Oh, l’amour! Andy Bell is back with a brand new solo offering. The Erasure frontman is releasing the techno-tinged Non–Stop (Mute) this week. The LP was co-produced by Bell and Pascal Gabriel (Kylie Minogue, Ladyhawke, Miss Kittin, Little Boots). Gabriel also helmed Bell’s previous releases as Mimó. Non-Stop‘s first single, “Call On Me,” pulses with a glittering electronic beat and features heavily processed vocals with an Italo-disco flair. It’s quite a departure from the romantic, falsetto-driven synth pop of Erasure, drawing inspiration from soul, techno, Tin Pan Alley and even opera. Bell will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with him.
Bell: When I was a sixth former at school, aged 16, my best friend and I entered a competition to have an adventure holiday paid for by The Prince’s Trust, a charity set up by Charles to help motivate kids. So muggins here and my best friend/yet-to-be-boyfriend set out a plan to walk the length of Hadrian’s Wall, which was built by the Romans and used to be the border between England and Scotland. We looked on an ordinance survey map and thought we’d arrive in Newcastle, find the wall and walk the whole way to Carlisle. We arrived in Newcastle, only to find that the wall started 15 miles outside of the city. It was pouring with rain, so we set up our tent on the side of the motorway. (Amateurs!) Anyway, I’ve seen enough Roman encampments to last me for the rest of my life, and because it rained, the whole two weeks we had to slash the vents in the side of the tent so it could dry out. I’ve stayed in some luxurious hotels in my time, but just one night out of the rain in a hay-loft was sheer heaven, even though my ITT Combat Command radio (which could do Morse code) was infected with tiny mites!
Video after the jump.
