Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore Announces New EP 'The Third Chimpanzee,' Shares Lead Single

Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore has announced his new EP The Third Chimpanzee, marking his first solo release since 2015’s MG. The five-track EP will arrive on Jan. 29, 2021, via Mute. Gore has also shared the EP’s first single, “Mandrill,” along with its accompanying visual.

Gore explains:

The first track I recorded had a sound that wasn’t human. It sounded primate-like. I decided to name it “Howler,” after a monkey. Then, when it came time to name the EP, I remembered reading the book The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee. It all made sense to call it that, as the EP was made by one of the third chimpanzees.

Earlier this month, Depeche Mode were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Watch the “Mandrill” visual below, and keep scrolling for The Third Chimpanzee’s album artwork (painted by a capuchin named Pockets Warhol, in keeping with the EP’s theme) and tracklist. The Third Chimpanzee is available for preorder here.

The Third Chimpanzee EP Artwork:

Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore Announces New EP The Third Chimpanzee, Shares Lead Single