Mode is a definitive photographic chronicle by the renowned British photographer Brian Griffin, capturing the enigmatic rise of the band Depeche Mode during their most formative years. This substantial volume serves as a visual time capsule, focusing on the period from 1981 to 1986, an era that spans the band’s first five studio albums: Speak & Spell, A Broken Frame, Construction Time Again, Some Great Reward, and Black Celebration.
More than a simple collection of band portraits, the book is an intimate artistic document of the 1980s synth-pop landscape. It brings together iconic and widely recognized images—such as the evocative, windswept cover for A Broken Frame, which stands as a landmark in music photography—alongside a treasure trove of previously unseen material. Through contact sheets, off-guard moments, and deeply personal portraits of Martin Gore, Dave Gahan, Andy Fletcher, and Alan Wilder, Griffin reveals the quiet intensity and burgeoning creativity of a band on the cusp of global domination.
Designed with the sensibility of a fine art publication, the book is printed on high-quality, tactile papers that lend depth and seriousness to the photographs, elevating them beyond standard rock photography. The careful curation and production quality transform Mode into a collector’s piece, offering an immersive experience that allows readers to step backstage and into the studio. It is a fitting tribute to a powerful creative partnership, showcasing how Griffin’s distinctive visual language helped define the aesthetic of one of music’s most enduring and influential bands.
