MODE UNKNOWN

Condemnation

Praying hands crumble into dust while a crimson thread holds.
Original MODE UNKNOWN artwork

Songs of Faith and Devotion · 1993

Condemnation

The hands begin to crumble. The feeling holds.

Praying hands crumble into dust while a crimson thread holds.

Start listening closer ↓

Inside the release

The single's live tracks were recorded at the Forum in Milan in 1993. Its UK promotional seven-inch has a large centre hole, an unusual detail that the official archive notes has led some collectors to call it a jukebox issue.

Release details in the official Depeche Mode archive ↗

Listen closer

Listen to the grain and pressure of the vocal. Let the pauses register as part of the performance; the emotional force does not depend on the track filling every available space.

Another way in

Hear the studio recording beside a live performance. Focus on breath, emphasis and the surrounding voices, and notice where the performance makes you wait.