News editor: Mikael Kahrle

Remix album and single with Alphaville
• Alphaville is going to unleash a new remix album called "Forever Pop" later this year. The first single taken off the album will be "Forever Young 2001", on July 16.
The single will be issued as a special fan edition, as well as a "common" version. The fan edition will contain different remixes and a verbal and written dedication from the band, but it will not cost more. Every fan can get their name mentioned in the booklet, and if you want that, send an e-mail to fanedition@alphaville.de. Remixers are F.A.F and Todd Terry. The original demo versions from 1983 will also be included. To top it, it will include a program for remixing your own version.
Alphaville are also planning to play live sometime in 2001, but no dates are known yet. /Johan Carlsson

Skinny Puppy change their DVD plans

Skinny Puppy live in Dresden.
Photo by: Alex Veronac

• The DVD release of Skinny Puppy's live performance at Doomsday Festival is cancelled. But some good news is that the "Ain't It Dead Yet" concert video, and the "1984-1992 Video Collection" will be released on DVD instead. The dates for these discs are targeted to coincide with the Doomsday CD. /Johan Carlsson

Details on New Order's future plans
• A warm-up show for New Order's tour with Moby will take place on July 18 in Manchester. The venue is not known, but we know that the former Smashing Pumpkin Billy Corgan and ex-Marion guitar player Phil Cunningham will join them on stage.
Two songs from the upcoming album "NEWORDERGETREADY" have been pulled off it, and been replaced with three new ones. The album will be out on October 16. /Johan Carlsson

Anybody may remix Depeche Mode

• You can make your own Depeche Mode remix of "I Feel Loved" via the Reprise Records web pages. A chosen remix may get released. Expect the Internet to be flooded with thousands of "I Feel Loved"s.
And from our own Competition, Mute Records will collect suggestions for more traditional remixers.
The "I Feel Loved" single will be released on two different CD:s (CDBong31, LCDBong31) and a 12" (12Bong31) in Europe. There will also be a US CD and a US 12".
The LCDBong30 single will include a multimedia section with four short films and nine exclusive photos, as well as a downloadable wallpaper image. /Mikael Kahrle, Jesper Lakman (Uselink)

Goldfrapp is genetically enriched

• The most celebrated track from Goldfrapp's debut album "Felt Mountain", "Utopia", was released as a single by Mute on June 11. They call the new single "genetically enriched" and it features remixes by Tom Middleton, Jori Hilkonnen and Tim Wright. /Johan Carlsson

KMFDM/Pig side project big in Japan
• A little more than a month ago, the band Schwein released their debut CD "Schweinstein" on BMG in Japan. The band is marketed as an "international super-project". This is probably not completely wrong, at least not for the Release reader. The band consists of Sascha Konietzko from MDFMK/KMFDM, Raymond Watts of Pig and two Japanese members from the band Buck-Tick. They also feature well-known guest musicians such as Julian Beeston (Nitzer Ebb) and Lucia (MDFMK/KMFDM).
Pig has previously had quite a few connections to Japan, having a Japanese manager and being on Japanese labels.
Buck-Tick is not well known outside Japan (as well as in Japan for non-alternative listeners), but has opened for Marilyn Manson during his "Beautiful Monsters Tour" stops in Japan. They have also done Pig remixes and been featured as guest musicians on previous Pig albums.
The sound of Schwein is somewhat reminiscent of Rammsteins, but with more depth and intensity. Schwein features three vocalists. Most of the songs are in typical J-pop (Japanese pop) style with choruses in English and verses in Japanese, thus making it more appealing to the Japanese market. We get to hear Englishman Raymond Watts singing in Japanese.
The band has just completed their "Schweinfest Tour" in Japan. The rest of the world will just have to wait and see if anything happens in other territories. /Peter Takizawa Ahlenius

Watch the new Human League video

• The new single from the living legends Human League is called "All I Ever Wanted" and is the first single from the forthcoming album "Secrets", all of which we have told you before. The single will be out on July 16, with an accompanying, styled and sterile video. Now, you can check it out at German Roadrunner Records, together with a sound clip. /Johan Carlsson

Music in the SPK and Dead Can Dance school
• Every year, the label Cold Meat Industry has launched a debutant influenced by SPK and Dead Can Dance. This year, it's time for Letum to show us their tranquil soundscapes paired with gothic chorals and sounds from nature on "The Entrance to Salvation", out now. /Mikael Kahrle

New live releases from Apoptygma Berzerk

• In 1998 Apoptygma Berzerk delivered a live album, "APBL98" in the limited edition of 10 000 copies. Now, they are back with a new set of live releases called "APBL2000", this time through their new labels HardDrive, Metropolis, East/West and SSC.
The new CD, VHS and DVD (both region 1 and 2) offers all hits like "Starsign", "Deep Red", "Bitch" and "Kathy's Song" live in high quality. The running time is 90 minutes and the DVD has some extra material. The recordings have been made throughout last year's "Welcome to Earth" tour in Europe and USA. The band is followed from early rehearsals in Norway to different live shows.
Since May, they have been recording their new studio album, together with New Yorker Alon Cohen as producer. Cohen has previously worked with The Cardigans, Ice T and 98 Degrees. /Mikael Kahrle

SMPJ plan poppy album in September
• We can report that the new album "OK, OK, OK" by Swedish synthpoppers Sista mannen på jorden will be released in September. It is said to be poppy and similar to the debut album "Ligg tyst ett tag med...". It's produced by Christer Hermodsson of S.P.O.C.K. There will be a pre-listening session at Friday's Romo Night club in Gothenburg, Sweden. SMPJ are hired to play live at the Arvika Festival and Gothenburg city festival Göteborgskalaset. /Mikael Kahrle

New album by Brian Eno
• Brian Eno has recorded an electronic easy-listening album together with a musician from Bonn, Germany called Peter Schwalm. "Drawn from Life" (Venture/Virgin) moves the listener to an intoxicating ocean sound world mixed with modern beats, acoustic drums as well as beautiful female vocals. /Jens Krause

Jürgen Engler: "I think it will be my best record"



• Mr Die Krupps, Jürgen Engler, is currently working hard to complete the new and second album with his new electro project Dkay.com. Engler plan to complete his work in his Austin studio in July/August. The album release is scheduled for next year.
The line-up for this one is somewhat different, than on the debut album. Julian Beeston is one of the musician that has left the band. Engler is now working together with Ben Mettin. He is known from his extensive contributions as producer and musician for the Berlin techno and house label MFS. Dkay.com 2001 has the same line-up, as when they supported Gary Numan last year.
Engler speaks about the new sound:
- It's harder and without female vocals, but it's not metal-ish like Die Krupps. I think it will be my best record. /Jens Krause

Details about VNV Nation's new single
• The new single by VNV Nation, "Genesis", set for release on August 27, will have remixes by Apoptygma Berzerk, Suicide Commando and Thomas Heckmann. A limited edition with extra remixes and a bonus track will also be put out. The new album is going to be released in November, and prior to that VNV Nation is planning a European and US tour in November and December. /Johan Carlsson

Appliance: tour and new album
• On June 11 Appliance released their new album "Imperial Metric", and to coincide with that, they will be on tour in the UK until the beginning of July. A new single called "A Gentle Cycle Revolution" will be issued on July 11. /Johan Carlsson

"I Feel Loved" delayed one week
• The new European release date for Depeche Mode's "I Feel Loved" is July 23, according to Playground Music Scandinavia. The video clip can already be seen on various TV channels though. /Mikael Kahrle

Memento Materia, a happy ten year-old

• The Swedish label Memento Materia celebrates their tenth birthday this year. The label will hold celebrating events, and the festivities start at Arvika Festival with Malaise, Neverwood and Backlash (pic) performing. There, you will also be able to obtain the a new label sampler called simply "Sampler 2001". It will also be included with next issue of Zero Magazine. More information about the celebration to come. /Johan Carlsson

No Tivoli festival this year?
• According to Richard Johansson, who has organised the Swedish synthpop and EBM festival Tivoli previous years, there are no definite plans for an event this year yet. The festival wants an interesting line-up with at least one living legend and it's difficult to raise the money needed for a line-up without the "standard" bands. /Mikael Kahrle

New In the Nursery album in October
• In The Nursery's collaboration with author Colin Wilson will now be compiled on a seven track CD to be included with the book "The Age of Defeat". The book is available on paperback for the first time, to celebrate the author's 70th birthday. You have to be quick to get it though, only 200 copies will be out there. In the Nursery are also working on their new album "Engel", to be released on October 19. /Johan Carlsson

Project-X reduced to duo after tough US tour

• Swedish EBM band Project-X is back from an extensive tour of the US.
- It was a great experience, but hard. We made life more fun by visiting a lot of sights. We will make a tour diary at our web site, with clickable postcards we mailed home, Torny Gottberg (to the right) says.
The band played at both large clubs as well as small ones in front of few people.
- We were surprised by the fact that many venues had poorer equipment than in Europe. We hope we can go back soon, though, but then we will skip some of the smaller states.
Project-X is now a duo since the keyboardist Johan Lindsjö has left the band due to personal reasons. They are looking for a possible replacement, but are also prepared to go on as a two man band.
A new mini-album called "Closing Down the Systems" will be released this summer. The CD consists of unreleased versions and remixes of older tracks. If you want completely new material, you will have to wait until the autumn, when a new single and album will emerge. The band is also remixing Assemblage 23 and Girls Under Glass as we speak. /Johan Carlsson, Mikael Kahrle

Bon Harris remix Depeche Mode
• According to the Maven mailing list, the forthcoming album is not likely to be finished this summer. An EP might be out in the autumn though. Bon Harris of Maven has just done some work with Bush, and a remix for a Depeche Mode single (possibly "Freelove"). /Johan Carlsson

Rhys Fulber to produce Delerium?
• According to the Delerium web page www.delerium.com there are rumours that Rhys Fulber might be producing and co-producing the next Delerium album. The recording will commence in July.
Rhys also stays busy as a producer for other artists. Lately he has been producing two songs for Josh Groban, a classical singer. One of the tracks features The Corrs. The new Sarah Brightman single "A Whiter Shade of Pale" also features a remix by Rhys. Finally he has done a mix for the New Zealand singer Anika Moa.
Furthermore, Nettwerk has decided to release two singles from Rhys's solo album "Conjure One". Since both singles might show up prior the album, we may not see the album until December. /Johan Carlsson

Assemblage 23 release single and EP

• The track "Disappoint" from the Assemblage 23 album "Failure" will be released as a single in Europe, with several mixes from other electro and EBM artists. No date known as of now.
In November we should see the release of another CD, "Addendum", an EP with remixed tracks from "Failure" and some new tracks as well. Tom Shear, the man who is Assemblage 23, has scored the movie "The Good Thief" by R T Hertwig. The soundtrack is made in a rather unusual way; the music was made prior to filming. This way, the music might have influenced the images instead of the opposite. Read our review of "Failure" in the On Record section shortly. /Johan Carlsson

Front Line Assembly album finished
• The new Front Line Assembly album "Epitaph" is now finished, with the mastering just completed. We will have to wait until October though, with the single "Everything Must Perish" (slight name change since our last news piece) coming out in September. /Johan Carlsson