DATE: February 2, 2001
FROM: MITCH SCHEIDER/MARCEE RONDAN/LATHUM NELSON
Clip tease: In anticipation of their forthcoming EXCITER (set for release in late May on Mute/Reprise Records), DEPECHE MODE have announced they will preview portions of the album's songs for fans exclusively via their official website www.depechemode.com. On January 26, fans checking into the site were surprised to find a 4-second sample of the unmastered first single "Dream On," which contrasts skittering beats and acoustic guitars with a resonant DAVE GAHAN vocal. Beginning January 31, the band will reveal a series of 30-second RealAudio clips from EXCITER, with excerpts from two new tracks appearing each following day at 12:01 AM Pacific Time, occasionally accompanied by a new, exclusive band photo. After each RealAudio file is on the site for 24 hours, it will be replaced with an MP3 file. The final files will be uploaded on February 5th. The EXCITER Internet clip tease will hold fans over until the end of March when "Dream On"–one of the highlights of the Mark Bell-produced album–arrives at radio. Meanwhile, 14,000 music professionals who recently gathered at the annual MIDEM music conference in Cannes, France voted for the "Best Band Site of The Year." Their top four selections–DEPECHE MODE, David Bowie, Madonna and Snapcase–were turned over to MIDEM Internet visitors who then cast their vote for the winner, naming Depechemode.com the "Best Band Site of The Year."
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