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News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson |
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Release date set for Front Line Assembly April 12 2006 | By: Peter Marks (Portland, Oregon, USA) We now hear that Front Line Assembly's "Artificial Soldier" (Metropolis) will be out June 20. As previously reported, Eskil Simonsson from Covenant and Jean-Luc de Meyer of Front 242 both guest as vocalists on this new album. Japanese industrial and goth bands look abroad April 12 2006 | By: Mattias Huss (Uppsala, Sweden)
We have two writers in Japan (Brit Mike Whyte and Peter Takizawa from Sweden) but Release has had regrettably little to report on goth and industrial music from Japan. Actually there is quite a lot happening in the nipponese scene now. Keeping track of this development has recently become substantially easier for non-Japanese thanks to the emergence of JGoth.com, a site dedicated to shedding light on the scene in the broadest possible definition of the word; the music runs the gamut from tacky visual kei (fancy dress-up rock bands with a gothic look but a sound that is anything but) to frenzied industrial mayhem. Japanese bands in these genres have also started touring abroad, presumably due to the ever increasing popularity of Japanese subculture and specifically Visual Kei with a (lolita) goth aesthetic. Blood, a band that blurs the boundaries between goth and vampire cosplay, was the first example of this phenomenon to visit Scandinavia in August last year. Germany, as always, is far ahead. In October, a number of bands including Aural Vampire, Sins of the Flesh and Baal will tour Germany, courtesy of Astan Magazine, which has just published a special issue on J-goth including a CD. The Japanese electro-industrial act Despair will be playing at this year's Wave Gotik Treffen. In fact, the European visits by bands from these subcultures have become too numerous to keep track of, which is good news to anyone hoping to check out what the fuss is all about. Sifting through the heaps of J-bands more into their appearance than their sound can be a laborious undertaking, but underneath it all a growing number of ambitious industrial bands on the rise can be found. And their outfits are no less stunning! Links with audio samples (see Jgoth.com for more): www.baaljapan.net, www.myspace.com/2bullet, www.deathwatchasia.com, www.psydoll.com DVD from Psyche April 12 2006 | By: Peter Marks (Portland, Oregon, USA) Psyche's DVD "Imaginary Life" (Endless) will be out on May 26 and is a collection of videos and live appearances from the years 1983-2005. Darrin Huss currently is the only founding member of the band still active in it. For those who are concerned about region issues, rest assured, this DVD is region-free. All the easier to play on your computer... Dour: 14 acts booked April 10 2006 | Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) 14 bands have so far been released by Dour Festival (July 13-16). Among the highlights we find Primal Scream, Oomph!, Within Temptation and Apocalyptica. Wave Gotik Treffen: 155 acts booked April 9 2006 | Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) Among the latest additions to Leipzig's Wave Gotik Treffen (June 2-5) we find And One, In the Nursery, Katatonia, Trial, Accessory and Genitortures. So far, 155 live acts have been hired, among them previously announced Nitzer Ebb. Russian world music April 9 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) There's a band called Theodor Bastard in St. Petersburg, Russia, which is making a kind of electronic world music, in the Delerium school. They're having trouble reaching out of Russia with their music, and their latest album “Pustota” is pretty hard to get, as it's only out in four countries.
Details on the new In Strict Confidence April 5 2006 | By: Peter Marks (Portland, Oregon, USA) The limited edition double disc version features the additional songs "Samael", "A Single Touch" and "Blind Spot". The final version has all of these works and contains a third disc replete with a video clip for "Forbidden Fruit", remix kits for "Promised Land" and "Forbidden Fruit", an instrumental song entitled "Miss Your Voice" which the band says is ready "for your own lyrics and vocals", desktop wallpapers and a links section. In Strict Confidence will also perform at this year's edition of the M'era Luna festival and will play a series of German dates in October and November. Some Bizarre new artist called "NIN on cider" April 4 2006 | By: Mike Whyte (Tokyo, Japan) The band Mainstream Distortion has just released news of their signing to the rather influential label Some Bizarre, along with the release of their debut album. The Some Bizarre label is notable for its rather impressive history from the 80:s with Soft Cell, amongst others. Mainstream Distortion have already started to accumulate favourable comparisons (Nine Inch Nails on cider being a notable one) – so for more information, and the chance to see a video which accompanies the album release (directed by Alex “Cradle of Fear” Chandon), head over to their rather nice home page www.mainstreamdistortion.com. Cold EBM from Cryo April 4 2006 | By: Mike Whyte (Tokyo, Japan)
"Cryogenic" is set to consist of ten tracks, and is described as being “…hard, static and cold EBM but with melodies and feeling in the absolute centre”. Whether it can indeed earn the plaudit of the best Swedish electronic album, only time will tell – but people can make up their own minds when the album is released E.T.A. May 17 2006.
Three synthpop singles from Wonderland April 1 2006 | By: Niklas Forsberg (Kungälv, Sweden) If you are into Swedish synthpop you have probably already noticed that Thermostatic is back with not one, but two new singles (made for different target groups): "Private Machine", remixed by Mesh and "So Close So Near", reworked by Code 64 and Universal Poplab. Both releases come with an exclusive bonus track. Speaking of Universal Poplab, their new single "I Could Say I'm Sorry" is due out in May on Thermostatic's label Wonderland. Syrian featuring Alphaville vocalist April 1 2006 | By: Niklas Forsberg (Kungälv, Sweden)
Forever young. Italian futurepop duo Syrian has recruited the vocal talents of Alphaville vocalist Marian Gold on the new track "Supernova". The duet is lifted from the upcoming album "Alien Nation" (release in September). New Hybrid disc with Perry Farell April 1 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) British techno/electro producers and DJ:s Hybrid are working on their new album. They're aiming for a late spring or early summer release, and have collaborated with Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros fame on one track.
Second solo album from Sneaker Pimps singer April 1 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden)
His first album “Kiss + Swallow” was one of the best albums of 2004 in my opinion, although I sadly didn’t hear it until very recently. Expect more moody electronic pop songs when “The Alternative” hits the streets on April 21. I am X is also on tour to support “The Alternative”. He’s playing in Hamburg, Germany on April 18, travelling through Europe in April and May, and playing some festivals in June and July. For a complete tour schedule, check out his web page. |
As
previously reported, In
Strict Confidence's "Exile
Paradise" (Minuswelt)
is out on May 12 - and
we now have the details.
The album comes in three
different formats. The
standard disc will consist
of the tracks "...The
Harder They Come", "Promised
Land", "Forbidden Fruit", "Fading
Light", "Wintermoon", "Manchmal
Redest du Im Schalf", "Regicide", "Der
Teufel", "Away from Here", "In
Favilla", "Something to
Remember" and "...The Harder
They Fall". 
The Swedish label Progress
Productions are lavishing
high praise indeed on their
latest release “Cryogenic”,
by the Swedish artist Cryo.
The artist behind the Cryo
name is Martin Rudefelt,
who has already created
a small buzz around
himself thanks to his multimedia
live performances, and
the tracks featured on
the “Born/Evolve/Progress” compilation
album. 
