Once praised by certain critics as Gang of Four's apparent successor, the Rapture emerged as the leading act of the post-punk revival that defined much of the indie underground in the early 2000s. New Yorkers Vito Roccoforte on drums and Luke Jenner on guitars and vocals established the group in 1998, logging extensive road time before issuing the 1999 mini-album Mirror. Additional concerts alongside Sunny Day Real Estate and Nuzzle ensued, even as an ongoing rotation of bassists and keyboardists passed through the ranks, leaving Jenner and Roccoforte as the sole constants. Washington, D.C. transplant Matt Safer joined on bass in time to record the six-song EP Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks, which Sub Pop issued in 2001. One year afterward, Gabriel Andruzzi entered the fold to supply the keyboard textures that had grown essential to the Rapture's fusion of post-punk aesthetics with dance rhythms.
"House of Jealous Lovers," issued in 2003, raised the band's visibility. Recorded in collaboration with the DFA production team, whose heavy electronics reshaped the group's sound, the track's success prompted the Rapture to extend their partnership with DFA for a full-length release. Echoes appeared in late 2003 and yielded two Top 40 singles in the U.K. Three years later Mercury put out its successor, Pieces of the People We Love, which drew production contributions from Ewan Pearson, Danger Mouse, and Paul Epworth. The stylistically broad mix album Tapes surfaced via !K7 in 2008. Safer departed the next year, and two additional years passed before another studio album arrived. Returning to the DFA imprint, the band delivered In the Grace of Your Love in 2011, with Andruzzi covering bass duties.
