From The Desk Of Erasure’s Andy Bell: The Virgin Mary

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: There’s a place in Portugal where the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared and saved the lives of thousands of fishermen caught out in a storm. At that very same spot, a tourist pointed his camera to the sky and out came a photograph of the Virgin Mary. It’s a very beautiful picture of her face, and I have a copy of it that I carry around in my passport to keep me safe.