On 12 June 1989, Martin L Gore, the primary songwriter for Depeche Mode, released his first solo recording, 'Counterfeit E.P'.
Released in 1989, Counterfeit is a six-song EP of cover songs, hence the name, implying that the songs were not written by Gore. Counterfeit was recorded during a band hiatus after recording and touring for the album 'Music for the Masses'; bandmate Alan Wilder also recorded and released Hydrology under the pseudonym Recoil during this period.