Collection: Depeche Mode Plaids

Depeche Mode’s Violator was goth minimalism turned into pop spectacle: Anton Corbijn painted a rose red, nailed it to a board and gave us a synth-goth insignia for every kid who dressed in black. Alan, Andy, Martin, and Dave pushed dark synth past Music for the Masses into stadium riots and king-with-a-deck-chair surrealism. Coming off Disintegration this record wasn’t just music it was our whole personality. Originally launched by a marketing masterstroke of back-page classifieds whispering “Your own personal Jesus,” no band name, just a phone number...the hiss of the line and then that immortal riff.