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News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson |
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Three new singles from Megahype Jan 15 2007 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden)
The Swedish label Megahype is run by the guys in Lowe, and they have a couple of new releases. Of course, there’s the new Lowe single “My Song”, a smooth electronic ballad (sort of), and the fifth to be pulled from the album “Tenant”. It features mixes by Mafia Mike, Rupesh Cartel and Minerve. “Tenant Remixed” which is a limited remix album, is also in the pipeline. The above mentioned Rupesh Cartel plays catchy electropop and they have recently signed with the label, resulting in the single “Ghost White”. Finally we have Rezonance, who plays atmospheric pop with female vocals, and they’re releasing the third single “Cold Heart” from their album “Black Filters”. Live DVD from Diary of Dreams out now Jan 15 2007 | By: Peter Marks (Portland, Oregon, USA) "Nine in Numbers" (Accession) is the first ever live DVD from Germany's Diary of Dreams and serves as an accompanyment to their previously released "Alive" album. Consisting of four members for live duty, this concert showcases the band as more of a rock act with some textured keyboard work being driven along by live drums overlapping the album track loops. An interview with Mr. Hates and his colleagues is also included and there are several "fragments" which play out as performance pieces in between some of the live songs. Overall, the audience are engaged during the show with classic songs such as "Chemicals" and "The Curse" creating quite a frenzy. According to the official site, a new studio album is due sometime in 2007.
Front Line Assembly is inspired Jan 11 2007 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) Apparently, the boys in FLA had too much fun in the studio to just make a normal EP. Instead, they have made what Bill Leeb calls a sort of “Artificial Soldier pt 2” with eleven tracks, of which five are new songs, and the rest are remixes. To be released sometimes this spring. A live DVD shot at the concert in Dresden is also in the works. Carl McCoy prepares new album Jan 11 2007 | By: Peter Marks (Portland, Oregon, USA) In a move sure to upset the time/space continuum (as well as countless Sumerian deities) Fields of the Nephilim are quite close to already releasing a new full-length album. No word on who has contributed or even been allowed to remain around for the actual final mastering sessions and of course, tour dates are hinted at but no firm information has been made known.
Annual Deutsche Alternative Charts roundup Jan 11 2007 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden)
As usual around this time of year, the Deutsche Alternative Charts in Germany get the roundup treatment. Album wise, the most popular ones 2006 were (in order) Front Line Assembly – “Artificial Soldier”, “Extended Electronics Vol. 1”, “Saw 2 OST”, Covenant – “Skyshaper” and Leæther Strip – “After the Devastation”. The single chart’s top 5 looks like this (also in order): Covenant – “Ritual Noise”, Depeche Mode – “John the Revelator/Lilian”, Covenant – “Brave New World”, Placebo – “Song to Say Goodbye” and Velvet Acid Christ – “Wound”. The most successful label for albums was Alfa Matrix, run by our colleagues at Side-Line Magazine. For singles, the top label was Dependent. Front 242 ghost album Jan 11 2007 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) We were surprised to see a Front 242 album called "Na Dunya" mentioned in Swedish newspaper GP (among the spring album essentials) and at CDON.com, so we asked the Swedish representative Playground about this and they claim it is some "kind of bug". No new album, in other words. Kent guitarist quits Jan 9 2007 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) Harri Mänty, member of Kent since 1995, has decided to leave the Swedish rock band. He feels that his motivation isn’t there anymore, and he will now quit on friendly terms. Kent is currently working on the follow-up to “Du & jag döden” (The best album ever to come out of Sweden in my opinion), which is scheduled for this fall.
Melotron aim at the Eurovision Song Contest Jan 9 2007 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden)
With a new management behind them, Melotron enters 2007 with a new single called “Das Herz” on January 19, as well as the new album “Propaganda” in February. Filled with 13 varied electropop tracks, Melotron is thereby prepared for for representing Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Bundesvision Song Contest 2007. You can watch the band’s presentation and the "Das Herz" video on YouTube. Where is SAMA? Jan 9 2007 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) We still haven't heard anything from Scandinavian Alternative Music Awards 2007, so we asked the organisers who say they hope to reveal the date, venue and the first artists in a couple of weeks. The voting process hasn't started either. The Knife and IAMX Release 2006 favourites Jan 9 2007 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) The Release staff members have entered their 2006 favourites. The Knife, IAMX, Mesh, Portion Control and Laibach all got at least three album entries each. The Knife were of course also popular in the live artist category, alongside Depeche Mode and Nitzer Ebb. Covenant, Pet Shop Boys, Code 64, Einstürzende Neubauten, Koop, Current 93, Cryo, Röyksopp, Hybrid and Tiga also showed up more than once in the five categories (album, song, live artist, newcomer and artist). Maybe it's interesting to think about past Release favourites that didn't score high in the lists this year. Here's some of them: Front Line Assembly, Delerium, Seabound, Camouflage, Boytronic, Strip Music, Qntal, Lisa Gerrard, Welle Erdball, Sophya, And One, Anthony Rother, Erasure, Morrissey, Ministry and Das Ich.
VNV Nation brings guests on tour Jan 9 2007 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) In what Ronan Harris calls an exchange program, American band Imperative Reaction will join his VNV Nation on the "Judgement Tour" in Europe this spring and German band And One will go to the States with them. Yet another band will join VNV Nation in Europe, but we will have to wait and see which one it is. 644 track Depeche Mode package on Itunes Jan 5 2007 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) If you’re serious about your Depeche Mode collection, check out Itunes now, where you can buy “The Complete Depeche Mode” package. With 644 tracks running for almost 59 hours, and a downloadable 62-page booklet by Anton Corbijn, it’s a pretty exhaustive collection. It contains all albums and singles, including the yet-to-be-released singles boxes seven and eight, rare remixes, deleted stuff, acoustic performances and much more. You can choose to get the entire box, or just the material you want. Club Statisch will be missed Jan 5 2007 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) Unfortunately, Gothenburg's Club Statisch has decided to close down after only two years. The Christmas party with Weltklang and homemade cookies on December 15 was the last Statisch night, although organiser Patrik will still DJ during weekends at Statisch's venue, Sticky Fingers. The bookings speak for themselves, this club was something special: Front Line Assembly, Laibach, Portion Control, Neon Judgement, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Der Plan, Komputer, Cat Rapes Dog, Vive La Fête, The Invincible Spirit and Psyche were just some of the 32 acts that performed live. All guests we have talked to seem to agree that Statisch will be remembered as a one of the bravest clubs ever in Scandinavia for this kind of music. The next Statisch event, Wintergewitter in February, with Feindflug and others, is cancelled (but only in Gothenburg, of course).
Pet Shop Boys cancelled New Year's Eve show Jan 5 2007 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) and Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) The third single from The Killers “Sam’s Town” album is “Read My Mind”, and it will be remixed by the Pet Shop Boys. Neil and Chris has also remixed “I’m Gay (Get over It)”, which was made by the Little Britain lads Matt Lucas and David Walliams for the finale of their live show. Of course it’s sung by the “the only gay in the village” character, Dafyd. Pet Shop Boys' New Year's Eve show in Edinburgh was cancelled as late as after the soundcheck, due to bad weather. New Download album has a title Jan 5 2007 | By: Johan Carlsson (Stockholm, Sweden) Like this piece of news, it’s short and sweet: “Fixer”. |
