Erasure frontman Andy Bell has released the new track “The Chance Won’t Come Again,” a duet with Keane’s Tim Rice-Oxley, as the latest preview of his forthcoming four-disc box set “The Crown Jewels,” out 12 December 2025 via Crown Recordings.

The single arrives alongside ongoing North American dates for Bell’s “Ten Crowns” tour, which continues through December. Recent listings include shows in Portland (2 December), Seattle (4 December), Lake Tahoe (6 December) and Phoenix (9 December).

“The Chance Won’t Come Again” pairs Bell and Rice-Oxley on a mid-tempo, club-leaning pop song. Rice-Oxley adds: “It has been such an honour to work with one of my musical heroes on this song… The song is a real tears-on-the-dancefloor banger, full of romance and the pathos of missed opportunities.”

“The Crown Jewels” expands Bell’s 2025 solo album “Ten Crowns” into a limited (4,000 copies) four-CD edition packaged in a gold-foil box with a 50-page booklet of new photos by Sean Black and fresh sleeve notes.

About Andy Bell

Andy Bell (Andrew Ivan Bell; born 1964) is an English singer-songwriter best known as one half of Erasure, formed in London in 1985 with Vince Clarke.

Outside Erasure, Andy Bell released solo albums “Electric Blue” (2005) and “Non-Stop” (2010) before returning in 2025 with “Ten Crowns,” produced and co-written by Dave Audé. “Ten Crowns” was issued on 2 May 2025 by Crown Recordings across digital and physical formats (CD, LP, cassette), with collaborations including Debbie Harry and subsequent remixes by Vince Clarke.

Bell’s “Ten Crowns” live campaign spans the UK, Europe and North America, with the North American leg continuing through December 2025.

Andy Bell 2025 tourdates

• 5 November – Columbus, OH – The Anthenaeum
• 7 November – Chicago, IL – Metro
• 8 November – Chicago, IL – Metro – SOLD OUT
• 9 November – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
• 11 November – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room
• 13 November – New Orleans, LA – Orpheum Theater
• 14 November – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theater
• 15 November – Dallas, TX – Majestic Theatre
• 18 November – Oklahoma City, OK – Tower Theatre
• 20 November – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
• 21 November – Park City, UT – The Marquis
• 22 November – Park City, UT – The Marquis
• 25 November – Sacramento, CA – Crest Theatre
• 26 November – Menlo Park, CA – Guild Theatre
• 28 November – San Francisco, CA – Palace of Fine Arts
• 29 November – San Francisco, CA – Palace of Fine Arts – SOLD OUT
• 2 December – Portland, OR – Newmark Theatre
• 3 December – Vancouver, BC – Vogue
• 4 December – Seattle, WA – ShowBox at the Market – SOLD OUT
• 6 December – Stateline, NV – TBC
• 9 December – Phoenix, AZ – Van Buren
• 10 December – San Diego, CA – Music Box
• 12 December – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theater
• 13 December – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theater

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Andy Bell, the Erasure frontman, will release “The Crown Jewels”, a 4-disc box set expanding his 2025 solo album “Ten Crowns”, on 5 December 2025 via Crown Recordings. The limited edition (4,000 copies) set is available as a 4×CD box with booklet and new sleeve notes. Pre-orders are open at Lexer Music and Mute Bank.

“Ten Crowns” is Bell’s third solo studio album, produced and co-written by Dave Audé and released on 2 May 2025. It blends dance, Euro-disco, and gospel influences and features 10 tracks including collaborations with Debbie Harry and Sarah Potenza.

Andy Bell also issued a brand-new studio recording of “Xanadu”, his cover of the Olivia Newton-John/ELO classic.

“The Crown Jewels” comprises four themed CDs:

• CD1 – “Ten Crowns Expanded”: the original album plus previously unreleased tracks, including the studio version of “Xanadu.”
• CD2 – “Ten Crowns Remixed”: every album track remixed by a different artist; includes “Dance for Mercy (Vince Clarke Remix).”
• CD3 – “Ten Crowns Extended”: Dave Audé extended versions of each album track.
• CD4 – “Ten Crowns Live”: concert recordings from the 2025 tour, plus the live version of “Xanadu.”

The 4×CD box set is limited to 4,000, with a booklet containing additional photos and new sleeve notes.

Andy Bell North American tour

Andy Bell’s “Ten Crowns” tour continues across North America in October–December 2025, with listed stops including San Antonio (14 Nov), Denver (20 Nov), Park City (21–22 Nov), Sacramento (25 Nov), San Francisco (28–29 Nov), Portland (2 Dec), Seattle (4 Dec), and Lake Tahoe/Stateline (6 Dec), among others.

• 17 October – Washington DC – Lincoln Theatre
• 18 October – Washington DC – Lincoln Theatre
• 21 October – Toronto, ON – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
• 23 October – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
• 24 October – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
• 25 October – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre – SOLD OUT
• 28 October – Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian Theatre
• 29 October – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center
• 31 October – Red Bank, NJ – The Vogel
• 1 November – Boston, MA – The Wilbur
• 4 November – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
• 5 November – Columbus, OH – The Anthenaeum
• 7 November – Chicago, IL – Metro
• 8 November – Chicago, IL – Metro – SOLD OUT
• 9 November – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
• 11 November – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room
• 13 November – New Orleans, LA – Orpheum Theater
• 14 November – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theater
• 15 November – Dallas, TX – Majestic Theatre
• 18 November – Oklahoma City, OK – Tower Theatre
• 20 November – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
• 21 November – Park City, UT – The Marquis
• 22 November – Park City, UT – The Marquis
• 25 November – Sacramento, CA – Crest Theatre
• 26 November – Menlo Park, CA – Guild Theatre
• 28 November – San Francisco, CA – Palace of Fine Arts
• 29 November – San Francisco, CA – Palace of Fine Arts – SOLD OUT
• 2 December – Portland, OR – Newmark Theatre
• 3 December – Vancouver, BC – Vogue
• 4 December – Seattle, WA – ShowBox at the Market – SOLD OUT
• 6 December – Stateline, NV – TBC
• 9 December – Phoenix, AZ – Van Buren
• 10 December – San Diego, CA – Music Box
• 12 December – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theater
• 13 December – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theater

About Andy Bell

Andy Bell (born 1964) is the vocalist of Erasure, the London-formed synth-pop duo he co-founded with Vince Clarke in 1985. Erasure achieved sustained UK chart success from 1986 onward. Erasure’s studio albums include “The Innocents” (1988) through “The Neon” (2020) and “Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)” (2022).

Bell’s solo work includes “Electric Blue” (2005), “Non-Stop” (2010), and “Ten Crowns” (2025). He also issued theatrical offshoot projects under Torsten.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

(Interview by Janos Janurik) As one half of Erasure, Andy Bell helped define the sound of British synth-pop for generations. Nearly four decades after joining forces with Vince Clarke in 1985, Bell remains as vibrant and active as ever — now stepping further into the spotlight with his second solo album, “Ten Crowns“, released on May 2, 2025. The album entered the UK charts at number 14 and coincided with the start of a UK solo tour, reaffirming Bell’s singular voice in electronic music.

In this exclusive interview with Side-Line, conducted by Janos Janurik, Andy Bell reflects on the creative journey behind “Ten Crowns”, his ongoing solo tour, and his inspirations — from collaborating with Debbie Harry to staying grounded through decades of industry change. As Erasure approaches its 40th anniversary, Bell also hints at what might lie ahead for the iconic duo.

Andy Bell’s musical journey and inspirations

Read on as Andy Bell shares candid thoughts on self-confidence, artistic evolution, and the hope for a better world — just ahead of his Ten Crowns shows in Germany.

SL: With almost four decades of experience in the pop industry, how excited were you before the first gig? How did the audience react at the tour opener? Now that the first leg of the tour has come to an end: Which concert was the most memorable for you during the UK tour – and why?

One cannot help but have a flurry of nerves before the first show — it’s totally natural. But we had rehearsed in Nashville and had a warm-up gig on a ship, which was very successful. Plus, it is a pleasure to have Andy Whittle on board (safe hands). My Stephen had arranged the whole thing and created a label for Ten Crowns — and boy, was it a lot of work! I had no idea. The best show for me was in London and the tiny theatre in Wales, which used to be a hospital for wounded soldiers.

SL: For those who haven’t checked the setlist yet: What does the setlist look like — without giving away any spoilers, of course? Will there be any changes as the tour progresses?

Six brand new songs, a fantastic cover version and lots of updated Erasure songs. The show will not change unless we add one or take one away.

SL: The title Ten Crowns feels like a modern fairytale — the poor boy who wins the kingdom in the end.
Would you say the album reflects your personal journey? How have you managed to stay so positive and uplifting throughout your career?

I don’t know. We seriously couldn’t think of an album title, and it just so happened that I was having ten crowns fitted into my mouth in Miami. Last time I had this done was before the ABBA-esque EP — so I felt that it had acquired some kind of magic! As far as my self-confidence being boosted — this is true, but I really don’t know why. Maybe it’s to do with age and finally feeling strong enough to stand on my own two feet!

SL: The new songs are fantastic — almost every track feels like a potential hit, not just the club-oriented ones.What do you think made this album so special? Was it the perfect constellation of people, timing, and creativity?

I think it was all of these things together. Dave and I had been working a long time to make it right. I think after The Neon, I felt a shift in my confidence — and I’m finally receiving the kudos I deserve.

SL: One of your big dreams came true with the duet featuring Debbie Harry.How did this collaboration come about? Was she familiar with Erasure’s Blondie covers?Does your song, apart from the title, have anything to do with her soundtrack song “Liar, Liar”?

I knew Debbie was rather partial to the words “Liar” and “Heart”. She came through with flying colours for the performance, which I’m thrilled about! The red tape though — that’s a whole other thing!

SL: There’s also a wonderful duet with Sarah Potenza on “Lies So Deep”.You’ve worked with great voices like K.D. Lang, Claudia Brücken, and Cyndi Lauper.Are there any other artists still on your dream collaboration list?

Well, I would have to say Annie Lennox, Barbra Streisand and Kylie.

SL: The Ten Crowns album showcases your decades-long passion for disco, while also representing your less danceable side.Tracks like “Dawn of Heaven’s Gate” appeal to fans who enjoy the darker, more introspective side of synth-pop.Does this song reflect a longing for a better world — beyond political clichés?

Always, always, always we pray for a better world. But as long as we keep slaughtering each other and the planet — it’s not gonna happen!

SL: For me, “For Today” captures the spirit of early ’80s synth-pop — pure, energetic, and made for the dancefloor. You’ve said before that you’re not sure what to do with club music anymore, even though you love dancing. Are there any artists whose music still gets you dancing at home?

The best artists for me in that respect are Rihanna, Robyn and Róisín Murphy — they’re my faves.

SL: The album closer “Thank You” feels like a soulful, almost a cappella moment. How do you keep your voice so strong and emotional after all these years? Vince Clarke certainly made a good choice back in 1985!

To be honest, I don’t really know. You have to be committed and bring your life experience into the voice.

SL: Working with Dave Audé seems to have been very productive. How was working with Dave different from working with Vince?

Dave is a very nice chap, same as Vince — but I suppose the writing side didn’t seem so serious, because there was no deadline!

SL: Speaking of Vince: Has he given you any feedback on Ten Crowns? Does he have a favourite track? Could there even be an Erasure remix of one of your songs?

There may be a remix — he liked it very much and thought the vocals were great.

SL: Looking ahead, next year will mark the 40th anniversary of Erasure’s debut album Wonderland.
Apart from the special fan club nights in September 2025, which sold out in record time — what else could make the celebrations more complete for fans? Are there any plans for new material or a tour in the near future?

No plans yet!

SL: Back in 1994, you promoted I Say I Say I Say by saying: “You can listen to it on a walkman, in your car, everywhere.” Who would you recommend Ten Crowns to, and for what occasions in 2025?

Any group of friends who all come back to their house after a night at the pub — please have a dance!

SL: Next stops: Germany!

Andy Bell continues his Ten Crowns tour in Germany between June 12 and June 19, performing in six cities, including Frankfurt, Berlin and Hamburg.

Tickets & info: https://www.andybell.com/live/

János Janurik

I began my career in online music journalism in 2001, writing about artists I had followed since the late ’80s and early ’90s, including Depeche Mode, Erasure and The Cure. I later edited the Hungarian Mute microsite for EMI Music Hungary. This led to interviews with Erasure, Nitzer Ebb and Alan Wilder, and some of those collaborations developed into lasting friendships. Since 2014, I have been part of the editorial team of depechemode.de. I also contribute interviews to Reflections of Darkness, Peek-A-Boo Magazine and Kaput Mag. I maintain a close connection to Mute Records artists and have also supported releases on Very Records. I am proud to collaborate with Side-Line Magazine, where I regularly publish interviews and features.

Andy Bell & Debbie Harry have collaborated on a new track, “Heart’s A Liar“, the latest taste of what to expect from Andy’s forthcoming solo album, “Ten Crowns“, set for release on 2 May 2025 on vinyl, CD, gold cassette, and digitally via Crown Recordings.

The collaboration is not a coincidental one, Andy already sang about Debbie Harry on a track back in 2010. The track in question was “DHDQ” – short for “Debbie Harry Drag Queen” – from his solo album “Non-Stop”, released 8 June 2010.

“To have Debbie Harry singing with me – you know, I still can’t quite believe it.” The song is Andy’s rewrite of a track by English-Italian singer-songwriter and regular Dave Audé collaborator, Luciana, which Andy imagines being about two lovers being no good for each other. “Debbie gives it this gravitas and this coquettishness, but she’s still very in command. And she recorded her vocals in the studio on Gay Pride, which I thought when I heard it, oh, trust her!”

The album coincides with a tour – full details below – beginning on 1 May in York, continuing through to Cambridge on 19 May, with a London show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 16 May. Support for the UK dates has just been announced: in York, Birmingham and Manchester, Dave Audé (who produced and co-wrote the album) will open with a DJ set and for the rest of the dates, Hifi Sean & David McAlmont support.

Andy Bell live tour

• 1 May – York (UK), Barbican**
• 2 May – Birmingham (UK), Symphony Hall**
• 3 May – Manchester (UK), Bridgewater Hall**
• 6 May – Glasgow (UK), Royal Concert Hall*
• 7 May – Aberdeen (UK), Music Hall*
• 8 May – Gateshead (UK), Glasshouse*
• 11 May – Bournemouth (UK), Pavilion*
• 12 May – Guildford (UK), G-Live*
• 13 May – Bath (UK), Forum*
• 16 May – London (UK), Shepherd’s Bush Empire*
• 17 May – Llandrindod Wells (UK), The Albert Hall*
• 18 May – Liverpool (UK), Philharmonic*
• 19 May – Cambridge (UK), Corn Exchange*
• 12 June – Frankfurt (DE), Batschkapp
• 13 June – Hamburg (DE), Markthalle
• 15 June – Berlin (DE), Columbia Theater
• 16 June – Koln (DE), Gloria
• 18 June – Leipzig (DE), Anker
• 19 June – Bremen (DE), Modernes
• 21 June – Holstebro (DK), Summer Sounds Festival
• 3 August – Brighton (UK), Pride on the Park – Icons Slot
• 5 August – Dublin (IE), Vicar St

** with Dave Aude / * with Hifi Sean & David McAlmont

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Andy Bell has launched a brand new track today, “Dance For Mercy“, the latest to be taken from his forthcoming solo album, “Ten Crowns“. The new track follows “Don’t Cha Know”, and “Breaking Thru The Interstellar”.

Talking about the track, Andy Bell explains, “Sometimes I wonder how many lives (God, or whatever you wanna call it) has given me: from heart attacks, to HIV, to being run over as a kid, nearly drowning in the sea and smashing over the handlebars of my bicycle into a brick wall! I have no idea why any of us are here, so it’s best just to have a bloody good dance!”

As reported before, the album coincides with a tour – full details below – beginning on 1 May in York, continuing through to x§Cambridge on 19 May, with a London show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 16 May, which is followed by a run of European dates. Support for the UK dates in York, Birmingham and Manchester, will be Dave Audé (who produced and co-wrote the album). He will open with a DJ set. For the rest of the dates, Hifi Sean & David McAlmont support.

“Ten Crowns” is set for release on 2 May 2025 on vinyl (white, oxblood and picture disc available), CD (standard and 2CD versions), gold cassette and digitally via Crown Recordings.

Andy Bell Tourdates

• 1 May – York (UK), Barbican
• 2 May – Birmingham (UK), Symphony Hall
• 3 May – Manchester (UK), Bridgewater Hall
• 6 May – Glasgow (UK), Royal Concert Hall
• 7 May – Aberdeen (UK), Music Hall
• 8 May – Gateshead (UK), Glasshouse
• 11 May – Bournemouth (UK), Pavilion
• 12 May – Guildford (UK), G-Live
• 13 May – Bath (UK), Forum
• 16 May – London (UK), Shepherd’s Bush Empire
• 17 May – Llandrindod Wells (UK), The Albert Hall
• 18 May – Liverpool (UK), Philharmonic
• 19 May – Cambridge (UK), Corn Exchange
• 12 June – Frankfurt (DE), Batschkapp
• 13 June – Hamburg (DE), Markthalle
• 15 June – Berlin (DE), Columbia Theater
• 16 June – Koln (DE), Gloria
• 18 June – Leipzig (DE), Anker
• 19 June – Bremen (DE), Modernes
• 21 June – Holstebro (DK), Summer Sounds Festival

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Last month we wrote that a new Erasure album was in the making, and earlier this month we informed you about a new Andy Bell solo album, plus the first single, “Breaking Thru The Interstellar“, the opening track. Today Bell shares a new single, “Don’t Cha Know”.

“Ten Crowns” will be released on 2 May 2025 via Crown Recordings

“Ten Crowns” was written and recorded with US producer, remixer and DJ, Dave Audé and features ten tracks. It also includes collaborations with Debbie Harry and Sarah Potenza. Audé has collaborated with a diverse array of artists before, including U2, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, and Madonna.

“Ten Crowns” will be released in various formats, including several vinyl colours, a picture disc, a deluxe 2CD edition and a cassette next to related merchandise.

“Ten Crowns” on May 2nd will also be promoted via various UK and EU dates in May and June.

His solo tour will featureg tracks from the new album, and cuts from his solo career, alongside lots of Erasure classics.

Here’s the opening track, “Breaking Thru The Interstellar“.

Andy Bell solo tour in May 2025

• 1 May – York (UK), Barbican
• 2 May – Birmingham (UK), Symphony Hall
• 3 May – Manchester (UK), Bridgewater Hall
• 6 May – Glasgow (UK), Royal Concert Hall
• 7 May – Aberdeen (UK), Music Hall
• 8 May – Gateshead (UK), Glasshouse
• 11 May – Bournemouth (UK), Pavilion
• 12 May – Guildford (UK), G-Live
• 13 May – Bath (UK), Forum
• 16 May – London (UK), Shepherd’s Bush Empire
• 18 May – Liverpool (UK), Philharmonic
• 19 May – Cambridge (UK), Corn Exchange
• 12 June – Frankfurt (DE), Batschkapp
• 13 June – Hamburg (DE), Markthalle
• 15 June – Berlin (DE), Columbia Theater
• 16 June – Koln (DE), Gloria
• 18 June – Leipzig (DE), Anker
• 19 June – Bremen (DE), Modernes
• 21 June – Holstebro (DK), Summer Sounds Festival

About Andy Bell

Andrew Ivan Bell, born on April 25, 1964, in Peterborough, England, is best known as the lead vocalist of the synth-pop duo Erasure, which he formed in 1985 with Vince Clarke.It results in hits like “A Little Respect”, “Sometimes”, and “Always”, and over 25 million albums sold worldwide.

Before joining Erasure, Bell worked in various jobs, including selling women’s shoes, and performed in a band called the Void. He responded to a newspaper advertisement placed by Vince Clarke, who was seeking a vocalist for a new musical project.

In addition to his work with Erasure, Bell has also embarked on a solo career, releasing albums such as “Electric Blue” (2005) and “Non-Stop” (2010). He has also been involved in various charitable activities, including contributing to the “Red Hot + Blue” album to raise funds for AIDS and HIV research and performing on the True Colors Tour in 2008.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Last month we wrote that a new Erasure album was in the making. But before that frontman Andy Bell will release a new solo-album, “Ten Crowns” on May 2nd. Added to this he will be playing a UK and EU tour to promote the release in May.

“Ten Crowns” was written and recorded with US producer, remixer and DJ, Dave Audé and features ten tracks. It also includes collaborations with Debbie Harry and Sarah Potenza. Audé has collaborated with a diverse array of artists before, including U2, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, and Madonna.

“Ten Crowns” will be released in various formats, including several vinyl colours, a picture disc, a deluxe 2CD edition and a cassette next to related merchandise.

His solo tour will featureg tracks from the new album, and cuts from his solo career, alongside lots of Erasure classics. Andy Bell will be playing 12 shows across the UK in May with his band which includes Dave Audé.

Here’s already the opening track, “Breaking Thru The Interstellar“.

Andy Bell solo tour in May 2025

• 1 May – York (UK), Barbican
• 2 May – Birmingham (UK), Symphony Hall
• 3 May – Manchester (UK), Bridgewater Hall
• 6 May – Glasgow (UK), Royal Concert Hall
• 7 May – Aberdeen (UK), Music Hall
• 8 May – Gateshead (UK), Glasshouse
• 11 May – Bournemouth (UK), Pavilion
• 12 May – Guildford (UK), G-Live
• 13 May – Bath (UK), Forum
• 16 May – London (UK), Shepherd’s Bush Empire
• 18 May – Liverpool (UK), Philharmonic
• 19 May – Cambridge (UK), Corn Exchange
• 12 June – Frankfurt (DE), Batschkapp
• 13 June – Hamburg (DE), Markthalle
• 15 June – Berlin (DE), Columbia Theater
• 16 June – Koln (DE), Gloria
• 18 June – Leipzig (DE), Anker
• 19 June – Bremen (DE), Modernes
• 21 June – Holstebro (DK), Summer Sounds Festival

About Andy Bell

Andrew Ivan Bell, born on April 25, 1964, in Peterborough, England, is best known as the lead vocalist of the synth-pop duo Erasure, which he formed in 1985 with Vince Clarke.It results in hits like “A Little Respect”, “Sometimes”, and “Always”, and over 25 million albums sold worldwide.

Before joining Erasure, Bell worked in various jobs, including selling women’s shoes, and performed in a band called the Void. He responded to a newspaper advertisement placed by Vince Clarke, who was seeking a vocalist for a new musical project.

In addition to his work with Erasure, Bell has also embarked on a solo career, releasing albums such as “Electric Blue” (2005) and “Non-Stop” (2010). He has also been involved in various charitable activities, including contributing to the “Red Hot + Blue” album to raise funds for AIDS and HIV research and performing on the True Colors Tour in 2008.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

The British synthpop duo, Erasure, consisting of vocalist Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, have announced the vinyl reissues of three albums: “Tomorrow’s World” (2011), “Snow Globe” (2013), and “The Violet Flame” (2014). These limited edition vinyl reissues, set for release on December 13, will be available via Mute Records.

Tomorrow’s World (2011) – Limited Edition Clear Vinyl

“Tomorrow’s World” marks Erasure’s return after a four-year hiatus. Released in 2011, the album showcased a duo deeply rooted in the synthpop scene yet embracing a more modern sound. Produced by Frankmusik (who has worked with artists such as Lady Gaga and Pet Shop Boys), the album was recorded across multiple locations, including Maine, London, and Los Angeles. It includes the singles “When I Start To (Break It All Down)”, “Be With You”, “A Whole Lotta Love Run Riot”, and “Fill Us With Fire”.

The album was well received. It followed a period where Andy Bell released his solo album “Don’t Stop”, and Vince Clarke briefly reunited with Alison Moyet for a Yazoo tour.

Snow Globe (2013) – Limited Edition Pink Vinyl

“Snow Globe” took Erasure in a stripped-back, often melancholic take on the festive genre. Departing from the more traditional, glitzy sounds of Christmas music, the album features eerie, minimalist arrangements.

Produced by Erasure, alongside Gareth Jones and Richard X, the album includes a modern rendition of the traditional Latin carol “Gaudete” and new versions of classics like “White Christmas” and “Silent Night”. The album’s lead single was “Make It Wonderful”.

The Violet Flame (2014) – Limited Edition White Vinyl

“The Violet Flame” came out in 2014, following the festive experiment of “Snow Globe”, and saw Erasure return to their electronic roots. The album was produced by Richard X (known for his work with Goldfrapp, SOPHIE, and Róisin Murphy).

Unlike their previous work, where songs traditionally began on guitar or piano, the tracks on “The Violet Flame” emerged directly from electronic dance grooves. This change in process resulted in standout singles such as “Elevation”, “Reason”, and the Halloween-themed “Dead of Night”.

With over 25 million albums sold worldwide and an impressive 18 studio albums under their belt, Erasure has cemented their place as one of the UK’s most successful synth-pop duos. Formed in 1985, they have consistently evolved while maintaining their signature synthpop sound. Their most recent releases include “The Neon” (2020) and its experimental follow-up “Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)” (2022), which reimagined the songs from “The Neon” with new arrangements and vocals.

The vinyl reissues will be available on December 13, 2024, via Mute Records, and pre-orders are currently open.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Andy Bell, the frontman of Erasure, is featured on the remix of the U2 classic “Pride (In The Name Of Love)” by Dave Audé. Andy Bell is featured along other guest vocalists such as Crystal Waters, Sarah Potenza, Wyn Starks, Plumb, and Zee Machine.

In the UK, the single is currently sitting at number seven on the Music Week Commercial Pop Chart, and down under in Australia, the track is maintaining the number one position on the Hot 30 Chart for five consecutive weeks. The DJ Tracy Young remix of the track is also doing well in Scandinavia, holding the sixth spot on the iTunes Dance Chart in Denmark and ranking 41st on Denmark’s overall iTunes chart.

The remix was released under Audacious Records on August 23 and is available across all major platforms, including Apple Music and Beatport, with various remixes by DJs made available.

Check for yourself.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Interview by Janos Janurik) Ever since I got into online music journalism, I’ve always been interested in the background characters around my favourite musicians’ releases that add something important to the product we, the fans end up with.

With this in mind, over the years I have interviewed personalities such as Anton Corbijn (photographer of Depeche Mode and many other music greats), Gareth Jones and Mark Saunders (producers and mixmasters of Depeche Mode and Erasure amongst others).

About eight years ago I had the honour of helping to promote Vince Clarke’s then newly founded mini-record label (VeryRecords) and his releases. In addition to the artists whose albums have been released there in recent years, I also got in contact with Mat Smith, who, like me, is a freelancer – readers of Electronic Sound and Clash know him well – and works as a publicist for VeryRecords as well as being commissioned by Erasure and Mute for a number of press pieces. He also wrote the sleevenotes in the booklet of the new “Cowboy” Deluxe-Edition.

In addition to his journalistic work, he also has his own project “Mortality Tables”, which has just released a new mini-album on cassette and as a digital download. Last November, at the premiere of Vince Clarke’s solo album in London, I had the pleasure of meeting Mat in person and we had a lively chat about our shared passion for music. Knowing how important this project is to him, I approached him and asked him a few questions about it. 

But then life, or rather death, intervened. I didn’t mean this as a cheap shot, but it was indeed a sad event that forced me to make changes to the interview I had with my friend and colleague almost three weeks ago. Now that the aforementioned label is going on holiday, and before I do the same, I would like to bring this exciting musical venture (“The Engineer”) to your attention – and this interview with the man behind it.

SL: Tell us briefly about how you became interested in music. Have you had any musical training, have you learnt to play any instruments? Do you remember the first record you bought?

I grew up in a house where music seemed to always be playing, either on the radio or on my parent’s stereo. My mother listened to a lot of ABBA. Nothing about that was exceptional, particularly. When I used to go to friends’ houses, they always seemed to have the TV switched on, which felt strange to me. My family chose music, and I’ve surrounded myself with it ever since. 

I tried to play the recorder, which was the instrument that most of us learned as kids. My parents gave me a blue one for Christmas one year. I couldn’t play a single note. I briefly learned the basics of notation at school but very quickly forgot all of it. In early high school music classes I was more interested in recording real-life sounds into the Casio keyboard and using those to make compositions. Not long after that, I started making sample-based electronic music on my Amiga 500.

The first album I owned was Nik Kershaw’s ‘Human Racing’. I was given for my birthday the year it was released, along with a Sanyo portable cassette player. I played that album constantly. I wore out the cassette player after two weeks but I still have the ‘Human Racing’ tape and it still sounds incredible to me. 

SL: When did you discover electronic music? And who was the first electronic artist who introduced you to the world of electronic music?

My father is responsible for switching me on to electronic music. There were three pivotal events, and they all relate to times I was with my father.

The first was one evening when my mother was at her restaurant job, and my father was looking after me. I was playing with Lego in the lounge and Gary Numan was performing ‘Cars’ on TV. That performance completely captivated me.

The next was driving around in my father’s car while he did his second job as a debt collector. A friend at work had recorded two tracks from OMD’s ‘Architecture & Morality’ album onto a cassette for him. The songs were ‘Joan Of Arc’ and ‘Maid Of Orleans’, and we’d listen to them over and over.

The third was Soft Cell’s ‘Non-Stop Erotic Videotape’, which he brought home from work one day. That was pretty mind-blowing for a five-year old, and I can only imagine he didn’t realise what it was. It was definitely not suitable for a kid of my age, but, looking back, I don’t remember the imagery – I only recall the music. 

So I owe my father a huge debt for how he shaped my music tastes at a very early age. He was also the one who brought home a cassette copy of ‘The Innocents’ by Erasure and gave it to me. He had no idea quite what he started that day. 

SL: When did you start writing journalistic texts for Mute Records and its artists? What was your first article for Mute and about which artist, which release?

I began a blog called Documentary Evidence in 2003, which was focused on my personal Mute Records collection. I’d just write about the releases from a mostly non-musical perspective, explaining how they made me feel. I still write reviews like that today for Electronic Sound. I also got really interested in telling the stories of specific releases or artists, and that led me to interview people who released music through Mute, or were somehow connected to the label. I have a natural curiosity and inquisitiveness, and that seems to mean people like talking to me and opening up. 

From there I started writing for Clash, and then Electronic Sound and some other places. In 2017 I got asked to chair a panel discussion with Anton Corbijn, Daniel Miller, Paul A. Taylor and Steve Claydon (Add N To (X)) at Rough Trade East in London, about the visual identity of Mute. The first written Mute commission I got was to write a press biography for Chris Carter’s ‘Chemistry Lessons Vol. 1’. I couldn’t believe they asked me to do that, and I couldn’t believe I was being paid to write for the label I loved so much. The team at Mute liked what I did and I’ve been given a few more things to do since then, as well as with the team at BMG who look after the Erasure reissue programme, and Erasure themselves. 

SL: Did Vince Clarke’s VeryRecords label and the associated promotion give you any impetus for your own project, which you called “Mortality Tables”?

Indirectly, yes, but perhaps not in the way you might expect.

My task with VeryRecords was to assemble the press releases. It was the first time I’d worked behind the scenes of a release, where I’d often get involved before the album was even mastered, or before the artwork had even been considered. So I’d be talking to the artists – Reed & Caroline, Alka and Brook – at a very early stage, generally when Vince felt that the album was finished enough for me to listen and for me to start engaging the artists.

It took a while for me to realise this, but the process of working with the artists to write a press release became a collaboration – between all of us, and between my words and their music. I wasn’t just a writer but part of the collective effort to put this music out into the world. I did the same with Nick Hook’s Calm + Collect label, working on releases by Gareth Jones, Spiritual Friendship and others.

In 2019, when I began forming Mortality Tables, I envisaged it as a creative community of collaborators. You can definitely draw a line between that and the ideas that began to form as I worked with VeryRecords and its artists. I also took a lot of inspiration from Vince, who didn’t feel that he needed to only focus on the music that people would expect him to release. That sense of freedom, which Daniel Miller also brought to Mute, directly fed into what Mortality Tables has become. I wanted something where I could work with people making sound art as well as people making images. It had to have artistic breadth. 

I wanted Mortality Tables to be like a gallery, with a portfolio of artists in vastly different disciplines. That’s why Neil Coe deigned the first sleeve image to look like the description of an artwork on the wall of a gallery.

SL: The name of the project refers to the work of actuaries who measure the statistical probability of life insurance payouts. You do something like this in your everyday working life, don’t you?

That’s right. I work with insurance companies all around the world, and have done for over twenty years. I find lots of parallels between the worlds of insurance and electronic music, and the kinds of people I engage with in both of my jobs.

The story goes that I was meeting a friend in a café in Bloomsbury in London one morning. He runs a record label, which is another big inspiration for Mortality Tables. He wishes to remain anonymous, but he is actively involved, in the sense that he must approve anything we decide to do. I call him the Creative Consultant.

So I was meeting him and he had an LP of one of his releases to give me. He asked me if I had a bag to put it in, and I reached into rucksack and retrieved a tote bag. It was from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and had been given to me by an actuary a few years before. The Creative Consultant saw the bag with its logo and Latin inscription (‘e peritia ratio’ – ‘reason from experience’) and asked what it meant. I replied, “It’s all mortality tables and shit like that.” The name stuck.

We created our first Mortality Tables Product that morning. It’s called FORKTALK and is a conversation between two friends. We do not publish the details of our conversations. Its entry in the Mortality Tables Catalogue is MTP0.

SL: Dave Clarkson, who is mostly active in electronic and experimental music and Wonderful Beasts, a sound art/electronic music duo consisting of the anonymous Xqui and Carl Knott (boycalledcrow, Spacelab) were your first artists, right? How did you get in touch with them?

The release that moved Mortality Tables from something conceptual to something ‘real’ was ‘Two Meditations For Freya’ by Goodparley (whose name has now changed to Please Close Your Eyes). That was in 2022. It signalled what I wanted Mortality Tables to be: I would come up with ideas and hand them to someone to ‘respond’ to.

That concept has stayed consistent through the first two years of Mortality Tables. I’ll come up with an idea and pick someone to get involved. At the last count, there are at least fifty people who are collaborators. And it isn’t just sound projects – Mortality Tables encompasses sound, art, and words. And insurance. 

However, all rules in creativity are there to be broken, and I broke my own rules in 2023 with the release of Dave Clarkson’s ‘Ghosts Of Christmas Past (Music From Vintage Toys)’. I had nothing to do with the concept of that album, so I guess that’s a bit like Mortality Tables acting like a traditional record label, which is a description I never want to use. The same is true of Andrew Brenza and Alka’s ‘pod’ and boycalledcrow’s ‘Kullu’. However, all these releases only existed because of an earlier collaboration, and that’s how I got myself comfortable with releasing these projects. You’ll see a few more of those types of projects from Mortality Tables over the next few years. 

In answer to your question about how I find artist, it’s actually really straightforward. Anyone involved with Mortality Tables is someone whose music I’ve written about. As for how I choose an artist for a particular project, that’s mostly a case of matching a collaborator to an idea that feels aligned to what they would usually do. However, some of the most enjoyable projects are where the artist is working a long way outside of what they might normally do.

SL: After artists like Andrew Spackman, Rupert Lally, Simon Fisher Turner and Veryan, two years ago you released a strange and experimental piece called “On Mortality, Immortality & Charles Ives”. The piece is a spoken word piece in which you read out the Mortality Tables’ manifesto: “In life, our one true certainty is death.” This narration, recorded by Gareth Jones, was then sent to Vince Clarke who recorded a musical response to the text, which forms the soundtrack to the release. How did you come up with this, somewhat absurd, idea?

I had bought a copy of a book by Alex Danchev called ‘100 Artists’ Manifestos – From The Futurists To The Stuckists’ at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in 2021. I read each of the manifestos from groups like the Surrealists, Dadaists and Situationists as if they were short stories, and it became a really profound experience. On the back of ‘Two Meditations For Freya’, people had started to ask me what Mortality Tables was all about, so it seemed completely natural (and not absurd at all) to write a manifesto.

Mostly it was designed to help me understand why I was doing this, and then I decided to explain it to everyone else. That’s when I asked Gareth to record my narration. At the same time I approached Vince and an anonymous sound artist called venoztks to create sound pieces to accompany it.

The listener can judge whether it successfully explains what this is all about, or not. It does explain why the composer and actuary Charles Ives is so critical to the evolution of Mortality Tables. In fact, the second Mortality Tables Product to be made available was a postcard containing an illustration of Ives in front of a mortality table from 1874, the year of Ives’s birth. That piece was a collaboration with Savage Pencil who had illustrated a lot of the Blast First sleeves.

SL: Released on June 16th, the 40-copy limited edition cassette “The Engineer” is a charity project for Alzheimer’s disease featuring Vince Clarke, Penelope Trappes, Chris Illingworth, Barney Ashton-Bullock, Lara Jones, Simon Fisher Turner, Hattie Cooke, Gareth Jones, Veryan and others. The title character is your father, isn’t he? Is that why you chose Father’s Day as the release date? Tell us a bit about this project!

The title character, the engineer, is based on my father. This project dates back ten years, probably longer, a long time before Mortality Tables was an idea.

I wrote a short story that tried to deal with my feelings about my father as he approached retirement. He lived for work, had no hobbies or friends, and I envisaged him struggling to cope with the concept of stopping work. I was angry when I wrote it, but I was also scared for him. It’s fiction, but it’s rooted in his reality. His actual retirement was very different to what happens in the story. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018, and that’s why we’ll donate all profits from ‘The Engineer’ to the Alzheimer’s Society. Sadly he passed away shortly after ‘The Engineer’ was released. 

When I published the story on my blog, an electronic musician called Laica (Dave Fleet) offered to create some music inspired by the story. He composed a beautiful piece but the project never got completed. A few years later, I came up with a different idea, which involved someone narrating the story with a piece of music behind it. That version also never got off the ground at all, but I liked the idea of asking someone to narrate the story. That’s when I asked Barney Ashton-Bullock if he would do it. He has a brilliant speaking voice, and it was perfect for this story.

It was Gareth Jones who suggested the idea of having different artists respond to different sections of narration. He said it was a bit like the Surrealist game ‘Exquisite Corpse’. I think of Gareth as my spiritual guru. He has a way of unlocking ideas, and freeing you from obstacles that are only there because you’ve put them there. ‘The Engineer’ wouldn’t exist in this form if it wasn’t for Gareth. 

From there, it was a case of picking the collaborators and asking them to respond to a specific 30-second section of narration. No one heard the full story, and no one asked to hear the whole thing. The order the artists agreed to say yes determined which section they got. The only rule I gave them was that their sound response needed to last exactly thirty seconds. 

There are two editions of ‘The Engineer’. One is a digital file that combines the narration and sound responses. The other is a cassette that splits the narration and responses apart. That means the only place you can hear Vince Clarke’s sound response without Barney’s narration is on the cassette, which has now sold out. 

SL: Barney Ashton-Bullock (the creator of Andy Bell’s “Torsten” projects), Vince Clarke, as well as Reed Hays, Alka and Gareth Jones will be familiar to most of our readers, but who are the other contributors? 

Again, everyone involved is someone I’ve written about. When I came up with my collaborator list for this, it was important to me to achieve some sort of diversity. So a lot of the artists here are electronic, but you have artists covering everything from pop to sound art. That was deliberate.

I also wanted diversity of textures. That’s why I included Charlotte Keeffe, Chris Illingworth from GoGo Penguin and Luce Mawdsley. When you put all 29 sound responses together as a single piece, it sounds like a right fucking mess. As the responses were coming in over a 30-month period, I realised that the sprawling, messy quality was a lot like my father’s Alzheimer’s – ideas form, are quickly forgotten before they develop, and are then replaced by something else. That wasn’t planned, at all, but now I can see it was a subconscious idea that must have been there from the moment that Gareth suggested involving lots of artists. 

SL: What plans and ideas are currently circulating in your head? Will it be something journalistic or another Mortality Tables release?

I’m always writing, and I’ve got a few big things underway right now, including something for a label I’ve done a few pieces for before.

In terms of Mortality Tables, now that ‘The Engineer’ has been released, all activities will he paused until later in the summer. We’ve released a huge number of Products in just over two years and I need a break. We’ll return later in the summer with Season 03 of LIFEFILES, which is an ongoing project where artists respond to my really basic field recordings.

We’ll also release a single from Please Close Your Eyes, an album from Andrew Spackman and the full version of Andrew Brenza and Alka’s ‘pod’ collaboration. I’ve been working on one of several projects inspired by Charles Ives, ‘Central Park: A Picture-In-Sounds’, which will be issued as a ‘score’ in October, along with some additional performances of the piece. We’ll begin work on another large-scale collaboration called ‘The Impermanence Project’.

Other things will happen. Other things will not.

More information on Mortality Tables releases.

Use code janos for a 10% discount off anything in the Mortality Tables Catalogue. 

I would like to end this article with a personal message from Mat Smith, who asks the readers and the music listeners to support, if they can, the Alzheimer’s Society, which has received the proceeds of the tape release mentioned in the interview. If you feel able to, please donate to alzheimers.org.uk directly.

János Janurik

I began my career in online music journalism in 2001, writing about artists I had followed since the late ’80s and early ’90s, including Depeche Mode, Erasure and The Cure. I later edited the Hungarian Mute microsite for EMI Music Hungary. This led to interviews with Erasure, Nitzer Ebb and Alan Wilder, and some of those collaborations developed into lasting friendships. Since 2014, I have been part of the editorial team of depechemode.de. I also contribute interviews to Reflections of Darkness, Peek-A-Boo Magazine and Kaput Mag. I maintain a close connection to Mute Records artists and have also supported releases on Very Records. I am proud to collaborate with Side-Line Magazine, where I regularly publish interviews and features.

(Photo by Cal McIntryre) The shoe gaze act Ride have announced a seventh studio album, “Interplay”, out 29th March via Wichita Recordings / PIAS. The new record is the Oxford four piece’s third since reforming in 2014. The announcement is accompanied by the album’s first single, “Peace Sign”, out now.

The album is the follow-up to 2017’s “Weather Diaries” and 2019’s “This Is Not A Safe Place”. The new album was produced by the band with Richie Kennedy and mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer inspired by 80’s pop bands like Tears For Fears, Talk Talk and early U2.

Thematically, it pairs classic Ride lyrical hallmarks such as escapism, dreams, and the dissatisfaction of modern life with a sense of resilience and perseverance that come from imploding, then reforming and finding a way forward to their second peak, as guitarist and singer Andy Bell explains: “This album has taken a long time to make, and has seen the band go through a lot of ups and downs; maybe the most of any Ride album. But it has seen us come through the process as a band in a good place, feeling able to shake off the past, and ready to celebrate the combined musical talents that brought us together in the first place.”

Speaking on the new “Peace Sign” single, Andy says: “‘Peace Sign’ started life as a jam recorded at Marks’ OX4 studio, in early 2021. We called it ‘Berlin’ and initially it featured Loz on drums, Steve on bass and myself on a prophet 5 synth. About six months later I got hold of the recording and wrestled it into song form. Lyrically I was inspired by a film called ‘The Alpinist’ about the visionary free climber Marc-André Leclerc. Soon after I’d finished working on the song I remember I was raving to my bandmates about Leclerc at OX4, and a good memory of that time was us all watching that film at Mark’s studio.”

Here’s a video for “Peace Sign” to check out.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(By our UK correspondent Simon Helm of Cold War Nightlife) A few days ago we posted a review of the first solo concert of Vince Clarke at the LSESU in London, with Sunroof (comprising Daniel Miller and Gareth Jones), and today we present you a review of the additional Q&A session featuring Daniel Miller which took place at Rough Trade East on Sunday, November 19th.

Vince Clarke needs no introduction, so Daniel Miller didn’t give him one. The mastermind behind Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly, and Erasure, Clarke was in London to perform his solo album, Songs of Silence. A Q&A session at Rough Trade East allowed the Mute label boss to put some questions to Clarke and talk about their shared history.

Update: Mute in the meantime posted a video of the Q&A.

When Vince Clarke met Daniel Miller

The first time Clarke and Miller met was a bit of a disaster. Dressed up in futurist clothes, Clarke had travelled from Basildon with Dave Gahan to pitch Depeche Mode’s demo tape to London-based labels. When they tried Rough Trade, the counter staff pointed them at Miller, who was in the back preparing the artwork for a Fad Gadget record. When the Mute man emerged, he took one look at the Mode boys and kept walking. 

Miller chuckles at the lost opportunity, which he recovered from when Depeche Mode supported Fad Gadget at the Bridgehouse in Canning Town. He notes a controversy that has arisen because Stevo, the notorious Soft Cell manager and Some Bizarre label boss, has claimed that he “let” Miller “have” Depeche Mode for Mute. Rubbish. Depeche Mode did what they wanted – and, as Clarke confirms, that was to work with the genius behind The Normal, Silicon Teens, and the sound of Fad Gadget.

The lockdown stopped Erasure from working together

On to the new album. Clarke explains that lockdown stopped Erasure from working together. Inspired by repeated viewings of Bladerunner 2049, he decided to make the soundtrack for a sequel in his basement studio using modular kit. Drones provided the fluidity, while additional elements were layered on top. “It was never intended as a record,” Clarke said. “It  was really just for me to learn to use the synthesizer.”

When Miller asked Clarke what he was up to, some tracks were passed across, and Miller suggested they become an album. “I was in total shock, because it wasn’t what I intended,” Clarke told the audience.

The only track with lyrics used a recording of a traditional miner’s union song, which Clarke had struggled to set to music previously. Miller explained that it proved impossible to track down the rights holder for the vocals – drawing a laugh when he explained that Mute would “Take care of them.”

New Erasure album in the making

Clarke revealed that there is a new Erasure album planned for release next year, but he has not played the music to Andy Bell, yet. “We never write remotely. It just doesn’t work for us. We have to be in the same room, at the same time, to make a complete song.”

Miller let on that there is more coming from the Erasure camp. “Andy [Bell] is also working on a solo album at the moment.” No word whether it will also feature Eurorack modules or found sound, but it will undoubtedly come with its own stories.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

(By our UK correspondent Simon Helm of Cold War Nightlife) This is a review of yesterday’s event at the London School of Economics where Vince Clarke did a debut solo show supported by Sunroof (comprising Daniel Miller and Gareth Jones).

Vince Clarke admits that he is a little nervous. The confession comes as he adjusts his set-up between songs. Normally, Andy Bell would step into these gaps, but this is not an Erasure show. It is a performance of “Songs of Silence”, Clarke’s album of songs based on drones. There is no need for concern: the sold-out crowd in a basement venue at the LSE is a friendly one (look – there is Neil Arthur from Blancmange!); and the spaces between tracks are exactly what the album’s title promises.

The event is billed as Vince Clarke’s first ever solo performance – but, of course, it is not. Clarke is a serial collaborator, who has spent his career working with other talents. Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly, Erasure, The Illustrious Company, VCMG – even when the prime mover, Clarke has sought out others to share the experience and the credits. Tonight, the limelight is shared with his friend, Reed Hays, and a cameo from the indomitable Sarah-Jane Dale, while Richard Evans from the Erasure Information Service tweaks the lighting. Clarke is more exposed than usual, but he is not alone.

The title of the new album is a reminder that Clarke is a life-long Simon & Garfunkel fan. It might also be a reference to the recent losses of his friends, Robert Marlowe and Andy Fletcher. The cover photo shows Clarke in stark relief, and the cruelty of time is written into the songs. Performed live, they lose none of their emotive content, and Hays’ cello underlines the sadness of “The Lamentations of Jermiah.” Even “Blackleg,” a version of the traditional miners’ song made popular in a more combative form by Steeleye Span and the PCA Band, is ominous and melancholy. Grainy footage of miners walking from a pit invokes something lost – like Test Dept without their fine-tuned debris.

The appearance of Sarah-Jane Dale for “Passage” adds a touch of glamour to the otherwise spectral drones and haunting rhythms. Clarke seems relieved to have the focus on another part of the stage, but he warms to the experience as the show continues. By the time of “Last Transmission,” he can’t hold back a full-on smile. The audience – most of whom have followed Clarke’s career for more than four decades – never doubted that it would be a special night. Clarke, it seems, has to pass through it to agree.

Support came from the Sunroof project of Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Facing each other across blinking panels of Eurorack modules, the two great producers embarked on a journey into improvised electronics that led down unpredictable tributaries of blips and webs of bloops. Sunroof’s shows are as unique as snowflakes and even cooler, as they harness the flow of electricity to weave magical textures. On a stage filled with Mute’s main superconductors, they played their roles as human Tesla coils with inspiration.

Pictures of Vince Clarke and Sunroof live sets

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

(Photo by Douglas Brothers) Out on Mute / Bmg on 18 August 2023 is an updated release of “Always (The Very Best of Erasure)”, out on vinyl for the very first time as a double disc heavyweight viny edition.

Originally released in 2015 to celebrate the band’s 30th anniversary, “Always (The Very Best of Erasure)” offers a journey through nearly four decades of hit singles. Also included are post 2015 tracks such as “Love You To The Sky” (from 2017’s “World Be Gone”) and “Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling)” from 2020’s album, “The Neon”. Those two tracks replace the “Be with You” and “Sometimes 2015” which were on the original release.

When it was released in 2015, “Always (The Very Best of Erasure)” was the fourth compilation album released by the British synthpop band Erasure. The deluxe edition contained two additional CDs with corresponding remixes, including some of their singles that did not make the compilation. The compilation followed the release of the first and only single from the album, entitled “Sometimes 2015”, a re-vamped version of the original single mixed by David Wrench. The single was released on 23 October 2015, and contained a mixture of previously released remixes of “Sometimes” as well as a new remix by Love To Infinity.

Erasure recently released “Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)” and their eighteenth studio album, “The Neon”.

Erasure are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a member of synth-pop duo Yazoo.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

(By Janos Janurik) Temperatures are dropping, days are getting shorter and from now on the umbrella is a permanent accessory when you leave the house. Nevertheless, you can also love autumn. One reason for this can be a good book that you can pick up and read in front of the fireplace without a feeling guilty.

For us, lovers of electric music, the book by Richard Evans, published on 17^th November, would be the perfect read.

Setting out to chart a unique chapter in the history of popular music, “Listening To The Music The Machines Make” tells the story of a single generation of post-punk musicians, mavericks, visionaries and opportunists tinkering with primitive synthesisers in bedrooms, bedsits and basements around Britain, who assembled a potent cocktail of ideas and influences, took them apart, mixed them up, and reassembled them in entirely new ways to create a genuine golden age of British pop, and along the way creating some of the most enduring, iconic and influential records in pop history.

Drawing from years of extensive research, as well as from conversations with many of the movement’s key movers and shakers, “Listening To The Music The Machines Make” sets out to examine the multitude of influences that led to the synthpop revolution that spanned 1978 to 1983; tell the definitive story of a true golden age of British pop through the careers, releases and stories of the movement’s pioneers, mavericks and superstars; and explores the era’s lasting musical impact and enduring influence, including it’s role in the development of hip-hop, house, techno and beyond.

Richard Evans has worked in the music industry for over thirty years in a variety of roles, including positions at London Records, Factory Records and MTV Europe. In 1998 he set up marketing consultancy The Fan Base and has been connecting musical artists with their audiences ever since. He is the founder of the This Is Not Retro website and record label and has worked for Andy Bell, Vince Clarke and Erasure since 2009. Richard is based in Dorset where he lives in perpetual fear of being asked what his favourite record is.

I have known Richard for several years as a result of being an Erasure fan for many years. I emailed him a few questions about his upcoming book and you can read his answers here. Of course, I also asked him about his favourite record.

SL: Richard, you have been the leader of the international Erasure fan club (EIS) and the webmaster of Erasure’s homepage for several years. I think your name has become known to the general public through this activity. Did you make it to the top of your career?

It’s quite complicated to talk about my career as at any given time I’m usually working on a few different projects simultaneously and it’s always very likely that they are all shooting off in different directions. But you’re right that Richard from the EIS is much better known than the Richard Evans who wrote the book! I also think that having worked with Erasure for as many years as I have definitely represents a career peak.

SL: With a background like that, one would have thought that you would write a book about Vince and Andy, about Erasure. Have you ever thought about anything like that?

Vince and Andy get offers to write books every year, on their own or as part of Erasure, but at this point in time neither of them feel the time is right to tell their stories. However when the time is right I very much hope that I will be involved in some way.

SL: You must have a lot of funny or exciting stories about your collaboration with Erasure. Could you tell us a short story that you particularly like to think back to?

I think the best stories are the ones that I can’t tell…

SL: Have you always been a big fan of electro music? Where did your interest in this music genre come from?

I kind of have and I haven’t. My book covers the period 1978-1983 which coincides with the time I was starting to discover music for myself and I always  consider my musical tastes extremely varied. Looking back however and I can see that the music that I was drawn to often had a very noticeable electronic element even when it wasn’t electronic music as such, so although I would enjoy, for example, rock music, the actual songs I was listening to would be things like ‘Owner Of A Lonely Heart’ by Yes, or tracks from ZZ Top’s ‘Eliminator’ album. It turns out that those electronic elements run through a huge amount of my favourite music but I hadn’t really noticed it before. But I did always love ‘pure’ electronic music too. I can remember being blown away the first time I heard things like Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ and Kraftwerk’s ‘The Model’ for example.

SL: On 6^th November there will be a special event in London to launch your book “Listening To The Music The Machines Make” where you will interview Andy Bell and Martyn Ware (The Human League, BEF, Heaven 17) about their lives in electronic music. We already know about your connection with Andy, but what about Martyn? Have you known him for a while too?

I first met Martyn through a website I used to run called This Is Not Retro and I interviewed him a few times for that website, but I got to know him better through Vince Clarke who has a side-project with Martyn called Illustrious. Illustrious released a boxset called ‘House Of Illustrious’ under the name The Clarke & Ware Experiment a few years go and I was involved on the periphery of that release and got to know Martyn a little better through doing that. Then Martyn was working on his book, ‘Electronically Yours Vol. 1’, at the same time I was working on mine and I was able to introduce him to some helpful publishing people and also to share some of my research with him. We’ve only met in real life a couple of times so I’m looking forward to doing that at my launch in London and then again when we’re doing a joint event at the Louder Than Words Festival in Manchester the following week.

SL: Both Martyn Ware and Vince Clarke have special podcasts and radio programmes where they talk about synthesizer music, play such tracks and talk to famous artists. Do you listen to these programmes regularly?

I always listen to The Synthesizer Show, Vince’s radio show with Reed Hays, for pleasure of course because it can be very entertaining, but also so I can talk about it in the Erasure newsletter. I try to keep up with Martyn’s podcast Electronically Yours but he does so many of them that I’m always a few episodes behind!

SL: The foreword in your book was written by Vince Clarke who has been a living legend in the music industry over the last 40 years. How did he like your book? Has he already read it?

I sent Vince the manuscript so he would have an idea about what was in my book and I know that he has dipped into it, but I don’t know if he’s actually read it all… the book is 528 pages long so it takes a lot of reading and Vince is a busy man with a lot on his plate. I was delighted that he agreed to do the foreword though, as you say he is a legend and I’m extremely lucky to be able to call him a friend.

SL: Could you please name artists you met during your research or with whom you had conversations on the topic? By the way, who is your biggest hero from the electro music scene?

When I first started work on the book I did intend to talk to as many people from that time as possible, but I actually changed direction quite early on in the process simply because a lot of those people don’t actually remember the details very well after all these years. Instead I went to the original music and popular culture media from 1978 to 1983 and collected as many interviews, reviews, features and news pieces as I could – literally thousands of them – from magazines and papers from the NME, Sounds and Melody Maker to Smash Hits, The Face and ZigZag and constructed the narrative of the book from those original materials. Where I was fortunate was in having access to a number of those people who were available to answer questions, join the dots and provide extra clarification when I needed it. Vince Clarke and Andy Bell of course but also people like Martyn Ware, Neil Arthur, Rusty Egan and Daniel Miller.

I don’t know that I have a biggest hero as such, but in the summer Karl Bartos from Kraftwerk published a book, ‘The Sound of the Machine’, with Omnibus Press, the same publishers who are putting out my book ‘Listening to the Music the Machines Make’, and I was able to go to one of Karl’s events and was introduced to him afterwards which was a huge thrill. He was absolutely lovely and very funny.

SL: You jokingly said about yourself that you live in constant fear that people will ask you about your favourite record. Is that really such a difficult question to answer? Could you name at least three records that have had a big impact on your life?

It really is a difficult question to answer. There are so many great records and my favourite one day might not be favourite the next day depending on what I’m listening to, how I’m feeling and what sort of a mood I’m in. So here are three electronic records which I absolutely love and which I never get tired of listening to: The League Unlimited Orchestra’s ‘Love & Dancing’, Propaganda’s ‘A Secret Wish’ and Depeche Mode’s ‘Ultra’… but it really is an impossible question. If you were to ask me again in half an hour I would probably choose three completely different records!

SL: In the last two years, the music industry has also been hit hard by the pandemic. Many tours had to be cancelled or postponed. Which band did you see live for the last time from the electro music scene? Are there still concerts on your personal wish list?

A few weeks ago I saw Front 242’s concert in London which I think I was supposed to see in 2020 and which had been rescheduled four or maybe five times before it finally happened. It was a great show though. And I’m off to see Blancmange next week which I’m looking forward to as I really like their new album. As for a concerts wish list, I never saw the Eurythmics so I think they would be top of the list for me.

SL: We, electro music fans, are already very excited about your upcoming book. And what are you reading right now when you have a little “me time”?

I’m currently reading Martyn Ware’s ‘Electronically Yours Vol. 1’ as I will be interviewing him about the book at my event in a few weeks time. It’s very good, he has done some extraordinary things and has been involved in some amazing projects, so I’m very much enjoying it.

János Janurik

I began my career in online music journalism in 2001, writing about artists I had followed since the late ’80s and early ’90s, including Depeche Mode, Erasure and The Cure. I later edited the Hungarian Mute microsite for EMI Music Hungary. This led to interviews with Erasure, Nitzer Ebb and Alan Wilder, and some of those collaborations developed into lasting friendships. Since 2014, I have been part of the editorial team of depechemode.de. I also contribute interviews to Reflections of Darkness, Peek-A-Boo Magazine and Kaput Mag. I maintain a close connection to Mute Records artists and have also supported releases on Very Records. I am proud to collaborate with Side-Line Magazine, where I regularly publish interviews and features.

Erasure have announced details of their new release, “Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)”, out on Mute on 12 August 2022 on fluorescent green vinyl, CD and digitally. “Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)” is an album of brand new tracks, each created using elements of “The Neon” universe resulting in a 10-track album.

Origins of this new album

Vince Clarke, finding himself with unscheduled time to spend in the studio, began manipulating files for tracks from “The Neon”, their 2020 album release. Vince explains: “With no agenda in mind, gradually a hidden landscape in the tracks began to emerge – one that revealed a track within a track, another world within ‘The Neon’.”

Clarke explored this further, progressing some of the techniques he was using until the tracks that make up “Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)” started to fall into place.

Andy Bell then took these tracks into the studio and, working with long-time collaborator Gareth Jones, began work on his parts. The final album bears little resemblance to the original source material – although echoes of “The Neon” can be heard from time to time. As a whole the album is an alternative look at Vince and Andy’s world.

Listen to the first chapter of “Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)” right below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange) Trym Nævestad aka DJ 7trym had been working on an extensive Depeche Mode megamix to celebrate his 50^th birthday June 7^th. I got wind of this when he contacted me mid-April, asking if I had some DM remixes digitally available, and after searching my hard drives I found what he was looking for. After sharing the files I got a draft in return two days later – and as a DM fans since 1983 I’ve heard a LOT of mixes, but immediately rated this as a top 3 in my book! Feels updated with a great selection of songs and remixes, transitions that other remixers would envy, have some surprises and doesn’t get dull.

Then May 26^th happened… Andrew Fletcher died, the Depeche Mode fan base mourned, and Trym decided to release the mix in Fletch’ honor the day after. As the mix was prematurely published I’d wanted to wait a few weeks, let things settle down and have his birthday pass before follow up, so earlier this week we had a mail chat.

S-L: We read about what the mix were initially made for and that you released it earlier because of Fletch’ passing – tell us what thoughts went through your head those days that made you change the purpose of the mix? 

Trym: Like everyone else, I was in total shock when I got the news about Fletch. The mix was meant to be a celebration of me as a DM fanboy, but suddenly it became way more important than my little ego-trip. I had produced a lot of DJ sets scheduled around my anniversary, so I had to work quickly to find out what to do. The decision to release it ASAP was easy, even if it gave me a lot of extra work though.

S-L: What’s your process doing a mix like this?

Trym: Behind every one of my works, it’s hundreds of hours of getting to know every song by heart. That part is easy for me with DM since I’ve followed them since ’82. It’s actually way harder to find out which songs to exclude to keep the duration down to 2 hours. I have thousands of remixes to choose from. Most are bootlegs and fan made, so the quality is really varied. If I hear a good attempt but with obvious flaws or bad audio, I try to see if I can recreate it easily myself before I decide what to do with it. Software like the online service https://www.lalal.ai/ is just insanely powerful for dissecting tracks! When putting the set together, I focus on the right harmony when deciding the order to play the songs. I avoid breaking the rules of the Camelot wheel so my transitions are always in harmony. (https://mixedinkey.com/camelot-wheel/)

The final mix is done in Mixmeister, which do most of the work if you prepared well. It’s an old software and not developed anymore, but I still find it so powerful for programming DJ sets and easy access to plugins for EQ, compressors and so on. The mix is done quite quickly, but I tend to adjust knobs and filters, adding and removing beats for weeks after I really should be happy and just release it 😀

S-L: How many have heard the mix so far?

Trym: It’s passed 215 unique listeners on Mixcloud, but that’s kind of normal there. For me, the most important thing was to get it published so it can be played, used and inspire listeners for years to come.

(Editor’s note: At the moment of writing this article it’s 9th in the global vocal chart and 88th in the global electronica chart.)

S-L: How long have you been a fan of DM, and how have they impacted your life?

Trym: They came into my life in ‘82 as the older brother of my classmate was really into them then. Strange enough, my classmate was also named Trym and his older brother is Lars Holte, the man responsible for lots of the first raves in Norway and later breaking Tiësto. I just kind of fell straight into it all 😀

My first CD ever was ‘A Broken Frame’, and I was surprised because I thought I had bought ‘Speak and Spell’ when I asked the man in the record store for their album. It was probably in the summer of ‘83 because CDs were a totally new invention that year. I hunted down every vinyl edition of everything I could get hold of after that even if I didn’t have a decent record player and had spent most of my cash on that CD player.

In ‘87 I started working for a radio station, and that opened up more and more opportunities for me. I saw DM live for the first time with the ‘Music for the Masses’ tour and I started practicing as a club DJ. Radio hooked me up with Vince Clark and Andy Bell for an interview in Oslo. I only cared about Vince because of his work with DM. I remember Andy as quite offended since he wanted to be the star and I was told quite clearly that Vince was in Erasure now 😀

During the 90’s I worked hard day and night with morning shows in radios and club gigs at night. When ‘Ultra’ was released in ‘97, I attended a release party and ended up forcing the DJ out of his booth because he didn’t play DM “right”! I took over and the roof just flew off and the crowd went wild. That was the start of my long list of DM parties after that response.

The local label manager for Mute Records saw it too, took me in and used me for everything DM after that. That’s how I was placed backstage at their gigs in Scandinavia at the ‘Exciter’ tour, and on the stage of the official afterparties.

I almost missed their actual concert every time, and had to go to Vilnius in 2006 to finally see their full show as an ordinary member of the audience. It was not the plan to be more than a guest there, but even in Lithuania I ended up on the stage at the afterparty after “politely” removing the DJ that did not live up to my standards that time 😉

I was quite an active dude thinking waaaaay too high of myself at that time – hope I’m seen as more polite now. Anyway, it all worked out in the end!

There is little doubt that the internal life of DM has been rough on its members, and I’ve had the pleasure to meet and play with both Alan Wilder and Fletch when they toured away from DM. Wilder is a conundrum to understand, and Fletch was just the total opposite. Fletch talked freely and made everybody feel like we’d been friends forever. Truly an amazing man and very open about the alcohol problems both he and Martin struggled with. Maybe because I was quite troubled myself at that time so we found that as our common ground, both wanting a way out to a life that didn’t always start the days with hangovers.

S-L: Any other projects or mixes planned in the near future?

Trym: I decided to release a mix for cleaning my house the first Friday of every month, and share it willingly if it can help those mops to move 😀

I’m not playing live anywhere this year, but I’m thinking seriously about doing festival gigs again from 2023. I don’t know if I will do another DM party again though. It just feels strange now, but I hope that will change in time.

As a unique one off around my 50th anniversary, I’m releasing 7 unique DJ sets in different flavours. A new one every day to show off some of my different sides and inspire DJs to open their minds for new stuff.

It’s some high energy festival sets with bangers& mashups, a showcase of what a DJ can do with alternative rock, an Altern80s revisit, a Dark Wave set and a Sunday brunch soundscape. They can all be found on https://www.mixcloud.com/7rym

I hope people will enjoy them 🙂

PS! As a side note on how the DM community connects people, I can add that I first met Trym at a meet & greet before the ‘Exicter’ concert in Oslo, 2001, after winning a contest on Norwegian TV, with Trym being the judge. (sorry for the lousy quality, TV recording equipment on a PC wasn’t very good 21 years ago :/ )

Me and my friend Truls got tickets to the concert and the opportunity to meet the band backstage before the concert, and went out of there with an additional three new acquaintances in Trym, Lars and Frank, whom I still have occasional contact with, meet at concerts etc. 20 years later. DM for life!

Listen to the mix right here, and find other mixes by 7rym at his Mixcloud page:
https://www.mixcloud.com/7rym/

jrstange

Sometimes – when I’m not cooking, biking, listening to music or attending concerts, I write stuff for Side-Line.com. Mostly about Norwegian bands, but it’s been some Swedish, English, American, Danish, German and others too… 😉

www.facebook.com/jrstange

The sudden death of Andy Fletcher yesterday has – as predicted – caused a big shockwave throughout the electro pop community. Several former colleagues and people close to the band have in the meantime posted condolences.

We picked the most relevant ones.

Alison Moyet was one of the first to react: “I have just heard the news. Since we were 10. Same estate. Class mates to label mates. He who kept faith with all the old gang and they with him. It doesn’t compute. Fletch. I have no words.”

Andy Bell and Vince Clarke from Erasure posted a picture of Andy Fletcher with as text an emoji of a broken heart.

Fletcher’s former Depeche Mode colleague Alan Wilder (Recoil) posted this: “A real bolt from the blue to hear about former Depeche Mode colleague Andy Fletcher yesterday. My thoughts and condolences are with his wife Grainne and all the family at this distressing time. RIP ‘Fletch’.”

Mute and Daniel Miller: “We mourn the loss of our dear friend Andrew Fletcher who passed away yesterday. Such an integral part of Depeche Mode from the very start of their remarkable journey, he will be missed beyond words. Our hearts go out to his family, Dave and Martin and to all the wonderful fans and friends who loved him. With love from Daniel and his entire Mute family.”

Phil Burdett who used to form a band, Norman & The Worms, with Martin Gore and who went to the same school as Fletcher posted the following: “So very sad to learn of the passing of Andy Fletcher my old school pal & eventual member of Depeche Mode. Whilst I have never been a fan of the band I have many good memories of the times at the end of my fourth/fifth form at St. Nicholas & he was an integral part of a very fertile period in Basildon at that time & somehow when contemporary friends are lost the sadness felt is made more vivid. He used to come & see me & Martin play at Norman & The Worms gigs & I always thought it odd that he was positioned in between us in this photo…out of all three in the picture two thought they would make it big…couldn’t have happened to a nicer chap…RIP Fletch…”

Deb Danahay who was very close to the band during its earliest history posted the following: “I’m still in shock… Andy never took drugs or even hard alcohol… he just loved a pint or two of lager with the boys… He never learned how to drive. He’d get the train back to Basildon to meet up with his old mates… he was a fiercely loyal friend… Something I’d love to tell devotees… that they’d travelled the same route on the same trains… I was at a DM event in Berlin with Gareth Jones and someone asked what Andy brought to the recording sessions, Gareth Jones was adamant that Fletch brought the whole process together…”

Orchestral Manoeuvres: “Tonight we are celebrating selling out The Greek Theatre in LA but it will be touched by a great sadness as all of us say farewell to Andy Fletcher from Depeche Mode. A beautiful person in an amazing band. We send alll our love to his family.”

Jurgen Engler: “Crazy news… R.I.P. Andy Fletcher… we hung out in Dusseldorf way back in the 80s on DM’s Some Great Reward tour… the band had invited me to meet them after the show… he was such a nice guy, easy going and curious… it’s hard to believe he left so young… I know the world won’t forget him 🖤”

Pet Shop Boys: “We’re saddened and shocked that Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode has died. Fletch was a warm, friendly and funny person who loved electronic music and could also give sensible advice about the music business. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends and to Dave Gahan and Martin Gore. Neil & Chris xx”

Blancmange: “Very sad news. I have great memories of times we shared all those decades ago. On tour I never won a single game of chess against him. Before either of us signed record deals we both worked at London Bridge. me under that railway arch as a graphic designer and he in a suit, at a solicitors I think, or may be an accountants. I’d quite often bump into him, each of us doing a double take to process the sight of each other not standing on some tiny stage next to synths and tape machines.
A lovely man. A gentleman.”

Soft Cell: “We are so sad to hear about the passing of Andy Fletcher. Depeche Mode and Soft Cell will forever be part of each other’s early histories and genre-defining the early 80’s. What a band, and what a success story. We send our love to Dave, Martin, Daniel and all the Depeche Mode team.”

New Order: “We are saddened to hear of Andy Fletcher’s passing. Our thoughts are with Depeche Mode, their crew, his family and friends at this difficult time.”

This article will constantly be adapted with new quotes.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Erasure have announced that they are cancelling the upcoming UK & European, South American and North American legs of The Neon Tour.

In a statement the band says: “We are very sorry to announce that, due to unexpected family circumstances beyond anyone’s control, we have had to make the extremely difficult decision to cancel the remaining stages of The Neon Tour and we will therefore no longer be playing our planned shows in the UK & Europe, South America or North America this year. Refunds are available at point of purchase.”

The band confirms that both Vince Clarke and Andy Bell are well. “Although bitterly disappointed to be forced to cancel the rest of the tour, (we) send (our) sincere apologies to anyone affected by the cancellations. Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to being able to play to everyone again soon.”

This is quite a hard blow for the band as they already had to reschedule, postpone, reschedule etc a lot of their shows due to the pandemic.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Erasure (Andy Bell and Vince Clarke) have announced details of a surprise EP, celebrating the first night of their UK tour. Out on CD, limited edition purple cassette and digitally tomorrow, Friday 1 October, “Ne:EP” is a 5-track companion piece to their latest album, “The Neon”, with 4 new tracks sitting alongside “Secrets” which originally appeared on “The Neon Remixed”.

Watch the trailer below.

Erasure’s UK tour kicks off in Glasgow, where they’ll play 3 nights at the Armadillo before a series of dates that includes a show at The O2 in London on 17 October with additional special guest Blancmange.

Erasure – The Neon Tour – 2021 dates

• 1 Oct 21 – Glasgow, Armadillo – SOLD OUT
• 2 Oct 21 – Glasgow, Armadillo – SOLD OUT
• 4 Oct – Glasgow, Armadillo – NEW DATE
• 6 Oct 21 – Edinburgh, Usher Hall – SOLD OUT
• 7 Oct 21 – Edinburgh, Usher Hall – SOLD OUT
• 9 Oct 21 – Manchester, O2 Apollo – SOLD OUT
• 10 Oct 21 – Manchester, O2 Apollo – SOLD OUT
• 12 Oct 21 – Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
• 14 Oct 21 – Bournemouth, International Centre
• 16 Oct 21 – Birmingham, Utilita Arena – SOLD OUT
• 17 Oct 21 – London, The O2 *with additional special guest Blancmange
• 18 Oct 21 – Brighton, Centre

Erasure – The Neon Tour – 2022 dates

• 11 May 22 – Dublin, 3Arena – Rescheduled from 4 Oct 21
• 13 May 22 – Frankfurt, Jahrhunderthalle – Rescheduled from 21 Oct 21
• 14 May 22 – Cologne, Palladium – Rescheduled from 24 Oct 21
• 16 May 22 – Copenhagen, Royal Arena – Rescheduled from 26 Oct 21
• 17 May 22 – Hamburg, Barclaycard Arena – Rescheduled from 27 Oct 21
• 19 May 22 – Leipzig, Immobilien Arena – Rescheduled from 28 Oct 21
• 20 May 22 – Berlin, Max-Velodrom – Rescheduled from 22 Oct 21

*support from Wayne G across the UK dates

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

(By our local correspondent János Janurik) “Hey, Janos, there you go…” It’s cool to be in email contact with Vince Clarke, founder of bands like Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure. He may not be a wordsmith, but good-humouredly, the living synthpop legend had answered my questions before he went on a well-deserved vacation. At the end of October he is going on a tour through the UK and Europe with his long-time bandmate, Andy Bell. As a small appetizer for the upcoming concerts, Erasure’s latest album “The Neon Remixed,” will be released at the end of July, featuring remixes of their 2020 work “The Neon,” as well as a brand new track “Secrets.”

Certain electropop tracks are often more successful in remixed version and sometimes sound better than the original. This genre of music simply suits remixes well. The same goes for Erasure. Although I’m not a big fan of remixes from the last two decades, this time I was very pleased with what I heard. The remix of “The Neon” includes partly complete new productions, partly extended maxi versions in the classic sense and of course there are enough tracks to dance along to. “The Neon” is also remixed and in this revised version it is a pure electropop perfection! “The Neon Remixed” features reinterpretations from artists like Kim Ann Foxman, Hifi Sean, Octo Octa, Paul Humphreys (OMD), Andy Bell & Gareth Jones, Brixxtone, Theo Kottis, and others. My first question to Vince Clarke was of course about this upcoming remix compilation.

SL: One year after the release of your last album „The Neon” its remix version will be released at the end of July. Whose idea was this remix compilation? Did you want to take a new turn with „The Neon” songs to take them in a new direction or was that the idea of the record company?

VC: The remix album was the idea of Mute Records. They wanted to extend the ‘life’ of the album, hopefully right up to the start of the „Neon” Tour.

SL: Old friends and colleagues of you, like Paul Humphreys or Gareth Jones, as well as a lot of new DJs and remixers can be found among the participating artists. Who selected and requested them for these remixes?

VC: Neil Blanket from Mute came up with the list of remixers. (Neil Blanket is the Head of Marketing at Mute – author’s note)

SL: The „Violate Flame” album also had a similar remix version, but my favorite one is still „The Two Ring Circus”. I would be glad to hear live that stunning remix version of „Leave Me To Bleed” by Vince and Eric Radcliffe one day in my life. Are there any such remixes from your back catalogue, which you think are even better than the original?

VC: I’m very fond of Orbitals remix of „Ship Of Fools”.

SL: As mentioned before „The Neon” album is already one year old. How did it affect you the last time you heard it? Do you still have the same favorite songs on the album? By the way, what are your current favorites?

VC: I tend not to listen to an album once it’s been released unless of course, I’m preparing tracks for our up and coming tour.

SL: This year there is another anniversary in the history of Erasure: Your debut album „Wonderland” was released 35 years ago. Many of the fans think that your current album has a lot in common with your first album. Have you noticed any similarities in the sound or in terms of the production work?

VC: I think there are similarities. Both albums are upbeat and positive looking and the sounds and arrangements are less cluttered.. (I think?)

SL: This October you are going on tour according to your plans. Have you put the new setlist together yet? Which are the songs that already have a fix place on the setlist?

VC: We’ll obviously be doing songs from ’The Neon’, a few old favorites and a couple of lesser known tracks from our back catalogue.

SL: There’s a rumor that Andy wants to sing the Eurythmics classic „Love Is A Stranger”. Are you planning to perform this cover version on the upcoming tour?

VC: ‘W & S’… (Wait and see.) 🙂

SL: In these Corona times it is difficult to make preparations for a tour. When can you meet each other to rehearse live?

VC: We start rehearsals in London, two weeks before the first show in Scotland.

SL: At your London concert you are going to have Blancmange as the opening act. I have always liked their music and a lot of fans know about the contact with Depeche Mode (Blancmange were the opening act on Depeche Mode’s 1981 and 1982 tours) and with Vince. Vince, you remixed „Living On The Ceiling” a few years ago and your fans are also eagerly awaiting the joint work with Neil Arthur. Where is this project lying right now?

VC: We’re hoping to finally mix our ‘collaboration’ at the end of July although it rather depends on UK and US travel restrictions.

SL: Vince, you’re also a label manager and host of an online radio show about the world of synths. Are there any news from the home of VeryRecords?

VC: There’s not a lot going on at the moment… perhaps a new release in 2022?

SL: And let’s not forget that your son son Oscar has just released his debut work. Vince, please, tell us a few words about this record and about your possible involvement on it.

VC: I contributed very little. My son did pretty much everything including getting it on Spotify etc.

SL: Back to the subject of touring. You are giving six concerts in Germany during the forthcoming tour in October. The German fans have always been very loyal to you. Do you have a story in your mind about Erasure and Germany that you still remember?

VC: Our very first show in Hamburg comes to mind. We played a venue called the Markthalle which was probably about half full. We were not well known in Germany at the time but I remember the audience was amazing… So warm and enthusiastic.

The fans are still waiting with great enthusiasm to finally see their idols live on stage again. Hopefully the Corona situation will get better and then we can enjoy Vince and Andy on a concert! Here you can see the tour dates once again. See you there!

“The Neon Remixed”

CD TRACKLIST (CD 1)

1 Secrets
2 Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling) (Hifi Sean Remix)
3 Nerves of Steel (Andy Bell & Gareth Jones’ Sapphire and Steel Mix)
4 Fallen Angel (Saint Remix)
5 No Point in Tripping (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman 808 BEACH Extended Remix)
6 Shot A Satellite (GRN Extended Remix)
7 Tower of Love (BSB’s Stella Polaris Remix)
8 Diamond Lies (Armageddon Turk Extended Remix)
9 New Horizons (Matt Pop Extended Remix)
10 Careful What I Try to Do (Brixxtone Extended Remix)
11 Kid You’re Not Alone (Theo Kottis Remix)

CD TRACKLIST (CD 2)

1 Secrets (Kim Ann Foxman’s Heaven Mix)
2 No Point in Tripping (Can Love Be Synth Remix)
3 Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling) (Hifi Sean Dub)
4 Careful What I Try to Do (Brixxtone Synthwave Dub)
5 Nerves Of Steel (Gareth Jones’ ElectroGenetic Terabyte of Love Mix)
6 Kid You’re Not Alone (Paul Humphreys Remix)
7 Secrets (Octo Octa’s Psychedelic Visions Disco Dub)

János Janurik

I began my career in online music journalism in 2001, writing about artists I had followed since the late ’80s and early ’90s, including Depeche Mode, Erasure and The Cure. I later edited the Hungarian Mute microsite for EMI Music Hungary. This led to interviews with Erasure, Nitzer Ebb and Alan Wilder, and some of those collaborations developed into lasting friendships. Since 2014, I have been part of the editorial team of depechemode.de. I also contribute interviews to Reflections of Darkness, Peek-A-Boo Magazine and Kaput Mag. I maintain a close connection to Mute Records artists and have also supported releases on Very Records. I am proud to collaborate with Side-Line Magazine, where I regularly publish interviews and features.

GLOK is the electronic alter ego of Andy Bell, not the Erasure frontman nor the former Anne Clark keyboardist but the guitarist in the shoegaze act Ride. This October his first album proper as GLOK – “Pattern Recognition” – is released via Ransom Note Records’ sister label Bytes.

While GLOK was formed as an instrumental affair, on “Pattern Recognition” he has branched out to working with vocalists, with guests including the Irish punk poet Sinead O’Brien on “Maintaining the Machine”, who he approached having fallen in love with her single “Most Modern Painting”.

Other voices include Ransom Note labelmate Chloé ‘C.A.R.’ Raunet on “Entanglement”, MC Shamon Cassette on “Process” and his wife Shiarra on “That Time Of Night”, while Primal Scream’s Simone Marie plays bass on “Maintaining The Machine”.

Most recently Bell contributed a GLOK track “Tories in Jail” – alongside Daniel Avery, Roisin Murphy and Nitzer Ebb – for ‘The Gun Aid’ collection, which was released to raise funds for the Hackney drinking establishment of the same name that took a serious financial hit due to lockdown.

Here’s the single “Maintaining The Machine”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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UK’s synthpop act Erasure have announced a North American tour earlier today set to launch January 14, 2022 in Miami before wrapping up in late February at The Venetian in Las Vegas. Bag Raiders will open each date with a DJ set.

News of the North American tour follows the 2020 release of Erasure’s eighteenth studio album, “The Neon”. This Summer, the duo will release “The Neon Remixed”, a collection of reimaginings of songs from The Neon by artists such as Kim Ann Foxman, Hifi Sean, Octo Octa, Paul Humphreys (OMD), Andy Bell & Gareth Jones, Brixxtone, Theo Kottis, and more. Also included is the brand new single “Secrets”.

Below are the tour dates. Tickets will be available from Friday on.

Erasure The Neon Tour 2021-2022

• October 1 – Glasgow, Scotland – Armadillo SOLD OUT
• October 2 – Glasgow, Scotland – Armadillo SOLD OUT
• October 4 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
• October 6 – Edinburgh, Scotland – Usher Hall SOLD OUT
• October 7 – Edinburgh, Scotland – Usher Hall SOLD OUT
• October 9 – Manchester, England – O2 Apollo SOLD OUT
• October 10 – Manchester, England – O2 Apollo SOLD OUT
• October 12 – Cardiff, Wales – Motorpoint Arena
• October 14 – Bournemouth, England – International Centre
• October 16 – Birmingham, England – Utilita Arena
• October 17 – London, England – The O2
• October 18 – Brighton, England – Centre
• October 21 – Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle
• October 22 – Berlin, Germany – Max-Schmeling-Halle
• October 24 – Cologne, Germany – Palladium
• October 26 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena
• October 27 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclaycard Arena
• October 28 – Leipzig, Germany – Immobilien Arena
• January 14 – Miami Beach, FL – The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater
• January 15 – Orlando, FL – Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center
• January 16 – St. Petersburg, FL – The Mahaffey Theater
• January 18 – Durham, NC – DPAC – Durham Performing Arts Center
• January 20 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall
• January 25 – Toronto, ON – Meridian Hall
• January 27 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Byham Theater
• January 28 – Chicago, IL – Credit Union 1 Arena at UIC
• January 29 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center
• February 1 – Asbury Park, NJ – Paramount Theatre
• February 3 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
• February 4 – Atlantic City, NJ – Caesars *
• February 5 – Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre presented by Citizens Bank
• February 8 – Atlanta, GA – Symphony Hall
• February 11 – Houston, TX – TBA (venue & on sale to be announced)
• February 12 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
• February 13 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater *
• February 15 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
• February 18 – Denver, CO – Bellco Theatre
• February 19 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center
• February 23 – Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
• February 25 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
• February 26 – Los Angeles, CA – Performance Venue @ Hollywood Park
• February 27 – Las Vegas, NV – Venetian Theatre

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Dag Stinus) Out on June 11 via Bandcamp and Beatify Audio (and one week later on all other digital platforms) is the newest single from the Danish synthpop duo SoftWave: “System Failure”. SoftWave consists of the duo Catrine Christensen and Jerry Olsen.

The track is a clear reference to how the Covid19 crisis has affected people mentally around the world. Singer Catrine Christensen explains: “System Failure” describes the duality of being isolated in many months without associating with others, and how much life with a computer can disturb the mind and even provoke frustration, depression and in rare cases – anger.”

The band formed in 2014 and debuted in 2016 with the EP “Together Alone” which was followed by “Together Alone The Remixes” in 2017. Their debut landed in 2019 with “Game On” which also got the remix treatment on “Game On 1Up” (re-released in 2020 with bonus tracks on Electro-Shock-Records).

After touring with OMD on the Scandinavian leg of their “Greatest Hits – Souvenir Tour” (feb, 2020), SoftWave was invited by Erasure’s Andy Bell to produce remixes for his forthcoming Andy Bell is Torsten project “Club Torsten!” among Vince Clarke, Bronski Beat and more.

Below is the band’s “Game On 1Up” release including a live track from their OMD support show at Oslo’s Rockefeller venue.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

(Photo by Phil Sharp) Erasure have announced details of “The Neon Remixed”, an album collating new remixes from their latest album, “The Neon”, alongside a brand new track, “Secrets”. “The Neon Remixed” is set for release on 30 July 2021 on limited edition double colored vinyl and gatefold CD, both packaged in a mirror board sleeve.

On “The Neon Remixed” you’ll see tracks from 2020’s “The Neon” remixed by a host of artists including Kim Ann Foxman, Hifi Sean, Octo Octa, Paul Humphreys (OMD), Andy Bell & Gareth Jones, Brixxtone, Theo Kottis and more.

Listen to the new track, “Secrets” right below.

October 2021 will see Erasure bring The Neon to venues across the UK, Ireland, Germany and Denmark, kicking off at the Glasgow Armadillo auditorium on 1 October, with a London date at the O2 Arena on 17 October. Tickets can be bought right here.

ERASURE – THE NEON TOUR – 2021 DATES

• 1 Oct 21 – Glasgow, Armadillo – SOLD OUT
• 2 Oct 21 – Glasgow, Armadillo – SOLD OUT
• 4 Oct 21 – Dublin, 3Arena
• 6 Oct 21 – Edinburgh, Usher Hall – SOLD OUT
• 7 Oct 21 – Edinburgh, Usher Hall – SOLD OUT
• 9 Oct 21 – Manchester, O2 Apollo – SOLD OUT
• 10 Oct 21 – Manchester, O2 Apollo – SOLD OUT
• 12 Oct 21 – Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
• 14 Oct 21 – Bournemouth, International Centre
• 16 Oct 21 – Birmingham, Utilita Arena
• 17 Oct 21 – London, The O2
• 18 Oct 21 – Brighton, Centre
• 21 Oct 21 – Frankfurt, Jahrhunderthalle
• 22 Oct 21 – Berlin, Max-Schmeling-Halle
• 24 Oct 21 – Cologne, Palladium
• 26 Oct 21 – Copenhagen, Royal Arena
• 27 Oct 21 – Hamburg, Barclaycard Arena
• 28 Oct 21 – Leipzig, Immobilien Arena

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Erasure (Andy Bell and Vince Clarke) today launch a new video evoking the spirit of Halloween with a spooky short for “Fallen Angel”. Starring Heidi N Closet from season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race – where she was crowned Miss Congeniality – and model Alexa Abraxas, the video was directed by Brad Hammer, responsible for the video for “Nerves of Steel”.

Watch the “Fallen Angel” video below.

The new video precedes the release of a vinyl 12” and a 3CD box set due out on December 4. The 12” features a brand new remix of the single from Georgia, whilst the 3CD singles boxset collects remixes from each of the album’s singles – “Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling)”, “Nerves of Steel”, and “Fallen Angel” – including previously unreleased versions and forthcoming remixes from Confidence Man and Ben Rainey.

The band recently announced the first leg of their tour dates to take place in October 2021.

• October 1 – Glasgow, Scotland – Armadillo SOLD OUT
• October 2 – Glasgow, Scotland – Armadillo SOLD OUT
• October 4 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
• October 6 – Edinburgh, Scotland – Usher Hall
• October 7 – Edinburgh, Scotland – Usher Hall EXTRA DATE ADDED
• October 9 – Manchester, England – O2 Apollo SOLD OUT
• October 10 – Manchester, England – O2 Apollo SOLD OUT
• October 12 – Cardiff, Wales – Motorpoint Arena
• October 14 – Bournemouth, England – International Centre
• October 16 – Birmingham, England – Utilita Arena
• October 17 – London, England – The O2
• October 18 – Brighton, England – Centre
• October 21 – Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle
• October 22 – Berlin, Germany – Max-Schmeling-Halle
• October 24 – Cologne, Germany – Palladium
• October 26 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena
• October 27 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclaycard Arena
• October 28 – Leipzig, Germany – Immobilien Arena

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Erasure, the duo Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, have announced the first dates for their upcoming The Neon Tour to promote their 18th studio album, “The Neon”.

But you’ll have to wait an entire year before that.

October 2021 will see Erasure bring The Neon to venues across the UK, Ireland, Germany and Denmark. The tour kicks off at the Glasgow Armadillo auditorium and includes a show at the London O2 Arena on 17 October.

Andy Bell says, “We’re so excited to be able to – at last – announce dates for The Neon Tour! We’d hoped to have seen you sooner, but can’t wait to see you all in 2021. Until then, keep safe!”

Tour dates

• 1 Oct 21 – Glasgow, Armadillo
• 4 Oct 21 – Dublin, 3Arena
• 6 Oct 21 – Edinburgh, Usher Hall
• 10 Oct 21 – Manchester, O2 Apollo
• 12 Oct 21 – Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
• 14 Oct 21 – Bournemouth, International Centre
• 16 Oct 21 – Birmingham, Utilita Arena
• 17 Oct 21 – London, The O2
• 18 Oct 21 – Brighton, Centre
• 21 Oct 21 – Frankfurt, Jahrhunderthalle
• 22 Oct 21 – Berlin, Max-Schmeling-Halle
• 24 Oct 21 – Cologne, Palladium
• 26 Oct 21 – Copenhagen, Royal Arena
• 27 Oct 21 – Hamburg, Barclaycard Arena
• 28 Oct 21 – Leipzig, Immobilien Arena

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

(Interview by János Janurik – Photo by Phil Sharp) Erasure is going to release their 18^th studio album, ‘The Neon’ on 21st August. Their first single has already made it clear for the fans that Vince Clarke and Andy Bell are still world champions and hit guarantors in the synth-pop genre. Let’s forget about the Corona crisis and the shadow-side of life for a while now, let’s turn on the NEON lights and let our hearts and souls warm up in their lights! The boys are back in town! Vince and Andy joined Janos Janurik / our co-editor for an exclusive interview.  Enjoy reading!

JJ: It’s been more than 3 years since our last online interview. On the one hand, nothing has changed – and I am referring to international politics here; on the other hand, we have to face all the harshness of this Corona pandemic. One might think that the follow-up of ‘World Be Gone’ (2017) would be an even gloomier record. However, even after the first single (‘Hey Now (Think I Got a Feeling)’) we knew that the new sound would be something ‘optimistic, more upfront’ – as you described it yourself. I also think that this is exactly what the fans – their ears, souls, hearts and minds – currently need to enjoy a bit of the beautiful side of life with the help of your music. The album will be released at the end of the summer, but still gives the listener the impression of a little bit of sunshine. Have you appointed this release date in order to help the fans go through these difficult times? Could you please tell me some words about the “Neon” online album launch party?

Vince Clarke: The release date was chosen by the record company. It was put on hold for a while but then they thought, despite the lockdown, that the fans would appreciate some new music. It’ll be an opportunity to chat about the new record, answer some fan question and talk to some of the people from Mute, involved in the “Neon” process (and drink beer).

JJ: Let’s stay with this first single release topic. Although the song was written before the Corona era its lyrics could not even be intentionally more up-to-date. ‘Walk through the city singing Hallelujah, wish for a lover’s touch’, ‘Head for the city feeling kind of lonely, I gotta play the part’. Andy, you also mentioned on your online video chat on the 1^st of May that you were living far away from your spouse at that time. In another interview you also mentioned that you could also interpret the song “Nerves Of Steel” – which will be the second single and will surely become an absolute fan favourite – in a way that you can do anything and survive alongside a beloved partner. How has the pandemic affected your private life? I suppose these times have also taken on your ‘nerves of steel’. How can you protect yourself emotionally as a highly sensitive artist right now?

Andy Bell: I think for Vince & I it was very fortuitous that we got the album mixed & the photos just right before the pandemic broke. Of course it is very sad & frustrating to be away from your partner especially when you could do with some help, but really he was a great inspiration in all honesty when I was writing the lyrics in Atlanta. I have never lived on my on ever since leaving my childhood home so this is a very good exercise in independence & it proves that I can look after myself though I prefer to be with someone. London has been a completely different place without all the cars & people it is slowly coming back to life but I prefer it to be quiet.

JJ: Vince, in that sense, you’re in a better position to have your wife and son right next to you. And if you want to experiment with your synthesizers alone you just go to your basement where you have your own home-studio. On the new album you grabbed more for classical analogue stuff that added more warmth and 80s’ flair to the new songs. I really like those space-like instrument parts in songs like “No Point In Tripping”, “Shot A Satellite”, “Diamond Lies” or “Careful What I Try To Do”. For me, this is one of the true essences of Erasure’s music, why I’ve been your fan for over 3 decades now. They guarantee goose-bumps and make the fans of the classic analogue synth sounds happy. What can you tell us about the development phase of the musical basis of the new songs? Was it a pure coincidence that you just picked these synths (like Sequential Circuits Pro-One and Moog) out of your huge collection? Is there a favourite synthesizer the sound of which you like best? 

VC: I never have a really clear idea of how the songs should sound in the beginning. My process has always been about experimentation. I do have my favorite synths but I try and incorporate as many different machines as possible. It’s more interesting for me and hopefully results in less predictable sound.

JJ: The new album is full of potential hits. The fans already know the pre-released single “Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling)” and the song “Shot A Satellite”, released as an appetizer but there are several more that are sure to become fan favourites. Let’s think of the beautiful mid-tempo song “Nerves Of Steel” or of “Fallen Angel”, which is an energetic up-tempo song and immediately lures you to sing along. Another absolute favourite of mine is the synth-disco-anthem “No Point In Trippin”. “Diamond Lies” with its catchy oriental motifs is also a highlight of the album. Radio stations should play these songs in heavy rotation. Do you already have personal favourite hits from the new album? Which song is going to be the next (third) single?

VC: My personal favorite is “New Horizons”, cos I’m an old romantic at heart.

AB: My favorite is “Nerves of Steel” I just keep playing it over & over again it’s sounds like electro rock to me & I can`t wait to perform it live hopefully next year. It is a song about the grit & determination that it requires for a relationship to last. It is a celebration of world lovers no matter in which form. The last single will be “Fallen Angel” which is a roller coaster ride of emotions.

JJ: What I am also very happy about is that after a long time we finally have an Erasure ballad with piano underpainting again. “New Horizons” is definitely one of the most beautiful Erasure songs ever released. The music, Andy’s voice and the lyrics – everything fits perfectly! The song caresses the soul and gives new hope. Do you believe in the healing power of music? Which song touched you emotionally for the last time?

VC: For me, music has always been a comfort. I think that’s especially true right now. I’m not sure music is a healer but it certainly gives us hope. “Life In A Northern Town” is my current favorite comfort song.

JJ: The end track “Kid You’re Not Alone” also goes straight to the heart and brings the album to a nice conclusion. It reminds me of such crowning album closing tracks as “Because You’re So Sweet” or “I Bet You’re Mad At Me”. I am sure that fans will choose the brilliant ‘Neon’ album – which is colourful, warm and brings light to the world, just like its title – as their favourite. The only thing missing is a tour to have the work well done celebrated together. And then we, ‘kids’ will ‘not (be) alone’. I know that it is very difficult to plan live appearances at the moment, but is there a chance to see you at least on the Internet until live shows are considered safe?

VC: There might be a couple of small events happening soon but there are no plans for a full concert, especially because Andy and I are 3000 miles apart.

JJ: Please tell us a few words about the successful artwork which beautifully completes the musical content. Fans who have pre-ordered the special edition are sure going to be happy about the coloured NEON design.

VC: The artwork was inspired by a photo shoot we did at “Gods Own Junkyard”. A museum dedicated to the history of Neon.

JJ: In addition to Erasure, you also have your side projects such as Andy’s Torsten trilogy or Vince’s new discoveries on his VeryRecords label. Not to mention his radio program about the magical world of synthesizer music with Reed Hays. What releases are still to be expected from you until we can see you on tour again? Andy recently put an interesting playlist of his favourite mute songs together. I’ve also heard rumours about Vince’s possible collaboration with Neil Arthur of Blancmange. What does your musical life look like outside of Erasure?

VC: There is a new Alka album coming out soon on VeryRecords. The Neil Arthur collaboration is on going. It’s nearly finished but at the moment there is no release date.

JJ: Erasure are not only in the studio but also on stage in top form. As I mentioned before, these times are not necessarily favourable for tours. But Andy spoke in a radio talk in May about a possible US tour starting next March and about further UK/EU concerts in the autumn of 2021. Are you looking forward to meeting the fans? What would your message be to your fan community?

VC & AB: We are both really looking forward to begin a tour next year and properly showcase the new album. “Hang on in there” would be our message to the fans.

The new Erasure album can be (pre) ordered at Mute.

Erasure – “The Neon” tracklisting

1. Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling) 
2. Nerves Of Steel
3. Fallen Angel
4. No Point In Tripping
5. Shot A Satellite
6. Tower Of Love
7. Diamond Lies
8. New Horizons
9. Careful What I Try To Do
10. Kid You’re Not Alone

Editor’s Note: I’m giving this album a 5 star rating.

© JJANURIK

János Janurik

I began my career in online music journalism in 2001, writing about artists I had followed since the late ’80s and early ’90s, including Depeche Mode, Erasure and The Cure. I later edited the Hungarian Mute microsite for EMI Music Hungary. This led to interviews with Erasure, Nitzer Ebb and Alan Wilder, and some of those collaborations developed into lasting friendships. Since 2014, I have been part of the editorial team of depechemode.de. I also contribute interviews to Reflections of Darkness, Peek-A-Boo Magazine and Kaput Mag. I maintain a close connection to Mute Records artists and have also supported releases on Very Records. I am proud to collaborate with Side-Line Magazine, where I regularly publish interviews and features.

(Photo by Phil Sharp) Erasure have just launched the new video for their latest single, “Nerves of Steel”, featuring over 20 LGBTQIA+ stars, including several best known for their appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Andy Bell: “This is my favourite track from the album, I am truly honoured that all our LGBTQIA+ friends were so creative during lockdown and helped us with this joyful video. Thanks for creating such a lovely piece of art!”

The “Nerves of Steel” video was produced and directed by Brad Hammer and Tyler Stone who also edited it. It features (in alphabetical order): 6, Amanda Lepore, Aurora Sexton, Candis Cayne, Cara Melle, Cheddar Gorgeous, CT Hedden, Delta Work, Detox, Joey Jay, Kiki Xtravaganza, Manila Luzon, Mayhem Miller, Mercedes Tyler, Morgan Michaels, Nina West, Pandomonia, Pearl, Raja Gemini, Sherry Vine and Widow Von ‘Du. Watch it here.

Erasure’s 18th studio album, “The Neon”, is out on Mute on 21 August 2020 and was written and produced by Erasure.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Erasure (Andy Bell and Vince Clarke) have announced details of their 18th studio album, “The Neon”, the follow up to 2017’s “World Be Gone”. They also launched the album’s opener, “Hey Now (Think I Got a Feeling)” which is also the first single and video from the album.

Listen to the track here:

The album’s vocals were recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, with Vince joining Andy at the studio sessions, and the mixing was done by the band in London earlier this year. Photographs were – not surprisingly – shot at that time at Gods Own Junkyard, a gallery housing a huge collection of vintage neon.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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“Variance III – The Queereteria Remixes” is the latest Andy Bell album which presents remixes of some of the tracks from the “Torsten In Queereteria” alongside some previously unreleased music from the project, plus a handful of bonus tracks.

For those who missed it, “Torsten In Queereteria” was the third solo album by Andy Bell performing as alter-ego Torsten, a gender-fluid, semi-immortal. The project is a pop / musical theatre collaboration between Erasure singer Andy Bell, poet/playwright Barney Ashton-Bullock and musician Christopher Frost.

Here’s the tracklisting:

• Not Opting Out (Matt Pop Club Mix)
• We Hadn’t Slept For Twenty Years (Bronski Beat Remix)
• I Don’t Like (Bronski Beat Remix)
• Lowland Lowriders (Jerome Froese Retouched Mix)
• We Hadn’t Slept For Twenty Years (Shelter’s New Mix)
• Lead Me
• Judgement
• If We Want To Drink A Little (Andy Bell Solo Version)
• Silence Is Golden (Radio Edit)
• We Hadn’t Slept For Twenty Years (Radio Version)
• Not Opting Out (Matt Pop Radio Edit)

Below is an extract from “Not Opting Out (Matt Pop Club Remix)”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Interview © Janos Janurik) 2019 is a year full of anniversaries and anniversary releases and tours, just think of bands and records or special concerts such as Alphaville (“Forever Young” (Super-Deluxe-Box)), the anniversary tour to A-ha`s debut album “Hunting High And Low”, special live performances of The Cure to their legendary “Disintegration” album – just to name a few…

This series is complemented by the re-release of Erasure’s “Wild!” LP. The album was originally released in October 1989 and put the duo of Vince Clarke and Andy Bell on the top of the charts. According to Erasure’s fan base this record is still one of their best and contains timeless classics like “Drama!”, “You Surround Me”, or “Blue Savannah”, which are still part of their concerts.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of “Wild!”, our contributor, Janos Janurik, invited three people involved in that project for an interview: the unique and unrepeatable Vince Clarke and his right hands, who also have a good reputation among Depeche Mode fans: the two producers, Gareth Jones and Mark Saunders.

They were all ready for a discussion and answered the questions of our colleague as follows.

Vince Clarke

SL: In the series of the Mute album re-releases the last Erasure LP of the eighties, “Wild! ” will be published on the occasion of its thirtieth anniversary. Which (not only musical) memories of the autumn of 1989 are still awake in you?

VC: – I remember the music was recorded in my very first home studio in London. Mark Saunders worked with me whilst Andy recorded with Gareth Jones at the ‘Church’ studio.

SL: The producer of this album was Gareth Jones, a long-time studio employee of Mute Records artists like Depeche Mode, Wire, and Nick Cave. His partner in the production team was the legendary mix master Mark Saunders. You worked together with Gareth on other Erasure albums. Which cooperation do you remember best? Do you have a favourite remix of Mark’s Erasure catalogue?

VC: – Mark did a fantastic remix of ‘You Surround Me’. He was/is very easy going and we got on well. At that point I didn’t really know Gareth.

SL: The single releases “Drama!” and “Blue Savannah” are still fix parts of your live setlists. On the Violet Flame Tour you performed remixes of the rarely played “Wild! ” singles “Star” and “You Surround Me”. Except “2000 Miles” you actually played all album songs at your previous concerts. Are you still satisfied with this material? How do you rate this album after 30 years of time?

VC: – Not bad. 🙂

SL: The “Wild! Tour” has perhaps been the biggest of your tours so far. You toured the world with a gigantic stage set. For the first time you had dancers on stage besides the background singers and there were also several costume changes and two different setlists. During this tour you also played live behind the iron curtain in Prague and then in exotic places like South America, Japan and Australia for the first time. Not to mention the legendary finale at the Milton Keynes Bowl. Do you have any special souvenirs from this tour that will bring back good memories?

VC: – I don’t have any souvenirs, but I remember that the tour was very exciting, especially play to such big crowds.

SL: The second disc of the forthcoming re-release will feature 14 bonus B-sides, remixes, rarities and live recordings, five of which are previously unreleased, including a brand-new remix of “Drama!” by Richard Norris and a recently discovered unreleased mix of “How Many Times?”. This song is my favourite song from the album and which one is yours?

VC: – “Blue Savannah”.

SL: But Erasure is not a nostalgia band of the 80s, because in the meantime you have released more than a dozen albums that have all been received positively – by fans as well as critics. What does the band-future of Erasure look like? Are there any plans for new material yet?

VC: – We hope to be writing for a new album in 2019.

SL: What would your message be for your fan base?

VC: – THANK YOU!

Gareth Jones

SL: Gareth, you’re supposed to be the in-house producer for Mute Records. Before working with Erasure, you’ve worked with renowned Mute artists such as Depeche Mode, Wire and Nick Cave. How do you remember the first meeting with label boss Daniel Miller and the studio work in Berlin with Depeche Mode on their „Construction Time Again” album?

GJ: – I have told this story many times, so I will keep it brief.

I was introduced to Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode by my friend and mentor John Foxx. He owned a studio called “The Garden” in Shoreditch in East London, and Daniel and Depeche Mode were interested in recording there. I was working for John at the time and he sent me over to the MUTE Records office, which at that time was in Kensington Gardens Square in West London, to meet the whole team. I was a bit nervous, but they were all super nice and normal people, and agreeably weird. Luckily for me they felt good about me too, and offered me the job.

SL: How did the request to produce Erasure’s „Wild!” album come about? Have you had contact with Vince Clarke and Andy Bell before?

GJ: – Before we started working on the “Wild” album I didn’t know Vince or Andy very well at all. For this record they had decided to make sure that there was plenty of time for Andy to work on his vocals. They were looking for someone to engineer and produce the vocals.  I had already been working in Berlin with the incredibly talented Diamanda Galas.  She had met Andy a couple of times I believe (I don’t know where) and she was kind enough to recommend my vocal production skills to him. So that is how I join the team.

SL: How was it working with them compared to Depeche Mode?

GJ: – This was a very different process from working with Depeche Mode. Initially I was hired to record and produce Andy’s vocals. Vince was in another studio with the other co-producer of the record, Mark Saunders. We were in the church studio and I think Mark and Vince were in Swing Studios. 

The studios were both in North London so we were able to have meetings often, and we were continually exchanging musical and vocal ideas.

When it came to mixing it was decided that Mark and I would both mix the album. I was mixing in the Church and Mark was mixing in Konk.  We were all determined to get the best out of the songs, so we all pushed each other to do our best like a Sound System contest.

I remember the first single “Drama!” went back and forth between our two studios a few times! Eventually we were all happy.

SL: Are there any favourites from this album that you are still proud of today?

GJ: – The whole record was an amazing experience. Vince and Andy are such strong song writers, talented musicians and all around wonderful people that it was a real pleasure and privilege to be a part of this great record.

I loved the whole process and I have a special affection for “Drama!” and” Blue Savannah”.

SL: You were not only involved in the „Wild!” project as a producer, but also as a remixer, for example the „Syrinx Mix” from „You Surround Me”, which is one of my favourites. Do you have a favourite remix from Erasure`s discography that you particularly enjoyed working on?

GJ: – I did 2 remixes of “Blue Savannah” (“Der Deutsche Mix 1 & 2”) in Berlin with my friends Sun Electric – Stephan Fisher, Max Loderbauer and Tom Thiel. I really enjoyed this – they are all so musical, creative and professional. It was truly a fantastic experience.

SL: After the „Wild!” album you had numerous co-productions with Erasure – among them you worked on one of my favourite albums from them, on the self-titled „Erasure”. And how about you? Do you have a favourite album from Erasure?

GJ: – The first album, “Wild!”, is dear to my heart. I also love the “Erasure” album. It was such a pleasure to work with my friend Thomas Fehlmann as a co-producer on the album and he bought so much to the table. I was so happy that Diamanda agreed to do a guest vocal on the record. We also had the pleasure of an amazing LP mix by Francois Kevorkian.

– The „Wild!” album also included an extensive world tour. Did you see Erasure live back then? If so, where? What did you think of them as a live act?

GJ: – I saw the Wild tour in Hamburg I think. I invited my parents to come along. The show was incredible. I am always impressed by Erasure live shows. The love between the band and the audience is so tangible and touching. Andy is an outrageously talented frontperson, and Vince is always Mr Cool. What a great combination!

SL: What are you currently working on and what are your plans for the future?

GJ: – I am currently writing and recording a solo electronic music project and a new collaboration that I am very excited about.

This year I will also be writing and releasing a new LP for the “Spiritual Friendship” project – an ongoing collaboration with the amazing Nick Hook.

I am also producing an exciting and enjoyably weird electronic pop album with American and European musicians for a new project called “Of Love And Lust”.

I will be back in Yann Tiersen’s fantastic new studio on the island of Ushant (Ouessant) later in the year, helping out with a new recording.

Mark Saunders

SL: Among your early outstanding works is the engineering of some of David Bowie’s songs from 1985 and 1986, who was the idol of several generations of musicians, including Erasure’s Vince Clarke. How do you remember this studio work?

MS: – I feel incredibly lucky to have been in a studio to witness the true legend, David Bowie at work. It was just under a year from starting at West Side Studios in London when Bowie first came in to work on songs for the movie that he was also acting in – „Absolute Beginners”. Before that, I’d been making demos on a Tascam 8-Track tape machine in a dilapidated cow shed on my dad’s farm. Working with Bowie was an unfathomable step up! When the Bowie sessions started, I was transitioning from assistant engineer to house engineer. My bosses, producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (Madness, China Crisis, Elvis Costello, Bush, Bowie & Jagger), were constantly throwing me in the deep end on sessions. There were quite a lot of jazz songs that we recorded for the Absolute Beginners soundtrack were and there would often be drums, bass, piano, guitar, and sometimes up to 9 brass players all playing together in the studio. It was intense as a newbie engineer to get thrown in on those sessions. I remember one session feeling somewhat overwhelmed and turning around to my boss Alan to get some confirmation that I was doing ok and he was asleep on the sofa behind me! For Bowie’s songs for the soundtrack, when the band were laying down the backing track for Bowie to sing on, Bowie would always sing along a ‘rough’ vocal to keep the band inspired. His vocals were always brilliant and as far as I was concerned, nearly every one could have been the master vocal take. But surprisingly, when Bowie was happy with the backing track, he would approach singing lead vocals in quite a clinical way. He would often sing one line, stop, and listen back to it before moving on to the next line. He would also quite regularly check his vocal on the demo version of the song to during this process. His vocals always sounded fantastic though. The pinnacle of those Bowie sessions was when on one day, we recorded the epic title track „Absolute Beginners” and then late in the afternoon, Mick Jagger came in to record „Dancing In The Street” for Live Aid! This was incredible for me – this was a year and one day from starting in a professional studio – and I was working with Bowie & Jagger! This being before cellphones and frustratingly, I had no way to text friends and say – „You’ll never guess who I’m working with today!”. „Dancing In The Street” was one of the first records I ever got an engineering credit on.

SL:Erasure are part of the success story of Mute Records. Your first commissions with the record company included remixes of Depeche Mode`s „Strangelove” and „Everything Counts”. These tracks are – after 30 years – still firm parts of the Depeche Mode club evenings. Did you like making them (with Tim Simenon)?

MS: – I think that these remixes occurred just after or around the time that I worked with Tim on Neneh Cherry’s brilliant debut album „Raw Like Sushi”. Tim was great to work with, he was young and came from the DJ-ing aspect of music rather than being a studio musician or an engineer and he had a naive (in a good way) approach to making records that kept things moving along and fresh sounding – particularly noticeable on „Buffalo Stance” by Neneh Cherry – her first hit. The „Everything Counts” Depeche remix was a pretty simple affair. I seemed to remember hiring in a Roland SH-01 for that session which was definitely used for the bass. Personally I would have preferred to have made the remix more musical – but Tim was happy to keep it more of a hardcore club track. Our Strangelove remix was much more complicated and fraught with technical difficulties.

In those days I was syncing my Atari 1040st computer, running Cubase, to a timecode track (SMPTE) which was recorded on one track of the multitrack tape that contained the song.

This quite often lead to difficulties because after hours or playing and rewinding the tape, the tape would start to wear out. Usually the code track was on the edge of the tape and the edges wore out faster.

So as it go late into the night, we had real problems syncing the computer to the tape machine. And the computer was running all the new parts and samples that Tim and I were adding for the remix. I think this one turned out pretty well though!

SL: Before the release of “Wild!” you also made remixes for Erasure songs like „A Little Respect”, „Stop!” and „Knocking On Your Door”. Did you follow the band`s history from the very beginning?

MS: – I’d been a fan of Vince since the early Depeche days and the Yazoo era but I missed the early Erasure days. My first Erasure work was a remix of „A Little Respect”. I’m sure this came about because of my work for Tim Simenon who was signed to Rhythm King records which was based out of Mute’s offices. I didn’t meet the band though until I mixed the „Crackers International EP” which included the songs „Stop!”, „Knocking On Your Door”, „God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman” and – my favourite – „The Hardest Part”. I mixed „The Hardest Part” first and that was the first time I met Vince – when he came in to check the mix. I was nervous and nobody had warned me about his very dry, deadpan sense of humour. For one thing, when he listened to the mix, he barely moved. He barely even seemed to blink! He didn’t tap his feet, smile or turn around to me to give me an assuring look – nothing! He sat like a robot with his head between the speakers. I took this as a sign that he must absolutely hate the mix – I was literally pacing back and forth behind him wondering how I’d got the mix so horribly wrong! Eventually the song finished, Vince stopped the tape and then paused for what felt like an eternity before turning around and saying „I love it!” And then with a dead straight face he said – „Just one thing… Did you not like like the kick drum?” My heart nearly stopped! Had I really missed out the entire kick drum track on an Erasure record! But before I had a chance to respond, he said „Just kidding… there’s no kick drum on this song!”

SL: In 1989, Erasure`s „Wild!” album was released that still belongs to the fans’ favourites and includes such classics as „Drama!” and „Blue Savannah”. What memories can you recall of these studio works with Erasure?

MS: – As Erasure had time constraints for the making of „Wild!”, I was hired to co-produce the tracks with Vince Clark and Gareth Jones (Depeche Mode, Wire, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, Interpol) was hired to work on vocals with Andy. When Vince and I finished a track in his basement studio in his house in Notting Hill, London, the multitrack would be whisked off to The Church studios in Crouch End in the north end of London for Andy to sing on. On the first day of the recording, Vince sat me down and said – in his deadpan way, „Do you want to know how much money you’re going to make from this album?” Before I could utter much more than „Oh… well… err”, he’d tapped away on a calculator for a few seconds and was holding up the resulting calculation to show me and said „How’s that?” To which I gulped and said „Err… that looks just fine… thanks.” Vince’s basement studio contained nearly every great synth known to man and it was beautifully laid out, with a mixing board against one wall facing the window, and the other three walls had floor to ceiling racks laden with all the synths. One thing completely stunned me on day one though. We decided on what song to start with and Vince then proceeded to expertly get a kick drum sound from one of his synths – an ARP 2500 I think. When he was happy with it, he said, „OK let’s print that to tape (an Otari 24 track 2in Tape machine)”. I said „Are you sure you want to record it now?” He frowned and said „Why not?”.

I said, „Well, wouldn’t you prefer to hear the kick drum in context with a bass and maybe a couple of synths before you commit it to tape?” He still looked completely baffled – like I was asking him to pilot a space craft to the moon or something else outside of his comfort zone.

He replied „But this is the way I’ve always done it.” – which is a fair response from someone whose already produced a shed load of mega hits! „OK”, I said, „but surely, you have more than enough excellent gear here to have all the parts running live from your sequencer and refine all the sounds in context with each other before we need to commit to tape – right?” Long pause and more deep frowning – followed by „I’ve never thought about doing it like that”. This blew me away! This was Vince Clarke, the guy that I watched on Tomorrow’s World many years before I got into the music biz explaining how the Fairlight could sample sounds and play them musically on a keyboard and then sequence them to create a song – all inside a massive computer. Ground breaking stuff! And yet here was the same guy who hadn’t thought of running multiple parts on his sequencer before! Anyway, luckily, rather than kick me out of his studio, Vince gave my suggestion a go and after a couple of hours he said „I like this way of doing it…” and so that’s how we worked from then on. Vince is a musical genius and I loved working with him. He was all about keeping stuff dead simple and keeping songs short… He would quite often say „That’ll do”, like a builder who’s just skimped on the bolts holding some majorly important steel beams together. An example of the Vince Clark genius was the rising and descending piano riffs in „Blue Savannah”. Vince, during the programming/recording said „This needs a piano riff”. Then he just seemed to sit there and stare into space. After a while, I said „Why don’t you just try and play something?” He said… „Sshh… I’m thinking!” After what seemed like an eternity, he started furiously typing numbers into his ancient BBC UMi computer. Minutes later, he sat back and said „Right, let’s have a listen then.”… and my jaw dropped when the brilliant piano riffs popped out of the speakers. He had worked it all out in his head and then had typed in – numerically – each note, the position of the note, the note length and the velocity. Bloody brilliant! At the beginning of the record, Daniel Miller, the Mute Records boss, said to me „I want you to try and get Vince to try some new sounds on this record – experiment a bit more. He’s been using the same sounds for years.” So I tried, but I didn’t push the idea with Vince because I loved all his tried and trust analog synth sounds. We did use some samples from my Akai S1000 sampler a few times, like the acoustic guitar sample on „Star” – although Vince had no interest in using a sampler, as far as I remember. When the recording was finished, both Gareth and I started mixing the songs. I can’t remember if we both mixed all of the songs or not – and I can’t remember exactly who’s mixes ended up on the record – but I think it was a fairly even split between Gareth’s and mine. I mixed in Konk Studios, just up the road from The Church where Gareth was mixing. Konk, owned by The Kinks, had a great big room with a full size snooker table in it which was fab. Vince drove up from Notting Hill one day during the mixing and said „Come on, take a break… Let’s have a game of snooker!” So that’s what we did – we played at least two games and then I said, „OK, let me play you some mixes then”, to which he replied ‘nah, I only came up here for a game of snooker’. I assumed he was joking because, for one thing, the drive from his house to Konk was a fairly arduous journey across a big chunk of London. He told me he was deadly serious though and it took a great deal of effort to persuade him to stay and listen to a mix. I decided to play him „Blue Savannah”. Now, if you’ve ever heard the acoustic slide guitar samples in my 12” remix of this song… well, I had originally put them in the album version. I found the samples in my library while I was working on the song and when I loaded them into the Akai S1000, I loved them! They fit the key of the song perfectly. But somehow I had a feeling that I might be on shaky ground when Vince heard them. My instinct was right. When I played him my album mix, he assumed his normal position… stone faced, and dead still in front of the speakers. But when the first slide guitar riff came in, he positively flinched… like someone had slapped him around the face! But amazingly he kept listening without moving again until the end of the song.

Then he turned to me and said „Yeah, it’s good… but… I would never, ever, have a slide guitar in any of my songs… ever!” So that was the end to the slide guitar in the album mix. And now I think about it… how did I ever get away with putting them in the 12” version?!

Vince had an unerring confidence in what he was doing. If Daniel Miller, the Mute Records boss, had any doubts about anything to do with the record, Vince would say „Don’t worry Daniel, it’s going to go to number 1” – which of course it did, in it’s first week of release!

SL: A remix of „You Surround Me” also bears your name. You made a danceable club hit out of that original ballad. Erasure even played this version live on their Violet Flame Tour 2014. Please tell us a little about it! Which song, by the way, is your favourite from the „Wild!” album?

MS: – I was in Mayfair studios in London for this remix. I remember getting depressed because for quite a long time I couldn’t get anything going that I liked – mainly because of the tempo of the track I think. Then I tried playing double tempo drums along with the song and all of a sudden I was up and running and excited about the mix! I’m pretty sure I was thinking Billy Idol when I did this version. I was pretty happy with the result and was very flattered to learn that the band played my version live. My favourite song from „Wild!” is definitely „Blue Savannah”. My next favourite song that I worked on with Erasure was „All This Time Still Falling Out Of Love” from the album „Nightbird”.

SL: Not only for Erasure, but also for Yazoo you made a remix for their hit „Situation”. Did you see the duo live during their reunion 10 years ago?

MS: – Working on the remix of „Situation” with Daniel Miller was a great honour. What an absolutely perfect pop song… and less than 2 minutes and 30 seconds long! On my website is an extended edit of the song that never got released… actually, I don’t think I ever played it to the band or Mute. I was lucky enough to see them in New York during their reunion tour. They sounded great. Alison Moyet is awesome… I got to work with her too a couple of times and she, like Vince, has a very dry sense of humour and is very down to earth.

SL: What future plans and current works in progress do you have?

MS: – I moved back from the States in 2017 which was a big deal after 21 years of living there. I feel much more inspired musically in the UK. I’m in love with the BBC 6 Music radio station… best radio station I’ve ever heard. They play the most eclectic range of music that you could possibly imagine but they somehow nearly always play stuff that appeals to me! I have two young boys and for a few years now life has been more about family life than pursuing my career but I feel that as they are getting older there is going to be room for both – hopefully soon!

P.S.: A short info for all those who have missed a conversation on the topic with Andy Bell, he is currently very busy with his new solo project “Torsten in Queereteria” (release date: 12 April 2019) and therefore unfortunately could not be at our disposal.

“Erasure – Wild! – 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition”, is out Friday, 29th March 2019 via BMG / Mute Records.

CD1 Track Listing:

• Piano Song – Instrumental
• Blue Savannah
• Drama!
• How Many Times?
• Star
• La Gloria
• You Surround Me
• Brother and Sister
• 2000 Miles
• Crown Of Thorns
• Piano Song

CD2 Track Listing:

• Sweet, Sweet Baby – The Moo Moo Mix
• Drama! – Richard Norris Mix (unreleased)
• Blue Savannah – Mark Saunders 12″ Mix
• Piano Song – Live at the London Arena (unreleased)
• Runaround On The Underground – Remix
• How Many Times? – Alternative Mix (unreleased)
• Supernature – Daniel Miller & Phil Legg Remix
• Star – Soul Mix
• No GDM. – Unfinished Mix
• Drama! – Act 2
• Brother and Sister – Live at the London Arena (unreleased)
• Dreamlike State – 7″ A Cappella Mix (unreleased)
• You Surround Me – Gareth Jones Mix
• 91 Steps – 6 Pianos Mix

János Janurik

I began my career in online music journalism in 2001, writing about artists I had followed since the late ’80s and early ’90s, including Depeche Mode, Erasure and The Cure. I later edited the Hungarian Mute microsite for EMI Music Hungary. This led to interviews with Erasure, Nitzer Ebb and Alan Wilder, and some of those collaborations developed into lasting friendships. Since 2014, I have been part of the editorial team of depechemode.de. I also contribute interviews to Reflections of Darkness, Peek-A-Boo Magazine and Kaput Mag. I maintain a close connection to Mute Records artists and have also supported releases on Very Records. I am proud to collaborate with Side-Line Magazine, where I regularly publish interviews and features.

Erasure have released two videos from “World Beyond”, the new album out on March 9 on Mute.

The videos are for “Oh What A World” and “Still It’s Not Over”. The last track tackles the LGBT+ rights movement post-Stonewall and highlights the band’s place within that movement. Both videos were filmed during the recording of “World Beyond”. You can watch “Oh What A World” and “Still It’s Not Over” right below.

“World Beyond” is a collaboration with Echo Collective, the Brussels based collective of post-classical musicians best known for their ongoing collaborative work with A Winged Victory for the Sullen, the late Johann Johannsson, Dustin O’Halloran and Stars of the Lid and sees the entirety of Erasure’s 2017 album, “World Be Gone”, given a post-classical rework.

“World Beyond” was recorded over ten days by Andy Bell and six performers from Echo Collective. Produced by Echo Collective, mixed by Gareth Jones and arranged by Echo Collective’s Gary De Cart, Margaret Hermant and Neil Leiter.

You can watch a short film documenting the recording process here:

The original idea for the album developed from Vince Clarke, who initially suggested that a single from “World Be Gone” could be given an orchestral reinterpretation, but as the idea expanded and took shape, he spoke at length to Echo Collective ahead of the recording.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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After having to cancel their concert at The Olympia in Dublin 2 days ago, Erasure have also canceled their show last night and tonight at the same venue.

In a statement the band says that Andy Bell has been fighting an infection and was advised by a throat-specialist to postpone their first Dublin show, the first of three successive sold-out nights the band were due to play at the venue this week. Having returned to the same specialist yesterday Bell has been advised to rest his voice for a little longer and as a result the band’s other 2 scheduled shows have also been postponed.

Tickets for all original dates will remain valid for the rescheduled dates which will be confirmed within the next 24 hours.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Out on December 21st is a Greek expanded edition of the recent Erasure album “World Be Gone” with 6 exclusive remixes approved by Andy Bell and Vince Clarke. The album comes in a different design to any other format and is limited to 500 copies only.

One of the remixing bands is the Belgian electro sensation Metroland together with other bands. Here are the tracks as selected for the bonus CD titled “Be Careful What You Wish For! Greek Remixed EP”:

1. Be Careful What You Wish For (Lacquer Remix)
2. Be Careful What You Wish For (Paint A Rumour Remix by Marsheaux)
3. Be Careful What You Wish For (Tareq Remix)
4. Be Careful What You Wish For (Eliot’s Circuit Mix)
5. Be Careful What You Wish For (Fotonovela Remix)
6. Be Careful What You Wish For (Metroland’s Mono-Poly Mix)

You can order your copy right here.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Erasure (the duo consisting of Andy Bell and Vince Clarke) have shared the Adam Turner remix of “Love You To The Sky”, the first single from their brand new album, “World Be Gone”, out May 19th, 2017. The reworking is featured on the forthcoming digital EP, which also includes mixes by Ladytron, Loframes, Matt Pop and the band’s own Vince Clarke. The EP also features a brand new, previously unreleased B-side (“Nothing I Could Say”) and will be available on June 2nd. The Adam Turner remix is available now on all digital platforms.

You can listen to “Love You To The Sky (Adam Turner Remix)” right below.

“World Be Gone”, the band’s seventeenth studio album, is the follow up to “The Violet Flame” (2014), and comes on the heels of the band’s recent 30th anniversary celebrations. World Be Gone, written, performed and produced by Erasure and mixed by Matty Green, will be out on CD, ltd edition orange vinyl, standard black vinyl & cassette and is available to order now. Tickets for their new 2017-tour can be ordered right here.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Andy Bell and Vince Clarke aka Erasure will release their 17th studio album, “World Be Gone”, on 19 May 2017 (and it must be said it holds some great cover artwork). “World Be Gone” is the follow up to 2014’s “The Violet Flame”, and follows the band’s recent 30th anniversary celebrations.

Their new album sees the duo in a more reflective mood. Explains Vince Clarke: “Obviously the current political climate lends itself to lots of ideas.” Andy Bell continues: “I think there’s an under-swell of opinion, and people are slowly waking up. I’m hoping that people will take the album in a positive way, that they’ll use it as optimistic rabble-rousing music.”

The album counts 10 tracks. More extra info soon.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Vince Clarke and Andy Bell will join Robbie Williams on a tour starting in the UK on June 2.

The tour continues through Europe in July, August and September 2017 with dates in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Norway, Finland, Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland and Russia.

It will be a good way for Erasure to get their electro pop hits back under the attention and in the ears of a whole generation which has probably never heard of this legendary act before.

The duo are currently putting the finishing touches to the 17th Erasure studio album, due for release on Mute in spring 2017. Below is a snippet!

https://soundcloud.com/vince-clarke/taster

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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In 2014 Andy Bell and Dave Audé joined up to release “Aftermath (Here We Go)”. The Andy Bell and Dave Audé sees a renewed collaboration this year with the digital release of their second single “True Original”, out now. The single is available on Amazon USA and available on Amazon UK. Let the first one who loves the artwork raise his hand though…

Dave Audé is a producer, house DJ, and remixer. He operates both his own Audacious Records, and is known for co-founding Moonshine Music in the 1990s. He has done production for artists such as U2, will.i.am, t.A.T.u., Katy Perry, Barenaked Ladies, Faith No More, Rihanna, Yoko Ono, Madonna, CeCe Peniston, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Selena Gomez and Beyoncé.

The 8-track single has the song featured in its original version next to 7 remixes. Below is a video of Andy Bell performing the track on 5 August 2015 in Buenos Aires at the Salón Rock Sur.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Erasure frontman Andy Bell will be heading to South America in August to play a run of solo shows. Shows have been booked in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru and Mexico, with the chance for one or two extra shows to be added.

Bell’s first solo album “Electric Blue” was released in October 2005 via Sanctuary Records. The album featured fourteen tracks, including three duets, with Claudia Brücken of Propaganda and Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters. Bell’s second solo album, “Non-Stop”, was released in June 2010. Using the pseudonym Mimó, Bell also released two Pascal Gabriel-produced singles on Mute Records: “Running Out” (2009) and “Will You Be There?” (2010) prior to his second solo album. The name was not used on any subsequent solo releases, as a legal block was issued against Bell by another artist already using the Mimó name. Both songs appeared on Non-Stop and have since been re-branded as Andy Bell.

The shows confirmed so far are:

• August 14 – Santo Dominigo, Dominican Republic – Teatro La Fiesta Renaissance
• August 15 – San Juan, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico Convention Center
• August 21 – Santiago, Chile – Blondie Venue
• August 22 – Cordoba, Argentina – Quality Espacio
• August 23 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Teatro Vorterix
• August 24 – Montevideo, Uruguay – La Trastienda Club Montevideo
• August 27 – Lima, Peru – Voce
• August 29 – Mexico City, Mexico – Teatro Metropolitan

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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