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News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson |
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Rammstein complete songs for "Reise Reise Vol 2" July 15 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Many songs have been waiting for completion for about a year and the band and crew have just recorded two or three tracks in a Berlin studio. When Rammstein played the opening show of four sold-out nights at Berlin's Wuhlheide, they introduced the new song "Benzin" (gasoline) complete with fire fountains throwing fire 20 meters up in the air. Seamless beat mix compilation recorded live July 15 2005 | By: Aimée Kreuger (Stockholm, Sweden) Shortly after the closing of this year's Detroit Electronic Music Festival, US industrial DJ Copper Top played a set with several new and exclusive remixes. For those of you not there to enjoy the show, the compilation "Hysteria" is to be released on July 25. As expected with a recording live from a club, the compilation is seamlessly beat mixed, creating a 120 minutes non-stop mix of synthpop, EBM and dark trance. The compilation stands out a bit from the crowd not only for the way it's mixed - seamless beat mixes are unknown within the synthpop and EBM genres - but also for the track listing. It includes a remix of Iris' "Wait, Move on", a new track by Negative Format, "Echo Chamber", a mix of Rotersand's "Social Distortion" that up until this release only has been available on vinyl and 14 other tracks/mixes, of which about seven are previously unreleased. "Battleship Potemkin" CD delayed July 14 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Pet Shop Boys wrote new music for the 1925 classic movie "Battleship Potemkin" for its Trafalgar Square screening in London last autumn. The soundtrack was performed by the Dresden Sinfoniker and orchestrated by Torsten Rasch, known for "Mein Herz Brennt" based on the music of Rammstein. - It's wonderful to be given the opportunity to write a complete soundtrack to this classic film and then to perform it as a free concert in the heart of London, the boys said back then. Now, EMI plan to release a "Battleship Potemkin" studio CD (which has been delayed to late September due to manufacturing issues). Pet Shop Boys and EMI are also negotiating with the Russian copyright owners of the film for a worldwide DVD release overdubbed with the new music. Talking of Russia, Pet Shop Boys played ten hits ("It's a Sin" two times) in Moscow on July 2, at the conclusion of the Russian Live 8 concert in the Red Square. In further news, a book entitled "Pet Shop Boys Catalogue" (Thames & Hudson), edited by Philip Hoare and Chris Heath, is going to be published in autumn 2006. The book compiles the duo's visual output. Not your everyday electro experience July 14 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) Swedes Ulf and Fredrik from Severe Illusion and Instans will release the album "Liv i vårdens slutskede" under the name Vanvård, on September 11 (Deathpropaganda Records). Far from "your everyday electro experience", we are served "hard hitting and aggressive beats" with a primitive touch and lyrics in Swedish.
First Australian electronic music festival born July 6 2005 | By: Mike Whyte (Tokyo, Japan) Australia will hold it's first electronic music festival - ever - in the middle of the summer, on December 10 in Melbourne. The plan is to turn this into a yearly outing, with the acts being mainly a mixture of local talent, and European artists that Australian electronic music fans normally wouldn't get a chance to see. Artists already confirmed for this year include Scorn, Converter and Haujobb side-project Architect, with more to come in the following months. The web site promises to select from the artists each year as voted by the electronic music lovers of Australia. Way to go, mates. Mutekki return with a new Olivier Klein EP July 6 2005 | By: Mike Whyte (Tokyo, Japan) Labelled the "Rien ne va Plus EP", electronica artist Oliver Klein's new release will consist of two seperate double A-sides, one released at the beginning of July, one towards the end. Known for his remixes for such acts as DJ Tiesto, Robert Armani and Azzido da Bass (among others), these tracks follow Klein's previous popular release "Club Game".
Depeche Mode reveal album and single titles July 5 2005 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden)
The title of the new album by Depeche Mode is "Playing the Angel", as revealed by the band's official web page. The album is slated for an October 17 release, and will be preceded by the single "Precious" two weeks before that (according to Empty World 3). Other album song titles (some has been revealed earlier) are "Sinner in Me", "Suffer Well", "John the Revelator", "Macrovision" (the working title was "Macro", Martin L Gore on vocals), "A Pain That I Used to Be" (probably "Pain" from the old working title list) and "I Want It All". The band is currently mixing the album in London, with Steve Fitzmaurice behind the mixing desk. Last week a video for "Precious" was shot in the UK by director Uwe Flade. Howard Jones headlines Tinitus July 5 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Just in: this year's Tinitus Festival will take place on November 26, with Howard Jones, Apoptygma Berzerk, Combichrist and five more acts on stage. The successful Tinitus synth fest stays at Münchenbryggeriet in Stockholm. Last year's festival was criticized because of the guards' somewhat rough behaviour; but all issues like this one will be dealt with and the organisers promise to do their best to improve Tinitus' weak spots. A pre-party will be held the night before. E-Craft rereleases July 5 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) German EBM band E-Craft will have their old albums "Forge the Steel" and "Electrocution" rereleased in new editions by Ausfahrt shortly. Andy Bell ready for solo trip July 4 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Erasure star Andy Bell kicks off his solo career with a fresh worldwide record deal with (not Mute Records but) Sanctuary (home of Alison Moyet, Morrissey, Ministry). His first 14-track album "Electric Blue" is scheduled for October 3 and the first single "Crazy" for September 26. The single's three formats include non-album tracks, a video made by award-winning Al +Al and various mixes. Vince Clarke shows his support for Bell's solo trip with a club mix. "Electric Blue" was co-written and recorded with Philip Larsen and Chris Smith of Manhattan Clique, who has previously worked with Erasure, Moby and Goldfrapp. On the album, Bell has also collaborated with Claudia Brücken (Propaganda) and Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters) in two duets. Andy Bell will hit the roads in late 2005 and early 2006 for live and DJ gigs. Bell goes solo backed by Erasure's latest success. The synthpop duo seems to be more or less back on track with their latest album "Nightbird" and its main single "Breathe" (their biggest hit in many years). The latest tour was sold-out. Erasure have sold over 20 million records worldwide. Andy Bell has a new web site over at www.andybell.com. Young Gods headline festival in their home country July 4 2005 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Sweden, Germany, UK, Denmark, Belgium, USA... For once, we can tell you about a festival in Switzerland. Young Gods headline the small (1 500 people) Swiss Rock Festival in Bern on August 19. Other participants include alternative acts Aix, Carnation and Mich Gerber. The Sabrina break their silence July 4 2005 | By: Mattias Huss (Åbo, Finland) The "supergroup" The Sabrina, consisting of Swedish glitch masterminds Andreas Tilliander and Johan Skugge as well as lifestyle bohemian and writer Per Hagman have finally, after much talk, seen fit to actually start releasing material. Unsurprisingly, the trio make their way straight to the disco without passing go, distributing jewels and foaming champagne on the way. For everyone who has considered Tilliander or Skugge too difficult in their previous IDM incarnations: your wishes are now officially granted, in the same spirit as electronica's prankster Håkan Lidbo confused us with in his Eurovision song contest entry two years ago. The single "Welcome to the Touch Club" is decadent, simple, inane yet charming in its coke-fuelled eurobeat groove. The song can be downloaded here. We interviewed Tilliander about The Sabrina in this January News edition. |
Rammstein plan to deliver
a successor to last year's
successful album "Reise
Reise", presumably called
"Reise Reise Vol 2", in
October. There were many
songs which did not make
it to "Reise Reise", mostly
for dramaturgical reasons.
This was also the case
with "Reise
Reise"'s "Ohne
Dich", which originates
from the "Mutter" era. 
Although it's summer,
some news still pop up
and here's a biggie. 
