Martin Gore, songwriter, electronic composer and founding member of DEPECHE MODE, has joined forces with artist and lyricist Cliff Damavandi to create an evocative new track, ‘Cross Whisper’, featuring vocals by Gore’s daughter, Johnnie Lee.The track has an unusual origin story. During a long conversation with friends, the subject of unexplained phenomena came up. Gore remarked that “nothing would surprise me”, going on to describe how blackbirds had appeared on several occasions around the time someone close to him had died. On one occasion, a persistent bird repeatedly tapped forcefully against the window of his studio. Two days later, he learned that a close friend had passed away, prompting him once again to reflect on the symbolism and mythology surrounding birds since ancient times, and whether they might be omens or messengers.
Gore elaborates: “I was out with a few friends, and we got onto the subject of death. I told them that whenever someone close to me has died, birds have appeared - sometimes they come past my window every day for a whole year. When my mother died, a bird came, and the same thing happened when my dog died. When my cat died, a bird flew into the house and down into the room where she had slept!”
Cliff Damavandi, one of the friends present, was so moved by the story that he wrote a text which Gore subsequently set to music. Damavandi explains: “When Martin told his story, he radiated such a sense of life, and I could not only hear the story but feel it, too. There was something different about it that compelled me to write the text.”
‘Cross Whisper’ opens with suggestive, whispering voices that gradually give way to Gore’s synthesiser sounds. The whispers ebb and flow between melodic passages, accompanied by persistent tapping that recalls the bird that visited Gore’s studio. Released recently on Mute, the track has been reworked by a diverse line-up of artists, including Brazilian techno DJ and producer ANNA, British techno producer, DJ and label boss Regis, Dutch techno producer Vera Grace, Boothnavy and hauntologist Pye Corner Audio, aka Martin Jenkins.
The complete collection of remixes will be released on 12-inch vinyl by Mute/[PIAS] on 4 December. Pre-order the release here.
MG x CD + JL = ‘Cross Whisper’ - Tracklisting
A1. Cross Whisper
A2. Cross Whisper (Regis’ Learn to See Mix)
A3. Cross Whisper (Vera Grace Remix)
B1. Cross Whisper (ANNA Remix)
B2. Cross Whisper (Pye Corner Audio Remix)
B3. Cross Whisper (Boothnavy’s Murmuration Remix)
