News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson

KMFDM "Attak" in March

© KMFDM Inc. 2001

• The new KMFDM album will be called "Attak". Instead of KMFDM's usual number of ten songs, it will contain eleven new songs. But the cover design will look familiar, since the album features trademark KMFDM cover art by old companion Brute. Raymond Watts perform vocals on three tracks; no big surprise there either. The album is scheduled for March 19.
The maxi single "Boots" (new date: February 5) is said to contain three songs that will not be included on the "Attak" album. /Peter Takizawa

Dramatic symphonies from Calmestrand
• In the sometimes discouraging pursue of performers in the odd school, we received a package with Swedish electronic music composer C-Å Calmestrand. The music may be described as the distressed feeling of being lost in the woods, with leprechauns and dragons lurking nearby. Not very informative I know, but this is no ordinary synthetic music. Calmestrand's latest piece of work is called "Homeless" (Liphone). /Anders Wiik

Just one CD version of Depeche Mode single

The cover published on December 3 was a promo cover. This is the real thing.

• As previously reported, Depeche Mode is about to release their last single from their latest album "Exciter" early next year. The release has now been pushed back the Febuary 11.
The track list is as follows: 1) "Goodnight Lovers" 2) "When the Body Speaks (Acoustic Version)" 3) "The Dead of Night (Electronicat Remix)" 4) "Goodnight Lovers (Isan Falling Leaf Mix)". The 12" contains the same track list. And: there will not be a second CD release this time. Not yet at least. /Jesper Lakman (Uselink)

Tour package with Kent and Thåström

Kent are working on their next album.

• The Swedish summer tour package Kalas 2002 will include Kent and Thåström. Both artists are expected to deliver new albums prior to the tour. Thåström is known for his industrial project Peace Love & Pitbulls outside Sweden. One major act will be added for the main stage. There will also be a second stage this time, with Varanteatern and two or three unsigned bands.
Furthermore 15-20 citiies will be visited instead of the previous ten. 500 tickets per city are on sale from now until Christmas Eve, for just 150 SEK. /Mikael Kahrle

Noisy super group
• If you are into the more noisy side of electronic music, you might be interested in the EP "Erode". This is a collaboration between Converter, Asche and Morgenstern. Dark ambient drones and harsh, hard pounding rhythms all find their way onto the disc. Out now on Ant-zen. /Johan Carlsson

Electro rock from new Swedish band
• Confessions of a Star represent the unusual genre "electro rock". The band is based in Lund, Sweden, and has just released their new demo recording "Lovecide". Information about the band and downloadable MP3:s can be found at www.ConfessionsofaStar.com. /Anders Wiik

Two debuts from gothic Italians
• Italian act Nude has released its debut album "Cities and Faces" on the label Scarlet. The sound is a blend of goth, electronic and metal. Don't confuse this band for the Front 242 side project Nude.
On the very same label, ex-Lacuna Coil guitarists Claudio Leo and Raffaele Zaggria have their new goth metal band called Cayne. Their debut is called "Old Faded Pictures". Worth mentioning is a rather unexpected cover of Bronsky Beat's single "Small Town Boy". /Anders Wiik

Two white label vinyls with Depeche Mode remixes

Photo by: Daniel Barassi
Depeche Mode ran into Rammstein at the MTV Awards in Frankfurt.

• In Germany, there are two new white label vinyls with remixes of famous Depeche Mode tracks in rotation at the moment.
One of them comes from the successful techno-DJ ATB (André Tenneberger), who has previously remixed Talla 2XLC, Taucher, Moby and others. He has now mixed Depeche Mode's classic hit "Everything Counts" into a ten minute version. The vinyl is one-sided and is called "Depeche Mode vs ATB".
The other white label vinyl comes from UK and contains three techno remixes. On the A-side a nine minute version of "Behind the Wheel" can be found, with "Little 15" and "Nodisco" on the B-side. /Jens Krause

The cherry lips of Garbage
• The next single from the Garbage album "Beautifulgarbage" is the track "Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go)", to be out on January 8, 2002. The single includes remixes by amongst others Roger Sanchez and Howie B. The invisibility-themed video spinning on TV now is directed by Joseph Kahn, who has previously worked with Moby and Britney Spears. /Johan Carlsson

Fad Gadget to SAMA
• After his successful support tour with Depeche Mode, electropop legend Fad Gadget can celebrate a re-boosted career with inceased record sales. He has also been hired to play at Swedish Alternative Music Awards 2002. /Mikael Kahrle

Melotron's Christmas gift to their fans



• The Neubrandenburg synthpoppers Melotron prepares a special treat for their fans, after the successful release of the EP "Brüder" with Dennis Ostermann from In Strict Confidence on vocals. They will play two exclusive Christmas gigs, one on December 25 in Rostock, and one on December 26 in Neubrandenburg. At present they are in the studio working on the new album. /Jens Krause

Saint Etienne at it again
• British pop band Saint Etienne is currently back in the studio. A new album will be finished next year. /Johan Carlsson

Pluxus working on new EP and album
• Swedish retro electronics band Pluxus is back in the Pluxemburg studio, working on a new EP called "Agent Tangent" as well as a new album. The EP will be released in January with four extra tracks. The album follows in March. /Johan Carlsson

Electronic duo Koop breaks the silence


Photo by Tobias Regell

• The heavily delayed second album from Swedish low key electronica duo Koop is finally underway. "Waltz for Koop" is due out on January 28, five years after the debut "Sons of Koop". An audio snippet, and soon hopefully some news as well, can be found on their web site.
You can also watch a Koop video directed by another Swedish musician of note, Stina Nordenstam. /Mattias Huss

Elegant Machinery and Saft members continue co-operation
• Robert Enforsen from Elegant Machinery and Carl Steinmarck from Saft have completed a five track rough mix CD with their project Hyper. The tracks are synthetic pop songs suitable for airplay. Both members do lead vocals. They are using this CD in their search for a record contract. /Jens Krause

Guitar wiz Devin Townsend on tour after new album


Photo by Gloria Frasier

• Canadian guitar wiz Devin Townsend has released his latest album "Terria", showing a more laidback approach than its predecessor "Physicist". If you like beautiful harmonies and guitars with interspersed synthworks, this is for you. Devin and his cohorts are now on tour in Europe. /Johan Carlsson

Celebrated Delerium remixer embarks on solo career
• "In My Memory" is the title of DJ Tiësto's first solo album. It is out now and consists of nine tracks, placed firmly in the trance and house arenas.
DJ Tiësto has been a DJ since 1985. He is most famous for his remixes and in particular his mix of Delerium's "Silence". It was the first house track to be played on daytime radio in North America. It also resided for four weeks in the UK top 10. /Johan Carlsson

Covenant prepare for huge step forward



• It's time to check out what Covenant are up to. We hear that they are currently in a Stockholm studio, busy with their new album.
- We have only been there for a few weeks and we are still in an early phase. We plan to make the best Covenant album ever, as usual, Joakim Montelius tells us.
Covenant have left their old labels Dependent, SubSpace Communications and Metropolis. Now they are ready for a huge step forward with the backing from KA2, a label connected to the major record company Sony.
- We knew that many German majors wanted us, so we went to Hamburg for two days. We met a long row of label representatives and heard what they could offer us. KA2 gave a nice impression and furthermore, they have a small indie-like organisation, although they are backed by the huge Sony/Epic.
Haven't heard of KA2? Covenant are actually the first signing.
- This gives us extra publicity as a bonus. We are very pleased so far. It's great to work with fully competent people in all parts of the organisation; from production, mixing, guest musicians to marketing, photography and everything else.
This time around, they have hired a well established producer, Jacob Hellner (Rammstein, Clawfinger).
- He is skilful, intelligent, cool - and Swedish. It's the first time we experiment with recordings outside our own studio, Montelius says.
Titles, single choices, release dates, videos... All these matters are yet to be settled.
And don't expect to see Covenant on a stage in the near future. They will only perform if something special occurs. But on the other hand, it usually does for Sweden's most successful EBM act. /Mikael Kahrle

Funker Vogt members start record company
• Repo Records is the name of a new German record company. Behind it are the members of Funker Vogt, and the first releases will be the three first Funker Vogt albums with digitally remastered sound and bonus tracks. /Jens Krause

More rock on Theatre of Tragedy's fifth album?


Liv Kristine and the rest of Theatre of Tragedy.

• Former melodic death metal act Theatre of Tragedy is currently hard at work with their new album. "Assembly" is the title of the record and a quick count gives at hand that it will be the fifth album from the band. The complete track list is as follows: "Automatic Lover", "Universal Race", "Episode", "Play", "Superdrive", "Let You Down", "Starlit", "Envision", "Flickerlight", "Liquid Man", " Motion" plus a surprise cover song.
Sources near the Norwegian group states that "Assembly", recorded near Helsinki, Finland from September through November, is more rock than electro goth. /Kalle Malmstedt

Report from The Tear Garden
• The Tear Garden have revamped their web site and feature a new combination interview with Edward Ka-Spel and Cevin Key. Following their November 2000 release "Crystal Mass", Tear Garden are currently without record contract and is looking to finalise the distribution of an upcoming product, whether it be web-based or made available through traditional retail distribution. /Alex Veronac

"Not Another Teen Movie" with Manson song premier tomorrow

Tim Skold in the middle of the "Tainted Love" video shooting.

• Further to previous news on Marilyn Manson's "Tainted Love", apparently Manson recruited Tim Skold for the track and later decided to use him to co-produce for his next LP.
- That was our first project together, and it went so well that we just continued working, Manson said.
KMFDM-er Skold shows up in the new "Tainted Love" video, now being broadcasted. It was shot by Philip Atwell. "Tainted Love" was recorded for the film "Not Another Teen Movie", that comes out tomorrow, December 4, in USA.
Skold is also helping on the "Resident Evil" soundtrack with Marilyn Manson being headed up by scoremeister Marco Beltrami. Canadian nasty femme Peaches is likely being added as fresh talent on the new Manson disc, which will focus on his obsession with sexual depravity. /Alex Veronac

Daybehavior back after five years of silence
• The Swedish jazzy synthpop group Daybehavior seems to be able to finally follow up their debut album "Adored" from 1996. After almost five years of silence, the group is planning to release an EP trilogy. No exact release date has yet been set, but a new song "The Moment I Couldn't Save" is featured on the brand new "Electronic Spotlight" compilation album released by Calyx Records. /Peter Takizawa

Catching up with KMFDM side project Slick Idiot

• KMFDM's Günter Schulz has Slick Idiot with the lovable En Esch. Their current project is a remix compilation. Their first LP "DickNity" was released earlier this year on NYC based Itchy Records.
Their first live gig was in Baltimore, USA on November 24. Three days prior, Slick Idiot played for a taping at DC area cable TV provider MHz Networks, to be broadcasted soon. More live dates are planned for early next year. Rehearsal pictures can be seen at their web site.
En Esch made an appearance earlier this year as MC for Ohgr's Rochester, NY Gig.
Some readers might confuse Slick Idiot for another slick band we have covered - England's Slick Sixty. /Alex Veronac

More on Depeche Mode's "Goodnight Lovers" and the live DVD

• Depeche Mode's fourth single from "Exciter", "Goodnight Lovers", will be released on February 4. The single contains remixes of "Goodnight Lovers", "The Dead of Night" and "When the Body Speaks. The remix of "When the Body Speaks" is made by Gareth Jones, Depeche Mode sound engineer for years. The release date of the single has been pushed forward a couple of times so the release date is now closer to the release of the "Exciter Live" DVD (March 12).
In further news Depeche Mode has released a new "Freelove" video. The new one is taken from the mentioned DVD and is therefore a teaser both for "Exciter" and the DVD. "Freelove" has been number one in Russia. /Jesper Lakman (Uselink)

Mexico's Hocico headline Canada's first EBM festival

• Mexican electro-industrialists Hocico's "Untold Blasphemies" has just been released as a CD single. Erk Aicrag and Rasco Agroyam are also preparing for an exclusive gig at EBMfest (Canada's first EBM and wave festival) in Toronto in a few weeks time.
Hocico were to play the USA earlier this year as Ohgr selected them as their tour opener. However, US visa problems could not get them on stage in May 2001. /Alex Veronac

Three new releases from Swedish electronic act
• Swedish electronic artist Claes Algström, aka Optocode, is back with no less than three album releases this year. "Hello People", "Nano Structures" and "Café Minimal" are the names of his works. Three albums, three musical themes. Some (not many, obviously) might remember that Optocode has been featured in Release in the past. You will find information and how to buy his records on this site. /Anders Wiik