''Exciter'' is the tenth studio album by English
electronic music
Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
band
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
. It was first released on 14 May 2001 in the United Kingdom by
Mute Records
Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller (music producer), Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure (duo), Erasure, Einstürze ...
and a day later in the United States by
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels.
Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Green Day, En ...
. The album was produced by
Mark Bell, and was supported by the Exciter Tour, one of the band's most successful tours.
''Exciter'' debuted at number nine on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
and number eight on the
''Billboard'' 200, selling 115,000 copies in its first week in the United States. It was the only Depeche Mode album to debut higher in the United States than in the United Kingdom. As of April 2006, ''Exciter'' had sold over 426,000 copies in the US, and has been certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA);
it has also been certified gold in Canada for shipments of 50,000 units.
The plant that appears on the cover is the ''
Agave attenuata
''Agave attenuata'', commonly called the foxtail or lion's tail agave or the swan's neck agave, is a species of flowering plant in the Family (biology), family Asparagaceae (the asparaguses, agaves and yuccas). Sometimes called the soft-leaf or s ...
'', a species of agave sometimes known as the "lion's tail", "swan's neck", or "foxtail" for its development of a curved stem, unusual among agaves.
Background and composition
Lyrically, the album covers many different subjects. Martin Gore said that "The Dead of Night" was inspired by a club in London where there were a lot of drugs and mayhem. Gore told MTV Europe that "I Feel Loved" is about when you "feel absolutely like shit, and you feel the worst you've ever felt in your life. Then somehow you think: 'the universe must like me, for making me feel like this'".
Musically, ''Exciter'' can be described as a very atmospheric and electronic album. Gore had stated that he had been listening to more abstract electronic music in the lead up to recording ''Exciter'', which could have influenced some of the more experimental soundscapes on the album. The group also often cited producer Mark Bell as a major inspiration in the making of ''Exciter'' as Gahan states that Mark Bell helped make him a more confident vocalist. The band also worked with Paul Freegard and long-time collaborator
Gareth Jones, who were involved with pre-production and programming.
On top of the electronic soundscapes, Depeche Mode also added elements of traditional blues, retro funk, progressive rock, and orchestral pop to its arrangements.
Bell told ''
Keyboard
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Mus ...
'' magazine that they treated the acoustic and electronic sounds on the track "Dream On" the same. Gore felt that many songs of the album including "When the Body Speaks" have a 1950s or 1960s sound to them. "Comatose" was massively stripped down from the original demo since the band wanted a more minimalistic arrangement. "Freelove" was one of the final tracks to be completed on the album. "The Dead of Night" features a harsher sound compared to other tracks on the album, making heavy use of analogue synths such as the
EMS Synthi AKS
The EMS Synthi A and the EMS Synthi AKS are portable modular analog synthesisers made by EMS of England. The Synthi A model debuted in May 1971, and then Synthi AKS model appeared in March 1972 a with a built-in keyboard and sequencer. The EMS S ...
; the practice of largely using analogue synths would become common on later albums by the band.
Bell found working with the group fun but strange, stating he had listened to the group when he was 12 and found the band asking him for days off or "what they should eat". According to an interview with Gahan in 2003, Gore's lack of involvement with the production led to Bell feeling frustrated and that he was essentially creating the album for the band.
Tour
The tour began with a North American leg on 4 June 2001; the group performed one rehearsal show and two "warm-up" concerts before the official tour began in
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, Canada, in mid-June 2001. The leg continued until mid-August, concluding with two shows in
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...
.
In late August 2001, the group began a European leg, which started in
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...
and culminated in early November in
Mannheim
Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...
, Germany. This was the final show of the tour; a second European leg had been planned for the summer of 2002 but this never happened. In total, the band played 84 concerts, performing to over 1.5 million people in 24 countries.
The concerts in Paris were filmed and issued in May 2002 on a DVD release entitled ''
One Night in Paris
''One Night in Paris – The Exciter Tour 2001 – A Live DVD by Anton Corbijn'' is a video release by Depeche Mode, featuring an entire concert from their 2001 Exciter Tour, shot at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy on 9 and 10 October 200 ...
''.
Reception
''Exciter'' received generally positive reviews. While many critics praised the album's experimental and digital soundscapes, many felt it was one of the weakest Depeche Mode albums.
In a positive review, ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' wrote that "Not many long-running groups could make an album this fresh and confident in their 20th year, never mind one which bridges timeless soulman crooning and underground
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
". ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' complimented the album's minimal arrangements, comparing them to early
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk (, ) is a Germany, German Electronic music, electronic band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk was among the first successful a ...
. ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' complimented Mark Bell's production on the album, stating that "Bell's subtle, inventive knob-twiddling pairs perfectly with Martin Gore's new batch of somber, subdued songs".
In contrast, ''
Q Magazine
''Q'' was a British popular music magazine. It was founded in 1986 by broadcast journalists Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were presenters of the BBC television music series ''The Old Grey Whistle Test''. ''Q'' was published in print in the ...
'' was much more negative in their interpretation of the project, writing: "This time it's Martin Gore who's out of puff. No amount of fashionable tweaking can hide the flimsiness of his offerings".
Despite some mixed reviews, ''Exciter'' still appeared on several EOY 2001 lists such as ''
Magic
Magic or magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
** ''Magick'' (with ''-ck'') can specifically refer to ceremonial magic
* Magic (illusion), also known as sta ...
'', ''
MusikExpress
The ''Musikexpress'' is a monthly German magazine that mainly writes about the rock and pop music. In addition to detailed interviews and articles about important rock, electro, hip-hop, pop, and independent musicians, the magazine offers review ...
'', ''
Rocksound
''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more "Subculture, underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metal ...
'', ''Rumba'', ''Visions'', and ''
Woxy WOXY may refer to:
* WOXY.com, a defunct Internet radio station
* WOXY (FM)
WOXY (97.7 Hertz, MHz) is an FM radio, FM radio station licensed to Mason, Ohio as part of the Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio markets. Nicknamed 97.7/106.7 The Oasis, th ...
''.
Accolades
Re-release
On 2 October 2007 (3 October in North America), ''Exciter'' was re-released as a two-disc set, along with ''
Ultra
Ultra may refer to:
Science and technology
* Ultra (cryptography), the codename for cryptographic intelligence obtained from signal traffic in World War II
* Adobe Ultra, a vector-keying application
* Sun Ultra series, a brand of computer work ...
'', in the fourth and final set of Depeche Mode reissues. The first disc was a remastered version of the original, on an SACD/CD hybrid (only a CD in the US). The second disc is a DVD which features the album in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM Stereo. The B-sides from ''Exciter'' as well as the single version of "Freelove" are included. There are also audio versions of all the live ''Exciter'' tracks played during the ''
One Night in Paris
''One Night in Paris – The Exciter Tour 2001 – A Live DVD by Anton Corbijn'' is a video release by Depeche Mode, featuring an entire concert from their 2001 Exciter Tour, shot at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy on 9 and 10 October 200 ...
'' film.
Like the other reissues, there is a documentary on the making of ''Exciter'' titled ''Depeche Mode 1999–2001 (Presenting the Intimate and Delicate Side of Depeche Mode)''. The documentary begins with the talks of Gore's writer's block and what they did about it. It also discusses the first three singles, the recording, the cover art and the ''Exciter'' tour (including one of the opening acts,
Fad Gadget
Francis John Tovey (8 September 1956 – 3 April 2002), known also by his stage name Fad Gadget, was a British avant-garde electronic musician and vocalist. He was a proponent of both new wave and early industrial music, fusing pop-struc ...
). The documentary is around 30 minutes long. The three members of the band are interviewed along with
Daniel Miller, Christian Eigner,
Peter Gordeno
Peter Gordeno (20 June 1939 – 18 October 2008) was a British dancer, recording artist, cabaret singer, choreographer, and occasional actor.
Biography
Born as Peter Godenho in Rangoon, Burma, to an Italian American father and Scottish/ Bu ...
,
Anton Corbijn
Anton Johannes Gerrit Corbijn van Willenswaard (; born 20 May 1955) is a Dutch photographer, film director, and music video director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2,Pitman, Joanna"The silent partner" ...
, and Mute label representatives. The documentary ends with a "To Be Continued..."
Producer Mark Bell does not appear, and although they discuss the fact that the band decided not to have Corbijn direct ''Exciters music videos, they do not interview the two who did direct them. However,
John Hillcoat
John Hillcoat (born 14 August 1961) is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and music video director.
His early work includes the 1988 prison film '' Ghosts... of the Civil Dead'', as well as music videos for bands such as Siouxsie and t ...
, who directed "
I Feel Loved
"I Feel Loved" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 30 July 2001 as the second single from the band's 10th studio album, '' Exciter'' (2001). In Australia, it was released as the album's lead single, as " Dream O ...
", "
Freelove
"Freelove" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 5 November 2001 as the third single from the band's tenth studio album, ''Exciter (Depeche Mode album), Exciter'' (2001). "Freelove" reached 19 on the UK Singles C ...
" and "
Goodnight Lovers
"Goodnight Lovers" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 11 February 2002 as the fourth and final single from the band's tenth studio album, '' Exciter'' (2001). The single was not released in the US.
The single d ...
", is mentioned in passing.
Track listing
2007 Collectors Edition (CD + DVD)
* Disc one is a hybrid SACD/CD with a multi-channel SACD layer.
* Disc two is a DVD which includes ''Exciter'' in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM Stereo plus bonus material
# "Dream On" – 4:19
# "Shine" – 5:32
# "The Sweetest Condition" – 3:42
# "When the Body Speaks" – 6:01
# "The Dead of Night" – 4:50
# "Lovetheme" – 2:02
# "Freelove" – 6:10
# "Comatose" – 3:24
# "I Feel Loved" – 4:20
# "Breathe" – 5:17
# "Easy Tiger" – 2:05
# "I Am You" – 5:10
# "Goodnight Lovers" – 3:48
Live in Paris, October 2001 (in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, PCM Stereo):
# "The Dead of Night"
# "The Sweetest Condition"
# "Dream On"
# "When the Body Speaks"
# "Breathe"
# "Freelove"
Bonus tracks (in PCM Stereo):
# "Easy Tiger" (full version)
# "Dirt" (cover of a song written and performed by
the Stooges
The Stooges or Iggy and the Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, were an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexande ...
)
# "Freelove" (Flood mix)
ot listed on the back cover# "Zenstation"
# "When the Body Speaks" (Acoustic)
Additional material:
# ''Depeche Mode 1999–2001 (Presenting the Intimate and Delicate Side of Depeche Mode)'' – 30:00
# End credits – 2:23
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Exciter''.
Depeche Mode
*
Dave Gahan
David Gahan ( ; né Callcott; born 9 May 1962) is an English singer best known as the lead singer of electronic music band Depeche Mode since their formation in 1980. Noted for his commanding stage presence and unique baritone voice, Gahan was ...
*
Martin Gore
Martin Lee Gore (born 23 July 1961) is an English musician and songwriter. He is one of the founding members of the electronic music band Depeche Mode and is the band's main songwriter. He is the band's guitarist and keyboardist, and occasiona ...
*
Andrew Fletcher
Additional musicians
*
Knox Chandler
Knox Chandler (born July 20, 1958) is an American musician. He is primarily a guitarist, but he also plays, cello, bass, and other instruments. He has also worked as a session musician.
Education
Chandler attended the Hammonasset School in M ...
– solo cello, string arrangement
*
Todd C. Reynolds – strings
* Joyce Hammann – strings
* Natalie Cenovia Cummins – strings
*
Ralph H. Farris – strings
* Leo Grinhauz – strings
*
Airto Moreira
Airto Guimorvan Moreira (born August 5, 1941) is a Brazilian jazz drummer, composer and percussionist. He is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. Coming to prominence in the late 1960s as a membe ...
– percussion
* Christian Eigner – drums
Technical
*
Mark Bell – production
*
Gareth Jones – engineering, pre-production, additional production
* Paul Freegard – pre-production, additional production
*
Steve Fitzmaurice
Stephen Fitzmaurice is an Irish mixer and producer based in London, England. His credits include albums for Depeche Mode, Seal, Sam Smith, Ian Brown, Kylie Minogue, Mónica Naranjo, Sting, Paloma Faith, Olly Murs, The Kooks, Alicia Keys, U2, ...
– mixing
* Boris Aldridge – engineering assistance
* Andrew Davies – engineering assistance
* Andrew Griffiths – engineering assistance
* Nick Sevilla – engineering assistance
* Lisa Butterworth – engineering assistance
* Jonathan Adler – engineering assistance
* Alissa Myhowich – engineering assistance
* James Chang – engineering assistance
* Mike Marsh – mastering at The Exchange (London)
Artwork
*
Anton Corbijn
Anton Johannes Gerrit Corbijn van Willenswaard (; born 20 May 1955) is a Dutch photographer, film director, and music video director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2,Pitman, Joanna"The silent partner" ...
– photography, cover art, art direction
* Form – design
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
See also
*
List of number-one albums of 2001 (Poland)
These are the Polish number one albums of 2001, per the OLiS Chart.
Chart history
References
{{Polish Music Charts
Number-one albums
Poland
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States ...
*
List of number-one hits of 2001 (France)
References
External links
*
Album information from the official Depeche Mode website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Exciter (Album)
2001 albums
Albums produced by Mark Bell (British musician)
Albums recorded at Electric Lady Studios
Albums recorded at RAK Studios
Depeche Mode albums
Mute Records albums
Reprise Records albums
Electronica albums by English artists