Day 255: Erasure

Do you remember Yaz? No? Well, how ‘bout Depeche Mode? Yeah, you remember Depeche Mode. So, but do you remember Erasure?



Why all these questions? Is someone on trial here? No. Unless you like Erasure, which I unapologetically do. Erasure was founded by Vince Clarke (he was our mystery musician from Yaz and Depeche Mode) and Andy Singer in 1985. They were a British synth pop group. Hurray!

Why hurray? Because this stuff is fun. It’s harmless fun. Erasure is very dancey. And very catchy and hooky. You listen to this stuff and you want to dance and you want a drink with a fruit in it. You know why I like this stuff? Well, one reason is because it’s so vastly different from what I typically choose to listen to. But also, the vocals are pretty good. And the synth is very poppy, which is what you want in a snyth-pop group.

I mean, have you heard this stuff before? I never know if I’m the first person to tell you awesome readers about a group, and I’m pretty sure I never am, but if you haven’t heard Chains of Love, or A Little Respect, you’re kinda in the minority. Both songs were huge hits on both sides of the Atlantic.

1989 brought Erasure’s fourth record and pretty much the end of them. Just as there was a backlash against the folk music of the 1960s, synth pop was headed for an early grave, the work of early grunge and popular innovations from the world of R&B dance.