Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore has released a new solo EP The Third Chimpanzee. Made up of entirely instrumentals, this will be a bit of a different ride from those used to Depeche Mode songs, but not out of character for his own solo work.
The EP came together after he made the first track “Howler.”
“The first track I recorded had a sound that wasn’t human,” Martin explains in a statement. “It sounded primate-like. I decided to name it ‘Howler,’ after a monkey. Then, when it came time to name the EP, I remembered reading the book The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee. It all made sense to call it that, as the EP was made by one of the third chimpanzees.”
Those warped and ominous sounds carry through the rest of the EP. "Capuchin" sounds like a sea of robots marching down the street with an intent you can only assume isn’t great. Throughout the EP, there are the primal screams that remind you of the original monkey theme. “Vervet” chugs along with a hypnotic embrace with the occasional howl of a distant monkey-like cry.
Martin Gore is not stranger to dark and ominous electronic instrumentals. His latest solo album MG in 2015 was filled with those. The Third Chimpanzee turns that up to another level with the added monkey theme.
Get your copy here and stream it below.