| |
|
News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson |
 |
|
Eskil from Covenant sings on new FLA album March 31 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) Front Line Assembly's Chris Peterson has confirmed that Eskil Simonsson from Swedish EBM band Covenant has joined ranks with Front 242’s Jean-Luc de Meyer, doing guest vocals on the new FLA album “Artificial Soldier”. The release date is rumoured to be June 6, but we have no official confirmation yet.
Eldritch takes Vancouver March 28 2006 | By: Peter Marks (Portland, Oregon, USA)
What's The Sisters of Mercy like on stage 2006? Release attended the March 26 show at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, BC recently and were treated to a few recent songs - "Summer", "Romeo Down" and "(We Are the Same) Suzanne" - which date from 1998/99; new works such as "Snub/Nose", "Slept" and "Top Night out" which are from 2005, one Sisterhood song and a slew of classic works. "Alice", "Anaconda", "Burn" and "Temple of Love" got the crowd moving but it was during "Dominion" that everyone began to rise and reverberate loudest. Other memorable moments included an excellent rendition of "Something Fast" and, without question, "Ribbons". Andrew Eldritch's two new guitarists performed admirably. For his part, Andrew Eldritch was rather subdued owing to a cracked rib and the approach of fifty. From our front row view, we managed to actually catch the man in perpetual shades break out of character and smile a bit, but of course, this may have been due to the rather potent beverage he was in possession of. Trust us, the cranberry juice was only for colour. Next up for The Sisters of Mercy, are dates in Greece and mainland Europe, notably, the first ever show in France by Von and company will be performed in Paris on April 14. Then it's off to Sweden, Denmark, and then back to Germany before finishing the tour with a series of English dates, ending at Rock City in Nottingham on May 7. Leeb/Fulber busy with five projects March 28 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) Rhys Fulber from Front Line Assembly posted on his Conjure One forum, revealing the title of the upcoming album to be “Artifical Soldier”. Pretty old-school, if I may say so. However, it might fit the album well, since it will stylistically contain something from every era of the band's existence. “Artificial Soldier” should be out in June if everything goes as planned. The new Delerium album is almost finished as well, and is in the mixing stage. It supposedly sounds a bit like their masterpiece “Karma”, but with better production. Making sure that sleep is for others, Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb have also started up a new project with Leigh Nash from Six Pence None the Richer, called Fauxliage. This is of course on top of Rhys’s production work for Mortiis and the Polish band Delight. Darkwave act Malaise resurfaces with new EP March 28 2006 | By: Mattias Huss (Uppsala, Sweden)
Despite a history of line-up changes that would make Andrew Eldritch blush with envy, Swedish darkwave outfit Malaise has managed to put together a five track EP (release February 24). "Hypnotized by Forgotten Lies" brings no big surprises, serving solid goth against an electronic backdrop. It appears that Malaise will spend the summer in the studio preparing an album, and possibly tour this autumn. Out of Line releases "Bodypop" from And One March 28 2006 | By: Niklas Forsberg (Kungälv, Sweden) It seems Steve Naghavi and co will release another album. Work has commenced on the new piece "Bodypop" and some of the tracks will be showcased in a live show in April. A release date is yet to be determined. What is certain, though, is that the duo has signed for Out of Line alongside acts like Icon of Coil and Hocico.
Pet Shop Boys: "I'm with Stupid" on May 22 March 28 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden)
The upcoming Pet Shop Boys single ”I'm with Stupid” is a dancey, eighties sounding little number and it will be available as a 7” picture single! We haven't seen one of those in a while. The other editions are CD and DVD, the latter having the promo video on it, featuring David Walliams and Matt Lucas from UK comedy show “Little Britain”. The track will be remixed by Melnyk, Max Tundra, Abe Duque and others, and it's out on May 8. The album “Fundamental” will come in three flavours: CD, double disc CD with a bonus dance remix disc and a tasty vinyl. Available on May 22. Pet Shop Boys plan to play live during the summer in the UK, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Serbia and Ireland. More dates will follow. Indie festival on tour March 19 2006 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Tomorrow the Spring Wonderland Festival tour kicks off in Oslo. Bergen, Stockholm, Aarhus, Copenhagen, Roskilde and Malmö follows. Alice in Videoland, Strip Music, Eskju Divine and Waver are four of the live acts playing one or more dates, interesting for Release readers. This indie festival concept "offers artists the opportunity to participate in lengthy touring through Sweden, Norway and Denmark that may otherwise be difficult to arrange". Check out On Stage for dates and line-ups. Mitek release compilation - "Do You Copy?" March 19 2006 | By: Mike Whyte (Tokyo, Japan) The ever innovative label Mitek have released a rather special compilation album to celebrate five years in the game. The double album “Do You Copy?” is made up of re-workings of tracks from the entire Mitek back-catalogue, re-created by a broad range of international artists (27 in all - from Scandinavia to Mexico; the UK to the US ). The tracks naturally provide a very different feel to the originals, and take in a very broad range of styles – from minimal soundscapes to pumping club tracks. Artists reworked include Sophie Rimheden (by Midaircondo), and Son of Clay (by Jeff Milligan). The album is available now (release date February 24).
Fully loaded Pain DVD March 19 2006 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) A quick first look at "Live Is Overrated" indicates good quality and a varied content. The DVD has 5.1 surround sound and is definitely fully loaded, with songs from two live performances (including the Beatles cover "Eleanor Rigby"), seven well-made video clips, interview, biography, discography, photo gallery and more. We have a standard DVD package, but there is also a limited edition digipak. Both should offer aprox. 120 minutes of Peter Tägtgren in different angles, in a white shirt. Release at Canadian Music Week March 18 2006 | By: Alex Veronac (Toronto, Canada)
Release was present at the Canadian Music Week in Toronto (March 1-4). 350 artists performed live, but only a handful Release genre bands. Two of them were rather interesting: Trisomie 21 and Ayria. France's Trisomie 21 played a surprise gig in conjunction with their later Montreal tourdate. The band refuses to play the USA, leader Herve Lomprez told us, so this was a rare opportunity for North Americans. The first hometown gig in over a year was performed by Jennifer Parkin of project Ayria. Jennifer remarked about how stressed it can be to perform in front of the local audience and there is less pressure when she performs in other cities. Parkin put on a very professional show during the Canadian Music Week with live touring partner Joseph Byer (V01d), promoting the latest CD "Flicker". Ayria just played the Mexico City Inter Fest and vocalist Parkin performed as part of EBM studio act Isis Signum yesterday with Sara Noxx: their first ever (and maybe last) live appearance. Ayria played with their full onstage arrangement with four musicians during their well received western USA tour late in 2005. Mentallo & the Fixer: EP and tour March 18 2006 | By: Peter Marks (Portland, Oregon, USA) "Commandments for the Molecular Age" (Alfa-Matrix) will be released on the same day that the Mentallo & the Fixer's Southwest US tour commences: April 21. This EP contains five new tracks and is over 50 minutes in length. "Brute Force Uploading", "Brief but Violent Illness", "My Fondest Drug Related Memory", "Commandments for the Molecular Age" and "Opening the Bandwidth for the Cosmic Signal" comprise the tracklisting and are all in remixed form.
|
Peter
Tägtgren has delivered
his first DVD with his
successful electro metal
project Pain.