Producer and composer Kurt Uenala noticed over the years one of Depeche Mode frontman David Gahan’s rituals of jotting down words in a notebook. He wondered what Gahan had written down but never really inquired. That is until one day while checking in with the singer during lockdown Uenala asked and Gahan revealed that the notes were thoughts, feelings and observations he had no intention of sharing with anyone. That set in motion a project for which Gahan sent Uenala a recording of him reciting lines from one of those notebooks and in the studio the producer set up a synth to react to input in the timbre of Gahan’s voice whether the actual voice or background noise. The ultimate result of which was a series of recordings that have been assembled as the Manuscript EP. The track “G.O.D.” sounds darkly mysterious with a generative wave of distorted, lingering swells with Gahan sounding desolated and echoing slightly in the mix, ragged and as though he has exhausted any desperation or despair and merely looking for any signs from a caring universe and perhaps finding none. Sweeps of white noise in a haze of tone washes away those existential moments leaving the question unresolved yet not without an acceptance that one may never get the answer. It’s a little like a tone poem but also a melding of ambient music and spare, soul rippling poetry and honestly one of the most fascinating pieces of music with which Gahan and at this point long time collaborator Uenala have produced. Listen to “G.O.D.” on YouTube and follow Kurt Uenala at the links below.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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