Tag Archives: Vince Clarke

On Record – Saint Etienne: International (Heavenly Recordings)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

After 35 years as a successful pop trio, Saint Etienne – Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs – are finally calling time on their career as a group.

International is the last of their thirteen studio albums, and also the most collaborative, with spots for Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers, Confidence Man, Vince Clarke, Paul Hartnoll, and – strikingly – Nick Heyward.

What’s the music like?

Late summer is the perfect time to be releasing an album like this. Perhaps inevitably there is a rich element of nostalgia, but there is no sitting on laurels or wallowing in sadness – though it has to be said the final few tracks leave a tear in the eye.

Rather, it is more of the same – slightly arty pop but with really rewarding diversions in league with the guests. The breezy Brand New Me, with Confidence Man, is a treat, Cracknell at her most winsome in the vocal. Glad is of a similar vintage, pointing towards the club in Tom Rowlands’ production. Already at the venue are Paul Hartnoll and Vince Clarke, with the former’s work on Take Me To The Pilot creating visions of a 1990s basement. Clarke’s work on Two Lovers is more reflective, but again ideally suited to Cracknell’s versatile voice, which has many more tones than we often give it credit for.

The Nick Heyward collaboration Gobetweens is a lyrical and musical treat, rhyming ‘Letraset’ with ‘internet’ to emphasise the contrast between the late 1980s of the band’s forming and the technology now. Facebook also falls under the microscope, a subtly dismissive take in the closing The Last Time. This is where everything comes to a head and a tear comes to the eye, Saint Etienne’s final statement leaving us all a bit emotional.

Does it all work?

It does – for one last time. This is a winsome collection, the band playing to their strengths, and clearly having fun right up to the end.

Is it recommended?

It is essential for Saint Etienne devotees to have the band’s final album as a keepsake; all the more so when it is revealed to be an ideal summing up of their achievements. Equal parts tenderness and attitude, it does exactly what they promised, delivering bittersweet pop winners that cover nostalgia and the future with panache. A wholly appropriate signing-off.

For fans of… Goldfrapp, Happy Mondays, The Cardigans, Divine Comedy

Listen / Buy

Published post no.2,666 – Tuesday 23 September 2025

On Record: Vince Clarke – Songs Of Silence (Mute)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

After such a long and prestigious career in music, it feels odd to be talking about Vince Clarke’s first solo album. And yet here it is, the first time he has stepped out in a lone capacity. Having been a key founder member of Yazoo, Depeche Mode and Erasure, where he still resides, you might think this music had been in the offing for a long time – but in truth it was lockdown that inspired Songs Of Silence.

Alone with his cat and the modular synthesizer format Eurorack, Clarke set to work, enjoying the instrumental restrictions and also thriving on a technique which sees him base each of the ten tracks on a drone.

What’s the music like?

Vince Clarke’s music is of very strong presence and character. It is also deeply serious, but with a great deal of light and shade that gives these silent songs a great deal of expression.

Clarke uses drones as his musical currency, rather than intricate synth lines. Catchy chorus hooks are less forthcoming, but that is not a problem. While each of the ten tracks is based on a single note, they provide a strong base over which the treble melodies and textures can freely operate. There is some very descriptive music here too, typified by Cathedral and Red Planet.

At times the music is minimal, stark even – and when this happens emotions run high, the music baring its soul. Reed Hays’ cello cuts to the quick on Lamentations Of Jeremiah, a musical ritual with an intensely emotional melodic line, speaking of trial and hardship. Caroline Joy brings her vocals to the vocalise Passage, releasing energy generated by the preceding White Rabbit.

Textures are often stark, rising ahead like hills in the road or the outline of craggy mountains. And yet there is solace too, the drones offering comfort from the intensity above.

The parallels with the Covid outbreak are notable, Clarke exploring music of resentment and anger, but ultimately the music finds a troubled peace. His electronic pop prowess is temporarily set aside, but he is equally at home in slower music.

Does it all work?

It does. Clarke achieves a sense of timelessness, not just through the drones but also the melodic material that unfolds with grace and stature.

Is it recommended?

Yes, enthusiastically. It is typical of Vince Clarke that he should deliver an album of such quality, but also that it should be consistently rewarding.

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Published post no.2,020 – Saturday 25 November 2023

New music – Vince Clarke: The Lamentations of Jeremiah

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Yesterday Vince Clarke, founding member of Depeche Mode, Erasure and Yazoo, and all-round electronic maestro, announced a new album.

Due on 17 November on Mute, Songs of Silence is described as an ‘ambient instrumental album’. Its first single, The Lamentations of Jeremiah, represents a striking musical structure. A haunting solo cello line takes the lead, a true lament set against a drone accompaniment. It is certainly dark, but has at its heart an outpouring of emotion that is ultimately positive. Listen below: