News editor: Mikael Kahrle

Close to launch for Garbage

• The new 13-track album with Garbage is called "Beautiful Garbage" and will be released on October 1.
According to Butch Vig, they have tried to keep things straight and simple this time. A quick listen shows that you still very much can hear the familiar Garbage sound, but also that the album is very diverse. It includes rockier tracks, as well as slow ballads, and even a track in a kind of slow 60's style. There will also be a limited edition of the album, but no details are known about this now.
The first single is "Androgyny" (September 25), a song in modern high-tech radio pop style. The two track single we received today also offers a "Thee Glitz Mix" by a fellow called Felix da Housecat. /Johan Carlsson, Mikael Kahrle

Australia's Erasure?
• Australian synthpop duo Neuropa has released their third real studio album "Beyond Here and Now" late this past summer. It contains the hit single "Bound" as well as an Erasure cover of "True Love Wars" and nine other tracks. Their style is quite similar to Erasure's with strong vocals and melodies, but with more emphasis on thumping basses and club atmospheres. Neuropa is part of the A Different Drum roster. /Niklas Forsberg

Simple Minds covers Kraftwerk

• While making a new studio album, Simple Minds made a record with covers of their favourite tracks (as previously reported in short). It is called "Neon Lights" and will contain versions of songs by artists like Kraftwerk, David Bowie, Velvet Underground and Roxy Music. Street date: September 24. /Johan Carlsson

The latest on Smashing Pumpkins
• The Smashing Pumpkins plans to release a greatest hits compilation on November 6 stays, and the band is currently selecting the tracks to be included.
A special limited double disc version will also be issued, and the other disc will be "Judas O Riley", a follow-up to their "Pisces Iscariot", which is a collection of B-sides and rarities. Virgin is also making a DVD video collection that will include a "making of" documentary. /Johan Carlsson

Unreleased Mobile Homes tracks from 1984 on new album
• If you want to hear unreleased tracks with Mobile Homes from 1984, then you should get the upcoming album. This release will only be available from the official home page, and you can also go there to hear two sound clips. /Johan Carlsson

Plastic Assault working on new material

• German EBM band Plastic Assault have had some success with their album "We Score", and now they are working on a new EP, as well as concepts for upcoming live performances. /Johan Carlsson

S.P.O.C.K celebrated Star Trek in Las Vegas
• The Swedish space poppers S.P.O.C.K have just played their first gig in Great Britain. They performed at the well-known Camden Underworld in London, where lots of other bands have started their careers. In related news, Star Trek celebrated its 35:th birthday last weekend at the Alexis Park Hotel in Las Vegas. Lots of stars from the movies and TV-series were there - and S.P.O.C.K. /Johan Carlsson

More details about the delayed VNV Nation album
• As we told you recently, the upcoming album by VNV Nation has been delayed without a new date set. According to their label it was because the album still needs some polishing. As Dependent's Stefan Herwig says: "i
- If you're going to call an album "Futureperfect", you don't want to announce it until it's really, truly ready. /Johan Carlsson

Rammstein pays tribute to Joey Ramone

• September 10 will see the release of the third single from Rammstein's latest album "Mutter". The single "Ich Will" come with mixes of the track by Westbam and Paul Van Dyk, as well as a CD-ROM version of a live performance of the song. The band is also paying tribute to punk-rock icon Joey Ramone by including a cover of the Ramones track "Pet Cemetery". /Johan Carlsson

New release date for Neubauten
• Einstürzende Neubauten's "Strategies Against Architecture III" will not be released until October 8. /Mikael Kahrle

Can member releases album with Kumo
• Irmin Schmidt, once keyboard player with legendary kraut outfit Can, is releasing a new album with dance producer Kumo. "Masters of Confusion" is just released (Mute), and is a rather bizarre fusion of Schmidt's classical piano (something he had to suppress in Can) and dance beats. The duo is also contributing to a Karlheinz Stockhausen tribute week that takes place at London's Barbican between October 13-18. They also make their live debut in London, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, on November 12. /Kristoffer Noheden

New Depeche Mode box set

• Depeche Mode's two compilations “The Singles 81-85” and “The Singles 86-98” have been released in one exclusive box set, for obvious reasons named "The Singles 81-98". Sales for this special collectors item are limited for September to December 2001. The box set is made up of three CD:s, and no changes have been made in the track list.
Of course, we find an extremely long row of hits like “Just Can’t Get Enough”, “Everything Counts”, “Master and Servant”, “Strangelove”, “Enjoy the Silence”, “Barrel of a Gun”, "I Feel You" and "It's No Good". This is the second time Mute Records re-releases "The Singles 81-85". /Jesper Lakman (Uselink)

Dark industrial tunes from Monolith
• A new album called "Labyrinth" by industrial soundscape artist Monolith is finished, and will be out on Dirk Ivens' Daft label on October 1. A quick listening session shows classic monotonous hard electronics. If you want to catch a live performance, you will have to visit Maschinenfest on October 5 in Aachen, Germany. /Johan Carlsson

Melotron featuring In Strict Confidence on new EP

Andy Krüger, singer and composer of electropop trio Melotron.

• The friendship between two German electro bands and label mates is going to be confirmed musically as well. Andy Krüger (Melotron vocalist) and Dennis Ostermann (In Strict Confidence) both sings on the track "Brüder" (click to listen in RealAudio) on the forthcoming Melotron EP with the same name. The EP offers four new tracks and at least two remixes. It will probably be released In October in connection to a club tour.
From what we hear, this one will probably be the last Melotron release on an indie label. It's time for the trio to try out a major label, like so many other similar bands have done in the past (And One, De/Vision, Blind Passengers and a few others). /Jens Krause, Mikael Kahrle

VNV Nation's album postponed

VNV Nation's new single.

• The new album "Futureperfect" by VNV Nation has been postponed and a new date has not been set as of now. The new single "Genesis" is out today. /Johan Carlsson

Einstürzende Neubauten ready to release "Strategies Against Architecture III"
• The third "Strategies Against Architecture" by Einstürzende Neubauten will hit the streets on September 8. This is a collection of tracks from 1991 up to 2001, including some live tracks and alternate versions. /Johan Carlsson

Second album by Terminal Choice side project Blutengel
• Christian Pohl of Terminal Choice fame has a side project called Blutengel, and they have just released their second album, "Seelenschmerz". The music is danceable EBM sprinkled with female vocals and hints of pop here and there, everything packaged with a fetish and gothic image. /Johan Carlsson

Fad Gadget backed by Temple-X
• Temple-X is a band making melodic rock music, produced by Mute veteran Frank Tovey aka Fad Gadget. They are also Frank's backing band when Fad Gadget is supporting Depeche Mode on their current tour. The new album by the band is called "Xplosion" and is filled with groovy rock tracks, and some added electronics. Out now on Apogi Records.
Fad Gadget himself has a new 30 track "The Best of" double CD on his way with hits and remixes. The latest release date seems to be October 15. /Johan Carlsson

Experimental tunes from Fluttering Dragon
• The label Fluttering Dragon will release three records late this summer, and first of these are Nordvargr/Drakh, a new project from the MZ 412 people. The sound is dark and ambient and the album is called "Cold Void of Nothing".
Number two is "Windy Witches" by Dragon's Realm. This will be issued as a heavy 220g 12" vinyl, sporting a hand made cover with golden printings and wax seal. Limited to 477 copies. Number three is "Call to the Deep" by Kurotokage, who makes ethno-ambient soundscapes. /Johan Carlsson

Wilt plays nothing but a zither
• A new album by experimentalists Wilt has been released on Ad Noiseam. It is called "Amidst a Spacious Fabric" and it is made solely with a zither, with the sounds manipulated and treated to make slow soundscapes with a lot of rumbling bass and acoustic noises. Wilt will also appear on a collaborative disc with Swedish band Tarmvred. /Johan Carlsson

Debut album with Young Gods label mates Peeping Tom
• Peeping Tom is the name of an ambient, dub and jazz project consisting of Vincent Haenni and Gabriel Scotti. They have made live scores for synthesized images and projections, as well as accompanying readings by French actor Carlo Brandt. Now, they have released their first CD, out on the Young Gods label Intoxygene Records. /Johan Carlsson