Erasure4rum Asks Manhattan Clique
Erasure4rum are proud to announce the return of the Erasure4rum Asks feature this time we Ask Manhattan Clique about their work with Andy Bell on his debut solo album Electric Blue which this summer we be re-released with a host of new material,including un-released b-sides remixes and a stunning 45 minute Electric Dub album.
1. What made you want to revisit Electric Blue?
- It was ten years since the original release, well it was back in October 2015, so we started working on updating it at the start of 2015. But, as ever, our remixes and other projects got in the way, so it was the end of 2015 before we started work again, but the new version is now 99% complete after three months’ hard work.
2. How did the album sound to you after hearing it again after the passing of ten years?
To be honest, it was hard to listen to the album for many years after it was released. We got so badly shafted by our previous record label, which was imploding at the time, and went bankrupt shortly afterwards, and the Sanctuary side of things was a total nightmare. The head of the label who signed us was off on long term sick leave, we had about five different marketing people who all kept leaving, and the release got completely buried. Nothing was spent on marketing and promotion, and we had no proper radio plugging or PR company working for us, and it wasn’t fair how it all turned out, most of all for Andy who deserved far better for his first solo release.
However, after about 8 years, we listed to the album for the first time again and really liked it. On reflection, perhaps it’s a little too long, and a couple of the tracks would have been better used as extra tracks on the singles, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
3. What did you find in the vaults that you wanted to add to the new version?
There’s a couple of finished tracks we never got round to releasing, plus a couple more work in progress things that we may finish, if Andy is up for it. The material was coming thick and fast for the year or so we were recording with Andy, and we had to make a conscious effort to stop somewhere and actually get it released!
4. This new release includes an Electric Dub album, what made you want to include this and how was the experience of creating this mix?
We’ve always been huge fans of the early 80’s dub albums like Human League ‘Love & Dancing’, Imagination’s ‘Nightdubbing’ and Soft Cell’s ‘Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing’, and listening to an instrumental version of the album, we thought key tracks would lend themselves very well to a continuous mix album. We absolutely love the way it has turned out, it sounds especially good in the car!
5. Two tracks from the original sessions Jump & Jack Of Clubs were never released officially they only appeared on MySpace will these original versions be included?
These will both appear on ‘Electric Dub’, and the original unreleased versions will appear on one or more of the album formats. There’s another track called ‘Bahnhof Zoo’ that we hope to finish with Andy as well.
6. Back in 2005 fans were treated to no more than a handful of live dates to promote EB,I was lucky enough to attend the Madame Jojo & Nightingales gigs,will you be hoping to make a few live appearances for the re-issue?
We would absolutely love to – would especially like to do some proper shows in live venues with a full band, rather than just club PAs and playback. Again it comes down to Andy’s availability, but we’d like to do a few shows around the UK and internationally, so fans have the chance to hear these songs live at last.
7. Crazy will be the lead single again this time, if it does well will you consider a second single release?
We are working on an updated version of Electric Blue, which might be the next single if all goes well. We’re in the process of signing the album to a new label, and the favourite to sign us so far are especially excited about reaching all the people who might have missed the album first time around. The timing is very good as Erasure’s Best Of album has just done very well, and Andy is also being very prolific at the moment. We’re also talking about a new video for Crazy, which we didn’t think turned out very well first time around. In all, it’s all about the album being given the best possible chance by a label that actually care and are willing to invest in us.
8. Andy has been very busy lately with his solo output with the Non Stop/iPop albums and of course the Torsten Trilogy of albums but EB is more clubby in sound and Andy does have a love of club/Hi NRG tracks,would you consider working with him again?
Of course. We loved the whole experience of working and performing with Andy, and have sent him a few new tracks for our own Manhattan Clique album, which is definitely now in progress. As with everything, we never rule anything out.
A big thank you from Erasure4rum to Chris & Philip aka Manhattan Clique for finding time to do this Ask feature,please do not copy & paste this interview unless you credit the Erasure4rum thank you.