RS: Speaking of which, the Scissor Sisters are fans of Erasure, are you all fans of the Scissor Sisters?
Vince Clarke: Yes, Andy especially, he's met them a couple of times actually. They're doing really well in the UK.
RS: Congratulations on hitting number one on the Billboard Club Chart with "Breathe."
Vince Clarke: Thank you.
RS: Do you ever go out clubbing yourself?
Vince Clarke: I'm far too old. If I go clubbing people say to me "why you come?" They ask me if I'm there to collect anybody.
RS: What do you think of the importance of remixers in 2005?
Vince Clarke: I like some of the remixes that are done for us and I think some of them are interesting. But at the same time it's really difficult, because when you make a record or make an album, you put your whole heart into it. You really feel well OK, that's it, that's the thing done. You have your moment when you mix it and it sounds fantastic, and that moment can never happen again. So it's weird when someone takes maybe a tiny section of your song or your record and then make it into a dance thing. I mean I kind of understand that it's a bit of a marketing vibe and as I say, I do enjoy some of the remixes that are done for us, but I wouldn't say it's my real cup of tea.
RS: Do you choose the remixers for your singles?
Vince Clarke: Not really, no. Andy's more involved in that than I am, he's doing a bit of DJing himself. So the remixers are chosen by Andy or what the record company suggests.
RS: Did you happen to hear the Depeche Mode remix project that came out earlier this year?
Vince Clarke: I've heard some bits and pieces from it.
RS: And what do you think?
Vince Clarke: I think it sounds really good actually, I was really pleased. There's a few of my songs on it, so. I really like the Photographic remix actually, that's really cool.
RS: Fans of Erasure usually cite The Pet Shop Boys as their other favorite band, and vice-versa. Are you a fan of The Pet Shop Boys and have you ever thought about collaborating with them?
Vince Clarke: Well we never thought about collaborating with them, but I do like some of their music. I don't think that they're anything like us though. People often make comparisons, but I think it's just the fact that there's a singer and a keyboard player. Other than that I think that the songwriting style is completely different, and I do think Andy's voice is a little more soulful than Neil Tennant.
RS: Listening to the Love Boat album was quite an experience, some songs are different volumes and Andy's voice seems to be a little bit all over the place. Was there something done differently to that album to make it sound that way?
Vince Clarke: I don't think we ever really set out and have a plan about these things, it's really the moment. The mixing of an album can be quite emotional. There's sometimes tension between us and the remixer because you have your fixed ideas about how things should sound because you've been working on it for like two months. So I don't know, it's whatever comes out of the bag.
RS: What draws you to a voice? You've worked with David Gahan, Alison Moyet, Andy Bell, three different kinds of voices, and you can create great music with any kind of vocal timbre. What about the voice speaks to you?
Vince Clarke: When we first met Andy, the idea was that I gave him a couple of songs I'd written already to sing in a kind of audition situation. I had a pretty good idea of how I wanted them to sound and I felt that they needed some soul and some human qualities to the vocals and that's what Andy brought to those songs. I think it's someone that can move you and twist your heart a little bit.
