News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson

Electric Gathering with Laibach, Camouflage and Boytronic

Tanz mit Laibach on Saturday.
Photo by: Igor Skafar

• On Saturday, it's time for the second Electric Gathering in Stockholm with veterans like Laibach (new show), Camouflage (for the first time in Sweden), Boytronic, The Invincible Spirit and Fair Sex on stage alongside seven other acts like Arcana and Blutengel with there, hmm, spectacular show with fire and blood. 13 bands (nine of them foreign) will perform on three stages during one day. Three more acts, 8 kHz Mono (new), Tarmvred and Inertia, will play at the pre-party on Friday where Johan Kinde is guest-DJ. Aslan Faction have cancelled and Iambia will play on Saturday instead of Friday.
Electric Gathering was first organised in 2001 but took a break last year. If all goes well this year, the organisers have high hopes for the future.
- We want to establish a festival that returns each late summer, Christian Skottvik says.
Expect a report and Electric Gathering interviews in Release (and an article by me can be found in Metro Stockholm). /Mikael Kahrle

Introduction to newest Subconscious member

• Omar Torres quietly infiltrated the Subconscious Communications camp a couple years ago. You may have heard his input first on Download's "III Steps Forward" or "The Ghost of Each Room" by Cevin Key. Torres classifies himself as a sound designer as well as producer and remixer. Having a day job with music software maker Native Instruments doesn't hurt either which is how he hooked up with Key. Torres' long musical history goes back as far as opening gigs for Nitzer Ebb on a US tour and discography dating back to 1995.
Omar's Hologram project is set to play a live gig in Orlando, Florida, on September 5 with Richard Devine (Warp Records) and visual effects by Frank Lopez and David Violence. Hologram is described as electronic-acoustic-ambient-experimental and has played in the US many times including the West Coast Schematic Tour (2002). American duo Larvae had him do some mixing for the first full length CD "Fashion Victim" on Adnoiseam. We expect a guest appearance as writer/programmer by Torres on the upcoming new Skinny Puppy CD set for release in early 2004. /Alex Veronac

New single coming from Goldfrapp; Manson mix in the can
• Goldfrapp's next single "Twist" will be released on October 20 and will be available on two CD:s as well DVD. CD 1 features the band cover "Yes Sir I Can Boogie" which was originally a big hit for Baccara back in the 1970:s, and also a live version of "Deer Stop". CD 2 contains remixes of "Twist" by the likes of Jacques Lu Cont and Dimitri Tikovoi. The DVD features live versions of previous singles "Train" and "Strict Machine" and has visual footage of "Twist" plus an interview with the band.
Goldfrapp also have finished work on a remix of Marilyn Manson's new single "This is the New Shit" which is out on September 1. Manson describes the remix in his own special way.
- Sounding as if Gary Glitter and Marlene Deitrich turned the Nürnberg rallies into a rave. /Peter Marks

New label and plans for The April Tears

• Dead Frog Records (run by Release photographer Peter Åstedt) has signed Swedish Release veterans The April Tears. The single "Little Baby" on November 13 will be followed by the album "Half-Closed Eyes, Imperfect Kisses" on February 1. /Mikael Kahrle

No more Theatre of Tragedy for Liv Kristine

For the last time, Liv and the band.

• Theatre of Tragedy vocalist Liv Kristine is no longer a member of the Norwegian industrial/goth band because there are "differences in opinion that could not be bridged". The remaining members will start the hunt for a new female singer and Liv is not likey to leave the music scene. The announcement arrived today. /Mikael Kahrle

Yet another live album from De/Vision
• "Live 2003" (Memento Materia/Metropolis) is the new live release from Germany's proclaimed "electropop icons" De/Vision and is out on October 27. A limited edition version features remixes of "I Regret" by the likes of Colony 5 and Backlash. /Peter Marks

New electric music from Karl Bartos


Karl Bartos. As himself.

• September 8 sees the return of Karl Bartos, shortly after the release of the new Kraftwerk album. Karl’s new album is called “Communication”, and is released by Home Records/Sony. This time around he doesn’t call himself Elektric Music. The new music is again very electric though; Kraftwerk-esque (“The Mix” era), after the guitar oriented album “Elektric Music“. A vinyl only single called “The Message” is available now, and features remixes by Orbital and Felix da Housecat. /Johan Carlsson

Calyx Records new sub label DaLem Music starts signing
• One of Germany's synthpop labels, Calyx Records, has created a new sub label named DaLem Music. The first signing and release by DaLem Music is an album with the band Orphée. They make industrial crossover rock in the tradition of bands like Oomph!, KMFDM or Think about Mutation. The album "Confused" contains 15 songs and comes out in October. /Jens Krause

DKdent starts moving
• The new formation DKdent is going to play a live gig at Berlin's "Volksbühne" on September 13, in the special room "Roter Salon". Behind DKdent stands Dirk Krause (ex-Armageddon Dildos and DKay.com) together with a female voice. Their webpage is online at www.dkdent.net, and there you’ll find the first five songs of the band. /Jens Krause

Mobile Homes in September or October
• BMG tells us the new Mobile Homes EP is likely to arrive in late September or early October (might change though) and it has already received some airtime. /Mikael Kahrle

Insekt come alive
• Mario Vaerewijck (Lowpass) and Eric V (Monolith, Sonar) have re-united under the old Insekt moniker and will perform at the BIM festival. This is the first time the legendary but relatively unknown EBM act have played since 1992. Insekt plan to play some new songs in addition to the classics. /Peter Marks

Pop act Daybehavior returns after ten years

• After almost ten years of near total silence the Swedish synthpop act Daybehavior springs back to life again. The band is reduced to a duo and is now signed to US label A Different Drum.
A maxi single entitled “Devil in Me” is out now in North America and an album ("Have You Ever Touched a Dream") is scheduled for October. In Scandinavia Memento Materia will distribute the album. A remix contest is also underway at the band’s new homepage.
Daybehavior's debut album “Adored” received some raving reviews in both mainstream and alternative media, including Release, when released in 1996. Apart from some appearances on compilations no new music has been heard from them until now. /Peter Takizawa

Alien Sex Fiend release new album in October
• "Information Overload", the new album by alternative veterans Alien Sex Fiend is to be released on October 31 - via the band's web site. /Peter Marks

Four more Kent albums; Mobile Homes delayed
• Before the June 6 gig in Stockholm, rumours circulated that said Kent was about to quit in connection to the huge concert. Well, that was pure bullshit. Ten years after their first contract with RCA/BMG, Kent signed a new not one, nor two, neither three, but four album deal with BMG the other day. Kent have sold 1,5 million records to this date. It seems they are ready to sell some more.
In further news, the new Mobile Homes EP (made with help from Kent's Sami Sirviö) will not be released by BMG this month as planned, but probably later this year. /Mikael Kahrle

Gahan needs the gigs

• The new Dave Gahan single "I Need You" is out this week and the video is shown on various channels. Gahan has signed a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing.
The huge tours with Depeche Mode didn't hurt Dave Gahan's lust for touring. After long European and North American summer tour legs, the unstoppable Gahan tour machine embarks on a new European tour on October 27 with stops in Poland, UK, Germany, Spain and many other countries. So far, he will stay on the roads until November 30.
Then there are loose plans for a new Depeche Mode album, but the future of the band is obviously uncertain after his recent, hmm, straightforward interview statements. Andy Fletcher sounded positive about the future of the band in a speech at the PopKomm fair on August 16.
- Most artists last for a few years at the most and we have now been going for nearly 24 years which we can extend if we choose to. I think there are several reasons for this: there has always been an electricity within the band where all our good and bad traits seem to complement each other, we had a vision where music was heading and our many live performances from small clubs to big stadiums have earned us a great reputation. Perhaps the main two reasons are firstly, we have been lucky to have had two great songwriters in the group - Vince Clarke and Martin Gore - and good songs for me are the key for success and secondly our relationship with Mute Records. /Mikael Kahrle

Broder Daniel single about to be released
• After years of delays, Swedish alternative rock band Broder Daniel are about to deliver their new single "When We Were Winning" in September. No news on their new album though. /Mikael Kahrle

MNW stops distribution
• Due to their serious financial problems, Scandinavian music company MNW has decided to get rid of their distribution of non-MNW releases. Bonnier and Border take over this business and 20 people lose their jobs. MNW (the distribution was previously named MD) has been an independent distribution force in Scandinavia for many years with Nettwerk, XL, Play It Again Sam and many other Release labels. A couple of years ago former MNW people formed Playground Music and took many of the former MNW labels with them. MNW will focus on the record company part. /Mikael Kahrle