Hot Press reports that Ben Hillier is returning to produce yet another album with Depeche Mode.

The last paragraph of the Hot Press article mentions, “Ben is about to head to the USA to embark on his third album with Depeche Mode in 2012, which will see him again work closely with Martin Gore, Dave Gahan and Andrew Fletcher.”

You can read the Hot Press article here.

Depeche Mode fan site ‘Home’ reports that Martin Gore, in an interview in German music magazine ‘Sonic Seducer’, revealed the new Depeche Mode record will be out no later than early 2013. The schedule is in sync with earlier statements from Andrew Fletcher, who’s previously said the band was due in the studio in March 2012, and would release an album a year after that.

Also, in an interview with German radio station ‘1Live’, Martin confirmed the January band meeting in Santa Barbara, and also mentioned the early 2013 new Depeche Mode album release.

EP2/Single Blip – from Vince Clarke and Martin L. Gore’s highly anticipated collaboration, VCMG – rears its head on 27 February 2012, with remixes from Byetone and Mathew Jonson.

A pounding motorik beat heralds the start of this minimal electronic tour de force. With primal drums and puckering bleeps, it’s an industrial battle cry of the darkest proportions, setting teeth on edge with nails-across-blackboard screeching, ominous synths and spiraling rhythms.

EP2/Single Blip remixes come courtesy of sparce electronic artist Byetone, aka Berliner Olaf Bender, co-founder and the man responsible for the iconic design output at Raster-Noton. His 2011 album Symeta featured in Fact and The Quietus’ end of year polls, and previous remix credits inc Modeselektor and eLan.

VCMG EP2 ‘Single Blip’

EP2/Single Blip Tracklisting:
Single Blip
Single Blip – Byetone remix
Single Blip – Mathew Jonson remix

Alongside is a remix from Mathew Jonson, co-founder of Wagon Repair label and one-quarter of electronic improvisers Cobblestone Jazz. Canadian born Jonson has previously remixed the likes of Plastikman, Tiga and Chemical Brothers to great acclaim.

‘SSSS’ – the debut album by VCMG – is out on 12 March 2012 and boasts ten tracks of the same Teutonic turn-ons. Written and produced by Clarke and Gore, the album was mixed by Timothy “Q” Wiles and recorded and engineered by Sie Medway Smith and Clarke.

Mastered by Stefan Betke (aka Pole), the album demonstrates Clarke and Gore’s shared love of electronic music and marks the arrival proper of this enigmatic duo who have teamed up again after thirty years.

Speaking to MOJO this month, Clarke says the collaborative process was “really about exchanging colours… like two people doing a painting in a different room,” and Gore confessed his preference for “anything that’s a bit darker…with a driving rhythm.”

Vince Clarke & Martin Gore Release ‘Ssss’ On March 12, 2012

VCMG – Vince Clarke’s techno project with his former Depeche Mode bandmate, Martin L. Gore – has announced that their debut album will be called ‘Ssss’ and will be released on March 12th.

The duo will also follow the project’s first release – December’s EP1/Spock – with a second EP entitled EP2/Single Blip, again via download and on 12″ vinyl. More details of that soon…

VCMG release one of 2012’s most anticipated musical collaborations with the album ‘Ssss’, out on Mute on 12 March 2012.

It marks the long awaited reunion of electronic pioneers Vince Clarke (Erasure/ Yazoo/ Depeche Mode) and Martin L. Gore (Depeche Mode), who have joined forces for the first time in over thirty years to craft a 10-track album which demonstrates their mutual love of electronic music.

After initial tentative discussions, and a meeting at Short Circuit presents Mute festival in London, where they both performed, these two influential musicians and songwriters worked in a typically unique way. Clarke and Gore worked alone in their respective studios, communicating only via email and exchanging files until the album was ready. The album includes the recent 12” EP1 / Spock, described by The Quietus as “one of the best tracks of 2011”, plus the forthcoming EP 2 / Single Blip.

‘Ssss’, written and produced by Vince Clarke and Martin L. Gore, was mixed by Timothy “Q” Wiles, recorded and engineered by Sie Medway Smith and Vince Clarke and mastered by Stefan Betke (aka Pole).

Full remix details for EP2 / Single Blip, the follow up to EP1 / Spock – out now on 12” / download and featuring remixes by Edit-Select, Regis, DVS1 and XOQ – will follow.

Ssss Tracklisting: STUMM441
Lowly
Zaat
Spock
Windup Robot
Bendy Bass
Single Blip
Skip This Track
Aftermaths
Recycle
Flux

“Fusing stripped down percussion, Teutonic precision and dank, brutal walls of rhythmic noise, “highly anticipated” is not even close.” – Electronic Beats

“aimed squarely at the wee small hours of the club” – Fact

Depechemode.de is reporting that Fletch is currently in Santa Barbara this week, and it seems that the reports about a band meeting are true. Reports talk about a number of demos (close to 20) and a meeting to discuss the band’s future plans and producer.

The news that depechemode.de is reporting is based on a twitter message by Andy’s wife Grainne. The Fletchers are planning to stay in California for a couple weeks.

Below Grainne’s tweet:

First morning in LA hanging with my BBF for a few days! Hubby went ahead to Santa Barbara last night. Time for a hike now I think.

— Grainne Fletcher (@GrainneFletcher) Januar 8, 2012