As 2011 draws ever nearer to a close, there are several artists whose current releases I’ve regretfully not yet mentioned, though I’m sure if you follow other music blogs (and you should!), you’re probably aware of their new material. But with just a few weeks left for me to get to them all, tonight I’m crossing one of the list as they fit quite nicely in the Saturdance camp.

In October, Erasure came out with their fourteenth album, Tomorrow’s World, a set produced by Frankmusik. Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, together since 1985, are in top form thanks to the knob-twiddling talents of Vincent Frank, who skillfully melds the English synthpop vets’ classic sound with the sort of electro flourishes he’s intimately familiar with in his own Frankmusik productions. The result is easily one of the best artist-producer marriages in music this year.

This past Tuesday, Erasure released Tomorrow World‘s lead-off track, “Be With You,” as the second single. In its original form, “Be With You” is already perfectly poised for the dancefloor. Cue the disco lights.

The “Be With You” single also features an old-school extended version from longtime Erasure associate Gareth Jones, an acoustic take, an exclusive b-side (“Never Let You Down”), and remixes from Moto Blanco and Starshapes.

Starshapes, a London trio whose debut single “This City” will be released at the end of January, have turned out a great mix for Erasure, whom they call “absolute legends.” There’s a certain retro feel to Starshapes’ sparkling production of “Be With You” (unmistakable shades of New Order), and the addition of piano and guitar make it absolutely fantastic. Hear here:

Erasure has also released a live album of their recent Tomorrow’s World tour, available for purchase here.

This past week also brought the news that Vince Clarke has collaborated with Martin Gore for the first time since 1981 (when Clarke was in Depeche Mode). Recording as VCMG, the techno-inspired project will include a full-length album preceded by a series of EPs. The first EP, SPOCK, will debut as a global exclusive via Beatport on November 30 (Wednesday), before being released to other download services on December 12.

Purchase Erasure – “Be With You” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.