With the release of DEPECHE MODE: M on DVD and Blu-ray — paired with the standalone live album MEMENTO MORI: MEXICO CITY — fans are being offered two distinct windows into Depeche Mode’s 2023 Mexico City performances. Though both draw from the same trio of concerts (September 21, 23, and 25), they function less as duplicates and more as complementary interpretations of the same emotional landscape. One is a cinematic meditation steeped in imagery and symbolism; the other a clean, sharply mixed capture of the band’s live power.
DEPECHE MODE: M — A Concert Film with a Pulse and a Philosophy
The film immediately distinguishes itself as something more ambitious than a straightforward live recording. Directed with an eye toward mood, theme, and cultural resonance, DEPECHE MODE: M blends onstage performances with a series of vignettes — some in Spanish, some in English — that explore motifs tied to the band’s 2023 studio album Memento Mori. True to its title (“remember that you must die”), the film leans heavily into the imagery and cultural traditions surrounding death, weaving in visual poetry that deepens the emotional meaning of the songs.
Unlike most modern concert films, M feels closer in spirit to the band’s own 101: not documentary so much as an atmosphere, a sense of place, and a portrait of a moment in the band’s evolution. The vignettes rarely interrupt; instead, they create connective tissue. One particularly memorable segment features a fan displaying video loops on vintage televisions — a quietly evocative touch that mirrors the album’s fixation on memory, mortality, and the artifacts we leave behind.
Visually, the film is striking: dark, cinematic, moody, and unmistakably suited to the tone of Memento Mori. The lighting design and stage projections sometimes feel like characters of their own, amplifying the tension and melancholy in tracks that might otherwise read as intimate or understated.
The band themselves — Dave Gahan and Martin Gore, supported by longtime touring members Peter Gordeno (keyboards, since 1998) and Christian Eigner (drums) — are captured with a mix of reverence and immediacy. The Mexico City crowds, famously passionate, become an integral force in the film. Their energy is palpable without ever overpowering the music.
One of the most powerful emotional beats arrives courtesy of the late Andrew Fletcher, whose image appears on the video screens to introduce a thunderous, cathartic performance of “Enjoy the Silence.” It’s a moment that bridges the band’s past and present — a reminder of what’s been lost and what still remains.
MEMENTO MORI: MEXICO CITY — The Complete Live Document
While the film reshapes the concert into a thematic arc, the live album presents the full, unbroken performance from the Mexico City run. The setlist is more faithful to the tour’s structure and includes far fewer “hits,” leaning instead into the depth of the Memento Mori material. The mix mirrors the film’s audio, but the experience feels different when heard without visuals: clearer, cleaner, and notably less dark.
The sound quality is superb. Dave Gahan’s vocals are captured with precision, Gore’s guitar and synth lines shimmer with clarity, and the crowd — loud, warm, and emotionally invested — is ever-present without overwhelming the performance. The mix achieves a rare balance: powerful but never muddy, atmospheric without sacrificing punch.
A standout moment is “World in My Eyes,” which takes on renewed resonance within the Memento Mori era. It’s contemplative but confident, benefiting from the band’s mature pacing and the chemistry between Gahan and Gore.
Without the film’s visuals, the live album offers a more straightforward emotional tone. It’s still reflective, still rooted in the gravity of Memento Mori, but it ultimately feels more like a celebration of the music than a meditation on its themes.
Two Perspectives, One Era
Together, these releases form a unified but multifaceted document of Depeche Mode’s post-pandemic, post-Fletcher chapter. DEPECHE MODE: M is the immersive, philosophical counterpart — an art piece that illuminates the emotional and cultural subtext of the songs. MEMENTO MORI: MEXICO CITY is the complete sonic experience — polished, expansive, and designed to be revisited.
For fans seeking narrative, atmosphere, and a sense of communion with the material, the film is essential. For those who want the full live performance, pristine audio, and a long-term listening experience, the album stands on its own as a strong entry in the band’s concert discography.
Together, they capture Depeche Mode not just performing, but reflecting — on their history, their future, and the themes that continue to define them.
Depeche Mode: M (Bluray, DVD and CD) and Depeche Mode: Memento Mori (CD, Vinyl and Cassette) can be pre-ordered via the band’s website (link).
Memento Mori: Mexico City
- Intro
- My Cosmos Is Mine
- Wagging Tongue
- Walking In My Shoes
- It’s No Good
- Sister Of Night
- In Your Room
- Everything Counts
- Precious
- Speak To Me
- Home
- Soul With Me
- Ghosts Again
- I Feel You
- A Pain That I’m Used To
- World In My Eyes
- Wrong
- Stripped
- John the Revelator
- Waiting for the Night
- Just Can’t Get Enough
- Never Let Me Down Again
- Personal Jesus
All products also include four bonus tracks from the Memento Mori Sessions:
- Survive
- Life 2.0
- Give Yourself To Me
- In The End