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News
editors: Mikael
Kahrle & Johan
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Void Spring Festival with Welle:Erdball May 30, 2008 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Today and tomorrow, the Void Spring Festival invites Welle:Erdball, Ashbury Heights, Spetsnaz, Strangel, Estrange and other synthpop and EBM acts to Kalmar, Sweden. A long list of DJ:s are going to spin records as well. Re:publik mini-report May 28, 2008 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) According the organisers, 3 000 people turned up for the one-day free-of-charge festival Re:publik at Stockholm University last Saturday. Covenant was in a good mood and premiered a strong song. A new album might see the light of day later this year, according to frontman Eskil Simonsson. Fresh recruit Daniel Meyer was replaced by Dupont's Rickard on stage. In return, Eskil performed with Dupont and in "Motel Lover" we got to hear him play the cow bell throughout the song. The announced Dupont old school reunion did not happen as old singer Johan Damm did not appear on stage; not even member Daniel Jonasson performed (but he was co-organiser of Re:publik). Das Ich also premiered a new song, from their upcoming CD "Kannibal". They will play no less than 20 Russian dates in October and November. Fixmer/McCarthy ended Re:publik. Their second, "poppier" album "Into the Night" was released last Friday. Douglas McCarthy is also featured on Kloq's album "Move Forward" (June 27) but the new Nitzer Ebb record is nowhere to be seen. Other artists included Grendel, Spetsnaz, Restricted Area, The Pain Machinery, Elenette, System and Youthanasia. Unfortunately, few of the shows impressed me and my four colleagues from Release, but a festival with a line-up like this with admission free is still almost to good to be true. Impressive line-up at Poland's Castle Party May 27, 2008 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
"The biggest freak show in the Middle & Eastern Europe". There's one hell of a slogan from the organizers behind Castle Party in Bolkow, Poland (June 26-27). Don't stop reading though, because this year the party is headlined by celebs Deine Lakaien, Die Krupps, In Strict Confidence and Anne Clark (feat. Implant). The line-up also offers SITD, Colony 5, Reaper, 32 Crash, Reaper, The Crüxshadows and many more. Numerous clubs run parties before, during and after the live concerts. New EP from Combichrist: it's the bass that matters May 22, 2008 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden)
"Ultra-deep bass, thudding beats, searing sequencers and whipping shouts". No surprises to be found on Combichrist's new "Frost EP: Sent to Destroy" (Out of Line, June 27)? The nine-tracker contains remixes from Northborne, Suicide Commando, Accessory, Babyland and Caustic. Train ride to Arvika May 22, 2008 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) Stockholm EBM/synthpop club Tech Noir has organized bus trips to the Arvika Festival for several years. This year they have rented a full train, with live acts, bar, DJ:s and a cinema lounge. Watch the new Yazoo May 20, 2008 | By: Mikael Kahrle (Gothenburg, Sweden) Last Friday, Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet made their first appearance since the days of old, on BBC's Jonathan Ross show where they played "Don't Go" live. UK viewers can catch the show at BBC's Iplayer, others can use this YouTube clip. In another YouTube video, you can watch a fresh interview with both members. Ladytron take their new album to America next week May 16, 2008 | By: Mike Whyte (London, UK)
The fourth album by Ladytron, "Velocifero" is expected to be due out in two weeks, on June 3, and can be previewed in different parts of the web. The European leg of Ladytron's new tour ends in Dublin tonight. Then it's off to North America for two months. In the autumn, they will play Australia. The band comprising of Helen Marnie, Daniel Hunt, Mira Aroyo and Reuben Wu, and were originally formed in Liverpool back in 1999. Since then there have been critically acclaimed albums, and underground hits - a particular success being the "Playgirl EP", which received international attention. The last album, "Witching Hour", is something of a Release favourite, as many writers love this full-blown album. This CD was never properly released in Sweden, however. "Velocifero", to be released on the Nettwork label and different partners throughout the world such as Major Records in Germany, continues a rather interesting NIN connection also. Although Ladytron have a hand in the production, there is additional help from NIN man Alessandro Cortini. This is likely to have come around through their opening for NIN in 2007, at the invitation of Trent Reznor himself. Onto the music then. Ladytron's electronic pop sound explores not just pop's catchy hooks, but dares to spread out into ever more experimental and psychedelia fields. Their instantly recognisable sound comes through a use of vintage analogue equipment, which is imployed with great effect during their hypnotic live shows. "Black Cat" - one of the new tracks from the album, was also given away as a free download on their website. It seems to pull away from the rather heavy use of distorted guitars, as was evident in the past, there seems to be much more of a tough "electro" sound, with arguably a hint of goth in there for good measure too. The rest of the album does rely on a heavy, "live" sound, with tracks such as single track "Ghosts", being full of heavy electric guitar and thumping beats, though "Predict the Day" is good distorted electro which will no doubt please the fans. Bulgarian Mira Aroyo is given more vocal responsibilities this time around. In "Kletva", she does a cover from a and old Bulgarian children's movie. Ladytron have also become incredibly wanted remixers, as we all know, thanks to sterling work done with artists such as Dave Gahan, Goldfrapp, Placebo, Blondie and Soulwax, to name only a few. Thanks to their combined quest to create catchy electronic music, while pushing the experimental envelope ever further, the album promises to be quite a thrill ride. In Strict Confidence prepare new works May 16, 2008 | By: Peter Marks (Portland, Oregon, USA) Release favourites, Germany's own In Strict Confidence have plans to release a new EP in the summer which will be followed by their brand new studio album in either late summer or fall. Recording titles are unknown at this point and all that the band have stated is that they have been working on the new tracks for months now. |
