Keyboardists Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher had formed a new romantic band in the Basildon area of London in '76 called No Romance In China, which evolved into Composition of Sound by '79 when guitarist/keyboardist Martin Gore joined. The addition of singer David Gahan in '80 completed the lineup and the group's name was changed to Depeche Mode ("fast fashion" in French).

The group's key move was to forsake all non-electronic instruments. They attracted a large following around the clubs of London drawn to their snappy dance beats and Clarke's insistent, memorable melodies. Miller saw Depeche live and signed them to Mute.

Their first single was "Dreaming of Me," its proudly artificial opening beat, and two-note Close Encounters synth beacon signaling the creation of technopop. The song's jaunty, mid-tempo tune is conveyed by Gahan's earnest Ringo-meets-Eno vocals, a plinking keyboard line, and supported by whizzing synth washes and cheerful harmonies.

A near-giddy cheerfulness underpins the whole affair. "Dreaming" reached the middle of the U.K. charts in spring '81, followed almost immediately by a second single. "New Life" jumps out of the box much more quickly, rushing at the listener with the urgency - cleverly augmented by a circumambulatory synth line - of "Complicating, circulating, new life," generating an image of greenish plasma coursing through incipient veins. "Life" shot to No. 11 in the U.K., the first of a remarkable 24 consecutive Top 30 hits in the U.K. for the band.

The third single, "Just Can't Get Enough," was an even bigger hit, breaking the band in the U.S. where the song received ubiquitous airplay on modern rock stations like L.A.'s KROQ. An irresistible, bubbling synth line bounces in, joined by a synth bass, offset by an almost ska-like fricative on the upbeat, as Gahan sings Clarke's most enduring melody. A sunny classic.

On the strength of the three singles and a general melodic consistency, the album Speak and Spell hit No. 10 in the U.K. and charted in the U.S. Miller was suddenly a hit producer and Mute was the home of a new genre.

Then suddenly Clarke left Depeche to form Yazoo (now called Yaz) with singer Alison Moyet. The first Yazoo album, Upstairs At Eric's (as in Radcliffe) is another technopop landmark, showcasing Clarke's melodies and Moyet's dramatic, statuesque alto. Rising to No. 2 U.K. by mid-'82, Clarke's success with Yazoo seemed to indicate that he had taken Depeche Mode's future with him.

Produced by Miller, Radcliffe and Clarke, Eric's is highlighted by the brilliant synth-ballad "Only You" and two dance classics: the throbbing "Don't Go" - with Moyet wailing soul diva-style - and the shimmering, squirming "Situation." Yazoo would do one more album together, the self-produced You and Me Both, before Moyet went solo and Clarke formed Erasure with the Moyet sound-alike Andy Bell.

In spite of general assumptions as to its imminent demise, Depeche carried on with Gore taking over the writing duties and Alan Wilder replacing Clarke on synths. Despite three more hit singles, A Broken Frame feels like a place-keeping effort, with Gore feeling around for his own voice, yet not wanting to stray too far from Clarke's successful sound.