Dave Gahan 'Hourglass' 2007

DAVE GAHAN SET TO RELEASE 'HOURGLASS,'

HIS SECOND SOLO ALBUM, IN LATE OCTOBER

Depeche Mode front man DAVE GAHAN will release his second solo album - HOURGLASS - in late October (exact date to be announced). The Mute release is the follow-up to his 2003 solo album Paper Monsters, which marked his debut as a full-fledged songwriter. The disc earned critical acclaim worldwide (with Q magazine citing it as one of the Top 50 Albums of the Year) and spawned sold-out solo tours of the U.S. and Europe (as captured on the 2004 live DVD release Live Monsters).

Gahan's growth as a songwriter was represented on Depeche Mode's 2005 album Playing The Angel, the group's first album to feature Gahan originals; his three contributions included the single "Suffer Well." A two million worldwide seller that vaulted to Number #1 in eighteen countries, the album was accompanied by a 2005-2006 international tour reaching 2.5 million people across 30 countries.

While Depeche Mode is catching their breath, GAHAN recently returned to the studio to record an array of songs that would become HOURGLASS. Created without the pressure of a deadline, GAHAN wrote and produced all the songs in collaboration with Christian Eigner (drums) and Andrew Phillpott (guitars) of the Depeche Mode touring band. They worked at Gahan's 11th Floor Studios in his adopted hometown of NYC where he's lived for the past 10 years. Tony Hoffer, known for his work with Beck, Air, the Kooks and the Fratellis, has been tapped to mix the album in July.

Gahan says HOURGLASS is more electronic-sounding than Paper Monsters, "but we were very aware of the importance of keeping urgency in the sound and a feeling of spontaneity. We didn't want to get bogged down in trying to make everything sound perfect. You want to keep the rough edges."

Gahan adds: "Christian plays drums and Andrew can easily find his way around bass and guitar - and then we're basically cutting all this stuff up and fucking with it by using ProTools, effects and all kinds of stuff. Accidents do happen, and they're good."

With its themes of racing against - and running out of - time, the songs on HOURGLASS dig deeper into Gahan's psyche. "I'm still that teenager who's desperately trying to grow up, but in total fear of it really happening," he says. The album's tracks include "Saw Something," "Use You," "Endless," "21 Days," "A Little Lie," "Deeper and Deeper," "Love Will Leave," "Down," "Miracles," "Tomorrow" and "Kingdom."

Dave Gahan's 'Hourglass'

Eagerly Awaited Second Solo LP

Released October 22nd, 2007 on Mute

First Single 'Kingdom', Released October 8th, 2007

The inimitable Dave Gahan makes a dynamic return on 22nd October with 'Hourglass' - his eagerly awaited second solo album. Best known as the iconic frontman of Depeche Mode, he continues his impressive career with a blazing new side-project, which follows his critically acclaimed solo debut 'Paper Monsters'.

Produced by Dave with Christian Eigner & Andrew Phillpott, both members of the Depeche Mode touring band, 'Hourglass' also reflects Gahan's growth as a songwriter. Initially showcased with 2003's 'Paper Monsters', he later wrote 3 stellar tracks for Depeche Mode's recent 2 million selling 'Playing The Angel' - 'I Want It All', 'Suffer Well' & 'Nothing's Impossible'.

Hourglass highlights include the gospel-tinged 'Saw Something', which kick-starts the album with stealth before effortlessly setting the tone for the other 9 tracks. "That was the catalyst that started the idea to write again," Dave recalls, adding that is was also "the first lyric, and the key to open the door to thinking, 'Okay, I can go here.'"

Other standout moments include the exhilarating, tour de force roar of 'Deeper and Deeper', the soaring epic first single 'Kingdom' (out on 8th October) and the addictive pull of 'Use You', where he scathingly lets loose his disgust with people, and specifically, himself. Meanwhile, on 'Down' - perhaps the most confessional song on the record - he confesses "I feel so old, down on the ground is where I'm bound to end up."

Sonically, the record cuts across a range of influences and styles with grace. Decidedly more electronic than his previous solo work, he has seamlessly swapped the guitar of 'Paper Monsters' for the synthesizer he epitomizes so well.

"It doesn't feel so much that the band is my identity anymore, although I owe everything to it. I'm starting to really feel that I have my own voice, and it's definitely coming out in the songs. For me, it's the best possible record I could make at this time. And it's gone well beyond what I expected of myself."

The track listing:

1. Saw Something

2. Kingdom

3. Deeper And Deeper

4. 21 Days

5. Miracles

6. Use You

7. Insoluble

8. Endless

9. A Little Lie

10. Down