Depeche Mode sample sources

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In music, sampling is the reuse of a portion (or sample) from a sound recording within another recording. As pioneers of the developing electronic music genre in the early 1980s, Depeche Mode were among the first acts to make common use of new sampling technology in a traditional pop music format, bringing the technique to the forefront of the music industry.

Among the thousands of original samples recorded and utilized by Depeche Mode to enhance the atmosphere of their musical output are many that originated elsewhere, including brief passages of musical recordings by other artists, snippets of audio from television shows, radio broadcasts, films, environmental sounds, and more. Analysis of these sample sources and how they are manipulated is a common topic of discussion among fans of the group.

Information

Key
Official
The sample is confirmed to have been used in the specified song by a past/present member of Depeche Mode, an individual involved in its production, or band archivist Daniel "BRAT" Barassi.
Confirmed
The sample is independently confirmed to have been used in the specified song.
Likely
The sample is likely to have been used in the specified song but has not yet been confirmed.
Unconfirmed
The sample is not yet confirmed to have been used in the specified song.
Disproven
The sample is confirmed to not have been used in the specified song.
Unknown
It is unclear if the sample was used in the specified song.

Within reason, this page aims to document all verifiable sound sources for many of the musical parts used by Depeche Mode in the production of their studio albums, official remixes, and live performances, as well as the samples used in the production of former Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder's Recoil studio albums, official remixes, live performances, and other works.

Due to the passage of time, fading memories, and the inherent nature of samples in this article (which were often transposed, reversed, tweaked, processed, layered, and otherwise manipulated nearly beyond recognition), there is unavoidable potential for journalistic error or misattribution. To combat this, the content of this article is comprised of verified quotes from band members and recording personnel, verifiable sources with citations, audio examples, and independent research voluntarily contributed by Depeche Mode and Recoil fans across the world. It is written with the humble goal of providing an interesting document on this topic in a tabular format that is organized, well-researched, and reasonably accurate.

This article differentiates samples by their origin: Self-made samples, which describes any material originally recorded by Depeche Mode or Recoil, and Sourced samples, which describe samples which were not originally recorded by either group. In addition to confirmed samples, this article also covers samples that are commonly misreported as being used but have been directly refuted by a member or associate of Depeche Mode or Recoil.

As ever, if you see any errors, please feel free to contact us.

Depeche Mode

Speak And Spell

Speak And Spell does not contain samples from any identifiable sources.

A Broken Frame

A Broken Frame does not contain samples from any identifiable sources.

Construction Time Again

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Everything Counts
(Tim Simenon/Mark Saunders Remix)
1989 Breathing sound Kraftwerk - Tour de France 1983 Unconfirmed
Intro sweep Kraftwerk - Die Roboter 1978 Unconfirmed
The Landscape Is Changing 1983 Spoken word in German Einstürzende Neubauten - Merle (Die Elektrik) 1983 Unconfirmed

Some Great Reward

Self-made samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Notes
Blasphemous Rumours 1984 Metallic snare The heavy snare used throughout the song is produced by recording the sound of a hammer smashing against a concrete floor. Alan says in the November 1984 issue of International Musician And Recording World:

"We sampled some concrete being hit for what turned out to be the snare sound. All that entailed was us hitting a big lump of concrete with a sampling hammer. The engineer / producer we use, Gareth Jones, has got this brilliant little recorder called a Stellavox which we use with two stereo mikes and it's as good as any standard 30ips reel-to-reel but this is very small and therefore very portable. So we just took the Stellavox out into the middle of this big, ambient space and miked up the ground and hit it with a big metal hammer. The sound was… like concrete being hit. I can't really put it any other way."

Wilder later recalled in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

It was a hammer on a concrete floor if I recall correctly.[1]

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Master And Servant (Slavery Whip Mix/12" Version) 1984 Drum elements Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax 1983 Disproven The Face magazine reported in February 1985:

[...] One of the most popular drum sounds on the Fairlight computer, for instance - the machine used by Trevor Horn to create many of Frankie's sounds - is that of Led Zeppelin...

Alan Wilder: "No, I don't mind admitting it. We nicked a beat off one of Frankie's records and stuck it on our 12-inch. But I mean the actual sound, not the idea. It's not a drum sound that sells a record anyway, it's the whole song and the musical ideas. [...]"

Electronics & Music Maker magazine then reported in 1986:

In response to a complaint that Depeche Mode stole a Frankie Goes To Hollywood drum sound, Frankie's engineers replied that the Frankie drum sound was actually a Linn - itself a recording!

Wilder directly refutes this claim in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site in response to a fan question regarding the authenticity of the story as reported in an unofficial 1986 biography Depeche Mode: Some Great Reward by Dave Thompson:

Surprisingly, no truth whatsoever.[1]

People Are People (Are People People? Mix) 1984 Doo-wop vocal sample The Citadels - When I Woke Up This Morning 1964 Confirmed Credit to Brat/Daniel Barassi for this discovery.[2]

Black Celebration

1985 photograph of Martin Gore with the EMU Emulator II sampler keyboard during the recording of Shake The Disease. Photo by eBay seller magicmomentsug4u, retrieved via Facebook group “Depeche Mode Classic Photos And Videos”.

Self-made samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Notes
Fly On The Windscreen 1986 "Over and done with" Daniel Miller vocal sample Wilder confirms the origin of this vocal sample in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

"Over and done with" courtesy of Daniel Miller if memory serves correct.[3]

"Horse" Daniel Miller vocal sample Wilder confirms the origin of this vocal sample in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

Dan Miller saying 'Horse' repeatedly very fast (as used in Fly On The Windscreen').[3]

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
A Question Of Time 1986 Moan vocal sample The Chanters - She Wants To Mambo 1954? (Re-release by Jazzman Records in 2014) Officially confirmed The second feminine moan in the song is sampled and played in a descending two note passage with EQ for added top-end during the chorus sections of A Question Of Time. Martin Gore confirmed the use of the sample in the August 1986 issue of Electronics & Music Maker:

'It's not that audible, though. It's a sample from a record called 'She Wants to Mambo', an old doo-wop disc. At the end of each verse, the woman who sings sort of moans. We sampled this moan and played it up a few notes, which made it sound like a girl moaning. We used it on the chorus section of 'A Question of Time'.'[4]

Fly On The Windscreen 1986 "Their living hell" vocal sample Peter Jennings, ABC News (Television News Report, unidentified date) ? Likely Jennings was an active news anchor from 2/1/1965 to 4/1/2005. It is likely the exact date of the report sampled by Depeche Mode occurred sometime before or between approx. November 1985 and December 1985 at the latest.
Fly On The Windscreen (Death Mix) 1986 "I don't care how you feel!" vocal sample Richard Pryor - Unidentified film ? Unconfirmed
"Help the dying" vocal sample Steve Kroft, CBS News (Television News Report, unidentified date) ? Likely Kroft was an active television news anchor with CBS news starting in 1980. It is likely the exact date of the report sampled by Depeche Mode occurred sometime before or between approx. November 1985 and December 1985 at the latest.
Sometimes 1986 "Sometimes" vocal sample Louis Armstrong - Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child 1958 Likely Credit to Home user 'personal cheese' for this discovery.[5]

Music For The Masses

Self-made samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Notes
Never Let Me Down Again 1987 Processed guitar riff In a July 4, 2019 interview with Super Deluxe Edition, Dave Bascombe recalls the production of the guitar riff:

...I remember Martin had his guitar, and it’s used quite a bit… the beginning of ‘Never Let Me Down’ for example…. what a wonderful, happy accident that was. It was supposed to start with the snare drum and then go straight in, but because of the nature of technology at the time, the guitar rift[sic] was played, then we sampled it into the Synclavier [early digital synthesizer/digital sampling system] and it just kicked off as soon as it got code at the beginning of the track and we all went ‘wow, that’s great’, so that was an accident.[6]

I Want You Now 1987 Female 'ah' vocal samples / Sample of multiple laughing girls Two girls described by Wilder as "hanging around" the studio during the recording of Music For The Masses were utilized during the production of I Want You Now. The women were recorded performing distinct 'ah' vocal "utterances" that act in place of snares alongside comparable vocals provided by Martin Gore throughout the song. Wilder recalled in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

...I think it was a couple of girls who were hanging around the studio - thought we'd make use of them ;-)[7]

In a July 4, 2019 interview with Super Deluxe Edition, Dave Bascombe recalls the vocals were recorded at Guillaume Tell studio by models in the area during Paris Fashion Week:

...It was Fashion Week when we were in Paris which terrible, you know [laughs] so models turned up at the studio and we got them to do the samples, just to get it a bit more hi-fi![6]

'Breathing' accordion loop The "breathing" effect heard throughout I Want You Now is produced by an accordion being inflated and deflated without depressing a key.[7]
Nothing 1987 Hi-hat derived from the sound of a pneumatic coach door shutting In a July 4, 2019 interview with Super Deluxe Edition, Dave Bascombe recalls the unique production of a hi-hat as used in Nothing and other album songs:

We dug out a few of their old samples and I brought a lot of mine as well, which were more in the vein of just regular snare drums and kicks, although I did use, there’s one interesting sound which is used as a high hat on, I think ‘Nothing’, or maybe a few things, which is a pneumatic coach door shutting. Anyway, we did swap a few things around like that. I had an Emulator II [sampler/keyboard], we’d swap discs and so on.[6]

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Never Let Me Down Again 1987 Classic John Bonham drum one-shots Beastie Boys - Rhymin' And Stealin' 1982 Officially confirmed The heavy drums of Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks sampled on the Beastie Boys song Rhymin And Stealin were subsequently sampled by Depeche Mode. One-shot samples of the bass drum and snare drum are sampled and sequenced to form the primary drum pattern of Never Let Me Down Again. Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks which were sampled second-hand from a rap record. The sampled parts would later be re-purposed for Halo and Get Right With Me.

From memory, the drums were sampled from LED ZEPPELIN's When the Levee Breaks (but secondhand from a rap record). It is one of the most commonly used drum samples – for obvious reasons as it has that very special Bonham sound. The same snare drum sound appears on DM's Get Right With Me. I've also heard that snare on a MASSIVE ATTACK record and many others. I think Violator was the first album that we used whole performance drum loops to create rhythm tracks, as opposed to programmed single drum sounds, and Halo was one of the first tracks we recorded for Violator in fact. Flood and I were listening to quite a lot of hip hop and rap records at the time – those artists were the forerunners when sampling larger sections of rhythms and grooves. And the unusual feels that were created on those albums really influenced Violator and Songs of Faith and Devotion.

In a July 4, 2019 interview with Super Deluxe Edition, Dave Bascombe recalls how the sampled percussion came to be used in Never Let Me Down Again:

[Never Let Me Down Again is the one] that hit me when I first heard that demo, I thought that’s just fantastic. My sole contribution, well not my sole contribution – this is before we got to Paris, we were round at Alan’s house – and I said ‘right, I want to use ‘When The Levee Breaks’ [Led Zeppelin] drums on this.’ I know that it’s been used 10 billion times now, but they were still quite new then and I’d always loved those drum sounds and as I say they weren’t a cliched thing then, so I suggested using them for the main kick and snare. But I actually loved that track, still do.[6]

Classic John Bonham drum one-shots Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks 1971 Officially confirmed Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks which were sampled second-hand from a rap record. (Beastie Boys - Rhymin And Stealin).
N/A Gary Wright - Love Is Alive 1976 Unconfirmed
Guitar riff and drum elements 3rd Bass - Wordz Of Wisdom, Pt. 2 1989 Officially confirmed American hip-hop group 3rd Bass employed an uncredited sample of the opening guitar riff from Depeche Mode's Never Let Me Down Again for their 1989 track Wordz Of Wisdom, Pt. 2. Depeche Mode were fond of their use of the sample, and would in turn sample it back from Wordz Of Wisdom, Pt. 2 and employ it during the live interlude of Never Let Me Down Again as performed on the 1990 World Violation Tour. Former Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder would later use this sample and other elements from Wordz Of Wisdom, Pt. 2 in the live production of In Your Room as part of Recoil's 2010-2011 Selected Events tour.
I Want You Now 1987 Female orgasm vocal samples (x2) Unidentified pornographic film' ? Confirmed The pornographic film sampled by Depeche Mode for use in the production of I Want You Now is likely to have enjoyed an official release on VHS or Betamax cassette and would have been in widespread circulation by July 1987.
Nothing 1987 Classic John Bonham drum one-shots Beastie Boys - Rhymin' And Stealin' 1982 Confirmed Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks which were sampled second-hand from a rap record. (Beastie Boys - Rhymin And Stealin). The Bonham snare drum sample is processed and re-purposed for the snare sequence of Nothing. The primary fill sequence features the snare playing a descending "melody" of 3-3-2, where each number corresponds to the number of snare hits and the key of the snare descends by one note from its root key every three hits.
Classic John Bonham drum one-shots Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks 1971 Confirmed Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks which were sampled second-hand from a rap record. (Beastie Boys - Rhymin And Stealin). The Bonham snare drum sample is processed and re-purposed for the snare sequence of Nothing. The primary fill sequence features the snare playing a descending "melody" of 3-3-2, where each number corresponds to the number of snare hits and the key of the snare descends by one note from its root key every three hits.
Strangelove (The Fresh Ground Mix) 1987 N/A Cameo - Word Up 1986 Unconfirmed
Route 66 (Beatmasters Mix) 1987 "They come from everywhere to take the challenge", "If they can name it they can claim it", "It's big money, high hopes, near misses, and love and kisses", "So, join host Tom Kennedy, tonight at 7:30, and 'Name That Tune!'" vocal samples from a television promotion for the television game show Name That Tune Unspecified television advertisement for Name That Tune (game show) ? Confirmed

Violator

Self-made samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Notes
World In My Eyes 1990 Primary snare The origin of the primary snare sound used throughout the production of World In My Eyes (and, relatedly, its similar-but-different counterpart audible during the electronic interlude during the album version outro of Personal Jesus) is unclear. Wilder posits in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

Can't remember exactly. I think we made it from scratch or it could be a combination of analogue and a sample.[8]

Minimoog/ARP 2600 bass The origin of the bass is a combination of a series of unique synthesized parts, including a frequentially 'dark' synth bass with a heavy low frequency Moog-like quality, a velocity-sensitive synthesized bass part with a high resonance and slight filter cutoff settings, and a potentially ring-modulated velocity-sensitive synthesized bass part with a subtle filtered white noise setting (likely produced by the ARP 2600, though this is not confirmed). Wilder summarizes its production in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

Again, can't remember exactly -most likely a combination of moog and Flood's Arp.[8]

Personal Jesus 1989 'Stomp' drum elements Wilder recalls in separate Q&A and Editorial features on the official Recoil project site:

The main stomps... [were] a recording of 2 or 3 people jumping up and down on flight cases. [8][9]

Halo 1990 Minimoog/ARP 2600 bass The origin of the bass is a combination of likely two or more unique synthesized parts, including a frequentially 'dark' synth bass with a heavy low frequency Moog-like quality performed with a sensitive velocity setting for dynamic sonic changes per note, with an additional velocity-sensitive bass part produced with an identifiable square oscillator modulated in the synthesizer pipeline (likely produced by the ARP 2600, though this is not confirmed). Wilder summarizes its production in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

I think [it was] created using a combination of the Minimoog and Flood's ARP.[8]

Various drum loops
Waiting For The Night 1990 ARP 2600 bass sequence with multiple delays Wilder describes the production of this bass part in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

Flood and I had been listening to Tangerine Dream and decided to try and create a similar atmosphere for this track. The main sequence was put together using his ARP and the sequencer that accompanies the synth. Due to its many velocity and filtering possibilities, this unit has a unique quality which is difficult to replicate using a modern-day sequencer triggered by MIDI. Once it has been set-up, in order for the sequence to be transposed to follow the chord structure of the song, I needed to play in each chord change from an external keyboard. A similar principal was applied to achieve the bubbling bass part which, together with the main sequence, forms the backbone of the track. The charm of the ARP sequencer stems from the slight tuning and timing variations that occur each time the part is played. This gives a sense of fluidity and continual change which seems to suit the song. [10]

Enjoy The Silence 1990 Vocal 'ahs' The outro choir melody is comprised of a series of looped vocal 'ah' samples. Notably, these vocal elements are re-used to dramatic effect as a solo vocal element in Memphisto, and are also layered with other processed vocals for use as a choir during the second verse of In Your Room as it was performed on the 1993 Devotional Tour.
Policy Of Truth 1990 Main guitar rhythm The primary guitar rhythm used prominently during the first two verses is produced by a single note played from a guitar, which is processed and looped to provide a built-in vibrato effect. The sample is then allocated across the keyboard for playback. Though not directly confirmed, it is likely a second sample is used to produce the faux guitar 'lick' present in the rhythm part in every other bar. Wilder recalled in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

It's a single note sampled from a guitar and then looped and played from a keyboard. The loop is what gives it the vibrato effect.[8]

Hi-hat loops Policy Of Truth employs sampled hi-hat rhythms sequenced as dynamic alternating loops, introducing an evolving rhythm to the song. Wilder explains the benefits of using loops over one-shot samples in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

...No two snare beats sound the same when played by a drummer - I like that. That's why I prefer to use lots of drum loops with all the feel (and flaws) of the original performance. Most of the drum sounds on 'Violator' were sampled (apart from obvious electro sounds) but the rhythms were still programmed. Some hi-hat patterns ('Policy' for example) were played and sampled as loops and in the case of 'Halo' and 'Clean' it's all loops. Again, I prefer the looped parts because of the performance element.[8]

Clean 1990 Female 'ah' vocal sample Clean employs a re-purposed female 'ah' vocal part originally recorded for use in Depeche Mode's I Want You Now. The part is performed in chorus with the snare starting from the second verse. Wilder recalled the recording of this vocal part in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

...I think it was a couple of girls who were hanging around the studio - thought we'd make use of them ;-)[7]

Various drum loops
Memphisto 1990 Vocal 'ahs' Seemingly unlooped versions of the samples comprising the vocal 'ah' melody heard in the outro of Enjoy The Silence are re-used to dramatic effect as a solo vocal element in Memphisto. Notably, this vocal element is also layered in with other processed vocals for use as a choir during the second verse of In Your Room as it was performed on the 1993 Devotional Tour.
Resonant bass stabs Reverberated resonant bass stabs heard throughout Clean are layered in as bass elements in Memphisto

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
World In My Eyes 1990 Bell tree sample Fleetwood Mac - Black Magic Woman 1982 Confirmed This sample is used for two distinct sounds in the production of World In My Eyes:
  • One version of the sample features oscillating pitch with added reverb that is reversed and played in chorus with a separate sample, producing an exciting "whirl" effect that occurs during the verses and throughout the song.
  • A second version of the sample appears on the first bar following the end of the first chorus, with added reverb to create a distancing effect. This sample is used to dramatic effect during the outro to the 1993 Devotional Tour version of World In My Eyes.
Sweetest Perfection 1990 Bell tree sample Fleetwood Mac - Black Magic Woman 1982 Confirmed This sample is looped and manipulated to produce a ghostly pad with oscillating pitch and creative panning effects during the verses.
Personal Jesus 1989 Vocal huffing rhythm Kate Bush - The Dreaming 1982 Likely
'Preacher' vocal sample "I'm not crazy anymore!" A Cry In The Wilderness (film) 1974 Likely
Halo 1990 Classic John Bonham drum loop Beastie Boys - Rhymin' And Stealin' 1982 Officially confirmed Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks which were sampled second-hand from a rap record. The sampled parts would later be re-purposed for Halo:

From memory, the drums were sampled from LED ZEPPELIN's When the Levee Breaks (but secondhand from a rap record). It is one of the most commonly used drum samples – for obvious reasons as it has that very special Bonham sound. The same snare drum sound appears on DM's Get Right With Me. I've also heard that snare on a MASSIVE ATTACK record and many others. I think Violator was the first album that we used whole performance drum loops to create rhythm tracks, as opposed to programmed single drum sounds, and Halo was one of the first tracks we recorded for Violator in fact. Flood and I were listening to quite a lot of hip hop and rap records at the time – those artists were the forerunners when sampling larger sections of rhythms and grooves. And the unusual feels that were created on those albums really influenced Violator and Songs of Faith and Devotion.

Classic John Bonham drum break Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks 1971 Officially confirmed Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks which were sampled second-hand from a rap record (Beastie Boys - Rhymin And Stealin). These samples were later re-purposed for use in Halo and Get Right With Me.
Orchestral string samples, including one-shots and looped elements Edward Elgar - Unidentified composition ? Confirmed Wilder confirmed in a July 27, 2011 interview with electricityclub.co.uk that Halo employs orchestral string elements sampled from an unidentified recording(s) of music composed by celebrated English composer Edward Elgar. The sampled recording would have been released prior to May 1989. The nature of the samples vary, including two one-shot string staccato parts and sampled chords stretched and mixed with additional strings:

For the end choruses, there are some string samples which I think were derived from Elgar. One of my techniques is to find sections of classical strings and transpose / stretch these, then add my own samples, in order to formulate new and unusual arrangements. This was a case in point. The DM track ‘Clean’ utilised classical strings in a similar way.[11]

Notably, one of two sampled string loops as heard in the ending of Clean are re-purposed for use as orchestral stabs employed for the verse and chorus sections of Halo.

Policy Of Truth 1990 Delayed, sampled, and looped guitar and/or synthesized part Tony Halliday - Time Turns Around March 1989 Likely The looped part appears sporadically throughout Toni Halliday's Time Turns Around, and is re-purposed for use during the bridge sections of Policy Of Truth. Notably, this song enjoyed a remix by Wilder in the form of the Euro-Tech Mix. Credit to Home user 'Alex' for this discovery.[12]
Clean 1990 Bass guitar Pink Floyd - One Of These Days 1971 Disproven Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Clean does not employ a sample from Pink Floyd:

I recognise the similarity but It's not a Floyd sample. It was programmed using a combination of analogue synth and sampled bass gtr.[sic][13]

Orchestral string elements Unidentified classical music recording, possibly Edward Elgar ? Confirmed Notably, one of two sampled string loops as heard in the ending of Clean are re-purposed for use as orchestral stabs employed for the verse and chorus sections of Halo.
Memphisto 1990 Orchestral string elements Unidentified origin; possibly classical music recording, possibly Edward Elgar ? Confirmed An orchestral string staccato (one of two) originally heard during the choruses of Halo is re-purposed as a looped bass element with a slow attack throughout Memphisto. It is unclear if this musical part is original or sampled from a third-party source.
Orchestral string elements Unidentified classical music recording, possibly Edward Elgar ? Confirmed Similar to their use in Halo, both sampled string loops best heard in the outro of Clean are also used throughout Memphisto, notably during the second chorus section onward.
Happiest Girl (Pulsating Orbital Mix) 1990 Engine idling/orchestral hit sample The Tornadoes- Telstar 1962 Confirmed Credit to Brat/Daniel Barassi for this discovery.[14]
Sea Of Sin (Sensoria Mix) 1990 N/A Madonna - Vogue 1990 Unconfirmed
Policy Of Truth (Trancentral Mix) 1990 "I'm not a politician, I'm a businessman" Robert Hoskins vocal sample The Long Good Friday (film) 1980 Likely
N/A My Side of the Story - The "Checkers" Speech, Richard M. Nixon speech broadcast, 1952 1952 Uncomfirmed
World In My Eyes (Oil Tank Mix) 1990 N/A Kraftwerk - Musique Non-Stop 1986 Unconfirmed

Songs of Faith and Devotion

Self-made samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Notes
I Feel You 1993 Introductory distorted noise loop Wilder confirms this particular part is a processed sound that originated from a non-described synthesizer in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

You'd better be prepared to part with some cash - the noise actually comes from a synth.[15]

Part of the initial transient of the distorted noise loop present in the album version of I Feel You is removed so that the part begins on a brief moment of elevated pitch. This subtle edit produces an exciting result that would see use in all live performances of I Feel You from the 1993 Devotional Tour onward.

Walking In My Shoes 1993 Processed piano/harpsichord main riff The main riff is a combination of piano and harpsichord processed with liberal amounts of compression and guitar amplifier tremolo. Wilder confirms the composition of this sound in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

From that point onwards, Flood and I began to construct the various drum loops, the string arrangements, the main riff (which combined a piano and harpsichord through a distorted guitar amp) and all the other bits and pieces.[15]

Condemnation 1993 Improvised flight case bass drum Wilder describes the recording of various elementary elements of Condemnation in an editorial on the official Recoil project site:

With experimentation still prevalent, the elementary sounds for the 3rd single, 'Condemnation' were recorded in the basement of the Madrid villa with one person banging a flight case, another clapping and a third scraping the wall with a tambourine.

The vocals - which were to have a 'barbershop choir meets gospel Elvis Presley' flavour - proved that Depeche Mode had not abandoned their desire to find different and exciting ways of producing music. Built up track by track, individual takes were sung by (mainly) Martin and (sometimes) Alan and then manipulated using vari-speed to produce very low and very high pitches. Once added to Dave's lead vocal, the resulting close harmonies provided the barbershop body of the track.[16]

Tambourine The tambourine fill present at the end of each bar repeating throughout the piece is produced by scraping the tambourine against a wall.
Judas 1993 "If you want my love" choir This vocal performance is comprised of a large number of individual vocal recordings of individuals employed during the recording of Judas, the final album track to be recorded at Chateau du Pape Studio, with each individual's vocal performance multitracked six times each for a total of ninety indiidual voices, with additional delay, reverb, and EQ to introduce an intimate southern church-like quality to the vocals. Wilder describes the recording of this particular part in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

15 people (tape op's, studio secretaries, the cook etc...) multitracked 6 times making a total of 90 voices + delays and reverbs. Then we eq'ed the sound to make it seem like it was sung in a deep southern church hall in the 1960's, rather than Wembley stadium.[15]

Brass Judas and Higher Love each employ similar sample-based brass parts during their respective bridge sections.
In Your Room 1993 Textured variphone pad This textured pad is derived from the variphone and is used to atmospheric effect during the first verse and the outro of In Your Room. A 'fuller' variation of this pad with added distortion is used during the build-up to the outro of Mercy In You.[15]
Processed and double-tracked guitar "splang" chord samples Wilder describes the recording of this particular part in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

Affectionately known (to me anyway) as 'Splang' rather than 'twoo, twaa and twee', the sound is derived from a guitar. Each chord was sampled individually and then double-tracked with a second but different guitar sound. There is also a string/choir pad (another backwards sound) playing the same chords in the background.[15]

Orchestral tremolo string pads A series of sustained orchestral tremolo string parts are employed throughout the track. The strings play in alternating chords to enhance the atmosphere of the choruses and build tension during the third verse's instrumental crescendo.
Processed choir pads (reversed)
Looped "noise" pad A textured loop used sporadically during the introduction of In Your Room is a brief sample of ambient noise with audible wind chimes in the background introducing a "grainy" texture to the sound. The sample is reversed and subsequently looped, then transposed down several notes from its root key for the final result.
Vocal 'ahs' Samples comprising the vocal 'ah' melody heard in the outro of Enjoy The Silence are layered in with other processed vocals for use as a choir during the second verse of In Your Room as it was performed on the 1993 Devotional Tour.
Higher Love 1993 Brass Judas and Higher Love each employ similar sample-based brass parts during their respective bridge sections.
My Joy 1993 Distorted bass hit A distorted bass hit with built-in descending pitch originally recorded as part of the bassline of I Feel You is re-purposed as an accent in My Joy. The sample occurs on the beat at bar forty-seven (or at 1:48) at the start of the break, and plays one note above its root key.

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Walking In My Shoes 1993 Drum loop Funkadelic - Nappy Dugout 1973 Unconfirmed
Mercy In You 1993 Drum loop The Headhunters - God Make Me Funky 1975 Unconfirmed
In Your Room 1993 Drum loop Rusty Bryant - Fire Eater 1971 Confirmed
Drum loop Simtec & Wylie - Bootleggin' 1971 Unconfirmed
Drum loop Melvin Bliss - Synthetic Substitution 1973 Unconfirmed
Get Right With Me 1993 Classic John Bonham drum one-shots Beastie Boys - Rhymin' And Stealin' 1982 Officially confirmed Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks which were sampled second-hand from a rap record (Beastie Boys - Rhymin And Stealin). These samples were later re-purposed for use in Halo and Get Right With Me.
Classic John Bonham drum one-shots Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks 1971 Officially confirmed Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Never Let Me Down Again employs some drum elements originally from Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks which were sampled second-hand from a rap record (Beastie Boys - Rhymin And Stealin). These samples were later re-purposed for use in Halo and Get Right With Me.
N/A N.W.A. - Unspecified song N/A Unconfirmed
Higher Love 1993 Drum loop U2 - So Cruel 1991 Officially confirmed Wilder indirectly confirmed in a response to a question regarding the sonic similarity between the drums of Depeche Mode's Higher Love and U2's So Cruel in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that a drum loop from U2's So Cruel was utilised by affirming producer Flood assisted in the production of both records (Depeche Mode would later cover this song, see So Cruel):

Didn't Flood work on both LP's?.....[15]

The loop is produced by sampling various parts from the introduction of the U2 original, where the piano and vocals are not present and the drum rhythm is most exposed. The sample is stretched to match Higher Love's tempo of approx. 98 and subsequently sliced into separate parts for the bass drum and snares, which are sequenced accordingly. The piano remains audible in the final result, adding a sense of space to the loop. A separate slicing process and treatment of this loop is performed for drum fills, where the loop is reversed and repeated every two beats.

My Joy 1993 'Rolling' percussion fill Beastie Boys - Funky Boss 1992 Confirmed The 'rolling' percussion fill audible in the intro of the Beastie Boys' Funky Boss is sampled and stretched via resampling to match My Joy's approx. 101 BPM tempo, with light distortion/saturation added to introduce a 'dirty' quality to the part. As it was in the Beastie Boys original, this sample remains in use as a drum fill, appearing sporadically throughout the song.
Heavy drum loop with built-in bass drum, snare, and programmed hi-hat sequence Beastie Boys - Pass The Mic 1992 Confirmed The heavy drum loop present in the brief instrumental break of the Beastie Boys' song Pass The Mic is sampled and streched via resampling to match My Joy's slightly faster BPM. Once matched for tempo, the sample is sliced into two bars, placing the part that originally plays in the second bar (which features a "slurred" quality on the first snare hit) into the first bar, and the remaining content is placed into the second bar. The results are then looped with some light processing added, creating the main drum bed of My Joy. For drum fills, the final beat of the first bar containing a snare hit is sliced and placed prior to the start of the loop. For bars containing reverse percussion fills, a brief snippet of the second bar including just the first bass drum hits and the snare drum is sampled, reversed, stretched, and played from the seventh step in the bar. The drums were originally performed by Mike D. (Michael Diamond) during the recording of Check Your Head at G-Son Studios, Atwater Village, CA. According to the late MCA (Adam Yauch) in 1999:

One memorable thing about recording "Pass The Mic" was the drums. We had heard that [Led Zeppelin drummer] John Bonham had used a really long kick drum on something and thought it would be interesting to put his technique to the test. Taking full advantage of the size of the G-Son live room/basketball court, we wrapped a long piece of cardboard from a refrigerator box around the kick drum and then put a mic at the far end of it. Mike played the beat, and we looped it.[17]

Orchestral string samples: two looped samples, one one-shot Edward Elgar - Unidentified composition ? Confirmed Orchestral string elements originally used throughout Halo and during the outro of Clean are re-purposed for My Joy's outro. The looped orchestral sample most obviously heard during the fifth bar of the first verse of Halo is reversed, looped, and played from its root key to two notes above its root key to form the melodic two bar orchestral phrase heard during the line "I'm not a mountain, no, you move me". Next, the first of the two looped orchestral samples heard during the outro of Clean plays three notes down from its root key on the third bar. Finally, the "soaring" one-shot orchestral phrase heard on the final bar of all choruses in Halo besides the first chorus is looped with a short loop point towards the end of the sample and played three notes above its root key with a slow attack and a medium to long release time, forming the orchestral phrase heard on the fourth bar. The resulting four bar sequence then repeats for the remainder of My Joy.

Wilder confirmed in a July 27, 2011 interview with electricityclub.co.uk that Halo (and My Joy by proxy) employs orchestral string elements sampled from an unidentified recording(s) of music composed by celebrated English composer Edward Elgar. The sampled recording would have been released prior to May 1989. The nature of the samples vary, including two one-shot string staccato parts and sampled chords stretched and mixed with additional strings:

For the end choruses, there are some string samples which I think were derived from Elgar. One of my techniques is to find sections of classical strings and transpose / stretch these, then add my own samples, in order to formulate new and unusual arrangements. This was a case in point. The DM track ‘Clean’ utilised classical strings in a similar way.[18]

My Joy (Slow Slide Mix) 1993 Drum loop James Brown - Funky Drummer 1970 Confirmed
Drum loop Dexter Wansel - Theme From The Planets 1976 Confirmed
In Your Room (Jeep Rock Mix) 1993 Drum loop Skull Snaps - It's A New Day 1973 Confirmed
Walking In My Shoes (Extended Twelve Inch Mix) 1993 Drum loop with distinct bass drum, "roomy" snares, and ethnic percussion The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Language Of Violence 1992 Confirmed
Walking In My Shoes (Grungy Gonads Mix) 1993 Drum loop Mountain - Long Red 1972 Confirmed
Orchestral string passage Ennio Morricone - In Chiesa, from the Ad Ogni Costo (film) soundtrack 1967 Officially confirmed The string passage in the introduction to this orchestral piece was sampled by the late trip-hop pioneer Jonny Dollar and Portishead member Geoff Barrow[19] for use in the Grungy Gonads Mix. The sample is stretched to match the tempo of Walking In My Shoes, with sixteen manual scratches on the third bar producing an exciting scratch effect. The sample appears in multiple Walking In My Shoes remixes from the period, and has commonly been employed in many performances of this song since its live introduction on the 1993 Devotional Tour. Credit to Christopher Baird for this discovery.[20]
Walking In My Shoes (Random Carpet Mix) 1993 Orchestral string samples Doctor Zhivago (film) 1965 Unconfirmed

Ultra

Self-made samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Useless (The Kruder & Dorfmeister Session) 1997 Slide guitar stab Depeche Mode - Policy Of Truth 1990 Confirmed The Useless (Kruder & Dortmeister Session) includes a sample of a slide guitar stab from Depeche Mode's Policy Of Truth time-stretched to a slightly faster tempo.

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Painkiller 1997 N/A Vanessa Paradis - The Future Song 1992 Unconfirmed
It's No Good (Hardfloor Mix) 1997 Drum elements Fat Larry's Band - Down In The Avenue 1976 Confirmed Credit to Christopher Baird for this discovery.[21]
Useless (Cosmic Blues Mix) 1997 "I want to hear you play some bass" vocal sample National Lampoon's That's Not Funny, That's Sick (Sketch comedy album) 1977 Likely

Exciter

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Dream On (Remix) 2001 N/A Kraftwerk - The Robots 1978 Unconfirmed
The Sweetest Condition 2001 N/A Kraftwerk - Musique Non-Stop 1986 Unconfirmed

Playing The Angel

Playing The Angel does not contain samples from any identifiable sources.

Sounds Of The Universe

Sounds Of The Universe does not contain samples from any identifiable sources.

Delta Machine

Delta Machine does not contain samples from any identifiable sources.

Spirit

Spirit does not contain samples from any identifiable sources.

Recoil

Upon his departure from Depeche Mode in 1995, Alan Wilder would expand upon the creative sampling techniques he developed through the years as a member of Depeche Mode for his Recoil music project, utilising samples from contemporary music, films, film soundtracks, and samples from his own past work with Depeche Mode.

1 + 2

Self-made samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
1 & 2 1986 N/A Depeche Mode – Any Second Now (Altered) 1981 Confirmed
N/A Depeche Mode – If You Want 1984 Confirmed
N/A Depeche Mode – The Sun & The Rainfall 1982 Confirmed
N/A Depeche Mode – "Oberkorn (It's A Small Town) 1982 Confirmed
N/A Depeche Mode – The Great Outdoors 1983 Confirmed
N/A Depeche Mode – Shouldn't Have Done That 1982 Confirmed
N/A Depeche Mode – Tora! Tora! Tora! 1981 Confirmed
N/A Depeche Mode – Shake The Disease (Edit the Shake) 1985 Confirmed
N/A Depeche Mode – Pipeline 1983 Confirmed
N/A Depeche Mode – Blasphemous Rumours 1984 Confirmed

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
1 & 2 1986 N/A Kraftwerk – Radioaktivität 1975 Unconfirmed
N/A Kraftwerk – Uran 1975 Unconfirmed
N/A Kraftwerk – Radioland 1975 Unconfirmed
N/A Duet Emmo – Or So It Seems 1983 Unconfirmed
N/A Duet Emmo – Heart of Hearts 1983 Unconfirmed
N/A The Hitmen – Shade in, fade out 1981 Unconfirmed
N/A Hard Corps - Je Suis Passée 1985 Unconfirmed

Hydrology

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Stone 1988 French vocal sample French train announcer, unidentified source ? Confirmed Wilder confirmed in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site that Stone employs a vocal sample of a French train announcer, but is unsure of its origin.[22]
Sermon 1988 Polish vocal sample Report about Pope John Paul II's sermon in Warsaw 9 June 1987 Confirmed Alan Wilder:

"I put the microphone on the shortwave radio, I tried to catch some climatic samples and that was the first thing that happened. I had no idea what they were saying! I liked the sound but it wasn't meant to be an integral part of the track, just atmosphere."[23]

The two fragments state the following:

"[...] radcy nuncjatury w Lizbonie, którego Ojciec Święty mianował Pronuncjuszem Apostolskim w Tajla[-ndii...]"

"[...] wzgórze wypełniło się młodzieżą maturalną… oprócz indywidualnych [inaudible] grup kraj przebyły też dwie pielgrzymki diecezjalne. Pierwsza z Archidiecezji Warszawskiej w liczbie około 8 tysięcy młodzieży [...]"[24]

Bloodline

Self-made samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Faith Healer 1992 Bell tree sample Depeche Mode - World In My Eyes 1990 Confirmed This sample was originally sampled for use in Depeche Mode's World In My Eyes, and is re-used to atmospheric effect in Faith Healer.
Snare Depeche Mode - World In My Eyes 1990 Confirmed
Drum fill elements Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus 1989 Unconfirmed
Combination of Xpander 'zap' and Pro One bass sweep[25] Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence 1990 Confirmed
"Eyes" vocoder sample Depeche Mode - World In My Eyes (Dub In My Eyes Mix) 1990 Confirmed
Looped 'ahh' vocal/choir sample (one of two) Depeche Mode - Clean 1990 Confirmed Credit to Christopher Baird for this discovery.[26]

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Faith Healer 1992 Bell tree sample Fleetwood Mac - Black Magic Woman 1982 Confirmed This sample was originally sampled for use in Depeche Mode's World In My Eyes, and is re-used to atmospheric effect in Faith Healer.
Electro Blues for Bukka White 1992 N/A David Bowie - Aladdin Sane 1973 Likely
Bukka White vocal performance Bukka White - Shake 'Em On Down 1937 Confirmed
Curse 1992 Diamanda Galás vocal sample Diamanda Galás - Unidentified source ? Unconfirmed
Snare Digital Underground - The Humpty Dance 1990 Confirmed
The Defector 1992 Anthony Hopkins "Closer...", "That is his nature", "No, no, no, no, no" vocal samples Silence Of The Lambs (film) 1991 Likely
The Defector 1992 N/A LFO - El Ef Oh 1991 Unconfirmed

Ebbhead (Nitzer Ebb album)

During the downtime between the conclusion of the 1990 World Violation Tour and the recording of Songs of Faith and Devotion, Alan Wilder would step into London's KONK Studios to record Recoil's Bloodline between January and March 1991. A month later, he would return to the studio to produce Depeche Mode support act Nitzer Ebb's Ebbhead record in collaboration with producer Flood and mix engineer Steve Lyon. As with his work in Depeche Mode and Recoil, Wilder would employ samples from a wide variety of sources in the production of this album.

Nitzer Ebb's Bon Harris on Wilder's musical prowess in 1991: "Alan has a very musical ear. He's classically trained, so he knows what he's doing when it comes to melody, but has no tolerance for pop - that's quite a good combination."[27]

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Unidentified song 1991 N/A Prince - Kiss 1990 Unconfirmed In 1991, a fan contest was held where the winner would have the chance to spend a day in the studio with the members of Nitzer Ebb and Wilder during the recording of Ebbhead. During their time in the studio, the contest winner was played back a variety of samples by the group to see if they were able to identify their origin. One sample played to the contest winner was from Prince's 1990 lead single "Kiss", which the fan had difficulty identifying. This sample may or may not have made it onto the completed album.

Unsound Methods

Self-made samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Incubus 1997 Percussion elements Depeche Mode - Clean 1990 Confirmed This percussive loop was originally recorded for use in Depeche Mode's Clean, and is re-used among other percussive elements for a rhythmic, tribal atmosphere in Incubus.
Last Breath 1997 E-bow guitar sample Depeche Mode - Walking In My Shoes 1993 Unconfirmed

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Incubus 1997 Shouting vocal sample Peter Gabriel - Rhythm Of The Heat 1982 Likely
Last Breath 1997 Drum loop The Incredible Bongo Band - Last Bongo in Belgium 1973 Likely
N/A Ernest Gold and Pat Boone - The Exodus Song (This Land Is Mine) 1960 Unconfirmed
Shunt 1997 Gated synth element Piquet - Caress 1996 Confirmed
Sub bass and bass drum element Massive Attack - Better Things 1994 Likely
Drifting 1997 Gated synth element Peter Gabriel - Slow Marimbas 1985 Confirmed
Stalker 1997 Ambient pads Peter Gabriel - Birdy (film soundtrack) - Unidentified source song 1985 Unconfirmed
N/A The Last Seduction (film) 1994 Unconfirmed
Luscious Apparatus 1997 Introduction guitar chord The Cure - Club America 1996 Likely
Control Freak 1997 N/A Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - You're All I Need To Get By 1968 Unconfirmed

Liquid

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Black Box (Full) 2000 Orchestral string part Symphony No. 3 (Górecki) 1992 Unconfirmed
N/A Plastikman - Consumed 1998 Unconfirmed
Want 2000 Drum loop PJ Harvey - Is This Desire? 1998 Likely

SubHuman

Self-made samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Allelujah 2007 Processed and double-tracked guitar "splang" chord sample Depeche Mode - In Your Room 1993 Confirmed Wilder describes the recording of this particular part in a Q&A on the official Recoil project site:

Affectionately known (to me anyway) as 'Splang' rather than 'twoo, twaa and twee', the sound is derived from a guitar. Each chord was sampled individually and then double-tracked with a second but different guitar sound. There is also a string/choir pad (another backwards sound) playing the same chords in the background.[15]

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
Allelujah 2007 N/A Tangerine Dream - Rubycon 1975 Unconfirmed
Drum loop Elbow - Fugitive Motel 2003 Unconfirmed
The Killing Ground 2007 Harmonica and drum elements Talk Talk - The Rainbow 1988 Likely
99 To Life 2007 N/A Digital Intervention - La Louve 2003 Unconfirmed

Miscellaneous remixes

Self-made samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
In Chains (Alan Wilder Remix) 2011 Ambient pads Depeche Mode - The Darkest Star 2005 Confirmed
Orchestral string arrangement Depeche Mode - I Am You 2001 Confirmed
Inheritance 2012 Percussion elements Depeche Mode - Nothing's Impossible 2005 Unconfirmed
Dum Dum Girl feat. Shara Worden 2012 Percussion elements Depeche Mode - Nothing's Impossible 2005 Confirmed

Sourced samples

Song Song release year Sample Description Source of sample Source release year Status Notes
I Am Undone (Alan Wilder Remix) 2011 Percussion elements Scott Walker - Manhattan 1995 Unconfirmed

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Source: SHUNT : ARCHIVES : DEPECHE MODE : SOME GREAT REWARD
  2. Source: User 'fishureprice' (Brat/Daniel Barassi) Instagram post
  3. 3.0 3.1 Source: SHUNT : ARCHIVES : DEPECHE MODE : BLACK CELEBRATION
  4. Source: Muzines.co.uk : Articles : Modes Of Operation (Electroics & Music Maker, August 1986)
  5. Source: Home user 'personal cheese' forum post
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Source: Super Deluxe Edition July 4, 2019 Producer Dave Bascombe on Depeche Mode's 'Music For The Masses'
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Source: Shunt Q&A: ARCHIVES : DEPECHE MODE : MUSIC FOR THE MASSES
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Source: Shunt Q&A: ARCHIVES : DEPECHE MODE : VIOLATOR
  9. Source: SHUNT : ARCHIVES : REPORT : EDITORIAL : VIOLATOR
  10. Source: SHUNT : ARCHIVES : DEPECHE MODE : VIOLATOR : PAGE TWO
  11. Source: ALAN WILDER Interview - July 27, 2011
  12. Source: Home user 'Alex' forum post
  13. Source: Shunt Q&A: ARCHIVES : DEPECHE MODE : VIOLATOR
  14. Source: Home user 'BRATMix' forum post
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 Source: Shunt Q&A: ARCHIVES  : DEPECHE MODE  : SONGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION
  16. Source: Shunt Q&A: ARCHIVES : EDITORIAL : DM Singles 86-98
  17. Source: Beastiemania Song Spotlight : Pass The Mic
  18. Source: ALAN WILDER Interview - July 27, 2011
  19. Source: Alan Wilder Facebook comment
  20. Source: HOME user 'Bairdicus' comment HOME : Depeche Mode : In General : Simple Questions. Quick Answers
  21. Source: HOME user Bairdicus comment HOME : Depeche Mode : In General : Sampled by Depeche Mode
  22. Source: Shunt Q&A: ARCHIVES : Recoil : 1 + 2 / HYDROLOGY
  23. Sources: Interview with Alan Wilder for Wyborcza Poland, 2010-04-19 + Interview with Alan Wilder for Devotees.pl, 2008-02-21
  24. Transcribed by Aleksandra Lech for DMLiveWiki on 2019-07-30
  25. Source: Depeche Mode remixer Black Light Odyssey (GearSlutz user 'dubnspace') GearSlutz : Forum : Electronic Music Instruments and Electronic Music Production : Depeche Mode Enjoy The Silence synth sweep sound
  26. Source: HOME user 'Bairdicus' comment HOME : Depeche Mode : In General : Sampled by Depeche Mode
  27. Source: American Radio History : Archive: 1991-07-05