News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson

Douglas McCarthy back on stage - and track

Photo by: Neil Smith

• Release watched the energetic live premiere of ex-Nitzer Ebb-head Douglas McCarthy's new project in Barcelona last Friday. Under the name Fixmer/McCarthy, he once again delivers hard EBM, this time together with French producer Terence Fixmer.
Read the short report from the successful stage debut, encored with an electrofied version of "Let Your Body Learn". /Mikael Kahrle

Bowie guitarist collaborates with Robert Smith
• Earl Slick became notable to many after David Bowie abandoned his "Ziggy Stardust" character in 1973 and started the "Diamond Dogs" period, with Slick as on stage guitarist. Years later, Slick is now currently a part of the "Reality Tour" with Bowie live in America.
Released last month on Sanctuary Records, "Zig Zag" is his new CD utilizing the co-writing and vocal talents of Robert Smith, Martha Davis (The Motels rip), Royston Langdon (Spacehog) and Bowie himself. It's the first new material from Slick in 12 years. /Alex Veronac

Front 242's "Geography" reissue is getting closer
• On March 13 the new version of Front 242’s debut album “Geography” will see the light of day. The two-disc set features all the classic tracks remastered and remixed, as well as a new track called “He Runs Too Fast for Us”. Disc two is filled with unreleased stuff like demos, try-outs, alternate version etc. /Johan Carlsson

New Swedish EBM debutant Unitary



• The man behind Unitary is Swede Johan Hansson and this project has just released the debut album “Second to None” (Off Label Productions) . The style is beat driven melodic EBM, and he claims to be influenced by bands like Leaether Strip and Covenant. /Johan Carlsson

Die Form ready to release album duo
• French sado-electro band Die Form are preparing two albums with a common theme. The first one is “InHuman”, out on March 24, followed by “ExHuman” later on. A limited edition of 2000 copies will be available, as an A5 digi-book with a 32-page booklet. Then there’s the “super limited edition”, restricted to just 100 copies. In this version, the 32-page booklet makes a return, but you also get an original signed copperplate engraving art print.
To complicate matters even more, there's also a limited vinyl edition of 499 copies. It’s a double picture disc with posters. /Johan Carlsson

Visit the front with Kirlian Camera
• “Invisible Front. 2005” is the somewhat weird title of Kirlian Camera’s new album, due out on March 12, on Trisol. Eleven new songs are featured, and guests include Jarboe from The Swans and Lloyd James from Neavus. Formats: regular CD, and a two-disc edition with a bonus track. /Johan Carlsson

Melotron to Peru
• When they were young, the members of East German electropop band Melotron could probably not even leave their country without problems. Now, they will perform in one of the more exotic places that an electro band can play in: Peru of South America (on February 4). /Peter Takizawa

"101" goes SACD
• Classic Depeche Mode live album "101", originally released in 1989 documenting their "Music for the Masses" tour, will be reissued once again on February 2. The album will include three versions: stereo, a remastered stereo Super Audio CD (SACD) version and a remastered 5.1 surround sound SACD version. /Peter Takizawa

Zillo Fest with Laibach and Das Ich in July

Lacuna Coil front woman.

• The Zillo Festival in Germany is set to July 16-18. So far, Das Ich, In Extremo, L'ame Immortelle, Laibach and Lacuna Coil top the band list. /Mikael Kahrle

Dynamic line-up at Static Festival
• The new Stockholm festival Static on March 13 has added new names to their line-up. The complete headline list looks as follows: Karl Bartos, Nasa, The Mobile Homes, Statemachine, Alice in Videoland and Colony 5. Among the DJ:s we find Johan Kinde, Client and "Coolof" from The Knife. A busy schedule for one single day at the "small" Kolingsborg venue, it seems. /Mikael Kahrle

Gold to The Knife

Photo by: Jon Bergman

• Yesterday, Swedish national radio station P3 awarded the best music achievements of 2003, at a successful P3 Guld (gold) show at Storan in Gothenburg.
Host Christer Lundberg (also in synthpop duo Universal Poplab) said he missed a synthpop category. But then The Knife surprisingly grabbed the best group award, in competition with Broder Daniel, Alcazar, The Cardigans and Bad Cash Quartet. So the heavy award was won by a truly odd "synthpop" band - that releases its own records and never tours. Only one half of the sibling duo, Olof Dreijer, was present during the award ceremony.
The Knife was also nominated in the best pop category, alongside Sophie Rimheden (!), Franke, Tape and The Radio Dept, but the latter won the price. Rimheden was nominated for best female artist but Lisa Miskovsky took that one and thanked song writing partner Jocke Berg from Kent. /Mikael Kahrle

Paul Barker ends his Ministry journey

No Barker on bass!

• Al Jourgensen is really becoming the frontman of Ministry now as long time musical partner Paul Barker has left the band. Production team Hypo Luxa and Hermes Pan (aka Jourgensen and Barker) were a fixture in the early industrial days producing at Wax Trax Studios in Chicago.
Rumours were swirling for many months but the news just confirmed officially. Barker told frontman Al Jourgensen in August that he wasn't interested in remaining with the group after reflecting on his father's passing last year. Barker plans on solo recordings and studio production. The band has hired John Monte (M.O.D., Mind Funk, Dragpipe) as replacement on bass guitar.
Ministry started recording their new songs in November for "Houses of the Molé", due out this year on Sanctuary Records. There's been no word yet on the planned Revolting Cocks sessions. /Alex Veronac

Yvonne member joins Broder Daniel
• David Lindh (Yvonne, legendary Swedish dark indie band that is no more) will try to fill the position as bass player in Broder Daniel. He made a jump start on stage last Sunday at the Rockbjörnen award show in Stockholm and tomorrow he will make his second Broder Daniel appearance at the P3 Guld national radio awards show at Storan in Gothenburg. Lindh is currently working on his second solo album. On January 16, we told you that Theodor Jensen has left Broder Daniel.
Among the Release related nominees for the P3 Guld awards, we find The Knife, Sophie Rimheden, Franke, The Cardigans - and of course Broder Daniel. Radio profile Christer Lundberg (front man in synthpop duo Universal Poplab) is hosting the show. /Mikael Kahrle

First Wave Gotik Treffen announcements

Clan of Xymox. Typical WGT act.

• It's almost the start of the European summer festival season that peaks early with the 13th Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig, Germany. The organisers have announced the first wave of the over 100 acts that will perform live during the May 28-31 meeting. The dark culture crowd will see Clan of Xymox, Coil, Haggard, Covenant, Sanguis et Cinis and Suicide Commando, as they are confirmed. Tickets are already available and they are sure to sell out again early. /Alex Veronac

The track list of the next Kraftwerk single
• As we have told you before, the next single from Kraftwerk is “Aerodynamik”. The track list looks as follows: “Aerodynamik – Kling Klang Dynamix”, “Aerodynamik – Dynamik Mix by Alex Gopher and Etienne de Crecy” and “Aerodynamik – Aero mix by Francois Kevorkian”. The single is set to be out in the middle of March. /Johan Carlsson

Dave Gahan brings us a live DVD

Dave Gahan live in Berlin.
Photo by: Jens Krause

• A document over Depeche Mode frontman and now solo artist Dave Gahan's tour of 2003 is going to be released on DVD. The title is “Live Monsters” and it was filmed at the Olympia in Paris in July. In addition to the live footage, a short film and interviews with the band members will be included, as well as three acoustic tracks, from a radio appearance. Out on March 1. /Johan Carlsson

Meet the spring with Wumpscut
• German band Wumpscut has a new album ready for release in March. Called “Bone Peeler”, this album will also come in a special first edition digipak with a bonus CD containing remixes of old Wumpscut tracks. Remixed by the likes of Das Ich, Suicide Commando, Plastic Noise Experience and Haujobb, and possibly Hocico and Haus Arafna. /Johan Carlsson

The Pain Machinery going global?
• The Swedish noise/EBM/whatever band The Pain Machinery has struck a deal with the label BLC Productions, thus bringing the album “The Venom Is Going Global” to the masses. Out now (and a review copy arrived the other day). /Johan Carlsson

Negative Format side project gathers famous singers
• Almost a bit like an EBM supergroup, the side project of Negative Format’s Alex Matheu called Parallel Project features vocals from a huge number of electronic vocalists. Here’s some examples: Daniel Myer (Haujobb), Darrin Huss (Psyche), Mark Jackson (VNV Nation), Reagan Jones (Iris), Tom Shear (Assemblage 23) and Victoria Lloyd (Claire Voyant). And there are more! It almost brings terrible memories of eighties band aids to life, doesn't it? More news as it comes. /Johan Carlsson

Jensen leaves Broder Daniel
• Yesterday, we told you about the upcoming tour with Swedish indie darlings Broder Daniel. Now, we hear bass player Theodor Jensen has left the band to focus on his other project The Plan. Broder Daniel is planning to replace him shortly. Håkan Hellström left Broder Daniel last year. /Mikael Kahrle