News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson


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Apr 15 2004

Saturation Bombing fest in Toronto; US Customs for Belgians


Weave live at Saturation Bombing II, Toronto.
Photo by: Alex Veronac (Release)

This year's Saturation Bombing festival started with launch party with Weave headlining. Easter weekend's rhythmic noise festival in Toronto featured the North American premiere of Belgians This Morn' Omina and Empusae. Ah Cama Sotz and Needle Sharing helped round out the roster of 16 performing acts over the four nights. Plans are already being made for 2005's Saturation Bombing 3 festival.
Afterwards, members of Ah Cama-Sotz/Empusae and This Morn Omina were stopped at US Customs twice and refused entry from Canada. They were to perform at a festival date in Washington DC on April 15. Border officials decided that the promoter was not able to complete documentation for their stay in America. Tonight's Washington gig goes ahead with Columbian Manufactura and New York City noise terrorists Terrorfakt. /Alex Veronac

Eventful and dark month awaits Z-Prochek
There will be as many as 30 "release events" during one single month (May) throughout Germany and Switzerland in connection to Swedish futurepoppers Z-Prochek's new album "Viewers".
In the schedule we find some charming names like Slave to the Wave, Hymnen an die Nacht, Return of the Living Dead but most clubs have well, darkness in common: Dark Celebration, Dark Desire, Dark Floor, Dark Night Special, Darkest Night (darker than Dark Night Special then?), Dark Area, Dark Noir, Dark Awakening, Dark Flower, Dark Trax... /Mikael Kahrle


Apr 13 2004

Wolfsheim tour ends with Ayria


Ayria live at EBMFest 2004, Toronto.
Photo by: Alex Veronac (Release)

Wolfsheim's first ever US tour ended in San Francisco last week after playing ten cities. The last tour gig had Canadian-American synth act Ayria as support. Ayria's Jennifer Parkin was very happy to tell us that it was the largest audience the band had played for yet, numbering 700. Ayria already have four tracks in demo form for their next release but hope do some more live gigs in Europe to promote their latest "Debris" release.
Catch the review of Wolfsheim's last full length release here. /Alex Veronac

Mysterious Portion Control comeback tonight
Today sees the Portion Control releasing "new product" as they put it. Their site is currently only an index with no information about this item. The only content is a flashing icon stating "well-come". The exact time of this unveiling is 2300 hrs but the time zone is not mentioned.
Portion Control split in the mid-80:s and are also known for their work under the Solar Enemy moniker. Often cited as an influence by Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly, Portion Control, much like Fad Gadget, enjoyed a certain amount of notoriety and infamy for their unorthodox approach. /Peter Marks

And One played four covers at two hour tour start show
Last week, And One and Statemachine started their new "Überall Tour" in Rostock with about 900 people in the Stadthalle. Statemachine's 30-minute warm-up gig was appreciated by the majority of the audience. And One entered the stage with a intro spoken in German and then played for two hours. We got to hear "Krieger", "Recover You", "Speicherbar", "Sternradio", "Fernsehapparat" and the legendary "Techno Man", "Metalhammer", "Take Some More" and "Second Voice". They also did three (!) Depeche Mode covers (among them "Photographic") and DAF's "Der Räuber und der Prinz". /Jens Krause

Lustans Lakejer to Arvika
The Arvika Festival has added Lustans Lakejer, Weeping Willows, Eskobar and a bunch of small Swedish indie bands to their line-up. /Mikael Kahrle


Apr 8 2004

Marilyn Manson covers Depeche Mode



Marilyn Manson is currently in the studio working on some new stuff. A greatest hits album is in the works, and it will feature some of the new material. The next single – also included on the album – will be a cover of “Personal Jesus” by Depeche Mode. All Marilyn's videos will be available on a DVD as well. /Johan Carlsson

Tenant Lowe?
No, this newspiece is not about Pet Shop Boys, instead it’s about the Swedish electropop band Lowe, who are working on their debut album “Tenant” – and yes, it’s supposed to be spelled like that. Lowe’s latest single “Ahead of our Time” is out now, on Megahype Records, and they were the people’s nomination for “Best Newcomer” at the recent Scandinavian Alternative Music Awards. /Johan Carlsson

Erasure working on new album
Vince Clarke and Andy Bell aka Erasure are working on a new album, and are right now mixing in London. Shockingly enough, analogue wizard Clarke is using softsynths only on this album! Check out the studio diary on www.erasureinfo.com ./Johan Carlsson


Apr 7 2004

Skinny Puppy seeks live tour drummer


Can you drum on stage with these guys?
Doomsday 2000 photo by: Alex Veronac (Release)

It seems the touring band Skinny Puppy is without drummer. The band placed an ad in newspaper LA Weekly this past weekend. The candidate must be able to tour Europe this summer and learn the drum parts from Cevin Key. Auditions will be on April 10 in the Los Angeles area. This leaves us to think that a second possible keyboarder and fourth member on stage is already assigned. /Alex Veronac

Four new tracks on new FLA EP



After the successful release of “Civilization”, Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb are now setting their eyes on their new EP, “Vanished”. The fansite Mindphaser recently interviewed Bill, and spilled the following information as a teaser before posting the entire interview. The EP will contain a new upbeat version of “Vanished”, as well as no less than four new tracks. One of those is the track “Almost Gone”, which nearly made it onto the album.
Work on a new Delerium album won’t be started until next year, and it will probably be mainly instrumental with perhaps one vocalist. /Johan Carlsson

Redemption is at hand for Imperative Reaction
American EBM band Imperative Reaction has just released their latest album “Redemption” on Metropolis in the US. It is described as aggressive with explosive beats and smooth programming. /Johan Carlsson

Charlie Clouser and Rhys Fulber remix LA duo Collide


Photo by: Chad Michael Ward

Collide's latest album “Some Kind of Strange” was released last year, and now it’s time for a mix treatment of a lot of their songs. On the remix album “Vortex”, out on May 18, they have drafted remixers such as Charlie Clouser, Rhys Fulber and Mark Walk. It’s a double disc affair, with over 140 minutes of music. /Johan Carlsson


Apr 3 2004

SAMA victory for Statemachine


Photo by: Karin Martinsson

Statemachine grabbed the album and artist awards at Friday's crowded Scandinavian Alternative Music Awards in Gothenburg. Alice in Videoland was for awarded best newcomer and The Knife for best song ("Heartbeats").
Read our report. /Mikael Kahrle


Apr 2 2004

SAMA tonight


Suicide Commando.

Tonight (17.30-05.00 to be exact), it's time for this year's Scandinavian Alternative Music Awards at Trädgår'n, the largest night club in Gothenburg, Sweden. 13 artists are going to perform live on three stages; among them And One, Mesh, Suicide Commando and Bodies without Organs, the new project from Alexander Bard (Army of Lovers, Vacuum). Four awards for best album, song, newcomer and artist will be handed out during the evening. SAMA is of course also something of an annual music business gathering, with people from bands, labels, clubs and media (for instance six crew members from this particular mag).
On short notice, SAMA has announced an after-SAMA party at Trädgår'n tomorrow. /Mikael Kahrle

VNV Nation: delayed DVD and new album



The "Pastperfect" DVD from VNV Nation was expected last autumn, but production problems forced a change of editing company. Now, all is set for a May 10 release on Anachron Sounds/SPV. The band apologizes for the delay but claim it will be well worth the wait. Expect free previews around Germany (to be announced later).
VNV Nation are also preparing their fifth album "Matter and Form". /Mikael Kahrle

New EP from Seabound in four weeks



The aforementioned EP for the song "Poisonous Friend" will be released on April 26 with remixes of "Poisonous Friend" executed by Seabound themselves, Iris, Cut.rate.box and Severed Heads. Haujobb have remixed the track "Watching over You" with Stromkern delivering their own mix of "Transformer". Two non-album tracks, "Without You" and "Traitor" have also been included to sweeten the deal. Two of the EP tracks will be available on the Dependent site shortly. /Peter Marks