Mute

Memento Mori is Depeche Mode's 15th studio album and the first in the lineup of Dave Gahan and Martin Gore, following the tragic death of co-founder Andrew "Fletch" Fletcher in 2022. Memento Mori was produced by James Ford, with additional production by Marta Salogni . The album was created during the early stages of the Covid pandemic, resulting in themes directly inspired by that period. The album's 12 tracks chart a wide variety of moods and textures from the ominous opening to the closing denouement, running the gamut from paranoia and obsession to catharsis and joy, and countless points in between.

'Tempus' is a smart, considered album that works conceptually because Betke is able to reference his past without aping or repeating himself. The early album tracks are more cautious in their approach, helping to reconcile the past and present: opener 'Cenote' for example submerges Betke's sizzling white noise percussion almost completely, hinting at the album's jazz influences without being too forceful. 'Alp' is far more direct; Betke's bass is separated from its '70s dub template and oozed into bizarre jazz/exotica zones alongside clipped electric piano fades and freeform, hollow drum hits. On 'Stechmück' we get the full reveal, as Betke integrates the logic of his genesis, using a malfunctioning Minimoog instead of his namesake fritzed Waldorf 4-Pole filter. The dying, detuned synth tones speak directly to Betke's past, underpinning his fine-ground dub backdrop. 

Erasure: The neon remixed 2021 [Digipack / 2 CD]

The legendary Slovenian group's first original studio album since 2014's Spectre, MUSICK - intensely pop, yet intensely Laibach. This record simultaneously celebrates and critiques the current era of warped reality and AI imitation. The title reflects a duality: an oversaturation, being "sick of music" in an age where over 100,000 new tracks, many AI-generated, are uploaded daily, making us question reality; and a "pathological devotion" that continues to drive the band. The maximalist creation process in their Ljubljana studio involved analogue synths, toys, computers with sound apps, and collaborators like Donna Marina Mårtensson and Richard X. They drew influences from K-pop, J-pop, and 90s Eurodance, yet maintained that their primary influence and reference point remained Laibach itself. Available via Mute on limited edition neon pink vinyl and CD.

Pole: Pole [CD]

The legendary Slovenian group's first original studio album since 2014's Spectre, MUSICK - intensely pop, yet intensely Laibach. This record simultaneously celebrates and critiques the current era of warped reality and AI imitation. The title reflects a duality: an oversaturation, being "sick of music" in an age where over 100,000 new tracks, many AI-generated, are uploaded daily, making us question reality; and a "pathological devotion" that continues to drive the band. The maximalist creation process in their Ljubljana studio involved analogue synths, toys, computers with sound apps, and collaborators like Donna Marina Mårtensson and Richard X. They drew influences from K-pop, J-pop, and 90s Eurodance, yet maintained that their primary influence and reference point remained Laibach itself. Available via Mute on limited edition neon pink vinyl and CD.

Throbbing Gristle: Greatest Hits (Expanded) [2 CD]