watermarks.

Gear used (left to right, top to bottom):
Yamaha DX7 (portamento bell sound).
Roland JP8000 (arpeggiator synced to Pro Tools)
Kurzweil PC1x
Emu Emax II
Emu Emax I

Sound design and backtrack previously programmed, synthesized and recorded by me on Pro Tools, using my own resources, in 2011 [posted here]. Original track composed by Alan Wilder.

Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara."

DX5 playing Depeche Mode "Black Celebration" cover (Updated)

video by DX5

"Updating a song I had covered with lyrics (not my voice then) years ago. This is a combination of the album and "The Tube" live versions.

Gear used.
Left upper: Emu Emax ('A brief period' is my own voice overprocessed. Toms and 'plink' sound are original, as well as the bass on the upper octaves. Solo sound is a sampled DX7).
Lower: Emu Emax II.
Right: Roland Promars.

Backtrack previously recorded on Pro Tools.
Song composed by Martin L. Gore.
Performed here by Jose Maria Bara."

DX5 playing Depeche Mode "Home" (updated version)

DX5

"Depeche Mode Home updated version. Shot at the first take.
Gear used:
Roland D10 (Synth Piano)
Roland JP8000 (as controller)
Access Virus TI Snow (pad)
Kurzweil PC1X (Strings and final guitar solo)
Backtrack previously recorded on Pro Tools entirely by me from scratch, recreating all the arrangements (minus those played live).
- Original song composed by Martin L Gore and produced by Tim Simenon.
- Original Strings arrangement by Dave Clayton (A master! Don't forget to check his site: https://david-clayton.com/ )
- Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara on December 19, 2020.
*Sorry for the blinking line on the upper side of the picture. I work with an old Hi8 video camera :)"

DX5 playing Depeche Mode "Uselink"

"A quick-done cover (half an afternoon including sequencing, sound design, etc) from one of the most interesting DM instrumentals.

Gear used:
Roland JP8000 (lead sound).
Access Virus TI Snow (Fx)
Kurzweil PC1x (Triggering the Virus)
Roland JX-8P (Square sound)
Emu Emax (pre recorded orchestal hits)

Backtrack recorded on Pro Tools, with lots of filter sweeps and distortions.
Composed by Martin L.Gore.
Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara."

MATRIXSYNTH T!

DX5 playing Depeche Mode "But Not Tonight" Cover (updated).

Previous cover here

"'But not Tonight' (Modern Girls movie version) update. I've already recorded a cover of this song twelve years ago. Time to a revision, using basically the same sounds, a bit more processed.

Gear used:
Yamaha DX7
Emu Emax I (library choir and Yamaha DX7/Roland JX8P sounds previously sampled by me).
Backtrack previously recorded and sequenced on Pro Tools.
Original song composed by Martin L. Gore.
Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara."

DX5 Playing Depeche Mode "My Secret Garden - Live Hammersmith version"

Published on Feb 27, 2020 DX5

"'My Secret Garden live at Hammersmith Odeon' cover. I also played the intro (Oberkorn) just like they did back in 1982. No sound was sampled from the original recording.

Gear used:
Roland MRS-2 Promars
Roland JP8000
Kurzweil PC1x (also triggering Arturia Jupiter 8V).
Emu Emax II.

I used three pedals: sustain for the Roland JP8000, Volume for the Kurzweil internal sound and a momentary switch for preset change in the Emax II.
I also used the RPS (realtime phrase sequencer) in the JP8000 (Sequence at Oberkorn's end).

Backtrack previously sequenced and recorded in Pro Tools.
* There is a momentary digital noise at 00:32. It should happen at the time of rendering the video.

"Oberkorn" and 'My Secret Garden' composed by Martin L.Gore.
Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara."

DX5 Playing Depeche Mode "In Your Memory"

Published on Jan 23, 2020 DX5

An unconventional 6/4 pattern song composed by Alan Wilder.
Gear used:
Emu Emax II
Yamaha DX7.

Backtrack recorded on Pro Tools, Including:
Access Virus TI Snow.
Roland Promars MRS-2
Kurzweil PC1X
Chorus voices are just mine (overdubbed)
- Composed by Alan Wilder
- Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara

DX5 playing Depeche Mode "Everything Counts" studio version.

Published on Dec 11, 2019 DX5

"Everything Counts studio version.

Gear used:

Emu Emax (with samples from Roland JX8P and Kurzweil PC1x).

Yamaha DX7.

Backtrack recorded on Pro Tools.
Composed by Martin L. Gore.
Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara.

Last video superchat supporter: Eugene from Manchester. Thanks."

DX5 playing Depeche Mode "Lie to Me"

Published on Aug 2, 2019 DX5

"No sound was sampled from the original version.

Gear used:

Emu Emax II
Casio MT-70
Yamaha DX7 II FD
Roland JP8000
Kurzweil PC1x

Backtrack previously recorded on Pro Tools.
Roland MRS-2 Promars: (pre-recorded noisy snare)

Composed by Martin L. Gore.
Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara."

DX5 playing Depeche Mode "Stjarna"

Published on Apr 29, 2019 DX5

Gear used:
Emu Emax (I and II)
Kurzweil PC1x
Access Virus TI Snow (for backing track)

Composed by Martin L. Gore
Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara.

DX5 playing Depeche Mode "One Caress"

Published on Mar 22, 2019 DX5

Gear used:
Emu Emax
Kurzweil PC1x.
Backtrack recorded in Pro Tools (Emax strings are pre recorded starting from min 01:00)
Couple of missing notes (that's live playing)

Composed by Martin L. Gore.
Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara.

DX5 playing Depeche Mode "Memphisto"

Published on Dec 12, 2018 DX5

"Enjoy the Silence" B Side.

Gear used:
Kurzweil PC1x
Emu Emax II
Access Virus TI Snow (for backtrack)
ReVox B77 MkII tape recorder (spare, as the main unit "smoked" at rehearsal)
Backtrack recorded first on Pro Tools, then dumped to tape.
Original song composed by Martin L. Gore
Performed here by DX5 Jose Maria Bara.