Martin Gore
Counterfeit²

For a pseudo-admirer of Depeche Mode, it would be worthwhile to explore the solo works and activities of the trio, primarily Gahan and Gore; a series of productions that positively enrich the vast and refined catalog of the Basildon trio.

If Gahan represents the passionate, charismatic, sensitive, and almost "irrational" soul of Depeche Mode, Martin Gore tends to express artistically a poetic rationality, lyrical and light, exploring the conscious and the subconscious, the concrete and the abstract, Good and Evil. Two brilliant and absolutely complementary minds, apt to merge their Spirit into a harmonious whole. Dave's inherent irrationality molds his ideal forms into resounding, pulsating, and energetic sounds, while Gore's lyricism and poetry certainly produce extraordinary lyrics, yet do not limit his expression to the pure context of lyrics. And this "Counterfeit²" is the clearest demonstration of that.

Gore's solo work (following an early Counterfeit e.p. dated 1989), eleven covers (reinterpreted in a Synth Pop style) of just as many tracks from which Martin himself drew inspiration for his work with Depeche Mode, spans the interval between the release of "Exciter" (2001) and "Playing The Angel" (2005), releases that mark the return of the Mode to pure electronic tout-court after the rock "experiments" of the '90s. Gore's solo production has certainly undergone, or rather deepened, the approach to more energetic synths: "Counterfeit²" combines an electronic sound that is both dynamic and subtle, a package of refined, polished, and "lyrical" sounds, determined to give the album that "theatricality" and atmosphere that only Martin's sharp and intense voice can bestow. The listener will perceive the drama and emotion of synths that are heterogeneous and never disharmonious, aiming almost to tone down the strange frivolity of "Exciter" (Dream On, The Dead Of Night, Shine) and the light/dark contrast that binds the atmosphere of "Playing The Angel" (Precious, Suffer Well, The Darkest Star). There are, however, some references to more "remote" works, particularly to the aura of mystery and melancholy reserved for "Ultra".

The entry track In My Time Of Dying (Traditional) immediately describes the semi-dark atmosphere dominating the album: a moderately long lyrical-electronic introduction precedes Gore's subtle voice, later interspersed with pleasantly contrasting bleeps and synths, highlighting the general mood's upward evolution; pathos and drama describe a sinusoid of more or less profound electronic sounds in Stardust (David Essex), the involuntary "premiere" of some tracks later included in Playing The Angel.

Greater frivolity is felt, and one opens to the light with the "melancholic" Oh My Love (Lennon - Ono) and By This River (Eno - Roedelius - Moebius), enclosing a vintage electronic sound with serene ambient soundscapes. The same goes for the classic Lost In The Stars (Anderson - Weill), a lyrical "lullaby" accompanied only by a piano and strings, entirely free of any synth. A slightly more "dynamic" electronic mix with gentle percussion summarizes the melancholic/relaxed Tiny Girls (David Bowie - Iggy Pop) and I Cast A Lonesome Shadow (Thompson - Russwurms).

An excellent work, a sublime reinterpretation/"counterfeiting" of great classics, executed with that style that is purely made in Depeche Mode. Recommended for both old and new fans of the English band and for enthusiasts/appreciators of electronic music in general (but also for those who do not quickly recoil at the decent contemporary musical "revisits") 

Martin Gore, Counterfeit²

In My Time Of Dying (Traditional)

Stardust (David Essex)

I Cast A Lonesome Shadow (Hank Thompson - Lynn Russwurm)

In My Other World (Julee Cruise - Louis Tucci)

Loverman (Nick Cave)

By This River (Brian Eno - Hans Joachim Roedelius - Dieter Moebius)

Lost In The Stars (Maxwell Anderson - Kurt Weill) 

Oh My Love (John Lennon - Yoko Ono)

Das Lied Vom Einsamen Mädchen (Werner R. Heyman - Robert Gibert)

Tiny Girls (David Bowie - Iggy Pop)  

Candy Says (Lou Reed)