• Consequence
  • Music
  • Film
  • TV
  • Heavy
Menu Consequence
Menu Shop Search Newsletter
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Live
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Cover Story
Advertisement
  • Reviews
  • Album Reviews

Album Review: VCMG – Ssss

C+

Artists

  • Depeche Mode
  • Martin Gore
  • VCMG
  • Vince Clarke
Advertisement
Derek Staples
March 14, 2012 | 7:59am ET

    Still in their teens, Vincent Clarke (VC) and Martin Gore (MG) formed Depeche Mode and influenced the commercial appeal of synthpop during the 1980s. Much like young love, differing expectations drove the two apart, with Clarke leaving to eventually form the sugary-sweet pop outfits Yazoo and Erasure. At the helm of Depeche Mode, Gore steered the band down a darker, more guitar-driven road than their debut, Speak and Spell, pushing the outfit to the pinnacle of their genre.

    Thirty years removed from the breakup, it was a love for techno that rekindled the duo’s artistic relationship. Following research into minimal-techno for a Plastikman remix, Clarke reached out to Gore, who had been dabbling in techno-heavy DJ sets over the past decade. This email set in motion a long string of file transfers that would result in VCMG‘s debut full-length, Ssss.

    Without the need, and possibly desire, to share recording space, the album’s 10 tracks are a sonic representation of one-upmanship between the two legendary producers. The album showcases each man’s ability to craft intricate, polished, four-to-the-floor beats, but the lack of vocals could be a major deterrent for the casual Depeche Mode devotee. However, it’s not meant to cater to old fans, or even lure in America’s younger EDM community, instead perfecting on the elements of minimalist instrumental techno for an hour-long trip into the dark, industrial caverns that exist inside any technophile’s skull.

    Advertisement
    Related Video

    The lean intro in “Lowly” is a precursor to the album’s many tense moments. Ssss avoids the massive drops heard today in most clubs, choosing to build up a long, pulsating melody that is morphed by whirling synths, analog feedback, and bouncing bass beats. The mid-section of the LP (“Wind-up Robot”, “Bendy Bass”, and “Single Blip”) proves that gray-hairs like Clarke and Gore (now both in their 50s) can still build club bangers.

    Ssss may not be the album expected by longtime Depeche Mode fans, but for those who still appreciate mid-tempo techno, the vinyl is definitely worthy of coveted crate space. And for all of us who may know an undereducated EDM fan, these tracks are a launching pad for discovery.

    Essential Tracks: “Windup Robot”, “Bendy Bass”, and “Single Blip”

    Advertisement
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit

Artists

  • Depeche Mode
  • Martin Gore
  • VCMG
  • Vince Clarke

Sign up for updates

Subscribe to our email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.

Advertisement

Popular Stories

Tenacious D "Wicked Game"

Heavy Consequence

Tenacious D Release Cover of "Wicked Game" with Hilarious Beach Romp Video: Watch

ben folds crate digging interview 10 best piano albums favorite

Music

10 Piano Albums Ben Folds Thinks Every Music Fan Should Own

I Think You Should Leave Sketches Ranked

TV

I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson: Every Sketch, Ranked

barbie pink paint shortage set dreamhouse greta gerwig film movie news

Film

Building Barbie Land Caused a Pink Paint Shortage, Says Movie Production Designer

Latest Stories

Foo Fighters But Here We Are New Album Review

Foo Fighters Find Greatness in Grief on But Here We Are: Review

May 26, 2023

the national first two pages of frankenstein album review new lp good

The National's First Two Pages of Frankenstein Explores a Familiar Anxiety: Review

April 26, 2023

suga agust d review d-day bts

Agust D's D-DAY Triumphantly Caps Off the Trilogy from SUGA of BTS: Review

April 21, 2023

Metallica

Metallica’s 72 Seasons Is a Monument to an Illustrious Career: Review

April 10, 2023

wednesday rat saw god album review

Wednesday Touch the Divine on the Glorious Rat Saw God

April 7, 2023

boygenius the record review phoebe bridgers lucy dacus julien baker album

boygenius Provoke, Endear, and Devastate on Spectacular Debut Album the record: Review

March 29, 2023

jimin face hed

On FACE, Jimin Sets Himself Free: Review

March 24, 2023

AW Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey Provokes But Does Not Explain on Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd: Review

March 22, 2023

Advertisement

News

  • Music
  • New Music
  • Album Streams
  • Upcoming Releases
  • Tours
  • Film
  • TV
  • Pop Culture

Reviews

  • Music Reviews
  • Film Reviews
  • TV Reviews
  • Concert Reviews
  • Festival Reviews

Features

  • Editorials
  • Interviews
  • Cover Stories
  • Lists
  • Guides
  • CoSign
  • Song of the Week

Live

  • Tickets
  • Festival News
  • Tour Dates
  • Photo Galleries
  • Music Instruments & Gear

Heavy

  • News
  • Interviews
  • Concerts

More

  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Wellness
  • Giveaways

Other sites

  • Heavy Consequence
  • Consequence Media
  • Modern Drummer
  • About
  • Privacy policy
  • Advertising
  • Work For Us
  • Terms
  • Contact
  • Copyright
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Download our app

  • Get it on the App Store
  • Get it on Google Play
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitch
  • Tiktok
Consequence
Current story

Album Review: VCMG - Ssss

Menu Shop Search Newsletter
Consequence
News
  • News
  • Music
  • New Music
  • Album Streams
  • Upcoming Releases
  • Tours
  • Film
  • TV
  • Pop Culture
Reviews
  • Music Reviews
  • Film Reviews
  • TV Reviews
  • Concert Reviews
  • Festival Reviews
Features
  • All Features
  • Editorials
  • Interviews
  • Cover Stories
  • Lists
  • Guides
  • CoSign
  • Song of the Week
Live
  • Tickets
  • Festival News
  • Tour Dates
  • Photo Galleries
  • Music Instruments & Gear
Podcasts
  • The Opus
  • Kyle Meredith With...
  • Stanning BTS
  • The Story Behind the Song
  • The What
  • Going There with Dr. Mike
  • The Rome and Duddy Show
Videos
  • Interviews
  • Two for the Road
  • First Time I Heard
  • When I Made
  • Battle of the Bandmates
  • Peer 2 Peer
  • Essays
  • Fan Theories
Heavy
  • News
  • Interviews
  • Concerts
  • Premieres
  • Culture
  • Beyond the Boys Club
  • Mining Metal
Shop
  • Shop
  • Giveaways
Hometowns

Follow Consequence

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitch
  • Tiktok
Close
Close