Rhino’s Depeche Mode 12″ vinyl singles project continues with the release of Playing The Angel | The 12″ Singles on November 11, 2022.
Playing The Angel | The 12″ Singles, a collector’s edition deluxe box set, contains ten 12″ vinyl discs presenting singles—”Precious,” “A Pain That I’m Used To,” “Suffer Well,” and “John The Revelator/Lilian”–alongside B-sides, remixes, instrumentals, dub versions, and other recordings contemporaneous to Depeche Mode’s 11th studio album, Playing The Angel, originally released in October 2005.
Playing The Angel | The 12″ Singles presents electrifying remixes of Depeche Mode originals including a disc devoted to “The Darkest Star,” the track from which Playing The Angel derives its title. The tenth disc in the box is newly compiled for this collection, bringing together B-sides and mixes first released across CD and maxi-singles throughout the Playing The Angel campaign.
The first Depeche Mode album to be produced with Ben Hillier, Playing The Angel found the classic DM lineup (Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andrew Fletcher), 25 years into the band’s history, breaking open new sonic terrain with a raw, grittier sound bridging the cosmic spiritual connection between the primal roots of rock and throbbing 21st century Techno dance-floors around the world. The Playing The Angel campaign continued Depeche Mode’s tradition of issuing monumental 12″ singles to supplement and compliment their album releases. Playing The Angel premiered essential new additions to the DM canon including “Precious,” “A Pain That I’m Used To,” Suffer Well,” “John The Revelator,” “Lilian,” “The Darkest Star,” and more.
From their earliest days as a band, Depeche Mode have championed 12″ vinyl, embracing the format’s singular power and potential for innovation. The 12″ single allowed the band to explore new sonic possibilities while the tactile real-world beauty of physical packaging gave Depeche Mode room to develop their consistently sophisticated and commanding design aesthetic. Depeche Mode have used their singles discography as a means of offering fans the opportunity to enjoy left field remixes, rare B-sides, standout concert performances and other exclusive delights.
Rhino released the first two box sets in the Depeche Mode 12″ singles series–Speak & Spell | The Singles and A Broken Frame | The Singles–in August 2018 with the second batch–Construction Time Again | The 12″ Singles and Some Great Reward | The 12″ Singles–arriving in December 2018. Rhino released Depeche Mode’s Black Celebration | The 12″ Singles and Music For The Masses | The 12″ Singles on May 31, 2019. 2020 saw the release of Violator | The 12″ Singles in July and Songs of Faith and Devotion | The 12″ Singles in October. The ninth collection in the series, Ultra | The 12″ Singles was released on September 27, 2021 with the tenth volume, Exciter | The 12″ Singles, arriving on June 10, 2022.
Each box set in the series contains the singles from each Depeche Mode album on audiophile-quality 12″ vinyl, with audio mastered from the original tapes. The artwork for the exterior of each of the box sets draws on iconography inspired by the original releases, while the vinyl sleeves themselves feature the original single artwork.
The Depeche Mode 12″ Singles Series will continue over coming years, with plans to release boxes containing the singles from each of the band’s albums in similar deluxe audiophile-grade collector’s editions.
Playing The Angel | The 12” Singles
Precious (12BONG 35) / LP01
A1 Precious (Sasha’s Spooky Mix – Full Length)
A2 Precious (Sasha’s Gargantuan Vocal Mix – Full Length)
Precious (L12BONG35) / LP02
A1 Precious (Misc. Full Vocal Mix)
A2 Precious (Michael Mayer Balearic Mix)
B1 Precious (Motor Remix)
B2 Precious (Misc. Crunch Mix)
A Pain That I’m Used To (12BONG 36) / LP03
A1 A Pain That I’m Used To (Jacques Lu Cont Remix)
AA1 A Pain That I’m Used To (Jacques Lu Cont Dub)
A Pain That I’m Used To (L12BONG 36) / LP04
A1 A Pain That I’m Used To (Bitstream Threshold Mix)
AA1 A Pain That I’m Used To (Bitstream Spansule Mix)
Suffer Well (12BONG 37) / LP05
A1 Suffer Well (Tiga Remix)
A2 Suffer Well (Tiga Dub)
B1 Suffer Well (Narcotic Thrust Vocal Dub)
Suffer Well (L12BONG 37) / LP06
A1 Suffer Well (Metope Remix)
A2 Suffer Well (Metope Vocal Remix)
B1 Suffer Well (M83 Remix)
B2 Better Days (Basteroid ‘Dance Is Gone’ Vocal Mix)
The Darkest Star (XL12BONG 37) / LP07
A1 The Darkest Star (Holden Remix)
AA1 The Darkest Star (Holden Dub)
John The Revelator / Lilian (12BONG 38) / L08
A1 John The Revelator (‘Dave Is In The Disco’ Tiefschwarz Remix)
AA1 John The Revelator (Tiefschwarz Dub)
AA2 Lilian (Chab Dub)
John The Revelator / Lilian (L12BONG 38) / LP09
A1 John The Revelator (Murk Mode Dub)
AA1 John The Revelator (Boosta Club Remix)
AA2 Lilian (Chab Vocal Remix)
Playing The Angel Promotional Collection (PSTUMM260) / LP10
(newly compiled exclusive limited edition)
A1 Free
A2 Better Days
A3 Newborn
A4 John The Revelator (Single Version)
A5 Lilian (Single Version)
B1 Precious (Michael Mayer Ambient Mix)
B2 Suffer Well (Alter Ego Remix)
B3 Lilian (Robag Wruhme Slomoschen Kikker)
B4 A Pain That I’m Used To (Goldfrapp Remix)
B5 A Pain That I’m Used To (Telex Remix)
