News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson

The Cure signs for three albums more

• I AM/ARTISTdirect Records has announced to us in a press release that they have signed a contract with UK gloom poppers The Cure. The band mentioned on their web site some time back that their next release, would be an Internet retailed CD. This deal comes close to their earlier position. They will begin work on their debut in London in July 2003 with producer Ross Robinson. In case you lost track over the years, the band's current lineup includes Robert Smith, Simon Gallup on bass, Perry Bamonte on guitar and Jason Cooper on drums.
Catch earlier Cure news at Release in the second February News edition. /Alex Veronac

Strange days for Coil; a busy 2003 commences
• Coil report on their current status:
- Coil in its present form remains. Whatever personal or situational, rational or irrational decisions we make regarding the future of Coil, it will always be focused on the central core that has existed since 1982, that is Peter and Jhon, augmented at present by Thighpaulsandra and Slymoon Brown. We intend the year 2003 to be one of collaborations, serial releases, the realization of long mooted projects, for both our own label, Robot Records and of course, bearing the fruits of our enduring relationship, Trent Reznor's label Nothing.
Further developments include the formation of an independent state which the band has dubbed "Anarcadia". And to conclude:
- No need for barricades, bombast or bombs, instead be here now - armed to the teeth with generous feral intelligence, they say. /Peter Marks

"EBM attack" from Project-X in May

• The new album "Modus Operandi" by Sweden's Project-X is now completed via Eternity Studios and producer Stefan Kula.
- The record is completed and mastered. We are very happy with it. Get ready for an EBM attack!, mastermind Torny Gottberg laughs.
The album will be delivered through Energy and the band's new European label Trisol in May. A limited edition of the album is also planned with a second disc containing remixes of album tracks.
In May, Project-X will commence an American, Mexican and Canadian tour with Europe to be covered in autumn. Of course, the summer festival circuit is being booked by the stage-loving band as well. /Peter Marks, Mikael Kahrle

1% work left on new Kraftwerk album

Kraftwerk rarely open their mouths for the press.
Photo by: Peter Bottcher

• According to the Australian magazine Underpass, the radio station Triple J interviewed Kraftwerk's Ralf Hütter on January 24 (they played live down under). In an interview transcript, Hütter said a new album is 99% completed. Knowing Kraftwerk's history, this doesn't necessarily mean a release is to be expected soon. The only description of the new sound we get is "Kraftwerk-like". We can also expect reissues of old records, it seems.
- We have been working in our studio, doing all our very very old, from the late 60:s, early 70:s, the analogue tapes. We have transferred it onto digital format, so we put a lot of work on our old Kraftwerk original sounds. Also now we have been doing remasterings, which will probably come out later this year, and we have been doing all these sound files, to perform with the original Kraftwerk sounds live, and working on those.
Their record company (EMI/Capitol Germany) has not confirmed any releases but at one point they had the new album listed in their release plan (now deleted since long).
Hütter also said they feel more moveable nowadays, when touring.
- It's always a challenge and so far the computers have worked very well. Little failures here and there, but overall they have been very friendly with us and we have been friendly with the computers, so things are working very well. It's all live, the computers are running live, Hütter said.
We want to add we have not heard Ralf Hütter say these statements live and only give you what's in the transcript. /Mikael Kahrle, Alex Veronac

Jesus Complex wakes up dead
• The debut album by darkwave/goth rockers Jesus Complex is entitled "I Woke up Dead" and will be out on March 21. Ronny Moorings of Clan of Xymox does some guest vocals on the album. The album features quintessential Clan touches and poppy melodies. No tour or single plans have been announced. /Peter Marks

Ladytron cancels tour

• Ladytron were hoping to play European dates for April and May. Due to "circumstances beyond the band's control", these will not now be happening until later in the year. The UK dates remain though.
Meanwhile, read the band's on the road US tour diary here. /Alex Veronac

Pet Shop Boys keep themselves busy
• As reported earlier, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe aka Pet Shop Boys has made a remix of the Yoko Ono track “Walking on Thin Ice”. The mix is called “PSB Electro Mix” and release dates should be announced shortly.
“Love to Love You, Baby” is their new collaboration together with Sam Taylor-Wood, and it will be out as a limited 12” vinyl soon. “Hooked on Radiation” is a new production/remix the boys have done with electroclash act Atomizer.
In further news, Chris Lowe is currently sporting long, blonde hair! We are waiting anxiously for the first pics. /Johan Carlsson

Sudden Björk album
• According to Björk’s official webpage, she has recently completed a new album. This is her fifth studio album, and during the recording she apparently finished one track per day! Tentative title: “The Lake Experience”. Nope, no dates yet. /Johan Carlsson

Old FSOL side-project out on CD



• People with good memory might remember the track “Humanoid” by the act called Stakker. This is an early project of Brian Dougans from Future Sound of London, and now the label Rephlex has decided to make available “Humanoid - Sessions 84-88”. The compilation features a lot of early tunes, and also tracks from his project Zeebox. A sibling album called “Stakker - Eurotechno” has also been released, complete with 21 tracks of Dougans goodness. /Johan Carlsson

Signs of life from Faith and the Muse
• William Faith (ex-Mephisto Walz, Christian Death, Shadow Project, Sex Gang Children) and Monica Richards (ex-Strange Boutique) will release their new album "The Burning Season" on July 8. A description? "A blend of old and new music utilizing organic and electronic sounds, experimenting with trance, tribal, early punk, and futuristic atmospheres. All the diversity in the songwriting remains, but with a sense of having evolved and matured in many ways." /Peter Marks

Front 242 album details
• The new Front 242 album is named “Pulse” and will be released in May. The track list has also been revealed: 1)“Seq666 P” 2)“Seq666 U” 3) “Seq666 L” 4) “Seq666 S” 5) “Seq666 E” 6) “Together” 7) “Triple X Girlfriend” 8) “NoMore - NoMore” 9) “Beyond the Scale of Comprehension” 10) “Song Untitled” 11) “Song StarCandy” 12) “One - with the Fire” 13) “One Reverse” 14) “Matrix OpenStatic” 15) “Matrix MegaHertz” 16) “Never Lost Faust” 17) “Never Lost Riley” 18) “7Rain Filter” 19) “Pan Dhe” 20) “Pan Mihk”. /Johan Carlsson

Attrition soon back with new album
• The new album by the long-standing English veteran act Attrition is tenatively entitled “Dante’s Kitchen”. No release dates for this album have been announced, but Invisible may be issuing it in the US. Attrition are looking for remixers for the new material.
Martin Bowes, the driving force behind Attrition has been busily completing remixes himself for a wide variety of artists as well. This will be the first studio album of all new material since 1999's "The Jeopardy Maze". Attrition has been quietly spreading their dichotomy of electronic beats and sumptuous analogue textures since 1982 and have released well over 15 albums. More news as we get it. /Peter Marks, Johan Carlsson

Fischerspooners "#1" album out again


• One of the brightest lights on the electroclash heaven is Fischerspooner, a band that is now re-releasing their first album “#1”. It’s packaged with a DVD, complete with the band's film work, videos, documentaries, live footage and something called “Second Session” which means that you can download 13 remixes and burn to CD. The CD itself also includes some new mixes. EMI is going to release it in March in the countries that didn’t get it last time, and the re-release is already out in the US.
Check out our eight-graded review. /Johan Carlsson

Dependent sets the pace with a vengeance
• We have a veritable landslide of information from Germany's Dependent industrial and electro label.
Dependent has a sub-licensing deal with Sweden's Memento Materia to distribute Interlace's latest work "Under the Sky". Interlace is described as being somewhere between Clock DVA, Lassigue Bendthaus and early period Skinny Puppy.
Newcomers S.V.D. are currently riding high with their debut album "Hope", which has been proclaimed "album of the month" by Zillo Magazine. S.V.D. are preparing for a short tour with labelmates Dismantled.
Soon to come to Dependent's web site is the eagerly awaited reconciliation story between the label and their prodigal-son-returned-home Velvet Acid Christ. Hexfix93 (Brian Erickson) of VAC states about his new album "Utopia":
- Please buy it, do not MP3 it.
The new album is a return to the roots ala "Calling ov the Dead".
And finally... the man who once was one half of OffBeat has once more teamed with Dependent head Stefan Herwig - Thorsten Stroht is back at it once more. Stroht has been a live member of VAC for some time now and did a stint in Klinik as a vocalist for their 1995 album "To the Knife". /Peter Marks

The English Conspiracy debuts their bitch
• The UK band Conspiracy will be releasing their first single entitled "Electric Bitch" via the Artizone label in the coming weeks. The band also plans an English tour in March and April as support for Psyche and Attrition. An album is planned for April.
Conspiracy are described as a rather aggressive and yet somewhat melodic electronic British act. /Peter Marks

The Fair Sex is looking for a keyboardist
• Saturday, March 15 will see an appearance of old German darkwavers The Fair Sex at the AM festival in Amsterdam. The venue is the legendary Paradiso. On March 20, the band will do a show with Project Pitchfork and on June 6 they will appear in Münster, Germany. In addition, The Fair Sex are scheduled to perform at the Wave Gotik Treffen festival in Leipzig on June 9 and are in search of a live keyboardist to join the band as one of their members will be off becoming a father. Interested parties may contact the band via their web site. /Peter Marks

Breaking news: Blixa Bargeld leaves the Bad Seeds
• Long-time Bad Seeds guitarist and founding member Blixa Bargeld has announced that he has left the Bad Seeds. According to Mr Bargeld:
- This has been a very difficult decision for me and I have spent a great deal of time thinking about it. My leaving has nothing to do with artistic or personal differences with the band, I just feel it is time to concentrate on other creative areas in my life. /Peter Marks

Erasure makes us smile



• The new single from Erasure’s new album “Other People’s Songs” is “Make Me Smile (Come up and See Me)”, and the streetdate has been pushed to April 7. Swedish director Jonas Odell is making the video, and the film will be a mix of both live action and animation.
Vince Clarke and Andy Bell are signing copies of “Other People’s Songs” in Chicago on March 10. The store is Borders Books and Movies. /Johan Carlsson

Malaise release "ReAssimilated" after years of delays
• The Swedish goth band Malaise say they are finally about to release the MCD called “ReAssimilated” to celebrate their 10th anniversary. The MCD contains remixed versions of old tracks as well as new songs. Furthermore, a cover of Skinny Puppy’s “Assimilate” is on it. The release has been delayed several years. /Johan Carlsson

The Pigface gang tours USA once again


Pigface live in Toronto 2001.
Photo by: Alex Veronac (Release)

• Out promoting their new studio CD "Easy Listening... for Difficult Fuckheads," all star band Pigface is joined by labelmates My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult on another US tour outing. Pigface live now consists of Charles Levi (Thrill Kill Kult), Chris Connelly (Revolting Cocks), Curse Mackey (Grim Faeries), Seibold (Hate Dept), Krztoff (Bile), Michelle Walters (Voodou), Lacey (Nocturne), Candy XXX (Bozo Porno Circus), Kami (Apocalypse Theatre) and helmsman/drummer Martin Atkins. Noticeably missing is the multitalented Meg Lee Chin.
Also on the roster are Norse ex-pats Zeromancer and Bile in mostly all ages events. Added to the fun packed event are DJ Scary Lady Sarah and the MK Ultra ViXXXens (in selected cities). The lot are to tour Europe soon after. /Alex Veronac

Alfa Matrix expand their empire; bring on the Lethargy
• The Belgian label Alfa-Matrix has now added the Ubahn label to their "constellation". Other members of the confederation include Front 242's Art & Strategy label.
As a result of this new partnering with Ubahn, Alfa Matrix will release the debut album of Spain's Lethargy entitled "Escapa". Lethargy is billed as being a combination of Massive Attack and Autechre with a dash of Lassigue Bendthaus. The album is out March 28 and the vocalist is, of course, female. What a shock. /Peter Marks

New details on Dave Gahan's first solo album
   

Photo from: DaveGahan.com

• Depeche Mode front man Dave Gahan is set to release his new solo album "Paper Monsters" via Mute on June 2. "Dirty Sticky Floors", the first single to be released from the album, is scheduled for May 19.
Just three days after the album release, Dave starts a 22 date European tour in Zürich followed by: Nürburgring, Nüremburg, Berlin, Hultsfred, Imola, Vaasa, St Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev, Budapest, Prague, Roskilde, Werchter, Pilton, Somerset, Leipzig, Hamburg, Paris, Belfort, London, Manchester and Wolverhampton. This will be followed by an American tour throughout the rest of the summer.
"Paper Monsters" is composed with a multi-instrumentalist friend of Dave from New York, Knox Chandler, and produced by Ken Thomas of Sigur Rós fame. The album is in a press release called a 21st century masterpiece of tones and textures, reflection and rebirth. It is said to be boasting the freshness of a debut but the seasoned wisdom of an old soul, it was recorded in an open-ended, back-to-basics manner which Dave found both liberating and exhilarating. /Jesper Lakman (Uselink)

Negative Format sings about our mind
• A new album called "Cipher Method" by EBM band Negative Format is out on Sector 9 Studios in the US, and on Out of Line in Europe. This album is supposed to be darker, and is themed around the dark places of the human mind. /Johan Carlsson

Kent even bigger
• The 32 500 tickets for Kent's gig at Stockholm Stadion on June 6 were sold out in just three hours. Only one Swedish band have played the venue before on their own, Gyllene Tider. During the last months, Kent have won almost every Swedish award there is, for instance seven Grammis. /Mikael Kahrle

God Module recording new album



• “Empath” is the title of EBM heads God Module’s new album, being worked on now. Stand ready at the end of March or maybe early April to hear it. It’s going to be released by Out of Line in Europe. /Johan Carlsson

Wolfsheim to tour in April and May
• In support of their new album, Wolfsheim present the "Casting Shadows" tour. This 13 date tour will take the band to places such as Hamburg, Hannover, Berlin, Zürich, Dresden and nine other cities. No support acts have yet been named for this outing. /Peter Marks

New Electro Shock label

• Release news and photo contributor Jens Krause has started his own record label called Electro Shock Records. He is looking for new artists and the first release is the compilation "Stormschlaug Vol 1". The label has no connection with Release.
Krause lives in Neubrandenburg in Eastern Germany and has been working in the music business since the eighties. He has appeared in most leading German alternative media like our colleagues Zillo, New Life, Bodystyler and Sonic Seducer. He has also been busy as concert and party organiser, photographer (for Front 242 and DAF.DOS CD booklets, for instance) and he has compiled albums like "Body Rapture Vol 8" and the 11th and 12th "Electrocity" CD:s. /Mikael Kahrle

Massive Attack member arrested
• Massive Attack's only remaining member Robert "3D" Del Naja was arrested on February 25 and he and his band is in deep trouble. A police spokesman says:
- A man in his 30:s from Bristol was arrested on Tuesday, February 25 in connection with allegations of the possession of class A drugs and Internet porn offences. He was bailed pending further inquiries.
Del Naja denies the accusations.
- I have never looked at child pornography in my life, he said to The Sun. /Mikael Kahrle

Club Metropolis ten year anniversary
• Club Metropolis in Copenhagen, Denmark, celebrates their tenth year on Friday by inviting the bands Diary of Dreams, Birmingham 6 and Saline Gift. In addition to that, two dancefloors with four different DJ:s are at your disposal. Danish EBM band Birmingham 6 plays a reunion gig, which is their first convert in six years. /Johan Carlsson

The lost Deine Lakaien album finally arrives

• The much discussed unreleased album by Deine Lakaien from 1987 will be issued for the first time ever this spring on Chrom Records. Recorded between their 1985 debut and their classic 1991 album "Dark Star", this release is simply entitled "1987".
The band's latest single for "Where You Are" has reached #80 in the German charts. /Peter Marks

Toronto radio show EBM celebrates five years
• The fifth anniversary of Toronto radio show EBM is being marked with a party at the Tequila Lounge on March 28. The benefit show brings German band Diorama as exclusive special guest with locals Eden Ants, Delica and DJ:s. Dubbed a night of synthie/futurepop, it's capped off with a champagne toast.
Proceeds from the gig go towards community radio station CIUT 89.5FM. The EBM show is a vital link for euro dark music being introduced to North America as well as local scene trends.
Catch Niklas Forsberg's recent Diorama review.. /Alex Veronac

The Knife slice up a new single
• Sweden weird duo The Knife has another single coming. "You Take My Breath Away" with First Floor Power's Jenny Wilson as guest vocalist - and it's video - will show up on March 28. Puppetmasters and Emmon will remix the song. /Mikael Kahrle