Alan Wilder Interview

The Devout talk to one of electronic music’s favourite producers. September 2025

Interviewing a childhood hero is daunting. ‘The Devout’ members have known Alan as a kind, responsible and thoughtful man who laughs and cares about the important things. But underneath the normality of our friendships we can’t forget we are in the presence of the very same man who wrote the book on everything we do. All while driving production, music and performance projects of the very highest quality standards.

Any serious musician knows this is impossible to maintain unless you live and breathe it as an exhausting vocation, but you don’t want to focus on the exhaustion or it will consume you.

It’s terrifying. And to make the interview even more challenging we have to find the helpful, interesting, mature, relevant and sensible questions that haven’t already been asked a hundred times. So, in an effort to balance getting some history and shining a light on Alan’s character, we simply referred to some of our old technical queries and some of our more recent interactions with ‘The Boss’.

We hope you like them.

Modern Music Tools

Alan, thanks for giving The Devout this interview. We’ve known each other for a while, but the last couple of years have been particularly interesting after you reached out with bass traps and a sub when you heard our new studio was being built. This made a significant difference to our studio’s accuracy. We looked over your remaining music equipment, like the VCS-3, the fabled MidiMoog and Obie racks, the Pultec EQs and the Korg O1/w Pro 88 key used in a hollowed out piano on the Devotional tour. All still extremely usable.

But other things like the digital recorders, big hardware samplers and large format consoles have been replaced by software, plugins, colossal libraries and computers with big screens and massive SSD drives.

DV: Question – How do you feel about modern music tools when it comes to bands maintaining creativity?

AW: I try to take the view that all tools are exactly that – devices to be used intelligently and to one’s advantage. Good tools make tasks easier and, in a musical context, should tickle the imagination of the user.

When multitrack recording progressed from four to eight track, then to twenty-four track, the pioneers saw the possibilities and created groundbreaking art – you don’t need to go any further than classic Beatles albums / George Martin in the mid-sixties, to see that.

When synthesisers and electronics first appeared (‘60s, ’70s) and started creeping into modern music, the most inventive pioneers embraced and explored while the majority scoffed “that’s not real music”. Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Can, Neu, and the likes of Walter (Wendy) Carlos, Delia Derbyshire at the BBC workshop, Eno with Bowie’s Berlin period, and so on. Many sneered as those influences were popularised by the likes of John Foxx, Cabaret Voltaire, The Human League, Gary Numan, DM, and so on. Daniel Miller was part of that scene of course. For whatever reasons, these artists didn’t hold back from experimenting with the new tools of the period.

When digital sampling first came onto the scene, again from those with closed minds, lifting pre-existing sound was regarded as theft – DJ’s, rappers and musical magpies liberating whole chunks of older records and mutating the captured performance snippets into sometimes awful, but mainly groundbreaking new old-sound (or old-new sound).

In all cases, there are poor examples of the use of technology and then some remarkable innovations from the creatives who understand what a tool is and apply sharp human ideas for their use. ‘Ideas’ is the key word. You need the conceptualisation to instruct the tools. Never more will this be apparent than in the current climate – in this slightly frightening but mind-bogglingly exciting new world of Artificial Intelligence. I try to look at AI – in a musical context – as an incredibly powerful tool that may be used to one’s advantage if utilised by creative minds and sound musical notions. If you will, the role of a music producer is transitioning into that of an ‘instructor’ while the heavy lifting – more than ever – is undertaken by the technology.

Of course, AI has worrying connotations regarding implementation, safeguards for musicians and artists who may be exploited and abused, plagiarised, unfairly manipulated. And these controls as far as possible obviously need to be put in place. Copyright is complicated. Rock ’n’ Roll and popular music has always been about plagiarism, let’s be honest – and that is not ‘all’ bad – it is the nature of influence.

In DM, Daniel Miller, Gareth Jones, Flood and myself always viewed new tools, not with trepidation, but with enthusiasm and possibility. I was staggered by the potential of sampling when that appeared – I still am – it seemed like magic at the time – to literally be able to capture anything you could think of without restriction and turn it into music. Alleviating years of frustratingly trying to wrestle some synthesiser into producing a sound you had in your head, often without success in my case as I was never much good at programming synths. But, I ‘could’ hear what I wanted and I could go find it and sample it. The process freed me and was just so exciting.

Experimentation

DV: DM experimented a great deal, sampling fireworks or noises on building sites, playing entire tracks through a PA, using reverb from lift shafts.

If you’d had modern gear and libraries, would the pressure to record and mix the album have curtailed experimentation. Which of today’s tools would you have used (if available) back then? Which would you use today if setting about to produce pioneering music?”

AW: I would hope not, but thinking outside the box when the going is tough does usually create something wonderful. If you have an imagination, the more tools you have at your disposal tends to just spark that, and send you off on crazy experiments. But of course, trying to go for everything can take a very long time, and the tipping point of boredom can then work against you – passing the peak of a good idea and travelling up your own arse! I give you Dan Miller trying to create the best electronic bass drum sound the world has ever heard – for 3 days in Berlin during Black Celebration. It ended up sounding like a click. We had to have a word 🙂

In short, I don’t set any rules really – I would use AI technology as well as performance, electronics, sampling, digital processing, anything and everything if appropriate to the ideas/songs.

Memorabilia and the Past

DV: Your remaining synths and studio gear were carefully stored along with your cd and vinyl collection (now sold on), memorabilia, tour programmes and historically interesting things like master tapes and even the Everything Counts melodica. And as far as we could tell all was in excellent condition.

Is there a chance this equipment and other rarities may be available in another auction?

AW: Bit of a leading question as you well know, since we have discussed this privately. I have been in the process of trying to move house recently, which has meant a further (willing) scaling down of possessions. As you say, I recently let go of my entire vinyl and CD collection. I retained listening digital copies of all the music from them of course. While packing boxes, everything from my attic was brought down and ‘re-discovered’. Many interesting items were found – old multitrack tapes which I had lost, sample disks from ancient formats, lots of bits of gear and memorabilia. If I get around to it, I would like to hold a second auction to pass on some of this stuff – takes a lot of organising and cataloguing. As I said about the vinyl – you can’t take it with you. And as I get older, I want less and less clutter around me. My important memories are either in my head (while the brain still functions!) or on my laptop.

On an aside, in recent years, I have been fascinated by ancestral research – have become quietly addicted to the sleuthing aspects of research. It really is detective work essentially. I have got quite skilled, through trial and error, in learning how to prod the search algorithms of the various online resources, in order to maximise results. I am constantly amazed how a few ancient records can elicit heartstring stories, both tragic and uplifting, from people who have long since left us, how they can evoke an unexpected strong emotional response. Piecing together an accurate picture of a past set of connected lives is strangely reminiscent of constructing a jigsaw of an album. I find there are parallels in the process where you need to think outside the box, try an idea or two, in order to find what you’re looking for. One thing leads to another, you know. The pleasure of enlightening family members to their unknown family history has been surprisingly fulfilling.

Anyway, my family history was of no interest to me when I was younger, but now I’m in my 60s approaching the twilight of my existence, I am deeply absorbed by it.

The Devout

DV: You recently made some very positive comments about The Devout. We have specific techniques and changes we make to bring sonic consistency across different songs and venues . But for us it’s still as much about the production revealing the song, our stagecraft and sonic accuracy as it is about the actual performance.

AW: I think your band is remarkable and I urge anyone to go and see The Devout perform. I am supremely impressed at the lengths you go to not just replicate but honour what I would consider the most creative period of DM (I would say that wouldn’t I? 😉 ), focusing on what many consider the real classic period of the band and the most innovative period sonically. I know the measures you take to to be as authentic in that department as you possibly can, to give people what they really want, what they are most nostalgic about.

Entertaining Accuracy

DV: Being instrumental in those dark, thumping shows through to the pulsating and visually rich, high production tours, what do you feel is the most important element for an authentic and entertaining tribute show?

AW: Well, I guess it is the sum of all the parts, with no stone left unturned. Creating a fully immersive DM experience which is 100% focused on the songs the majority want to hear, without any indulgence to your own whims. This is key I think.

Obviously, getting the sounds right goes without saying. In combination with the films and visuals, the shows have a very powerful effect and leave people ecstatic, I’m sure. Many cannot afford, or cannot obtain, tickets for the big tours which DM embark on these days. Understandably, Dave and Martin’s focus has to cover 45 years of material, so not everyone will get to hear the songs they want to. The Devout are acutely aware of that and focus on the real classics that the majority want to immerse themselves in.

So go see them people!!

Recoil… You never know

DV: Recoil’s darkness, texture and dynamics is of interest to music producers inspired by your era in Depeche Mode. I (Keith) was lucky enough to look after the machines from Thin Red Line. After Andy Mitchell at EMU Sampler Spares, recently recommissioned one machine, we converted the Recoil multi tracks for Bloodline and Unsound Methods on to a modern DAW format.

The tracks include separate careful percussion layers, sequences, textures and vocals including additional vocals from Doug McCarthy.

Question – With the recovery of these original recordings, have you and PK considered reworking the tracks?

AW: Another leading question. I make absolutely no promises, but I have been thinking, just possibly, of remixing some earlier works or reworking something in a very different way. But this may not happen at all. Some people will be aware that we re-mastered and re-released three Recoil albums not so long ago, and a plan is afoot to also re-release ‘Bloodline’ and maybe other earlier work. Mute has been talking about it for ages, but it still hasn’t been scheduled in definitively.

Andy Mitchell is some sort of genius as he managed, as you say, to fully bring back to life one of my old Akai DR1200 digital multitrack machines and extract the data from master tapes which I found in my loft last summer. These included the ‘Bloodline’ album, some parts of ‘Unsound Methods’, and one or two other bits and pieces like the original recordering of DM’s ‘Death’s Door’ which I did at my home back whenever it was. We even found a demo of it on the tape which I’m not sure anyone has ever heard.

Anyway, please don’t hold your breath for any Recoil re-releases. But, you never know…

Death’s Door

DV: Along with the Recoil multitracks was the Death’s Door multitrack, with separate Gore harmonies. The tapes even included a previous multitrack version of Deaths Door with unheard Martin vocal takes.

What can you remember of the process of how the song went from a demo to the finished production for “Until the end of the World”?

AW: I just remember we were asked by Wim Wenders (the film’s director) if we might have an exclusive song to contribute to the film. We were told there were a few other interesting artists contributing to the soundtrack – like Nick Cave – and it was suggested that we might record something specifically. My memory is not strong on this, but I reckon the others were a bit non-plussed by the idea; however, Martin must have said “I’ve got this spare song, but I don’t really know what to do with it” or something along those lines – so I said, I’ll try to put something together at home. And the end result of that is what was submitted. I played the version to Martin, and he recorded his vocals to it – or maybe he did the vocals first, and I created the version around the voice. I just can’t quite recall the sequence of events. I do know it was all recorded at 173 Walm Lane in Cricklewood, where I was living at the time. I had a 16-track set-up there, with a few samplers and synths. I’ve got a feeling I may have sequenced the whole thing in the Emulator 111, but again, my memory may be playing tricks. I know I used some out-take samples from session player Nils Tuxen (thanks CHAT for reminding me of his name), who had played pedal steel on the ‘Violator’ album. There’s a bit of Twin Peaks Lynch – R.I.P David 🙁 in there as well.

If You Want and Black Celebration

DV: The explosive break after the first verse of “If You Want” always enamoured me. I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into it and even after a lifetime of deconstructing and reconstructing tracks was amazed to find a very quiet, basic sound extra synth line, playing 3rds and 5ths of the main riff (that Martin played live on a DX7). You can barely hear it but if it’s taken out the riff disintegrates.

How common was this kind of technique, filling out synth breaks ? Can you think of any other examples?

AW: Now you’re asking. If it’s the break I’m thinking of, the bell-like sound (+delay) is a synclavier synthesised sound (not DX7) – probably manipulated by Dan Miller, then combined with an orchestral sample at the front for the dynamic hit element. I could be wrong, but I’d guess that sample was what we would have called the ‘Carmina stab’ or ‘Carl stab’ (sampled from ‘Carmina Burana’, composer Carl Orff). Going back to my earlier answer, when this digital technology came about, we were obsessed with ‘combination sounds’ – and the synclavier allowed you to layer synthesised and sampled sounds on top of each other – this is back in 1983/4 and was innovative at the time technologically. We did this kind of thing often to try to create huge BD drums, snares, bass parts, riffs – you name it. And once we had piled 3-4 different sounds on top of each other – all for one musical part – we may well have sampled off the entire mixture again, together with some painstakingly complicated reverb which had been sent into another studio and back, either for ease of mixing or for use later in a live context. Complicated? You bet! But that is how DM managed to sound so unique.

There are endless examples of this, particularly in that Berlin period from ‘Construction’ through to ‘Black Celebration’. I think Daniel, Gareth and I really thought we were breaking new ground at the time.

Basildon

DV: In a recent BBC interview, Deb Danahay and Barclay were at the front of renewed calls for DM to be at least recognised by Basildon council. Especially given how much electronic music came from there.

Even though you’re not a Basildon boy, do you think it would be nice for youngsters from the area to know about the towns musical heritage?

AW: That would be cool – personally I don’t have much affinity with Basildon – it’s an odd place and a bit baffling that electronic music should be associated with it. Although maybe not. Perhaps it’s the dystopian Ballard-esque feeling the place promotes that inspires bleak synthesis (‘Underpass’, ‘Burning Car’). My recollections of infrequent visits to the town are indelibly imprinted and I was quite happy to leave again, frankly. However, any cultural nods to specific geography are quite fascinating, in fact. Sheffield, for example, seems to have a particular musical heritage for electronic music – also not quite sure why:)

Modern Production

DV: You wrote an article for sideline magazine about the loudness war and the loss of dynamics as industry giants push for their tracks to stand out above the competition. Some production schools now teach production in reverse, making sure producers understand the mastering process first, baking dynamics into recordings.

What advice would you give electronic music producers today to produce music that will retain its groove and dynamics?

AW: I was thinking about that the other day, and whether that article has any relevance today. It was written in 2008, so we are approaching 20 years on. How has the industry changed in that time? And how do musicians and record companies approach things these days compared to then? Perhaps there is even more cynicism these days – not many actual bands around anymore. The likes of Spotify and others coming in to squeeze the artists, Brexit sticking the kibosh on touring for all but the elite. In fact, touring (with the enormous ticket pricing) being the way artists focus on making money now that record sales have all but disappeared. Artists bailing out and selling their catalogues to big corporations before AI comes and kills everyone. It’s tough out there. I was very lucky in that the ’80s/early 90s were peak times for record sales. I look back, mainly, with great fondness for the period I was in DM – particularly touring around the world and having enormous fun, but also the more creative studio times we have been talking about.

In respect of modern producers, many know what they are doing with dynamics and space, but I don’t hear ’that’ many artists really pushing sonic boundaries – but that was probably always the case.

The Joke

DV: As you know, Reza’s 15 year stint in Killing Joke brought him very close to Geordie Walker. We were together as a band when Reza got a phone call saying Geordie was seriously ill. He was desperately upset. Reza was very moved when you messaged him expressing your sorrow at losing his mate.

What was your best memory of Geordie?

AW: I didn’t really know Geordie personally – he always seemed quiet (hungover?) when I met him, which was contrary to the wild reputation the band had. We first came across KJ at Hansa Studios, where they ‘christened’ Studio 2’s beautiful Neve console by blasting a powder fire extinguisher all over it on the first night, after an excursion apparently to some local Berlin bars. They were there to begin recording their ‘Night Time’ album produced by Chris Kimsey. They said they wanted to exterminate all the other bollocks that had been recorded through the desk! Their production had to be delayed a few days while Gareth Jones and the Hansa assistants stripped out and cleaned the precious Neve. Gareth was not impressed.

At the time, we were mixing up in Studio 4 at the top of the building. I met Jaz and other members a few times in the Hansa bar – Jaz was scary but weirdly friendly with it – manic with those staring eyes, you know. Anyway, my overriding memory (and I can speak here for Dan Miller too) was overhearing Geordie record his ‘Love Like Blood’ guitar parts down in the ambient hallway of Studio 2 through what sounded like a stack of guitar amps and a PA, smothered in chorus and delays. The sound was absolutely immense and went on for an hour or two. Later that night, the whole band – unannounced – suddenly piled into our mix room just as we were carefully balancing the end section of ‘Blasphemous Rumours’, and said “turn that shit off, we want to play you THIS!” They put on a raw rough mix tape of the backing track for ‘Love Like Blood’ – just drums, bass, and guitars. Volume up at 11, and like an excited child, Jaz shouted “it’s the best thing we’ve ever done!” (and it probably was). We were all blown away as it did sound really exciting, right in your face. A definite hit record. That’s a great memory. I’ve bumped into Jaz a couple of times since – he did a bit of work with Nitzer Ebb – R.I.P Douglas :-(. Also met Youth later, another charming fellow.

The Devout would like give sincere thanks to Alan for his time, insight and invaluable assitance. We are beyond grateful for his unwavering support.

With special thanks to Andrew & Karen Mitchell (andy@emusamplerspares.com), Czeslaw Majorek, Steve Adam & Glen Wisbey

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