Doublespeak share first taste of upcoming album

Doublespeak have released the first track from their forthcoming album, unveiling a new version of Fad Gadget’s 1979 single “Back to Nature.”

Originally the second-ever release on Mute Records, “Back to Nature” remains one of Fad Gadget’s most distinctive early tracks — a cold, unsettling and oddly seductive piece of post-punk electronics. Now, Doublespeak rework it as the opening statement from their upcoming covers album, adding bubbling synth lines and a layer of analogue warmth while preserving the song’s original industrial unease.

The trio’s version leans into the track’s dark, strangely prophetic atmosphere, turning it into a fitting first preview of an album that promises to reinterpret songs from across several decades through a sleek, synth-driven lens.

Neil Arthur of Blancmange said the song was an obvious choice for the project.

“This one was definitely near the top of the pile on my list of songs to do. We would go to see Fad Gadget and Frank would come on covered in shaving foam and wrapped in cling film. It was chaos but he was just so beautiful. He epitomised that post-punk search for expression, he was inspiring.”

Doublespeak brings together Erasure’s Vince Clarke, Blancmange’s Neil Arthur and producer Benge, and their debut album is set to feature a wide-ranging selection of cover versions spanning post-punk deep cuts, overlooked gems and pop classics.

With “Back to Nature” now out, the project has made its first move — and it is a suitably eerie, stylish one.