Seminal synthpop band Depeche Mode took their rightful place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this month, after nearly four decades of captivating audiences and influencing dozens of other acts in electronic, pop, and metal music alike. While it has been three years since their last album, 2017’s Spirit, one member of the legendary group has new music of his own coming sooner than we might think.
Martin Gore, the band’s primary songwriter, is releasing an EP entitled The Third Chimpanzee on January 29th via Mute. This will mark Gore’s third solo EP, after 1989’s Counterfeit and 2015’s M.G. Remix. The story behind the peculiar name of the EP came from Gore’s experience in recording it, saying that the first track “was a sound that wasn’t human.” Couple this with his reading of the book The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee, and he arrived at the name for the five-song instrumental release.
Our first taste of the record is “Mandrill,” a rhythmic track with a deafening snare throughout, paired with flourishes of electronic melody and mania. It leaves the melancholy typically found in Depeche Mode’s work, instead favoring a brighter, more upbeat execution.
The track listing for The Third Chimpanzee is as follows:
1. Howler
2. Mandrill
3. Capuchin
4. Vervet
5. Howler’s End
Pre-order The Third Chimpanzee here, and check out the visualizer for the track “Mandrill” below:
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