Depeche Mode and Gorillaz producer James Ford talks leukemia diagnosis: 'If I die, I had a good life'

British producer James Ford, known for his work with Depeche Mode and Gorillaz, has revealed that he was diagnosed with leukemia in 2025. Reflecting on the diagnosis, Ford said he realized that life is exceptionally fragile. While confined to bed, he composed the song 'Lost in Another World.' Described as one of the most in-demand British collaborators of his generation, Ford has also worked with Pet Shop Boys, Geese, Arctic Monkeys, and Fontaines DC. In the same conversation, he recalled a psychedelic episode during a recording session in rural France with Klaxons, when the band members became transfixed by a half-eaten, rotting apple and believed its mold was a spiritual guru. Klaxons were enjoying the success of their debut album 'Myths of the Near Future,' released in 2007. The article also evokes an eclipse rave with Björk in Iceland, where clouds swallowed the sky but the music endured.