All signs point to the New York dance-punks the Rapture quietly breaking up. As Consequence Of Sound points out, a press release for an upcoming Red Bull Music Academy event in New York lists guitarist and passionate hyena-yawper Luke Jenner as “formerly of the Rapture.” When self-titled sought clarification, Jonathan Galkin of DFA Records responded mysteriously: “I kept thinking it might blow over, but that might not be the case. Feel free to go to press with this headline: ‘Did the Rapture Break Up and Not Tell Anyone?'” That’s not exactly explicit confirmation, but it’s close enough to pour one out tonight for one of the greatest bands of the dance-punk revival.

After releasing their punk-oriented debut album Mirror in 1999, the Rapture incorporated elements of disco for 2001’s Sub Pop EP Out Of The Races And Onto The Tracks. In 2002, they teamed with James Murphy’s DFA Records to release “House Of Jealous Lovers,” arguably the greatest, most important song of the dance-punk movement that swept through indie rock in the early aughts. Their sophomore album Echoes completed their rise to underground stardom in 2003. They took a funkier turn with 2006’s Pieces Of The People We Love then disappeared from the spotlight for a while before exploring gospel-tinged house music on 2011’s great In The Grace Of Your Love. They were responsible for a lot of great music, and if they’ve really called it quits, they will be missed.

The Rapture – “How Deep Is Your Love?”