X¹and X² are the names of two sets, each containing four compact discs of Depeche Mode material spanning the bands entire career. The first box contains three CD's full of 12" mixes, with a fourth containing "Strange" mixes. The second box has a CD of Instrumentals, a CD of B-sides, and two CD's of live performances. This is by far the most enigmatic release DM has ever done and consequently the holy grail for Depeche Mode collectors. Below is what we do know about these sets.

They are official Mute releases.

They were released in April 1991 by Alfa Records, Japan. Both boxes have a very large OBI with the UPC barcode, mostly japanese text and a price of 5000 yen.

There were less than 11,000 sets made, possibly as low as 1600 made.

They were printed and deleted from production on the same day.

These boxes are the first to contain CD versions of tracks contained on DM's limited edition 12" releases, well before the US/UK boxes were in the planning stages.

They are currently valued at about $100-$150 each box. Sealed box sets command a premium price.

There are promo versions of these two box sets which are currently valued at $300-$400 each box (sealed).

Each box contains a black booklet with silver printing on a flourescent orange background. Track listings contain full production notes. However, there are many errors that are explained below with the corresponding CD.

The center page of the liner notes booklet have the years 1980-1990 in white and silver artwork that suggest that this release is to celebrate the band's 10 year anniversary which were the intentions of the US & UK box sets.

 

The discs and their track listings are referred to by their names.
The individual tracks also include in parentheses the single release it was taken from.

uno

THE TWELVE INCHES

ALCB-201

*Master And Servant US black and blue mix (Sire 12" Single)
Strangelove pain mix (L12 Bong 13)
Behind The Wheel Shep Pettibone mix (12 Bong 15)
Route 66 Beatmasters (12 Bong 15)
Everything Counts Bomb The Bass (L12 Bong 16)
Personal Jesus pump mix (L12 Bong 17)
Dangerous hazchemix (L12 Bong 17)
Enjoy The Silence bass line (L12 Bong 18)

*Exclusive CD track, unavailable on CD anywhere else

zwei

THE TWELVE INCHES

ALCB-202

Master and Servant slavery whip mix (12 Bong 6)
Shake the Disease edit the shake (12 Bong 8)
Black Celebration black tulip mix (L12 Bong 12)
A Question of Time new town mix (L12 Bong 12)
Strangelove Bomb The Bass (L12 Bong 16)
Behind The Wheel Beatmasters (L12 Bong 15)
Everything Counts absolut mix (10 Bong 16)
Personal Jesus telephone stomp mix (L12 Bong 17)
Enjoy The Silence ricki-tik-tik mix (L12 Bong 18)

The "edit the shake" mix of "Shake The Disease" is in fact the "remixed extended" version. The "Edit The Shake" version appears exclusively on the US/UK Singles 13-18 box set. The "new town" mix of "A Question Of Time" also includes the "live remix", but is treated as one song, like on the rereleased CDBONG12 from the Mute Box Sets.

trois

THE TWELVE INCHES

ALCB-203

Leave In Silence longer (12 Bong 1)
*Get The Balance Right combination mix (12 Bong 2)
Everything Counts in larger amounts (12 Bong 3)
Stripped highland mix (12 Bong 10)
Fly On The Windscreen extended (12 Bong 9)
Never Let Me Down Again split mix (12 Bong 14)
Strangelove blind mix (L12 Bong 13)
Personal Jesus holier than thou approach (12 Bong 17)
Enjoy The Silence hands and feet mix (12 Bong 18)

*Exclusive CD track, unavailable on CD anywhere else.

The "combination mix" does not fade out, but has a different ending; the "hands and feet mix" is the UK version which is a minute shorter than the US version.

four

THE STRANGE MIXES

ALCB-204

Something to Do metalmix (L12 Bong 8)
*Are People People? (L12 Bong 6)
Breathing In Fumes (12 Bong 10)
Fly On The Windscreen death mix (D12 Bong 9)
Black Day (12 Bong 10)
A Question Of Lust minimal (12 Bong 11)
Never Let Me Down Again aggro mix (12 Bong 14)

*Exclusive CD track, unavailable on CD anywhere else.

cinco

INSTRUMENTALS

ALCB-205

Any Second Now altered (12 Mute 16)
Further excerpt from: My Secret Garden (12 Bong 1)
Oberkorn (it's a small town) development mix (12 Mute 22)
The Great Outdoors! (Bong 2)
Christmas Island extended (12 Bong 11)
It Doesn't Matter Two instrumental (12 Bong 11)
FPMIP (12 Bong 13)
Agent Orange (L12 Bong 13)
Stjarna (12 Little 15)
Sonata No.14 in C#m "Moonlight Sonata" (12 Little 15)
Memphisto (Bong 18)

sex

B-SIDES

ALCB-206

Ice Machine (Mute 13)
Shout (Mute 14)
Any Second Now voices (Stumm 5)
Now, This Is Fun (Mute 18)
Work Hard (Bong 3)
In Your Memory (Bong 5)
Flexible (Bong 8)
Fly On The Windscreen (Bong 9)
But Not Tonight (Bong 10)
Pleasure, Little Treasure (Bong 14)
Route 66 (Bong 15)

ceMb

LIVE ONE

ALCB-207

My Secret Garden (L12 Bong 2)
Shout (L12 Bong 4)
Photographic (L12 Bong 4)
New Life (L12 Bong 3)
Boys Say Go! (L12 Bong 3)
Nothing To Fear (L12 Bong 3)
Tora! Tora! Tora! (L12 Bong 2)
See You (L12 Bong 3)
Just Can't Get Enough (L12 Bong 4)
Ice Machine (12 Bong 7)
Everything Counts (12 Bong 7)
More Than A Party (L12 Bong 12)

oziem

LIVE TWO

ALCB-208

Black Celebration (Stumm 101)
*If You Want (C Bong 11)
*Shame (C Bong 11)
Two Minute Warning (12 Bong 7)
Master And Servant (Stumm 101)
Something To Do (?)
Somebody (12 Bong 7)
People Are People (Stumm 101)
Told You So (7 Bong 7E)
Blasphemous Rumours (Stumm 101)
Stripped (Stumm 101)
A Question Of Time (Stumm 101)

*Exclusive CD tracks, unavailable on CD anywhere else

Disc 8 has the most liner note errors among the eight CD's.
This is what they really put in:

"Black Celebration" is not the same version as 7 BONG 12, but from 101. "Blasphemous Rumours" is about 20 seconds longer than the 101 version which it is attributed to be. "Told You So" is actually the same as on 7 BONG 7E. It is not from 101 as it is attributed to be. "If You Want", and "Shame" are from the limited edition cassette single for "A Question of Lust" C BONG 11, which is DM's most exclusive cassette single release ever.

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