What happens when one of DEPECHE MODE’s most atmospheric albums becomes the blueprint for a work of fiction? For Jordi Gaxiola, the answer is ‘BC: A Novel Inspired by Black Celebration’, an independently published novel set in Basildon in 1986 and centred on love, memory and devotion.Published through In Nebula Lux, the novel takes its chapter titles and sequence from the US edition of DEPECHE MODE’s 1986 album ‘Black Celebration’, including ‘But Not Tonight’. Rather than adapting or retelling the album’s lyrics, however, Gaxiola uses its atmosphere, structure and emotional progression as the foundation for an entirely original story.
A DEPECHE MODE fan since the age of thirteen, Gaxiola drew on his longstanding relationship with ‘Black Celebration’ when developing the novel. Set against the rain-soaked and industrial surroundings of Basildon, the story uses the synthetic pulse and dark atmosphere associated with the era as the backdrop for a love story exploring memory and devotion.
“The album gave me a place to stand, and I built the characters and their world from there,” Gaxiola explains.
The decision to structure the novel around the album’s track sequence gives ‘BC’ an unusual connection between music and literature. Each chapter follows the sequence of the US edition of ‘Black Celebration’, turning the progression of the record into a narrative framework while allowing the story and its characters to exist independently of DEPECHE MODE’s lyrics.
Gaxiola’s approach is also discussed in a recent feature by REGEN Magazine, which explores how ‘Black Celebration’ became the starting point for the novel and how the album’s sequence was transformed into a literary structure.
‘BC: A Novel Inspired by Black Celebration’ is currently available in English and is an independent work of fiction. The novel has no affiliation with or endorsement by DEPECHE MODE.
The book is available through Amazon: https://a.co/d/0j1DPAg5
Author website: https://jordigaxiola.com/
Source: Press Release
