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New music: Depeche Mode – Soft Touch/Raw Nerve (live)

This article is more than 11 years old
The highlight of Depeche Mode's recent 13th album is given a muscular run-through in this monochrome live video

One of Britain's most enduring bands – they've overcome addiction, band members leaving and singer Dave Gahan briefly dying in 1996 – Depeche Mode's 13th album Delta Machine recently reached the top 10 in more than 20 countries. As with any band whose career has lasted more than two decades, however, their recent output has at times bordered on self-parody and it's usually only in a live setting that the newer songs start to make more sense. This is true of Delta Machine highlight Soft Touch/Raw Nerve, which has been beautifully captured in this live video, premiered here exclusively. A lot more growly and urgent than its recorded counterpart, Martin Gore's fuzzed up guitar riff is the perfect counterpoint to the song's electronic heartbeat, while Dave Gahan makes the lyrics about drowning, depression and pleas to a figurative "brother" sound vital as opposed to slightly cliched.

Delta Machine is out now on Mute.

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