auction.recoil.co.uk omegaauctions.co.uk COLLECTED THE ALAN WILDER/DEPECHE MODE HISTORIC EQUIPMENT, VINYL & MEMORABILIA AUCTION Saturday 3rd September 2011 COLLECTED THE ALAN WILDER/DEPECHE MODE HISTORIC EQUIPMENT, VINYL & MEMORABILIA AUCTION Saturday 3rd September 2011 at 3.00pm Zion Arts Centre, 335 Stretford Road, Hulme, Manchester, M15 5ZA ON VIEW Friday 2nd September 11.00am - 8.00pm Saturday 3rd September 10.00am - 2.45pm Catalogue £5.00 Omega Auctions Telephone: +44 161 865 0838 Email: [email protected] www.omegaauctions.co.uk HISTORY - ALAN WILDER FOREWORD After classical training from an early age, Alan Wild- “Since those heady DM years, I have concentrated fully on my once side project Recoil (which originated in er’s career in music began at the age of 16 when he 1986). The most significant work has evolved since 1996. Free from former commitments, I began operating secured the position of studio assistant at DJM Studi- from my own studio, ‘The Thin Line’, and at my own pace, gradually piecing together what would become the os in London’s West End. Following 3 years of moder- ‘Unsound Methods’, ‘Liquid’ and ‘subHuman’ albums. Over the course of the last 12 years I have been ably ac- ate success in a variety of different bands, he joined companied by Paul Kendall who brings his idiosyncratic view to the whole procedure. Depeche Mode in 1981 after replying to an advert in Melody Maker. The recent ‘Selected’ collection is made up of my personal favourites, remastered and edited together into what I consider a cohesive and total listening experience. The idea to take the project out on the road evolved Depeche Mode’s trademark sound has earned them as we started discussing promotion and I realised that I wanted to do something more challenging this time. worldwide success and been credited by industry and The events were not so much ‘live’ band but more art installation. Paul and I just extended what we do in the media alike as a prominent and distinctive influence studio into the live setting where we add spontaneous effects and extra parts to a pre-prepared bedrock. For ‘A on the development of the electronic and dance mu- Strange Hour’, I turned to various filmmakers from as far as Russia, via the Czech Republic and Hungary, all the sic movements. Alan Wilder’s training and studio ex- way to Argentina. We worked very fast, and in the modern way, by creating a central server where everybody perience made him a vital player in this success and could upload their work for others to see, react to and feedback on. This for me typifies the whole essence his mantle as DM’s ‘musical director’ has long been of what Recoil is all about - a collective but with a focused direction - and a very thrilling process it was too, acknowledged throughout the music industry. watching and hearing it all come together from our base in the UK. We spent most of 2010 bringing Recoil to a worldwide live audience for the very first time. The band’s steady rise from synth pop ‘teeny bop- pers’ to chart-topping stadium act was dramatically One of my new year’s resolutions for 2011 was to start streamlining my set-up at The Thin Line Studios. My demonstrated in 1989 with their sell-out ‘Concert For needs have altered a bit since laptops, soft synths and plug-ins have come to the fore, and even though I’m The Masses’ show to 80,000 people at The Rosebowl stadium in Pasadena (the culmination of a 101- date world emotionally attached, passing on some vintage gear and historical items seemed like a good way to start. Since tour) and their popularity further elevated the following year, when approximately 20,000 fans attempted to my teenage years I’ve been an avid collector of interesting and unique musical instruments, including a ‘Stein- gain entrance to Wherehouse Records in Los Angeles to see their heroes sign copies of the new record ‘Violator’. way’ Grand piano, vintage keyboards, synthesisers such as the ‘Mini-moog’, ‘Arp Odyssey’, a ‘Wurlitzer’ electric A riot spilled out onto the streets and the LAPD, who were called out in full force, described the incident (which piano, plus ‘Manley’ valve amps, valve-driven ‘Telefunken’ amps and a ‘Manley’ limiter/compressor. There is one made news worldwide) as comparable to a presidential visit. very special guitar and various ‘Emulators’ which were featured during the Mode tours, and I even have my old stage clothing, touring wardrobe, the ‘Devotional’ drum kit, drumming extras and other artefacts available. The Mode embarked on their most adventurous tour to date in 1993, enduring a gruelling 15 months on the road to promote their 8th studio album ‘Songs Of Faith And Devotion’. Following this globally successful outing I also decided that, since I was having a clear out, why not include some extra memorabilia and pass on some and well-publicised problems within the internal workings of the band, Alan Wilder decided to leave Depeche of the stuff I have collected over the years – the additional memorabilia such as Gold & Platinum award discs, Mode in 1995. leather clothing, rare acetates & test pressings, artwork, posters and tour merchandise covers my entire musi- cal career, focusing mainly on the years between 1982 & 1995. I found it an evocative and cathartic experience to sift through all the collectables - the actual sorting and cataloguing process brought back great memories and I was able to re-live some key moments which I had inevitably forgotten about, reminding me of how lucky I have been to have enjoyed such a career, doing some- thing I’m passionate about. My team and I spent weeks scouring the web, my own archives, photographs and diary entries, plus anything else we could find to make the descriptions as detailed and accurate as possible. Many items are very collectable and hold special value having been used extensively in the recording sessions for classic Depeche Mode and Recoil albums, as well as live performances on the ‘Black Celebration’, ‘Music For The Masses’, ‘World Violation’ and ‘Devotional’ tours. Finally, I have managed to forge a great relationship with Omega in order to create an all-inclusive fan-friendly event, incorporating a film presentation (‘Alan Wilder - Collected’) about the fascinating history of everything in the sale, a workshop and Q&A session with myself & Paul Kendall, plus some other surprises. I hope you’ll agree that this all makes for something quite unique. I think you will enjoy what’s on offer and good luck with your bidding! AUCTION INFORMATION Lot Description 1 MISC EQUIPMENT - Akai ME30P Midi programmable patch bay - Serial number: 10850-00912. In very good condition, fully functional. Includes power supply cable. See www.auction.recoil.co.uk for further details. Estimate £80 - £120 3 MISC EQUIPMENT - Akai ME35T Audio/Midi trigger unit - Serial number: 41150-00970. In very good condition, fully functional. Entrance to the viewing gallery/auction room at the Zion Arts Centre requires registration and an official cata- See www.auction.recoil.co.uk for further details. Estimate £60 - £100 logue (cost £5). Each registered bidder may bring a guest. Guests will not be able to bid unless registering in 4 MISC EQUIPMENT - Akai ME35T Audio/Midi trigger unit - Serial number: 41150-00953. In very good condition, fully functional. their own right. Please note that guests will also require an official catalogue. See www.auction.recoil.co.uk for further details. Estimate £60 - £100 5 MISC EQUIPMENT - Akai ME35T Audio/Midi trigger unit - Serial number: 41150-00949. In very good condition, fully functional. See www.auction.recoil.co.uk for further details. Estimate £60 - £100 6 SAMPLER - Akai S-612 Digital sampler & Akai MD-280 Disc drive - Sampler serial number: 00650-20884. Condition: function- How to bid: al (samples and plays back). Includes set of 20-30 factory, self-made sample discs & power supply cable. In production 1985-86. Disk drive serial number: 01120-00210. Condition: good, a few scratches/marks. The drive powers up but doesn't always load prop- erly. Ideally main drive band for spindle needs replacement. In production 1985-86. See www.auction.recoil.co.uk for further details. In person Alan's comments: “This is a period piece and has value as a novelty collector’s item. I can remember sitting with Daniel Miller in the mid- 80s fiddling with it and feeling both bemused and excited by how quickly we could truncate and loop a sound to create immediate unusual You can bid in person on Saturday 3rd September at the Zion Arts Centre but will need to be registered. We effects, the kind we hadn’t heard before when using a sample as a source. It’s low-fi quality gave it an other-worldly quality. The discs recommend that you pre-register in advance in order to confirm your place. Once registered, you will be issued which I have thrown in include quite a few factory supplied samples as well as some home made sounds.” Estimate £100 - £150 7 SAMPLER - Akai S1000 Digital sampler - Serial number: 89255-00233. In very good condition, fully functional. Includes Version 2.0 with a bidding number. Entrance to the viewing gallery/auction room will require a bidder number and an official software disc, operation manual & power supply cable. Dates produced: 1988-1993. See www.auction.recoil.co.uk for further details. catalogue (cost £5). Alan's comments: “The entire Akai sampler range, starting with the S1000 and then S1100 and S3000 was used extensively on DM and Recoil albums.