News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson

Hocico cover too offensive?

Original, altered and US alternate cover.

• The Hocico MCD "Disidencia Inquebrantable" was released last week on Out of Line, not without some controversy. It seems the distributor (SPV) couldn't approve the "offensive" cover art so it was altered. The revised artwork has the doll figure removed and we've seen an US alternate cover as well. "Disidencia Inquebrantable"'s five tracks will be out on August 5 in USA on Metropolis.
Hocico's tenth anniversary year is to be marked first by a music festival in Mexico City in August. Another touring round in Europe is planned for October/November. The band plagued by US visa issues seems shut out of the American circuit for now. /Alex Veronac

Eddie Bengtsson plan for the future
• One might wonder why Sweden's synthpop star Eddie Bengtsson is quiet during the current retro-flavoured synth wave, where his tunes could fit in well. Well, he is at least planning for the future, we find out.
His pop duo Sista mannen på jorden has been gone for a while, but is still alive. A new web page has been created and a new album will be released in the autumn on Energy (not his SSC). It will contain previously unreleased material, remixes and a contribution from French based Celluloide (cover of "Luft"). It will be available in a limited edition only. Also, frontman Eddie Bengtsson's latest side project This Fish Needs a Bike are working on their debut album and has a new site up. No label or release date is set for this release yet, though, and initial reactions have been poor. /Niklas Forsberg, Mikael Kahrle

Infest is once again upon us

Seabound are on their way to the University.

• The UK Infest festival takes flight at Bradford University's Student Union in West Yorkshire from August 22 through 24 and will feature God Module, cut.rate.box, Seabound, VNV Nation and quite a few others. This event will be God Module's and Seabound's debut on English soil. /Peter Marks

Experience Glastonbury at home
• London UK art-glam outfit Suede play the Glastonbury Festival (UK) Pyramid stage this weekend. Their gig will be webcast on RealPlayer here on Friday at 19.10 GMT (20:10 CET). Others on the webcast bill familiar to Release readers are Interpol, Doves and Sigur Rós.
Suede is to play a string of dates in Denmark and more festivals this summer such as Electron Nights (Greece), Sudoeste (Portugal), Pukkelpop (Belgium), Terremoto (Germany) and Lowlands (Holland). /Alex Veronac

David Galas comes in from the cold
• Former Lycia (Projekt band) member David Galas (who recorded under the name of Snowblind during the 90:s while in Lycia) is currently in the process of completing an album for an as yet-undetermined label. Those who follow Lycia will remember Galas' signature bass work and dynamic production values. In 1996 David left Lycia and briefly re-united with the band to record their unreleased and abandoned follow up to 1998's "Estrella" which was entitled "The Empty Spaces". Mr Galas goes on to state:
- As soon as I finish the music that I am currently working on now, I will upload the whole thing onto the Internet as well as the newsgroups. I totally believe in MP3 sharing and have no problem with releasing my music on the net.
Those interested in perusing David's music can point their browsers here. /Peter Marks

New "best of" even better than the last one?

Lost in the forest, all alone.
Photo by: Chris Floyd

• Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys will release a new best of compilation in the autumn. The exact track listing is yet to be finalised, but the collection will be preceded by a new single to be included on the best of. This will be the second best of compilation from the Pet Shop Boys, as "Discography" was released back in 1991. /Niklas Forsberg

First look at second "Tour de France"
• We received a new Kraftwerk CD (KW1) with (just) version 2 of "Tour de France 03" today and can say the track has spoken vocals in French and a laidback, smooth clubby sound more similar to that of their latest release "Expo 2000", than the original "Tour de France". /Mikael Kahrle

German electro open air festival
• The Pluswelt Open Air festival in Germany (Schlosshof, Weissenfels) will feature Mesh, De/Vision, In Strict Confidence, Icon of Coil and The Galan Pixs on September 6. /Mikael Kahrle

Echoboy's "Giraffe" gives birth
• Mute Records' Echoboy released the second single (7" and CD) from the "Giraffe" album yesterday, "Lately Lonely". /Mikael Kahrle

Covenant web site on line again
• Covenant reports their web site is once again on line, after yet another period of problems. /Mikael Kahrle

Exclusive: Mobile Homes produced by Kent guitarist
• BMG in Sweden signed pop veterans Mobile Homes in May. Today, we were given a CDR copy of a new four song EP that will probably be released in August. In the producer's chair we find Sami Sirviö from Kent (and Stefan Boman). This is, as far as BMG knows, Sami's first producer assignment outside Kent. BMG a&r Micke Hagerman was given a demo by Mobile Homes and then contacted Sami. Few people noticed Sami's white Mobile Homes "Hurt" T-shirt at the Kent gig in Stockholm on June 6.
Mobile Homes 2003 is more about wave rock with a live feel to it, than the pure electronics of "The World Will Listen" (SSC, 2001). The track listing looks like this: "Open My Eyes", "No More", "Unique" and the Cure-ish "Brighter Side of Darkness". Mobile Homes will play a couple of gigs during the summer and so far Luleå, Sweden on July 12 and Stockholm's Pride Festival on August 3 are set. /Mikael Kahrle

Time for a fifth SubSpace Encounter

Colourful newcomer. Alice in Videoland is one of the most booked synth acts in Sweden this summer.

• SubSpace Communications has just revealed their plans for a fifth small SubSpace Encounter festival in Sweden, as a part of the Malmö Festival on Saturday August 16 at Bastionen Uppsala. Subspacers Statemachine will perform alongside Malaise, Alice in Videoland and Diskodiktator. /Mikael Kahrle

Musical terror from new US label
• Mid-America's new dark label Tantric Terror is now offering its first limited edition releases and a compilation CD. The label boasts acts Nitrous Flesh, DMSO (DrugMurderSexOrgy...), Erotic Trauma and veterans Sleep Chamber. The horrified dark ambient MP3 samples of each release are available at www.tantricterror.com. /Alex Veronac

Roskilde Festival sold out as usual
• Although many Release readers tells us this year's Roskilde Festival offers a weak line-up in comparison to some of the previous years, the festival was sold-out as usual earlier this week. /Mikael Kahrle

No Kent DVD
• BMG now confirms, the rumoured Kent live DVD from the huge outdoor gig in Stockholm on June 6 will not see the light of day. /Mikael Kahrle

Polish "Paper Monsters" with track list error

• Dave Gahan's album "Paper Monsters" is also released in special Polish version with different artwork. This edition also comes with ten tracks, but the first pressing has a track list error. A typical must have for many collectors.
The second Gahan single will be "I Need You" on July 28. /Jens Krause, Mikael Kahrle

Weird duo Bruno und Sven releases "Das Sammlung"
• New mini label Union Records presents the first release with Swedish synthpop duo Bruno und Sven, B.U.S. This weird low budget album in DVD package has lyrics and vocal performances in the vein of Onkel Kånkel, The Kristet Utseende and Tyskarna från Lund. Might come in handy getting your party started. /Johan Carlsson

Pagandance issues live documents
• The concert and festival organisation Pagandance in Rostock, Germany has released the limited CD compilation “Live Documents” in cooperation with Scanner Records. Featured on the disc are bands from concerts Pagandance has organised, and it’s filled with exclusive live tracks from Emergenz, Melotron, Dive, Dance or Die, Framework, Technoir, Terminal Choice and many others. /Jens Krause