Inspired by what he referred to as minimal dance music,
Erasure's
Vince Clarke sought
Martin Gore, his onetime bandmate in
Depeche Mode, to help him make a techno album.
Gore obliged, and the two producers collaborated for the first time in three decades by working separately and swapping files. "Spock," a lean, stern, and detailed club track, was their debut A-side, credited to the name
VCMG. It was released on the Mute label, home of
Erasure and
Depeche Mode, in November 2011 with remixes from
Regis,
Edit Select, and XOQ. The album
Ssss arrived the following March, also on Mute. ~ Andy Kellman