VCMG SSSS ALBUM MUTE RELEASE: MARCH 12, 2012 REVIEW: MARCH 29, 2012

VCMG you may not recognise, but should I extend those letters I think you might – Vince Clarke and Martin Gore. The two have reformed after more or less thirty years since they first worked together in Depeche Mode, to create something altogether more... well, electronica. Not that much different you may think, but the proof is in the listening, not the speculating.

First, it has "Lowly", which comes at you quite like the painted snakes of the cover art, prowling stealthily into view before striking, in a very dirty techno kind of way. It is perhaps interesting to note that these tracks don't sound like either of the musicians’ previous output, which does help you to listen to them without any preconceptions.

Some of the sounds here actually seem more reminiscent of early Warp tracks – "Zeat" being one Tricky Disco may have been proud to call their own. First single "Spock" is actually more reminiscent of a place – Berlin, especially a particular club named Berghain, where this track I have no doubt would go down a storm. As for the rest? Well, they vary on a theme – "Single Blip" is very upfront and sassy, and probably my favourite of the whole set, while you have to tip your hat to "Windup Robot" – it's just lovely.

All of the tracks came as the product of sending via email files – well you didn't expect it to be a conventional partnership, did you? So what amazes is the fluidity in the tracks, something that can only come from having an implicit knowledge of how the other works, plus a desire to keep pushing that creative envelope.

There aren't really any duff tracks to be honest, although "Aftermaths" makes me gnash my teeth in a slightly irritated way – must be that insistent synth lead.

With musicians of this calibre and experience you wouldn't be very surprised if they decided to go off into self-indulgent mode and play 10 minute synth bends over backwards recorded tracks, but thankfully they go in absolutely the other direction, making quite sparse, industrial electronica tracks, and the album is all the better for it. Won't be in my "albums of the year" I doubt, but a thoroughly enjoyable listen, and a long overdue "kind of, sort of" reunion to boot.

MIKE WHYTE