• Massive Attack have begun to work on their new album. Meanwhile, member Robert Del Naja has collaborated with Damon Albarn on the soundtrack to “Ordinary Decent Criminal”, starring Kevin Spacey. Damon has written and produced the music for the film which will be released early next year.
Massive Attack have also collaborated with The Prodigy on a track called "No Souvenirs". Del Naja and Liam Howlett have written and produced the track which features Del Naja on vocals and will be released as a single in April.
Massive Attack and Portishead are planning to share a stage for the first time next summer. The two bands will headline an outdoor charity show in Bristol to raise money for local homeless organisations. /Erik Almgren

Spanish signing to Memento Materia

• The independent company Memento Materia has signed a Spanish group called Iberian Spleen. Their debut album, influenced by bands like Underworld, Fluke and Marilyn Manson is scheduled for this spring. /Mikael Kahrle

Goodbye to Mentallo & the Fixer

• Hardhitting American electro act Mentallo & the Fixer, now with Gary Dassing as only member, will release the album "Love Is the Law", on April 18 (Metropolis Records). According to Gary, this will be the last release, at least under the Mentallo & the Fixer name. /Niklas Forsberg

Redesigned Kraftwerk site

• The official Kraftwerk site is completely redesigned with lots of simple but cool and “charming” effects. /Mikael Kahrle

• The voting for this years Swedish Alternative Music Awards (previously Swedish Electronic Music Awards) is in progress. What was best in Sweden during 1999? Go to the SAMA web site. The winners are presented by Lustans Lakejer’s Johan Kinde in Gothenburg on April 1. /Mikael Kahrle

Snog re-issued

The brainchild of Australian David Thrussel, Snog, will have their two first albums re-issued on one double CD by US label Metropolis Records on April 18. The albums are the debut, "Lies Inc." and the follower "Dear Valued Customer". The 2CD will include two bonus tracks. /Niklas Forsberg

New Numb project

Don Gordon, former Numb frontman, has started a solo project called Halo_Gen. The sound is said to be similar to that of Numb, but with a slight ambient/techno touch. Bands like Aphex Twin and Autechre may pinpoint Halo_Gen’s sound. /Niklas Forsberg

Misery Loves Co on European tour

• Swedish Misery Loves Co will hit the European roads in May, together with British support acts Kill II This and Earthtone 9. The tour follows the new album release "Your Vision Was Never Mine to Share" (March 6). A 14 date UK tour is done separately. /Mikael Kahrle

Swedish industrial group signed to US label

• The Swedish industrial group Project Grudge has singed a three record deal with the American label Medea. The first release is scheduled for this summer. /Mikael Kahrle

The Prodigy plan for the future

• The Prodigy are currently in the studio working on the follow-up to their 1997 album "The Fat of the Land".
The four members of the band met up on New Year's Eve and decided to aim to be back on the road by the end of summer with at least five new songs in their live set. /Erik Almgren

New project from ex Rational Youth man

• Canadian Dave Rout have started up a new band called Colecovision after leaving Rational Youth.
- You could describe it as dark electronic, he tells Release.
A CD5 named “This Is Colecovision” is out now. An album is on its way.
- I am looking for people to do remixes for the upcoming album, Rout says. /Mikael Kahrle

Arvika Festival grows from year to year

• Arvika Festival in Sweden has now released 10 000 tickets to this year’s festival (on July 14-15). This is 1 000 more than last year. The program will begin to take shape during the spring. /Mikael Kahrle

• Mayday is the largest rave event in Germany. This year it will take place during the night between April 30 and May 1 in Dortmund, Westphalia Halle. 30 000 people attend each year and 30 DJ:s are invited, this year Talla 2XLC, Westbam and Marusha, to name a few.
Special live act this year is Sigue Sigue Sputnik, who will be on stage for the first time in ten years. They will do other appearances as well, like on Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig (June). /Jens Krause

• Armageddon Dildos’ Uwe Kanka will give his band a new musical clothing, while band mate Dirk Krause concentrate on the new Dkay.com, together with Jürgen Engler and Julian Beeston. He is likely to return to the Dildos in the future and work with both bands.
Inside talk in Germany indicated that the new Dkay.com tracks are something really special. The band is currently adding extra effort to their debut album in Engler’s studio in Düsseldorf.
Dkay.com will tour in May/June. /Jens Krause

Details on hot synthpop newcomers Emergenz

• As earlier reported, Emergenz from Rostock, Germany will make their debut shortly. Now we know that the first single will be “Sehnsucht” on March 25. It will feature four tracks produced by Carlos Peron. And album will follow in autumn.
They will also play support live act to Melotron at some gigs.
Emergenz is similar to bands like X-Perience and early Sabotage QCQC. /Jens Krause

Second Ministry tribute released

• Invisible Records has now delivered a second tribute to Ministry called “Another Prick in the Wall”. Among the participants are En Esch (KMFDM), Electric Hellfire Club, Meg Lee Chin and Attrition. /Mikael Kahrle

• This weekend, someone broke into Swedish alternative rock band Bob hund’s studio and stole lots of their instruments worth something like 15 000 dollars. This will slow down the work with their first English album. /Mikael Kahrle

• The video clip from the new And One single “Wasted” has been rejected by among others German music channel Viva. Fans have been contacting Viva ever since to complain. /Jens Krause

Depeche Mode on DVD

• “The Singles 86-98” in DVD format is now scheduled for a March 6 release. /Mikael Kahrle

Industrial super group

• As earlier reported, a new industrial super group have seen the daylight. Jah Wobble, Martin Atkins, Geordie Walker and Chris Connelly have teamed up to create music under the name The Damage Manual.
Their debut EP, entitled "One", hits the stores on April 25 and the yet untitled full length album will be released in June. /Erik Almgren

• Apoptygma Berzerk is number 59 on the German sales charts with their new celebrated album “Welcome to Earth”.
Covenant’s new “United States of Mind” has entered the list at position 86. “Tour de Force” is number three on Billboard’s dance break out list.
“Foreigner”, the new De/Vision single, is number 72 in Germany and the video clip is spinning on TV right now. /Jens Krause, Mikael Kahrle

MDFMK album on March 28

• MDFMK's debut album will be released on March 28. If you didn't know, MDFMK is the name of Sasha Konietzko's (ex-frontman of KMFDM) new project /Erik Almgren

Gary Numan rumours

• Contrary to previous reports, Gary Numan have announced that any collaborations between him and Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan, or Rhys Fulber are just rumours. /Erik Almgren

Mexico rave with Kraftwerk and Front 242

• The first new Front 242 show in Brussels was completely sold out and a success. The Belgians have been invited to Mexico for gigs, among others the Mexico City Union Feast Rave on March 18. Kraftwerk, Sven Väth, Talla 2XLC and Carl Cox will also perform. Perhaps a nice holiday tip? /Jens Krause

• St Etienne will release a new album in May on Mantra/Beggars Banquet. A single is scheduled for early April. The new material is said to be beautiful shimmering pop. /Mikael Kahrle

Andy McCluskey behind Atomic Kitten

• The successful new girl dance pop trio Atomic Kitten is the work of OMD:s Andy McCluskey. He put together the band and has produced the music. /Mikael Kahrle

Björk wants to buy an island in Iceland

• Björk is about to buy an small island with a lighthouse from the Icelandic state. /Mikael Kahrle

• The Sisters of Mercy have cancelled their plans to release the single “Summer”, a song which is quite old by now, written by Adam Pearson (music) and Andrew Eldritch (lyrics). They are focusing on their next album instead, but they still haven’t found a suitable record company.
They have decided to keep a low profile on the live scene this year, but have accepted to headline the Zillo and Eurorock festivals in August.
Chris Sheehan, who have played the guitar in Sisters recently, has just put out a “psycho country” solo record. /Mikael Kahrle (thanks to “Andy”)

Covenant number one in Germany

• Covenant, who released their new album this week in Europe, has entered number one in the German alternative charts, DAC, with their new single “Der Leiermann”. Above bands like Oasis and Primal Scream.
“Der Leiermann” is Germany-only single and a German version of the song “Like Tears in Rain”. The album had 11 300 pre-ordered copies before the release this monday.
- Germany has always been our most important market and still is, says Joakim Montelius to Release.
His colleague Eskil Simonsson has moved to Berlin this winter. He is now working together with Johan Malmgren with the debut Aaron Sutcliffe album, scheduled for a spring release. /Mikael Kahrle

New Norwegian compilation

• Tatra Records will re-issue the compilation “Sex, Drugs & EBM”. In the near future, they will also compile a new compilation: the double-CD “Sex Goth Electronics”, filled with Norwegian goth and electro. /Mikael Kahrle

New Psyche releases in the summer

• Electro veterans Psyche is preparing a new release for May or June.
Also in June, American record company Art of Fact will put out a US-only release called “Misguided Angels”, offering three brand new compositions as well as remixes and rarities from Psyche’s entire career. /Mikael Kahrle

• The new album from Laika is called “Good Looking Blues” and will be released on February 28. /Mikael Kahrle

Kraftwerk single delayed

• The new Kraftwerk single “Expo 2000” has been out in Germany for quite some time now, but at least the Swedish release date is moved forward to March 6. Two versions will be made – one enhanced CD with four mixes and the video (spinning on TV stations now) and one three track 12”. /Mikael Kahrle

New band on Tatra Records

• The Norweigian electro label Tatra Records, home of Apoptygma Berzerk, has signed a new band called Icon of Coil. Their debut single “Shallow Nation” is scheduled for Friday. /Mikael Kahrle

• Rational Youth is working on several projects at the moment. First of all, an EP is scheduled for the spring with remixes from the 1999 album “To the Goddess Electricity”, some new stuff as well as some fun covers.
The song “Everything Is Vapour” will be included and a video is being made as we speak. This will be featured on an “Energy Hit Parade” video compilation in a “Rain Version”.
Finally, they plan to put out a CD box with the 1983 EP “Rational Youth” and the first four twelve inches in a limited edition of 5-700 copies. /Mikael Kahrle

SSC handles Bloodline in Scandinavia

• SubSpace Communications announce that they distribute the new German electro label Bloodline from February 1. Bloodline has artists like Leather Strip, X Marks the Pedwalk and Melotron. /Mikael Kahrle

EBM celebrity record

• The new album from C-Tec, “Cut” will show up in shops on February 28. Among the participants is Jean-Luc De Meyer, Julian Beeston and Mark Heal (Cubanate). The album features modern EBM with everything from ballads to dance tracks. /Jens Krause

A lot going on in the Coil camp

• "Astral Disaster" is the name of Coil’s new album. It features radically reworked and restructured material originally released 1999 by Prescription Records in a limited edition of 99 12" vinyl copies. "Astral Disaster" was recorded by Coil’s John Balance and Peter Christopherson with the assistance of  Thighpaulsandra (Spiritualized and Julian Cope). The CD comes in a full colour digipak with artwork specially sculptured for the album by Steven Stapleton (Nurse with Wound).
Coil has also nearly completed recordings on "Musick to Play in the Dark Volume 2". This album contains seven tracks and sounds much like the first volume - lots of vocals and weirdness.
Coil’s first Nothing release "Backwards" is further delayed. /Erik Almgren

• Synthpop legend Gary Numan will be collaborating with some major celebrities on his upcoming album. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins and ex-Front Line Assembly member Rhys Fulber are said to be contributing their skills to this, still untitled, album. /Erik Almgren

Engler, Beeston and Krause = Dkay.com

• After the split of Die Krupps, Jürgen Engler wants to work more with electronics again and he is doing this in his new band Dkay.com. The interesting line up consists of Engler on vocals, Julian Beeston on drums (ex-Nitzer Ebb) and Dirk Krause on keyboards (Armageddon Dildos).The debut album is already mastered and will be released in the spring. Expectations are high, to say the least. /Jens Krause

Empire and Reznor side by side

• Alec Empire of Atari Teenage Riot will be remixing a track or two from NIN’s "The Fragile". Empire and Trent Reznor are also said to be collaborating on a separate project. Which tracks and what kind of project is not yet revealed. /Erik Almgren