Erasure (/əˈreɪʒər/ ə-RAY-zhər) are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985,[1][2][3] consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a member of synth-pop duo Yazoo.

With their second release The Circus the following year in 1987 came major success, the album reaching UK number 6 and spawning four top-20 singles.

However, a solid international fanbase allows Erasure to maintain its activity by relying on tours, online sales, as well as the copyrights attached to their catalog of past successes.

[6][7] As a teenager, Vince Clarke was inspired to make electronic music after hearing Wirral synth band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD).

[10][11] After leaving the band in late 1981, Clarke forged a similarly notable career with the duo Yazoo (known as Yaz in the United States).

After two successful studio albums in as many years (1982–1983), he split with Yazoo partner Alison Moyet and formed the short-lived project the Assembly with producer Eric Radcliffe.

After more than a year out of the spotlight Clarke placed an advertisement in Melody Maker looking for a vocalist for a new musical project.

Preceded by the top 10 single "Ship of Fools", the album hit number one in the UK on its initial release and returned to the summit a year later, eventually going double platinum.

The Innocents was the first of five consecutive number one albums for Erasure in the UK, including the greatest hits compilation Pop!

Crackers International was bettered in 1992 by another EP, Abba-esque, (covering 4 ABBA hits), which became Erasure's first (and to-date only) number one on the UK Singles Chart.

In spite of a return to three-minute pop songs, the 1997 studio album Cowboy did not restore the success of their 1986–1994 era.

In October 2000, Erasure released their ninth studio album Loveboat, co-produced with Flood, though only peaking at a lowly number 45.

Union Street was a 2006 side-project which featured a collection of previously released album tracks that the band re-interpreted in an acoustic and country & western style.

Titled Light at the End of the World, the album was produced by Gareth Jones and was released on 21 May 2007 in the UK, and in North America the following day.

The Storm Chaser EP included an exclusive B-side, "Early Bird", a duet with Cyndi Lauper.

In February and March 2010, the song "Always" enjoyed an unexpected peak of popularity among flash-game players for its prominent role as the soundtrack of the Adult Swim game Robot Unicorn Attack.

Vince Clarke stated in radio interviews that the band wanted to complete the concept album of nursery rhymes that they had been working on for some time.

[21] On 16 December 2010, Erasure's official website announced a new studio album planned for release in summer 2011 to be produced by Frankmusik.

Also, a world tour was announced (including the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Florida in March 2011 and the Total Pop!

Forest Tour of the UK in June and July 2011) with dates including stops in Europe and South America.

The Tomorrow's World Tour began on 31 August 2011 in Tampa, continuing through September, and finished in Seattle on 6 October 2011.

On 27 May 2014, Erasure announced their sixteenth studio album for a September 2014 release, a 10-track record titled The Violet Flame.

To mark the release, the band would headline three UK shows at Glasgow's O2 Academy Glasgow on 27 May 2017, Manchester's Albert Hall on 28 May 2017 and London's Roundhouse on 29 May 2017 before embarking on a four-month European tour as special guests of Robbie Williams in June, July, August and September.

It was recorded in ten days by Andy Bell and seven musicians from the Brussels-based ensemble Echo Collective.

The Neon was preceded by the single "Hey Now (Think I Got a Feeling)", which was first heard on BBC Radio 2's The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show.

[24] On 13 May 2021, Erasure announced the release of "Secrets", a new single available as a one-track stream or download ahead of a new album, The Neon Remixed.

[30] The Washington Post wrote that Erasure's music "combines synth-pop, disco, cabaret, light opera and a bit of English choirboy sound.