Exciter (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Exciter
Type = studio
Artist = Depeche Mode


Released = 14 May 2001
Recorded = June 2000 – February 2001
Genre = Alternative dance, electronica, downtempo
Length = 56:40
Label = Mute, Reprise (US/Canada)
Producer = Mark Bell
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kc6ktr2rkl1x link]
*Rolling Stone Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/depechemode/albums/album/104310/review/5941958/exciter link]
*"NME" (8/10) [http://www.nme.com/reviews/depeche-mode/5012 link]
*Pitchfork Media (5.5/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/16978/Depeche_Mode_Exciter link]
Last album = "Ultra"
(1997)
This album = "Exciter"
(2001)
Next album = "Playing the Angel"
(2005)

"Exciter" is Depeche Mode's tenth studio album, which was released on 14 May 2001 in the UK and May 15 in the US. It uses more digital music technology compared to their other albums. It was produced by Mark Bell of Björk and LFO fame. It also had several songs which became big hits in clubs, like "I Feel Loved". The album also launched the "Exciter Tour", which was one of the band's most successful tours.

"Exciter" went gold in the U.S., selling 430,000 units there as of January 2008."Exciter" also went gold in the Canada, for shipments of 50,000 units.

The remastered album was released on "deluxe" vinyl 30 March 2007 in Germany and 1 October 2007 internationally.

2007 re-release

On October 2, 2007 (October 3 in North America) "Exciter" was re-released in a two-disc set, along with "Ultra", in the fourth and final set of Depeche Mode reissues. The first disc was a remastered version of the original, on an SACD/CD hybrid (only a CD in the US). The second disc is a DVD which features the album in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM Stereo. The B-sides from "Exciter" as well as the single version of "Freelove" are included. There are also audio versions of all the live "Exciter" tracks played during the "One Night in Paris" movie.

Like the other reissues, there is a documentary on the making of "Exciter" titled "Depeche Mode 1999–2001 (Presenting the intimate and delicate side of Depeche Mode)". The documentary begins with the talks of Martin Gore's writer's block and what they did about it. It also discusses the first three singles, the recording, the cover art and the "Exciter" tour (including one of the opening acts, Fad Gadget). The documentary is around 30 minutes long. The three members of the band are interviewed along with Daniel Miller, Christian Eigner, Peter Gordeno, Anton Corbijn, and Mute label representatives. The documentary ends with a "To Be Continued..."

Producer Mark Bell does not appear, and although they discuss the fact that the band declined not to have Corbijn direct "Exciter"'s music videos, they do not mention or interview the two who did direct them.

Track listing

All songs written by Martin L Gore.

# "Dream On" – 4:19
# "Shine" – 5:32
# "The Sweetest Condition" – 3:42
# "When the Body Speaks" – 6:01
# "Dead of Night" – 4:50
# "Love Theme" – 2:02
# "Freelove" – 6:10
# "Comatose" – 3:24
# "I Feel Loved" – 4:20
# "Breathe" – 5:17
# "Easy Tiger" – 2:05
# "I Am You" – 5:10
# "Goodnight Lovers" – 3:48

2007 re-release

Mute: DMCD10 (CD/SACD + DVD)

* Disc 1 is a hybrid SACD/CD with a multi-channel SACD layer.
* Disc 2 is a DVD which includes "Exciter" in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM Stereo plus bonus material

# "Dream On" – 4:19
# "Shine" – 5:32
# "The Sweetest Condition" – 3:42
# "When the Body Speaks" – 6:01
# "Dead of Night" – 4:50
# "Love Theme" – 2:02
# "Freelove" – 6:10
# "Comatose" – 3:24
# "I Feel Loved" – 4:20
# "Breathe" – 5:17
# "Easy Tiger" – 2:05
# "I Am You" – 5:10
# "Goodnight Lovers" – 3:48

Live in Paris, October 2001 (in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, PCM Stereo):
# "Dead of Night"
# "The Sweetest Condition"
# "Dream On"
# "When the Body Speaks"
# "Breathe"
# "Freelove"

Bonus Tracks (in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, PCM Stereo):
# "Easy Tiger (Full Version)"
# "Dirt"
# "Freelove (Flood Mix)" [not listed on back-cover]
# "Zenstation"
# "When the Body Speaks (Acoustic)"

Additional Material:
# "Depeche Mode 1999–2001 (Presenting the intimate and delicate side of Depeche Mode)" (30 minute documentary)

ingles

# "Dream On" (23 April 2001)
# "I Feel Loved" (30 July 2001)
# "Freelove" (11 November 2001) - remixed by Mark 'Flood' Ellis and released as the 'Flood Remix'
# "Goodnight Lovers" (11 February 2002)

Personnel

* Depeche Mode is:
**Dave Gahan
**Martin Gore
**Andrew Fletcher

*Guest musicians:
**Knox Chandler--cello and string arrangements on "When the Body Speaks"
**Todd C. Reynolds, Joyce Hammann, Natalie Cenovia Cummins, Ralph H. Harris, Leo Grinhauz--string instruments on "When the Body Speaks"
**Airto Moreira--percussion on "Freelove" and "I Feel Loved"
**Christian Eigner--drums on "I am You"

* Produced by Mark Bell
* Engineered by Gareth Jones
* Pre-production and additional production: Gareth Jones and Paul Freegard
* Mixed by Steve Fitzmaurice

* Recorded at:
** London: RAK and Sarm West
*** Assisted by Boris Aldridge, Andrew Davies, Andrew Griffiths.
** Santa Barbara: Sound Design
*** Assisted by Nick Sevilla, Lisa Butterworth.
** New York: Electric Lady and Sony
*** Assisted by Jonathan Adler, Allissa Myhowich, James Chang.
* Master at The Exchange by Mike Marsh.

* Photography, cover-art and art direction: Anton Corbijn. The cover art is a photograph of an agave plant
* Design: Form.
* Management: Jonathan Kessler for Barton Inc.
* Depeche Mode Office: JD Fanger.