News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson
Tips: info at releasemagazine.net


17th album by supreme diva of doom

Jan 30, 2008 | By: Mattias Huss (Uppsala, Sweden)

Supreme diva of doom Diamanda Galas releases her 17th album – her first in four years – on Mute Records on March 31. "Guilty Guilty Guilty" follows a familiar pattern of reinterpreting jazz, blues and country standards into her unique haunting repertoire. The songs are, with a few exceptions, recorded live at "Diamanda's Valentines Day Massacre", the Knitting Factory, New York City in 2006.


Depeche Mode heading for the studio

Jan 28, 2008 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)

Depeche Mode site Home has compiled the latest from the Depeche Mode camp. Please note that we have not confirmed all these details.

A new album might be ready in time for the Christmas sales this year, followed by a 2009 tour. The band members met in early January and decided to enter the studio in March. Martin Gore are working on new songs in his home studio in Santa Barbara, together with Sie Medway-Smith, and they have apparently reached the pre-production stage. Dave Gahan has also written new material.

According to the official site, Martin will be a DJ at a charity event in Mexico called Festival Internacional de Espiritualidad on February 3. Andy Fletcher did a long list of DJ gigs in 2007 but has nothing planned right now.


Portishead album and tour set

Jan 25, 2008 | By: Mattias Huss (Uppsala, Sweden) and Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)

Portishead will finally release their third album, aptly titled "Third", on April 14. It's 11 tracks and 49 minutes long, apparently.

A European tour kicks off on March 26, taking the band to for instance Denmark, Portugal, Italy, Germany.


Roadburn special for David Tibet

Jan 25, 2008 | By: Mattias Huss (Uppsala, Sweden)

The Roadburn Festival in The Netherlands has invited David Tibet of Current 93 to curate a special daylong event after the main festival. The date is April 20, 2008, and appearing on stage will be Æthenor, Baby Dee, Current 93, Om and Rickie Lee Jones.


Old meets new on new Arcana CD

Jan 25, 2008 | By: Peter Marks (Portland, Oregon, USA)

Not content to rest on their laurels, Kalinkaland Records will be releasing Arcana's new album "Raspail" on February 28. Mr. Peter Bjargo tells the world that this record represents a meeting of the new and old for Arcana and also is a departure from previous records. It will be interesting to see how this all fits together.


Kraftwerk goes to California

Jan 23, 2008 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) and Alex Veronac (Geneva, Switzerland)


Kraftwerk live in Sweden 2004.
Photo by: Mikael Kahrle

The Coachella fest in Indio, California (April 25-27) will be headlined by no other Kraftwerk but also hosts some other well-known names like Portishead, Fatboy Slim, Junkie XL, Hot Chip, Love & Rockets, Spiritualized and The Streets.


New sounds from eccentric duo

Jan 23, 2008 | By: Mattias Huss (Uppsala, Sweden)

Peter Christopherson (Coil, Throbbing Gristle) has formed a duo called SoiSong together with Swedish resident and Russian avantgardist Ivan Pavlov (COH). Their first EP "Soi-Jin-No-Hi" will be available for free download from Christopherson's website from March 2008. Their sound can already be tried out on Myspace.

Previous news about COH here.


Newcomer interview: Arvid makes debut in the old Ratata school

Jan 23, 2008 | By: Tobias Eliasson (Gothenburg, Sweden)

After working in the studio for some years the first single from Arvid, ”I dina ögon” (In Your Eyes), is now released on productive independent label Wonderland Records (he got signed via Myspace). He has received a warm welcome as far as we can tell. This is smooth synthpop in Swedish with strong vocals, reminding us of classic bands like Ratata, A-ha and New Order.

- I have written electronic songs with English lyrics before, but after a while I switched to Swedish. It seems more natural to use the language I use in my ordinary life, Arvids tells Release.

No release date is set for the debut album.

- It will be relased sometime this spring. Most of the songs are ready, but I have some new songs that I hope to get ready in time as well.

So what does Arvid want to tell the world with his music?

- I don’t really want to tell anything, more to awake different feelings in the listener, depending on which thoughts and associations he or she gets from my music, he explains.

The single will be released as a limited 3" single in only 100 copies; this is a new series of singles from Wonderland that will contain both newcomers who need a chance to present themselves to the world; together with more established acts releasing future collectors items.


Breaking news: Yazoo reunites for gigs

Jan 21, 2008 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)


It once was a time when Vince and Alison enjoyed working together. Now, 2008, they are prepared to share the stage together.

Yazoo has been one of the few legendary bands not to reunite. Today, Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke announced that they will perform together for five gigs:

June 4 Glasgow, 7 Manchester, 12 Wolverhanpton, 15 Brighton and 18 London.

Exclusive ticket pre-sale available on January 25 at alisonmoyet.com.

- It's been really good going back to these songs after such a long while. Many of them have never been played live. I'm looking forward to performing them with Alison for all the fans who've enjoyed our music through the years but never had a chance to see Yazoo in concert, Clarke says.

The four disc box set "In Your Room" is scheduled for May. The box offers stereo and 5.1 mixes of the albums "Upstairs at Eric's" and "You and Me Both" as well as B-sides and remixes and a DVD with a short film and five videos.


New project from Erica Dunham nears release

Jan 17, 2008 | By: Peter Marks (Portland, Oregon, USA)

Stray, which is described as the "introspective" side of Unter Null's Erica Dunham, have completed the required debut album entitled "Abuse by Proxy" (Alfa-Matrix). Currently, there are tracks which can be listened to at the band's Myspace which feature quite the departure from what has been heard before from this artist. As for a release date, Ms. Dunham had this to say:

- The album's probably going to be out within the next couple of months, just waiting on artwork and a few other things at the moment.


Dreadful Shadows and Zeraphine man goes all electronic

Jan 17, 2008 | By: Peter Marks (Portland, Oregon, USA)

Zeraphine's frontman has birthed a purely electronic project entitled Solar Fake who's first album, "Broken Grid" (Phonyx) will be out in March (review in progress).

Solar Fake recently debuted at the Planet Myer festival in Leipzig recently and have a few additional festival dates already booked. Having heard some of the tracks, we can tell you that a certain Basilidon outfit feature largely as an influence.

Additionally, Friedrich's previous band, the legendary Dreadful Shadows have recently completed a re-union tour of Germany and although no new work is planned, audience response was, reportedly, quite enthusiastic.