Depeche Mode fan recalls “crazy” tribute album idea

Ilja Judeikin, who produced and released Estonia’s Depeche Mode tribute album No Hidden Catch 25 years ago, told ERR’s Vikerraadio that the project initially seemed like a crazy idea but was warmly received by the band’s fans.

The anniversary of the album’s release falls in August. According to contemporary international publications, the compilation achieved its goal of making the cover versions sound as different as possible from the originals.

Judeikin said he wanted the songs to be highly varied and performed by Estonian alternative bands. He contacted the groups himself, and all but one agreed to take part.

“It was surprising because at the time I was completely unknown in music circles, a man from the woods,” Judeikin recalled.

His interest in Depeche Mode began at school in the 1980s, when an acquaintance brought a cassette player containing the band’s music. Judeikin later began researching the group and writing down its lyrics in notebooks.

He has also met the band in connection with his work. His first meeting with Depeche Mode took place in Riga, before he began working for a concert company. As a young fan, he said, getting a photograph and an autograph was a huge experience. He was later involved in organising a Depeche Mode concert in Estonia.

“Stars are ordinary people just like us. Touring is not easy; it is very hard work,” Judeikin said, noting that tours can last one or two years and keep performers away from home.

The album features Estonian artists performing their own versions of songs by the British cult band. Judeikin said fans received it warmly and that all the participating bands were pleased. He added that some fans regarded Depeche Mode as a “holy cow”, while the only people who complained about the album were Estonian music critics.

Judeikin said a new anniversary would arrive in five years and that the album might eventually receive a sequel.