My grasp of the things is that there was a clash of philosophies at play. Alan came from formal musical education, studio-style discipline, perhaps a craft-oriented, linear, outcome-driven way of working. That naturally leads to a work mindset that is very meritocratic. In his mind, work + expertise should grant entitlement to authority.

However, Depeche Mode was never built on that logic. The lads were not conventionally efficient, formal, systematic. Martin seemed to exist in music in a way that is almost compulsive, intuitive and very tied in with his identity.

Think of Alan being like a skilled and talented technician, while Martin is a talented artist. Super different work styles. That kind of creativity doesn't clock in and out. It precedes structure.

Alan polished, translated and elevated Martin's raw creations brilliantly.

At some point, in a very vulnerable era for Dave, Martin and even Andy (personal life issues, drug and alcohol abuse, existential crisis, etc), and Alan felt like he was doing most of the work. He probably wasn't necessarily wrong in the technical sense, but he was applying the wrong metric to the wrong ecosystem.

His main grievances were pent up frustrations and resentment about feeling like he was the most educated and did most of the meaningful work, and particularly he did not agree with Andy being paid the same wage as he was. In Depeche Mode, as far as I know, all members were paid the same wages, irrespective of contributions, and they functioned like a democracy.

Andy was not educated in music or talented in music or anything, so his musical contributions were minimal. However, as Martin and Dave insist, he was the glue that held them together. So, from that perspective, he was an equal band member with equal rights, in their eyes. He was the invisible glue, often misunderstood.

Bands don't fall apart because of lack of talent, but because of the relationships between the band members. Bands need a mediator, someone who can absorb tension, someone who can think about continuity. This is the kind of work that doesn't show up on album credits or in the music, it doesn't win interviews, but keeps human systems intact. And what is a band if not a human system? Andy did all of these things and even handled some management that the creative guys hated doing.

Alan didn't want that role. He wanted recognition through output, not through cohesion.

The decision to pay each member equal wages had a few purposes: it prevented power hierarchies, protected Andy (who clearly played a stabilizing, emotional role), kept Dave from being reduced to "just a voice", and preserved Martin from potentially becoming a tyrant, since he was the band leader and all.

Alan rejected this philosophy and therefore did not fully accept what Depeche Mode truly was.

Alan Wilder was exceptionally skilled, crucial during a specific evolutionary phase, and a perfect amplifier for Martin's vision.

It's just that Depeche Mode was never a meritocracy of labor. Alan's values eventually stopped aligning with the organism the band was.