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News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson |
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Compilation, DVD, album and tour from Iris Aug 30 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) American synthpoppers Iris plan a double disc remix album, with an added DVD. The remix album will contain a number of B-sides and remixes from both “Awakening” and “Wrath”. The DVD features a kind of tour diary, with interviews, backstage footage, live clips and more. Expected release date for this is early spring 2007. Work has also begun on a new album, with the not so exciting working title “Album #4”. Iris is playing the EU this winter, with two dates in Poland already booked. Industrial duo Collide working with Curve's Dean Garcia Aug 30 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) Karin and Statik of Collide are diligently working away on new material in Los Angeles. So far 21 song ideas are up on the table, but a release is still far off. The two of them have also worked on a couple of songs together with Dean Garcia from Curve. They are not sure this work will end up on CD though. New electropop from Equatronic Aug 30 2006 | By: Niklas Forsberg (Kungälv, Sweden) There will be yet another album from German synthpop duo Equatronic. Oliver Thom and Dirk Gerlach are currently working on the new release, entitled "Endorphine". An exact release date is yet to be set. In the field with Portion Control; Release interview Aug 28 2006 | By: Peter Marks (Portland, Oregon, USA) Curious what England's Portion Control have been up to since releasing their last EP "Stansted"? Well wonder no more, John Whybrew and Dean Piavanni have hardly been napping and took time out of their busy schedule to chat with Release about opening for Skinny Puppy, finally getting their legendary back catalogue re-released and their new album. - The new CD is progressing well; we are in the process of finishing vocals and arrangements. The new stuff has a more cohesive feel to it - and has a number of more traditional song structures, we are also incorporating 06 techniques like granular synthesis and polymorphic rhythms. This combines with our simple fat analogue sequencing. Our aim is to create a vibrancy - urgency we felt was missing from "Well-Come" (2004 comeback album, editors note). The band reveals the new album is being made at various locations, including a Bingo hall. - Each track will be mixed at a different location around the UK - using laptops, genelec nearfield monitoring and focusrite saffire audio interfaces. Locations so far include a caravan park at Peacehaven and a Bingo hall in Essex! Portion Control were a major source of inspiration for the burgeoning Vancouver industrial scene in the 1980:s, which was lead by Skinny Puppy - whom PC opened for in London last year. - No problem opening for Puppy, although we influenced them, they soon moved into more more US styled industrial. Like most earlier UK groups we stuck to our artistic principals - selling fewer records. Commercial success has never been an aim although, of course, we have to eat. We got constant calls from the Puppy people - Bill Leeb included. They sent us pictures of themselves surrounded by our records and posters - those Canadian bedrooms were certainly posher than ours! It's fair to say we experienced so much on the more difficult side of electronic music and being early instigators, I guess we had to affect other groups... The back catalogue of Portion Control has been made available for the first time ever in a highly impressive five disc set (May 15). The classic albums and singles from the 80:s are once more on the loose. - It has been good to finally get the old stuff released. It also means we can get on with new stuff without constant enquiries about the old.
Leæther Strip wants to know about your fetish! Aug 28 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) Claus Larsen wants to know what your fetish is, and he also wants to see it! Take a pic, and send it to faetish@alfa-matrix.com, and you might be featured in a special booklet on Leæther Strip’s next release. You’ve got until September 15.
Libra gets signed Aug 26 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden)
A new Swedish project named Libra has been signed to Electric Fantastic Sound. The music has been described as a mix of electronica and trip hop, and Libra is Magdalena Krantz (except live, when Andreas Hörlén and Marcus Svensson also joins in). Magdalena has been spreading her music via online music communities, and played live quite a lot, so she already has made a name for herself. She is also a live keyboardist for Sophie Rimheden. The first release will be the single “Silly Me”, out in September. Celldweller remix contest Aug 28 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) A huge Celldweller remix contest will take place soon, spanning next year. There will be four separate rounds of remixing, with one song to remix each round. Both old and new tracks will be up for mix treatment. There are a lot of prizes to be won, so check out www.remix.celldweller.com for more information. Gary Numan tours "Jagged" Aug 24 2006 | By: Alex Veronac (Geneva, Switzerland)
UK's Gary Numan has continued making music since his first impression on the electro scene in 1979. His career has spanned industrial, rock, metal, electro, tribal, goth and synth audiences. The CD "Pure" from 2000 seemed to be a comeback bringing us to the this year's acclaimed release "Jagged" with furthered anthemic themes. Numan's band has successfully toured the UK and the rest of Europe, including a first trip to Italy. Getting USA distribution by Metropolis Records, Numan also returned to play in the USA promoting on stage until August 23 to audiences who have not seen him for several years. I catched Numan in Geneva a while ago and must say he is a master of the live stage. 25 years in, he authentically conducts mic throws, Jesus Christ posing, point to the light, stare to the sky, sway, move and even stomping dance, all notable stage tools by all performers. A song that worked very well live was "Are Friends Electric?" which for some reason is never played long enough. The live quintet is complimented with guitar player Steve Harris who plays upfront with Numan. Gary Numan plays the UK in September and December. You can check the new web site which features three video clips. Just when you thought you had heard it all... Aug 24 2006 | By: Mike Whyte (Tokyo, Japan) Yet another 80:s compilation has been released recently, yet this one has a slightly different twist. Fans of artists such as Cabaret Voltaire, Kraftwerk, Bauhaus and the like may be interested to know that the Japanese group 4-D have released a compilation of their tracks from the periods between 1982-85. The band, whose core is composed of three members; Shinobu Narita, Kenji Konishi, and Tadahiko Yokogawa, have been making music on the Japanese underground electronic circuit for nigh on 25 years. Matching the experimental with their own take on 80:s popular music, this album seems at once instantly recognizable and somehow totally different to anything else. The compilation serves not only as a timely introduction to the artists themselves, the Osaka electronic music scene, but on a wider scale, as an interesting footnote to one of the most interesting and influential musical decades. The Album "1982-1985" is available now on Die Rekonstruction. Read our review here. Duran Duran prepare CD and plan virtual concert Aug 20 2006 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) Veterans Duran Duran plan to release a follow-up to 2004's reunion album "Astronaut" (two million copies sold), in February or March next year (on Epic). The finishing touches to the as-yet-untitled album will be made in November and December. - We have got a couple which definitely sound like contenders [for singles] so far, but I like to get everything finished so that we can take an objective view, Nick Rhodes tells Billboard. Duran Duran aim to perform their first virtual concert in the coming months, in the Second Life world. In September, each band member will immerse their own avatar. Mortiis support Genitorturers US tour Aug 20 2006 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) and Alex Veronac (Geneva, Switzerland) Norway's Mortiis will support industrial shock rockers Genitorturers on their US "Tortured Souls" tour, starting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on August 31. Mortiis is happy to finally get back to USA, after several plans never saw the light of day.
Fields of the Nephilim cancel tour Aug 18 2006 | By: Peter Marks (Portland, Oregon, USA) - With 2006 having been such a positive year for both me and the band, foregoing the opportunity to meet up with fans new and old has come as a bitter blow to me both personally and professionally. I am sure the unforeseen difficulties that have led to the cancellation will be resolved, and I look forward to the possibility of making fresh plans for early next year. Getting the band back on the road has been an ambition of mine for some considerable time, but I feel it would be an injustice to our incredibly loyal fan base to continue under the present circumstances. Pink slips are probably in the mail. Further news to follow. Covenant American tour finally set Aug 15 2006 (edited Sep 16) | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) and Alex Veronac (Geneva, Switzerland)
Covenant's delayed North American tour is now set, with a tour start in St Petersburg, Florida, on September 26. The 21 date tour, together with Imperative Reaction and Rotersand, ends in Mexico City on October 22.
More quirky pop and breathtaking visuals from BT Aug 15 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) Brian Transeau – or BT as he calls himself when making music – has been working on new material ever since his last album “Emotional Technology” came out in 2003. His new album is called “This Binary Universe” and is a two-disc set; part record, part short film series. It's composed in 5.1 surround sound, with animations made by some top computer artists and animators. Expect more quirky hyper electronic pop music and breathtaking visuals when the album hits the streets on August 29. You can check out a trailer on his web site www.btmusic.com. Delerium: first impressions Aug 15 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden)
After listening to it quite intensely I have to say it’s really strong. It’s a bit of a return to the “Karma” sound, however more refined. The song “Tectonic Shift” is an example of this. There are pop songs on here too, but not as commercial as on the last effort “Chimera”. Full review soon. The album will be released with two different covers (showing different sets of buildings). One for USA and one for the rest of the world. The European release date is September 18, while USA gets it on October 3. New Depeche Mode single "Martyr" in October Aug 15 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) Pulled from the upcoming Depeche Mode best of collection that is due out in November, is the new song “Martyr”. This track will be released as single in October, in the three usual formats: CD single, CD maxi and DVD single. “Best of Depeche Mode” as the CD and DVD collection is tentatively called, hits the streets on November 10 in GAS (Germany/Austria/Switzerland) and three days later in the rest of Europe. This information might be subject to change and is taken from the Home site. This autumn will, as previously reported, also see the release of the new live DVD and more remastered editions of old albums.
Pet Shop Boys: new concert CD, DVD and book Aug 15 2006 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden)
On the same day, another PSB release is unleashed, namely the DVD of “Pet Shop Boys: A Life in Pop”. It's a documentary that was originally shown on TV in the UK , but it's now released in a much longer version. It features interviews with Neil and Chris obviously, but also Brandon Flowers, Jake Shears, Trevor Horn and Robbie Williams. Also out in October is an illustrated book titled “Pet Shop Boys Catalogue”, which will document the design, video and staging output of Pet Shop Boys from 1984 to 2004. It will be published in USA and Europe, also in a German version. There are currently no plans to release “A Life in Pop” or “Concert” in the USA. The Baron has left the building Aug 15 2006 | By: Peter Marks (Portland, Oregon, USA) Ian Hicks aka Baron Mordant is no longer a member of Portion Control. Mordant Music will continue but Portion Control are now reduced to two members. Further news as we get it. |
