What with Depeche Mode's Martin Gore plunging deep into techno's murky waters with his VCMG project, it's a wonder he's found the time to work on new DM material. Still, according to Dave Gahan, their upcoming album is "definitely on track".

"We've probably got 20 songs demoed," the Depeche Mode frontman told SPIN. "Some of the songs are in really good shape, some need some work." They've set themselves a target to finish the album, their first since Sounds of the Universe in 2009, by the end of 2012, with November as a self-imposed deadline. They also plan to tour next year.

For the album, the band have been working in the studio with producer Christoffer Berg, who has previously worked with The Knife and Fever Ray. "He's a great musician and has a lot of fantastic ideas," said Gahan. "He's not afraid to stand up and say, 'I got an idea.' I like that. It's quite intimidating working with a band like ours because you have certain expectations of how it is. A lot are true and some aren't. Martin and I are open to other people's ideas."