When Depeche Mode’s principal songwriter Vince Clarke left the band shortly after debut album Speak & Spell, the omens didn’t look good for the fresh-faced synth pop outfit from Basildon. However, with keyboard player Martin Gore taking the creative reins, Depeche Mode became something else entirely. The impact on Martin Gore was not dissimilar. “We kind of subtly corrupt the world,” Gore told Record Mirror’s Andy Strickland. “Basically, if you call yourself a pop band you can get away with anything.”