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The release of Storm Chaser by Erasure both asks and answers the question, “Was this really necessary?” The answer is, “That depends.” Storm Chaser is an EP containing remixes, radio edits, extended mixes, blahblahblahblahblah, of a few of the tracks from Erasure’s most recent CD release, LIGHT AT THE END OF THE WORLD. If you’re not a major fan of Erasure your life will not be appreciably enriched by Storm Chaser. If you are a fan of the duo, however, then there will undoubtedly be at least something to whet your interest on here.

Let’s run things down. Storm In A Teacup is on here three different times. There’s the “single version,” the Koishi & Hush Club Mix, (which basically renders the track unrecognizable at first) and the “extended mix.” Sucker For Love is on twice, once as an “extended mix” and as a DJ Manolo Mix. Golden Heart is here as a GRN ‘Golden Glow radio edit; When a Lover Leaves You is given the “Oscar Salquero remix” treatment, and Glass Angel is favored with the “equalateral mix.” Oh, yeah, Early Bird with Cyndi Lauper is on here too, and is a major disappointment. Lauper’s charm for me wore itself out a long time ago, and this faux soul treatment just doesn’t do it for me. Golden Heart, however, is really well done; one begins to understand why they artists in this genre release this type of project, and why it is commercially viable to do so, after listening to this track. And Sucker For Love (DJ Manolo mix) takes a nice turn just when you think its over. If LIGHT AT THE END OF THE WORLD got an automatic pass into the dance club turntables, STORM CHASER is what they play at those bars with no name on the door and a standing room only crowd.

I don’t know how much longer releases of this type will even be necessary. David Byrne and Brian Eno opened their seminal MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS to online remixing by fans, and Trent Reznor will no doubt make a similar move when Universal Music no longer has the ability to tell him that he cannot. As for artists such as Erasure who might want to continue to do their own, digital releases will empower them to release tracks in every conceivable permutation without having to wait to gather them up for a collection. That day is quickly coming, and when it gets here, it will sound something like Storm Chaser, only more so.