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News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson |
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What's in a name June 15 2005 | By: Mattias Huss (Turku, Finland)
The Swedish disco synthpop duo formerly known as Eurosport is currently in the same position as the band formerly known as Panasonic (now Pan Sonic) used to be in 1998: under pressure from big business to change their name. Apparently the band's catchy MP3:s have received enough airplay on Swedish radio P3 and other places to warrant the attention of an international sports channel, which bodes well for the future of these young Pet Shop Boys and Saint Etienne disciples. Naming your band without proper care can can have annoying consequences, as everyone from HIM to Suede has discovered over the years. Perhaps nicking the name of a freely distributed product is a safer option. At least Swedish artist Andrea Kellerman, aka Firefox, doesn't have any of Mozilla's lawyers breathing down her neck to Release's knowledge. Throbbing Gristle live in Italy June 15 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Throbbing Gristle are going to play at the Traffic Free Festival in Turin, Italy on June 29. The band will (also) perform a pre-music show. Laibach for free at The Subspace Encounter 2005 June 15 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
On August 22, it's time for The Subspace Encounter 2005 in Malmö, Sweden (a part of city festival Malmöfestivalen) with Laibach, Elegant Machinery, Spetsnaz, Mortiis and Plötslichmusik, all free of charge. Compilation and live releases from Client June 15 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Away from the city. Client A and B. After releasing their second album "City" in 2004, these synthpop ladies have been busy. Their latest project is "Metropolis", a collection of rarities and remixes, available on line only. Registered users of the Client message board have been able to download (via BitTorrent) a concert film for free, filmed in Spain. There is also a live album to download, recorded in London (has also been available in a limited CD edition of 200 copies). Every musician's real dream is to become a label boss. Daniel Miller played music under the name The Normal and started Mute Records that signed Depeche Mode with Andy Fletcher, who started the Toast Hawaii label that signed Client with Client A. She has now started Loser Friendly Records that has signed I Am X, Ultrafox and Sohodolls. Swedish government gives $7 000 to Pluxus June 15 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) The Swedish cultural board (Kulturrådet) has decided upon a new wave of financial support for Swedish CD productions. In the long list we find Pluxus, Folie (on Mikael Stavöstrand's Mitek label), Sci-fi Skåne (with bob hund's frontman), El Perro del Mar (with Sadovaja's Sarah Assbring) and Doktor Kosmos. They all receive between 50-90 000 Swedish kronor ($ 7-13 000). Apoptygma Berzerk back with indie rock vibes June 14 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) We read that Norway's Apoptygma Berzerk have dropped most of their trance influences and lean more toward indie rock in the school of Jesus and Mary Chain, New Order and Pixies. They have signed a new record deal with Gun (Great Unlimited Noises) in Germany (Oomph!, L'ame Immortelle, Within Temptation) and a new single "In This Together" is scheduled for mid-July followed by the new album later on. This will have guest appearances by Mortiis and Anneli Drecker, Bel Canto. Another Swedish electro label born June 14 2005 | By: Niklas Forsberg (Kungälv, Sweden) Electric Fantastic Sound is the name of a newly born electro label founded by Johan Billing (Diskodiktator main man and ex S.P.O.C.K member). - We will only release records with a playing time of no more than 21 minutes. We don't want the listeners to get bored with the music, he says. Each record will also be limited to 500 copies and will be available at a very low cost. The first release from the label will be a three-split single from the bands Basswood Dollies, Top Gun and Diskodiktator. A new label web site is up and running here. Four new Directors DVD:s - including Corbijn June 9 2005 | By: Mike Whyte (Tokyo, Japan)
The Directors Label is due to present four more DVD works this Autumn. The hugely influential directors for this second batch of DVD:s will be; Mark Romanek (Nine Inch Nails and movie "One Hour Photo"), Jonathan Glazer (Radiohead, movie "Sexy Beast"), Anton Corbijn (Depeche Mode, U2) and Stephane Sednaoui (U2, REM). If the format follows the previous releases (Chris Cunningham/Spike Jonze/Michel Gondry, available now as a box set after previously being sold separately) - expect a thorough and entertaining retrospective of each artist - with many surprises and rarely seen works on show, commentary from the directors themselves, views of artists who have worked with them, and a booklet of notes/comments/pictures to round off the package. Treats in store from the four new DVD:s include; Mark Romanek - a documentary featuring a plethora of influential artists talking about Romanek's work, including Beck, Michael Stipe and Trent Reznor; Jonathan Glazer - interviews with Nick Cave, Blur and Massive Attack among others, plus commercials and short films; Anton Corbijn - Depeche Mode tour projections, making of-s and interviews/commentaries with Depeche Mode and U2 (among many others); Stephane Sednaoui - Björk inspired animation for "Army of Me", short films, and a film inspired by Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side". Titles are due for release mid-September. LCD Soundsystem single with Siouxsie cover June 9 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) LCD Soundsystem's new single is called "Disco Infiltrator". The 7" and CD includes a cover of Siouxsie & the Banshees' "Slow Dive". It was recorded for an XFM session and is a song sometimes played live by LCD Soundsystem. The 12" has two remixes by Francois Kevorkian. Tolchock reborn on COP Intl June 7 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Industrialists Tolchock from Northern Sweden were covered in Release already in the eighties. We thought they were no more, but now we hear they are working on a new album called "Wipe out, Burn Down, Annihilate" (September). The former Energy Rekords band has landed a new record deal with COP International with distribution first and foremost in USA, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Kulturruine celebrates with gothic celebs June 7 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) On July 29-30, Karlsruhe's Kulturruine celebrates ten years as a stage for the gothic and darkwave bands. "Everyone" will come: Umbra et Imago, Girls under Glass, Pink Turns Blue, Atrocity, Leaves Eyes, Lacrimosa, Oswald Henke (Goethes Erben), Eric Burton (Catastrophe Ballet, Hardbeat Propaganda) and Crematory. The Germans never miss a chance to compile a compilation; naturally there will be a "Kulturruine - Die ersten 10 Jahre" CD. Glimpses of "Skyshaper" in three weeks June 7 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
The first single from the new Covenant album "Skyshaper" will appear in mid-August. On July 1, the trio's web site will present new material but not exactly new songs - instead portions of some new songs, in the form of loops from preliminary versions. - Making music is not a straight trip from point A to point B, but rather like completing a jigsaw puzzle: you have all these weird little parts that all fit together in a certain way and with patience you will have a beautiful picture in the end. These sounds and loops are all parts of the songs that will become our new album “Skyshaper” and we thought it might be interesting for our fans to listen to this work in progress while it's actually being made, Joakim Montelius explains. Covenant premiered new material live at SAMA (with mixed reactions from the people we talked to). Melotron play live for their new CD June 7 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) Melotron plan a new tour for the autumn, after their new album "Cliché" has been out for some time (release date June 27). On June 18, the German trio will celebrate this CD with a special gig in their hometown of Neubrandenburg, north of Berlin. Syntax error June 3 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
The British duo Syntax that gave us the fantastic debut album ”Meccano Mind” – one of very few to get a ten from us – has split up. According to a post on the band's official forum, by Jan Burton, Mike Tournier decided to end the project when it didn’t perform as well in the charts as he had hoped. Lack of support from the record company is cited as the main reason for that. Jan says that he will continue to make music in other projects, and lets us know that if we want more Syntax material, there’s three bonus tracks on the Japanese edition of “Meccano Mind”. New formatting June 1 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) From June 1, we are testing a new text formatting as a step towards our new site design and system, which is being developed as we speak. In the future, expect black text on light background for easier reading. The white-on-black design was decided upon 1997, when this site was expected to contain a small number of short texts... The Cure reduced to trio June 1 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Parry Bamonte and Roger O'Donnell have left The Cure and only three members remain: Robert Smith, Simon Gallup and Jason Cooper. The band has just released three more Deluxe double editions of old albums: "Seventeen Seconds", "Faith" and "Pornography". KMFDM to tour Canada and Europe this autumn June 1 2005 | By: Kristoffer Noheden (Gothenburg, Sweden) Despite celebrating their 21st anniversary earlier this year, industrial pioneers KMFDM show no sign of slowing down. This autumn, they are to tour Canada and Europe in support of their forthcoming album “FUBAR”, scheduled for release on September 14. The Canada leg of the tour will stretch from September 20 to October 15, with exact dates and supporting act to be announced, while the European part is scheduled to take place October 25 to December 20, and will se the band supported by Digital Hardcore act Panic DHH. In other news, KMFDM will also release a new live DVD on June 14. This recording of last year’s 20th anniversary tour will be the band’s third live DVD in as many years. See On Stage for Scandinavian tour dates. Electronica fest in Japan June 1 2005 | By: Mike Whyte (Tokyo, Japan) As every week passes, another notable festival pops up somewhere in the world, into the already packed summer schedule. Here's another one for your attention (even though most of you will not be able to attend): WIRE05. This festival is set to take place in Yokohama, Japan on July 17, and will focus largely on the electronica spectrum (fitting considering the organiser is noted Japanese producer/DJ Takkyu Ishino). Acts will include a mixture of talent from all over the globe, and is set to include (among others) 808 State, Joey Beltram, The Modernist, Westbam, Luke Slater, DJ Hell and Fumiya Tanaka. |
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