News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson

For fans of Alec Empire...
• ...check out the latest album by Martin Peter "Enough of This?!" (Angora Steel) for a not to be missed track "Bypass" featuring a collaboration with Alec Empire himself - a track that would fit in easily on Empire's recent long player "Futurist". Please note that the Empire collaboration only can be found on the CD version of the album (sorry vinyl lovers!).
The rest of the album largely flits between electronic and punk, taking in an impressive array of sounds along the way, and other collaborations including Mark Stewart and Diskette among others.
The album will be toured in spring. /Mike Whyte

An ode to a ninja

Photo by: Kristina Bonne

• For those who enjoy their music slightly wacky, slightly quirky, and above all fun, I have something for you:
Tiger Tunes have produced "Absolutely Worthless Compared to Important Books" - an album that is full of surprises, and lots of tongue in cheek humour to boot! The Danish band are already creating quite a stir across Germany and Denmark, having played the three major Danish festivals (including Roskilde) and festivals across Germany. With tracks including an ode to a ninja, a fish and a wall and a long distance lullaby (to the soundtrack of programmed drum frenzy) this five-piece are really worth the effort checking out.
The album is out this week on the V2 label. /Mike Whyte

American remix project with Swedish remixer

Universal Poplab.

• Behind the name Chinese Theatre hides a 30 year old Swedish male named Krister Petterson, and he’s been selected to make an entire remix album for Synthphony Records in USA. The album is “Synthphony Remixed Vol 5”, and should be out around May or June.
Included are a whole bunch of remixed artists - a lot of them Swedish as well - such as Colony 5, Syrian, This Fish Needs a Bike, Hype and Universal Poplab amongst others. /Johan Carlsson

Four CD:s with 60 tracks of pure evil
• For those who like their music dark, dark, dark this strictly limited box-set is for you: "Endzeit Bunkertracks (Act I)"! Four CD:s (with each CD comprising its own theme ranging from "evil" to "death"!) houses an incredible 60 tracks of music of the electro, industrial and EBM persuasion. Included in this set are such established groups as Hocico, Wumpscut and Combichrist, along with newer artists such as Project-X, X-Fusion and Punto Omega.
Naturally the box set is limited to 1 666 copies worldwide, so make sure you get your eager claws ready early! Available now through the Alfa Matrix record label. /Mike Whyte

Possible new EP with Kent after the summer
• I met up with Sami Sirviö from Swedish superstars Kent earlier this week, and in a nice little chat in their studio he revealed that they have some really good tracks left that didn’t make it onto their latest album “Du & jag döden”. Sami says:
– We’re thinking about picking some of those tracks and release an EP after the summer. If it happens, it will only be available on Itunes. People want music in digital form, and why fight them? It’s better to find solutions instead.
Itunes will open in Scandinavia soon.
Kent are currently preparing for their big tour of Scandinavia which starts in two weeks, and have so far sold over 100 000 tickets.
Look out for our full Kent interview soon. /Johan Carlsson

Röyksopp ready with second album


We are curious about the sound of the new Röyksopp.

• The two Norwegians Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland in Röyksopp have been working on the follow-up to the immensely successful debut album “Melody A.M”, and it looks like they’re soon ready to unveil it to the world. It’s called “The Understanding”, and comes out on June 27 with the first single “Only This Moment” out on June 13, with vocals by Kate Havnevik. According to the band, the new sound is more melodious, but with harder beats than before. /Johan Carlsson

Camouflage and Wolfsheim to play Poland's Castle Party
• The annual Castle Party in Castle Bolkow in Poland takes place between July 30-31 this year. Among the headlines we find Camouflage, Wolfsheim, Attrition and The Crüxshadows. Coder 23 (Patrick Codenys and Richard 23 of Front 242) will DJ at the warm-up party on July 29. /Mikael Kahrle

Sheep on Drugs wants to F**K
• Sheep on Drugs' first studio album in eight years is soon a reality. Lovingly entitled “F**K”, it comes out on May 2. Expect a vicious blend of breakbeats, angry vocals, guitars and techno. /Johan Carlsson

Odd DVD from France's Mlada Fronta
• On their DVD release "Dioxydes", French avant garde project Mlada Fronta pays tribute to John Carpenter (director, actor, writer, score composer who is famous for movies like "The Escape from New York" and "Halloween") "for his great 1976-1983 period".
"Dioxydes" isn't like any music DVD you have ever seen. We are served, among many things, minimalistic sounds to stunning and hypnotic visual imagery of deserted harbour areas and industrial plants in what must be described as an experimental movie. The release also includes a radio (!) documentary, trailers and DVD-ROM, all packed in a metal casing. This should be perfect for clubs who want to show some cool visuals. /Mikael Kahrle

Noises from the East
• Aliens Productions of Slovokia have just released their first compilation disc entitled "Signs". This album is limited to 550 copies and comes in an elaborate digipak with seals; the actual disc is also sealed within the cover in a plastic slip case. The artists who participate have more than likely not been heard of by Release readers before: Disharmony, Oxyd, Gaping Chasm and Polygon are just a few of those on "Signs". From dark electronics to eclectic atmospherics, this is a most promising sign of life from the former Eastern block. /Peter Marks

Diverse line-up to All Tomorrow Parties
• Vincent Gallo (director, actor, musician) is curating this year’s second installment of the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival, taking place April 22-24 in Camber Sands on the south coast of England. Yoko Ono has recently been confirmed to headline the festival, and joins a diverse line-up consisting of among others Lydia Lunch, Merzbow, The Blues Explosion, James Chance and the Contortions, Suicide, John Foxx, Polly Jean Harvey and Peaches.
The festival will also see the UK premiere of Gallo’s second feature film “The Brown Bunny”. /Kristoffer Noheden

Posthumous Coil live album out
• “And the Ambulance Died in His Arms”, the first of a few scheduled Coil projects to be released post the death of founder John Balance last year, was released on April 8. A recording of the band’s performance at the Autechre curated All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in 2003, the album contains five tracks, four of which are previously unreleased. The live album is to be followed by “The Ape of Naples”, an album of new material, and a DVD box set with material by the different live incarnations of Coil. /Kristoffer Noheden

VNV Nation aim at Sweden

• VNV Nation plan to play the Swedish Arvika Festival again. Other new Arvika names include [:SITD:], Håkan Lidbo, Bright Eyes and Infected Mushroom.
Those who purchase their SAMA ticket between April 19-26 are given VNV Nation's "Matter + Form" for free. /Mikael Kahrle

Release details for Kraftwerk's first live album

• A little more than one month ago, we told you about the first live release ever from Kraftwerk, "Minimum Maximum". The double CD version is now set for a June 6 (7 according to the Astralwerks web site) release (through EMI and Astralwerks). Some sources say this double album will come in two very similar versions: regular and German. Both offers 22 Kraftwerk songs recorded in the UK, Poland, Japan, USA, Russia, Poland and other countries. /Mikael Kahrle

Sneaker Pimps side project Ultrafox



• Liam Howe and Joe Wilson from british trip hop/electro band Sneaker Pimps have a side project together with two twin sisters named Claudia and Connie Holzer from Münich, Germany. They call themselves Ultrafox, and have a more minimalist but still melodic electronic sound, and their album will now be released in the GAS (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) countries, on April 25. /Johan Carlsson

Double platinum for Kent
• Kent's latest effort, "Du & jag döden", has reached the double platinum limit of 120 000 copies in Sweden. The album has occupied the number one slot of the Swedish album charts for five weeks. /Mikael Kahrle

Kitty and the K, by the way
• The next single from Gothenburg electropop trio Kitty and the K will be “By the Way” (SSC). The band fronted by Big Brother and Club Goa “star” Kitty Jutbring is also out on a tour of Sweden. /Johan Carlsson