Frank Ocean Records With Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore

We knew earlier this month Frank Ocean was ready to begin work on the follow-up to last year’s worldwide smash ‘Channel Orange’.

And this week, after the singer picked up a BRIT for Best International Male, it emerged he might be a bit further along the process than we assumed, Ocean having told the BBC he had ‘10, 11 songs’ ready.

And today, according to Entertainment Weekly, we know of at least two potential guests on the record.

In an interview with Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan, it transpired that not only was Ocean a fan of the synthpop act, but he invited Martin Gore - and producer Christoffer Berg (The Knife) to guest.

He explained. “We were in the studio in New York, and we were filming and recording some live tracks toward the end of the session. I was singing, Martin [Gore] on guitar, a few of the other guys. Suddenly in the doorway, I sensed this presence, and I realised there was this guy standing there just watching. An assistant came up to me in between songs and said, ‘Do you mind? Frank Ocean is here working in another studio and really wants to meet you guys.’ I wouldn’t have thought he would have even known who we are, but it turns out he’s a big fan.”

“Martin and Christoffer Berg ended up doing a track with him, which I think is going to be part of his new record. Martin did some electronics and some modular synthesiser stuff he really wanted.”

Depeche Mode are set to release their new album, ‘Delta Machine’ on 25th March. The first single from the record, ‘Heaven’, was unveiled earlier this month.