Depeche Mode – Heaven

I actually completely disagree with the above comments on the 12” version. I’m not a primary Depeche Mode fan but bought the 12” due to having knowledge of most of the remixers. I think people are forgetting that by giving the track to these type of artists to work on, that these are supposed to be experimental remixes. Of course Blawan isn’t going to produce an easy listening track that contains a vast majority of the original; he’s going to produce a deep, dark, dirty dub-techno version with just a ing nod to the original, and it sounds fucking great. Likewise for the other remixers (the Owlle remix for me is actually the least strong as doesn’t push the boundaries anywhere near as much as the others). The funniest thing here is that people are moaning that they don’t like the original track, but also moaning when DM call on some really exciting artists to develop it with free reign.
Very much worth buying.

I fully agree with the above. The Owlle remix is a great dance track (!) and the Steps to heaven remix is version I do find quite intriguing (dub, very few vocals here). The other two are kind of fillers, especially in their dub/instrumental 7-minute forms. At least the achemy of the vocal duet is not wasted by the shorter, awful versions found on the CD versions. As for the cover with the blue dying pine trees , I think it's a great job from Anton Corbijn as usual. Note that side A is supposed to be played at 45 rpm according to the label on the disc... an arresting experience indeed when you realise... it sounds wrong! The whole record is 33 rpm. The faster, the better? 🤔

So-So remixes of a so-so song. I’ll never know why this was released as first single off Delta Machine when there’s a song like Broken on the album. Get Flood to remix that for a single release à la Freelove and I reckon that would be a much better single.
Anyway, the 4 remixes on this are nothing to get excited about. The Blawan Dub is just 30 minutes of a bass drum and random vocal samples. Could be anything. I’m not sure who a mix like this is aimed at. It’s a club type mix but do DM get played in clubs these days ? If they do, I can’t imagine the DJ sticking this on his deck. Not unless it’s closing time and he wants to empty the club.
The Owlie Mix is the best of the 4. At least the song is left intact. I’m not convinced that speeding up a track like Heaven really works. What next ? The Skrillex mix of Somebody ?? If I was remixing this I wouldn’t have the vocal so distant and so smothered in reverb. The end result is ok. Bit Scissor Sisters 🫤
The other 2 remixes I suspect are there to fill up the vinyl.
Buy if you see it cheap
Like £3.00 cheap.

One star for the “music”
One for the sleeve