News editor: Mikael Kahrle

Moog and Stockhausen awarded today

"Father of the synthesiser", Bob Moog, 67, and electronic composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, 72, was awarded today.

• Today, the prestigious Polar Music Prize ceremony was held in Stockholm for the tenth time. Karl Bartos read the motivation for Karlheinz Stockhausen's award, Manfred Mann for Robert Moog's and Elvis Costello for Burt Bacharach's. The three awards were handed over by His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. The price money is about $100 000.
The citation for Moog was: "Robert Moog is being awarded the Polar Music Prize for 2001 for his design of the MiniMoog, the first compact, easy-to-use synthesiser, which paved the way to the realm of electronic sounds that has revolutionised all genres of music during the past half-century."
And for Stockhausen: "...for a career as a composer that has been characterised by impeccable integrity and never-ceasing creativity, and for having stood at the forefront of musical development for fifty years."
The winners give several performances and take part in seminars and others activities. These take place between last Saturday to tomorrow.
Maybe Bartos dreams of a future Polar Music Prize for Kraftwerk? He will return to Sweden shortly, for a small tour, as reported earlier. /Mikael Kahrle

New VNV Nation single in August
• The title of VNV Nation's new single is "Genesis". It will be released in August and will come as two different CD:s, which will include remixes and bonus tracks. The band will premiere the track at the Zillo Festival. /Johan Carlsson

Nitzer Ebb maxi on June 11
• On June 11, NovaMute will release a since long planned "new" Nitzer Ebb 12". This is a double A side maxi with new remixes of the classic songs "Shame" (mixed by Derrick May) and "Join in the Chant" (mixed by Thomas P Heckmann). May is a techno celebrity and Heckmann is known for his work on the two latest Sven Väth records. Unfortunately, the release is in vinyl - and for England only. The new remixes still contains much of the charming power and energy from the original versions. /Jens Krause

Breaking news: And One makes new album with original line-up

Rick Schah, to the left, quit And One shortly after the North American tour was over.

• We have obviously some catching up to do with And One. Here we go:
After their tour with Covenant through 29 North American cities, And One are back in Germany. A total of 21 000 people visited the shows. And One also signed a deal with Metropolis. The first Metropolis release will be a compilation with the best tracks from the last three albums. And One is still signed to Virgin in Europe.
Keyboarder Rick Schah has left the band after ten years, on personal grounds. Noone else than original member Chris Ruiz takes his place.
Front man Steve Naghavi has moved from Nordhausen, to Berlin. He will build a 300 square meter multi studio complex in Weissensee together with his friend Mic (singer of Dark Voices). Three sound studios will be set up and this is of course where the next And One album will be made.
This album is a continuation of "I.S.T." and has the working title "Agressor". It may see the light of day in February.
Furthermore, the band hope to play at the Swedish Arvika Festival. Steve Naghavi has recently divorced his wife Annett. They will share the custody of their daughter Patricia Angelique. /Jens Krause

New single with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

• Another single will be issued from the album "No More Shall We Part", and it is the song "Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow". The release is scheduled for May 21. An accompanying video for the track will also be made, featuring a dancing Jarvis Cocker of Pulp. /Johan Carlsson

Clarke & Ware makes second 3D album
• The second collaboration between Vince Clarke and Martyn Ware is called "Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle" and will be released on June 4 by Mute. It contains six tracks intended to promote profound relaxation, and it was recorded with advanced 3D audio software to create a three-dimensional sound when listened to on headphones. /Johan Carlsson

The Young Gods on the roads
• On May 12, The Young Gods hits the roads for an extensive Summer tour through May, June and July. They will visit several festivals like Dour and Arvika. On May 15, three reissues of old albums will be released, as reported in previous news. /Mikael Kahrle

New album by The Nine at Synthcon
• Electropop act The Nine has scheduled the release of a new album called "Dreamland". The launch will be linked to the Synthcon event in Hollywood and the date is May 25. /Mikael Kahrle

Report from Pluxemburg

• Stockholm's retro electronic weirdos Pluxus, who recently won the live award at SAMA, has big future plans. They have started a record company. The new label has the same name as their studio, Pluxemburg, and is owned together with the man behind the label Pluxus was signed to up until now, Slowball. Slowball is no more, but lots of things are about to happen in Pluxemburg.
Pluxus will be distributed via SubSpace Communications/Playground and has also signed a license deal with indie label Rocket Girl. Previous Pluxus material will be reissued on both CD and vinyl. Rocket Girl will be Pluxus future home outside Scandinavia. Pluxemburg will also be a sound factory with possible buyers in the TV, film, Internet, game and radio businesses. In further news, Pluxus has signed a live booking deal with Luger (EMA Telstar), started a collaboration with Sonox.com and presented a new web site. /Mikael Kahrle

Nine Inch Nails on "Tombraider" soundtrack

Angelina Jolie - and her father Jon Voight are starring in "Tombraider".

• A new (typical) Nine Inch Nails song called "Deep" will be included on the soundtrack (June 5) for the "Tombraider" movie. It will also be the second single off the soundtrack. You can listen to the full track on www.nin.com. A video clip is in the works.
Trent Reznor and Alan Moulder are also working on new NIN and Tapeworm material at Session Studios. Furthermore, they are also preparing an upcoming live release on DVD, VHS and CD. /Johan Carlsson, Mikael Kahrle

Front Line Assembly album in August?

Bill Leeb.
Photo by: BBM Magazine

• According to Barcode Magazine, the new Front Line Assembly album will be called "Epitaph" and released some time in August, after a preceding single called "Everything Must Die". /Johan Carlsson

Depeche Mode tour news
• The four Scandinavian dates of Depeche Mode's forthcoming tour is now confirmed for September. Gothenburg will not be visited this time. Stockholm tickets will be released next Monday. See On Stage.
The demand for tickets for the rest of tour has been high. In Germany, 200 000 tickets were sold in one week. For Berlin, 44 000 tickets were sold in 48 hours.
Nor Ladytron, neither S.P.O.C.K will play support act, as it seems now. No such act has been hired yet. There are several rumours on the net and there are quite a few who want the job, we presume.
Stand by for an "Exciter" review and Competition. /Mikael Kahrle

Music influenced by Bowie and Kraftwerk
• Swedish retro "new" wave outfit Post has released a second EP ("Andra rum"), started a record company (A Sparkling Product) and built a studio (Real Life). They hope to release their debut album in the autumn. Post is influenced by David Bowie, Kraftwerk and Reeperbahn. Check out the review of their first EP "Ådror". /Mikael Kahrle

Oomph! goes "Supernova" in ten days
• The electro industrial stars from Germany's Braunschweig, Oomph!, is back after a short break indeed. The noisy single "Supernova" is scheduled for May 14, and the new album "Ego" for July 9.
- It's impossible for me as an artist to stand still. We have once again dared to make a stylistic jump, Oomph!s Dero says.
"Ego" is varied, both when it comes to tempo and vocals. /Jens Krause

"We can sell millions"

• Swedish indie electro pop outfit The April Tears' new EP "Seventeen" is here after some delays. We get two versions of this radio friendly tune and two extra songs: "Two in One" and the talked-about "Hip Shooter". This features a duet with singer Sara and Swedish, odd star Freddie Wadling on vocals. It was supposed to be released years ago and has now been rearranged. A video for "Seventeen" has been made as well. Expectations are high since The April Tears last single "Model, Actress, Whatever" won the best song 2000 category at Swedish Alternative Music Awards.
The new album "Consume Desire" is very close to launch, but no release date is set.
- If we break in Sweden, we will be marketed abroad as well, possibly this autumn. We have the capacity to work in all countries and cultures, since our material is so fucking good. If all goes well we can sell millions, mastermind Andreas Jismark dreams. /Mikael Kahrle

Rhea's Obsession helped by television
• Rhea's Obsession's reputation is growing. Their music has been heard in TV series "La Femme Nikita" and on Bravo TV in their home country Canada. Singer Sue Hutton has a background in Indo-Celtic-Bulgarian vocal styles. Musician Jim Field is experienced in hardcore and experimental music.
Now, Metropolis re-issues their 1996 album "Initiation" with new artwork and bonus tracks, under the most logical title "Re:Initiation". Expect esoterical vocals, distorted drones, tribal percussion and various world culture instruments. /Mikael Kahrle

Germany awaits Neverwood from Finland
• German classic dance label ZYX has signed Finnish Memento Materia act Neverwood for the release of the single "Ghost City" in late June. The album "Trapped Inside" will follow, if the single is successful. /Mikael Kahrle

Spanish electro project Iberian Spleen reaches out
• The Iberian Spleen album "Drama'n'Base" has debuted on DAC this week as a bullet. A new single and video for "Afraid, Afraid, Afraid" will se the light of day shortly. /Mikael Kahrle