#I can't even blame an algorithm it's just freaky

[thespiritofvexation]

When Thåström in that 1985 TV-performance said "now we're going to do an old Depeche Mode... nah" with a condescending smirk, I thought weird flex but ok, no one has ever accused him of being good at talking between songs. But then I read an 1983 interview where he also dragged Depeche Mode, and as a very casual Depeche mode enjoyer it had me intrigued. What he said:

"Our first single Alltid rött, alltid rätt [Always red, always right] probably says a lot about how Imperiet will sound. Soul, sweat and heart in strong, physical music... I want it to be. You could say that the song is dedicated to Depeche Mode... I mean I like Human League, but Depeche Mode... it's like puuuuuuuhh (Thåström makes a face as if he's seen too much of too little). I sat and wrote the song this winter when there had been a lot of those bands here in Stockholm and you were watching TV and it was just like: tick•tick•tick-da..-dapp-dapp-dapp. -It's just not especially fun to watch these fancy little guys in their fancy little clothes with their fancy little machines."

So naturally I had to look up what on earth Depeche Mode was up to in 1983. And this is the first thing I found:

I don't know what I expected but he was wasn't wrong! Except for one thing; it IS fun to watch these fancy little guys in their fancy little clothes with their fancy little machines going tick•tick•tick-da.. -dapp-dapp-dapp. Also, I don't know what they were wearing in Stockholm but Martin Gore's fancy wear in this vid looks an awful lot like something out of Thåström's wardrobe so he can't really complain about that can he