News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson

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Solo album from Alexander Hacke out in May
• "Sanctuary" (Kool Arrow) by Einstürzende Neubauten member Alexander Hacke will be out on May 17. This collaborative work includes contributions by J G Thirlwell (Foetus), David Yow (Jesus Lizard), Algis Kizys (formerly of Swans) and Andrew Chudy (Einstürzende Neubauten) to name a few.
In related news, Neubauten are in the midst of their 25th anniversary tour which will take them all across Europe throughout the month of April. /Peter Marks 

Corgan works with Alan Moulder, Bon Harris and Robert Smith
• Former Smashing Pumpkins front man and one-time Zwan member Billy Corgan will release his first ever solo album "Thefutureembrace" (Warner Brothers) on June 21. A world tour is planned to commence in July, dates tba. The album was mixed by famed studio aficionado Alan Moulder,  was produced in part by none other than Bon Harris (former Nitzer Ebb member and current driving force behind Maven) and will also feature Robert Smith of The Cure doing backing vocals on the track "To Love Somebody". /Peter Marks

New Depeche album this autumn
• A press release from the Depeche Mode camp was sent out recently, giving us the information that the trio's next album is supposed to come out this autumn. As we have told you before, this new as yet untitled album is produced by Ben Hillier, who has produced Elbow, Doves and Blur, amongst others. The band is recording in Santa Barbara right now, and according to Dave Gahan, the mood is great and they're excited about the new material. /Johan Carlsson

Elegant Machinery back in business (updated)

This picture was part of an exclusive photo session at Ikea hq in Älmhult, initiated by us. Elegant Machinery was chosen for the cover story of the printed Release, issue 2/98. Kristoffer Noheden's story was written and designed, but noone has ever read it. The issue was almost completed but never fully financed and therefore unreleased. Issue 1/98 was our last. Web Release started 1997.

• Swedish synthpop veterans Elegant Machinery are "back from the dead" and tell us they are working on new songs and even hope to release a single later this year.
- I do not know at this point what will come out of this. But so far its feels great, Richard Jomshof (ex-Johansson) tells me.
They did a successful gig in Gothenburg last October and are now eager to play some more; to show people they are back in business.
- We miss playing; getting out and meeting people. At the same time it's fun to make music again. To be away a few years has given me new energy. Also, it feels like there is more space for electronic music today.
The years apart has given the trio a sense of distance to the band and each other. Richard Jomshof, Robert Enforsen and Johan Malmgren are joined by old member Leslie Bayne in the music making process (not live though). /Mikael Kahrle

"Cliché" from Melotron in June
• The German synthpop band Melotron has been working on the follow-up to the last album "Sternenstaub" for a while now, but now a release date is set. The album "Cliché" is out on June 27, and a single entitled "Wenn wir wollten" comes out on May 2. /Johan Carlsson

Noise Unit helped by Michael Balch on comeback CD
• Chris Peterson and Bill Leeb are re-united to revive the Noise Unit name, as we have reported earlier. Now we have some more information about the upcoming album which will be called "Voyeur" and released on June 7. Described as more experimental than the later Front Line Assembly and Delerium material, the album features ex-FLA member Michael Balch on one track, FLA live member Jason Filipchuk on several tracks, and other guests as well. The nine track album comes out on Metropolis. /Johan Carlsson

Covenant to premiere new songs outdoors at SAMA

Summer outdoor gig. Covenant's Eskil Simonsson live at M'era Luna in Germany 2004.
Photo by: Claudia Schoene

• Scandinavian Alternative Music Awards (May 13, Gothenburg) has booked the last three acts for this year's spectacle: Covenant, Dupont and Necro Facility. All three will play the new outdoor Garden Stage.
Covenant promise to perform hits, super rare songs and material from their upcoming album "Skyshaper". The band has been in the studio since the autumn of 2004, twiddling away on new material. “Skyshaper” will hopefully be ready for a September release. Song snippets and info will be presented later at their new Flash site. Here, you can also participate in a signed "Skyshaper" contest by identifying eight loops from various Covenant songs.
Covenant have remixed a song on the new Dupont album "Intermezzo", where also Johan Kinde of Lustans Lakejer appears. /Mikael Kahrle, Johan Carlsson

New dates added to Kraftwerk tour

Kraftwerk will soon be on the roads again. Picture from Arvika Festival 2004.
Photo by: Mikael Kahrle

• We can now show the new Kraftwerk tour as it looks today, with both previous and newly added dates. The European trip includes some interesting and odd locations.
US leg: May 30-31 Washington, June 1 New York, 3 Detroit, 4 Chicago and 6 Los Angeles.
European leg: June 11 Venice (Italy), 13 Beograd (Yugoslavia), 14 Sofia (Bulgaria), 16 Skopje (Macedonia), 17 Thessaloniki (Greece), 18 Athens (Greece), 20 Istanbul (Turkey), 30 Werchter (Belgium), July 1 Tilburg, 3 Belfort (France), 4 Montreux (Switzerland), 5 Mailand (Italy), 6 Ferrara (Italy) and 7 Napoli (Italy). /Mikael Kahrle

Haujobb remix mania

Live in Toronto.
Photo by: Alex Veronac.

• Daniel Myer in Haujobb returns with a remix album, filled to the brim with remixes by the likes of This Morn Omina, Glis, Seabound, Hecq, Asche and Iscoloscope. It’s called “Vertical Mixes”, and comes out on May 24. /Johan Carlsson

London is about to be Encompassed
• Coming at the end of this month is an event those serious about cutting edge dance and electronic music will be more than interested in. To be held in and around London's fashionable Brick Lane area, Encompass Music Conference and Festival is billed as being "part conference, part museum and part festival". It is also set to be one of London's biggest and most active cutting-edge festivals too - with over 100 acts from 24 international labels (including the likes of Metalheadz, 2020 Vision, Fingerlickin' and Supercharged + TCR) spread out over three days and six different venues from April 29 to May 1.
One of the focal points for the action will be the rather cool 93 Feet East, who will host (amongst others) Freestylers, Boogie Corporation and Dubkutts.
While around the venues you could have the chance to see the likes of Goldie, Speedy J and Tom Middleton do their thing (if you have bought the correct pass that is). /Mike Whyte

Gridlock is locked down
• The two members of electronica outfit Gridlock - Mike Wells and Mike Cadoo - have split up. Both members will work on their own projects, like Cadoo's Bitcrush and Well's O2, but in the foreseeable future, they will not work together again. /Johan Carlsson

Celebrities write songs for Freddie Wadling

The duet with NIna Persson shines the brightest.

• Freddie Wadling’s first album in five years, “Jag är monstret” sees the singer perform songs written by a host of wellknown Swedish songwriters. The contributors include among others Thomas Öberg (bob hund, Bergman Rock) and Joakim Berg (Kent) as well as the more surprising Mauro Scocco and Per Gessle (of worldwide Roxette fame), making for an album of shifting quality that in many ways seems crafted to appeal to mainstream ears.
It is Wadling’s two own creations, “Då alla stjärnor föll” and “Flyg min väg”, a duet with Nina Persson of The Cardigans, that shine the brightest, which makes one wish even more for the album of Wadling originals that the singer has expressed his wishes to be able to record. “Jag är monstret” was released on March 30, and word has it that a follow-up should be forthcoming, this time with songs written by among others Joakim Thåström (ex-Peace, Love and Pitbulls) and Stry Terrarie.
In an interview with news agency TT, Wadling has also stated that he and Henryk Lipp have enough new material for three double albums with their band Blue for Two, but don’t know how, when or even if it will be released. Blue for Two, whose music ranged from electronic pop via epic soundscapes to twisted jazz, has arguably been Wadling’s most artistically successful outlet, but haven’t released an album since “Moments” in 1997. /Kristoffer Noheden

New Order headline Arvika Festival
• The Arvika Festival has announced that New Order will be one of this year's headlines. /Mikael Kahrle

The Philippines calling
• Good music travels as far as The Philippines, it seems. Manifesto Event Series is interested in promoting, amongst other things, cutting-edge music to people of The Philippines, through an ongoing catalogue of events and performances. It seems, according to Chris Con, that there is a particular market for all things goth and industrial at the moment, and this is something that is steadily increasing.
For people in that area it will be worth your while checking out their special night coming up: a tribute to that fine label 4AD, which promises to feature tribute acts like Tim Burton Ensemble covering songs by such luminaries as Dead Can Dance, Clan of Xymox and Cocteau Twins. /Mike Whyte

Spain's Sonar festival is back

Le Tigre.

• The weather is getting slightly warmer, the birds are starting to sing, but as we intrepid music listeners miss all that, I'll tell you instead: it's Sonar time again! Coming back bigger and better for 2005, the festival has what promises to be one of the most star-filled line-ups we will see all year in Southern Europe. Amongst others, set to perform under the Spanish sunny skies are: The Chemical Brothers, 2 Many DJs, Miss Kittin, Richie Hawtin, Le Tigre, Mouse on Mars, Laurent Garnier, LCD Soundsystem and that is just the tip of the iceberg. /Mike Whyte