News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson

Front Line Assembly and KMFDM to Leipzig...

• Wave Gotik Treffen has announced that Front Line Assembly will play an exclusive gig at this year's festival. KMFDM will support. /Mikael Kahrle

...and New Order plus Rammstein to Hultstfred
• The next Hultsfred Festival will offer an interesting line-up with New Order, Rammstein, Röyksopp and Weeping Willows added to the program. The Chemical Brothers and Him have been announced earlier. /Mikael Kahrle

Siouxsie and the Banshees reunited
• Late last year, rumours of Siouxsie and the Banshees returning to the stage began. Recently, just four US dates have been announced from April 19-27: starting in New York City then Chicago, San Francisco and ending up at the two day Coachella Music and Arts Festival (Indio, CA). The touring band consists of Siouxsie Sioux, husband/drummer Budgie, bassist Steve Severin and Knox.
The once UK based Banshees crumbled after 15 years due to the big record industry around them. Siouxsie and Budgie have gone on to work on their long time project The Creatures and plan new material in 2002. /Alex Veronac

New Propaganda release but reunion cancelled

• After trying to reunite and make a new record, the latest line-up of Propaganda called it quits again earlier this year.
There is a new release out under the name M though, called "The Secret Tapes of Dr Mabuse". It covers early demos to new mixes overlooked by founding members Andreas Thein and Ralf Dörper (calling themselves M). The six tracks are taken from before their Zang Tuum Tumb label signing in 1983, when they moved to the UK. The 1 000 limited edition CD:s are being sold from the German fan page until March 31. Then the remainder will be sold through retail channels in Germany and the UK. You can sample "Disziplin Dub" (a Throbbing Gristle cover) here.
"Dr Mabuse" was Propaganda's first single in 1984. The band splintered due to a prolonged legal battle to leave Zang Tuum Tumb.
Another surprise is the demo track "Sylvian's Machine" with ex-Japan David Sylvian on keyboards. As a side note, David's brother Steve Jansen (ex-Japan) has worked with Propaganda lady Claudia Brücken in the past as well.
Previous News on Propaganda here. /Alex Veronac

Ohgr, Tiamat and Orbital to Arvika

Ohgr will play in Sweden for the first time.

• Ohgr, Orbital, Tiamat, Sensor, Mono, Timo Maas and 69 Eyes are among the latest confirmed bookings to this year's Arvika Festival (July 11-13).
- There have been lots of rumours. We are very proud over this line-up so far, head of marketing Fredrick Berntsson says. /Mikael Kahrle

Clan of Xymox remixed by Front 242 and Front Line Assembly
• A new double CD from Clan of Xymox will be out on April 26. It is filled with remixes by acts like Front 242, Front Line Assembly, Assemblage 23 and VNV Nation. All tracks are taken from the album "Notes from the Underground", and it is cunningly called "Remixes from the Underground". /Johan Carlsson

Two new releases by new romantic project Moulin Noir
• Swedish new romantic veteran Anders Wikholm, also known as Moulin Noir, is working on his new album to be released on July 9. The title has been set to "Boy in Darkness" after a Mervyn Peake novel. A mini-CD called "A New Frontier" will precede the album on April 30. /Johan Carlsson

Blind Passenger Nik Page with solo project
• The musical solo project of Nik Page (mastermind of Blind Passengers) is now underway. At the moment there are ten tracks recorded in the Berlin TurbuBeat studios with the producer team of X-Perience, The Inchtabatables, H-Blockx as well as Bell, Book and Candle. The release for the album is planned for the summer of 2002. /Jens Krause

More touring for Peaches


Picture from Peachesrocks.com

• Canadian nasty femme Peaches is back on the road, hopping from Europe to the west coast USA and back again. Boundary breaking Peaches has been well received in Germany where sexual practices are quite liberal. Check out the attitude filled set by the beatbox bitch on dates between February 11 to February 15. Peaches recently played the east coast of Australia during the Big Day Out festivals with collaborator Chilly Gonzales. Read a review of the Kitty Yo label release "The Teaches of Peaches" by Mattias Huss here. /Alex Veronac

New industrial signing to Memento Materia
• Memento Materia sub label Prototype adds another industrial act to their stable with Interlace. In their music "compelling rhythms and massive orchestrations blend with distinct vocals and fine threads of electronica, forming a grinding wall of sound." Debut album "Innuendo" is expected on April 1. /Mikael Kahrle

Stabbing Westward quits
• Alternative rock act Stabbing Westward have decided to end their 17 year long existance. /Mikael Kahrle

Disco trio Alcazar plan Human League cover single

• Swedish disco act Alcazar has decided to release a cover of "Don't You Want Me" by Human League as next single. One of the band's producer's is Alexander Bard from Vacuum and Army of Lovers. /Mikael Kahrle