The Shock of ‘I Feel You’

There has been a lot of excitement among Depeche Mode fans lately. Our favourite band is back with a new album after six years and a new world tour, both of which will start in about 40 days. The band’s longing absence, mainly due to Covid, and especially Fletch’s passing has created an atmosphere of intense anticipation for what we will hear and see.

Similar, but for completely different reasons, was the atmosphere among Depeche Mode fans 30 years ago. With the massive success of Violator, Depeche Mode had become a household name, having achieved the perfect blend between quality and acceptance. Early 1993 and we were waiting to see what would come next.

And what followed was a bit of a shock for a part of the fans, including myself: I Feel You – the first single in 3 years was a striking departure from the band’s earlier, more purely electronic sound, incorporating a wide range of elements such as blues, rock, and grunge. The song’s distinctive opening riff, played on a distorted slide guitar, is immediately recognizable and sets the tone for the song’s gritty, raw energy.

And if in Personal Jesus this approach was more balanced with the electronic sound, in I Feel You it was clearly in the foreground to the extent of considering it as a rock song.

The shock among fans was even more evident after watching the video: Dave is skinny, with long hair, a goatee and full of tattoos, as if he’s out of the grunge scene of Seattle. The band members perform in a dusty, industrial setting, surrounded by flames and other images of primal power and energy. And Alan is playing the drums…

The band wanted to achieve this shocking effect and that’s why they chose I Feel You as the first single. Anton Corbijn on the other hand, having by then established his role as the band’s visual director, knew very well how to present Depeche Mode to get us talking about what we heard and saw, just a month before the release of the new album.

And it was the album, Songs of Faith and Devotion, that would eventually calm me and a few other fans down, something that I’m posting about in the coming weeks.

As for I Feel You, mission accomplished: a hit single with enduring popularity and a testament to the band’s unique ability to evolve and push boundaries with each new release.