News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson

The Electric Science Festival strikes
• June 20 and 21 will see the famous Electric Science festival take place at Halles Des Foires/Quai de Wallonie in Liege, Belgium. Those performing at this eclectic event include: Mike Dred, Mad Professor, Andrea Parker, the masterfully talented Anthony Rother and a bevy of others. If only I had a passport... /Peter Marks

Run Level Zero is working on new album


Photo by: Sami Sinervä

• The quite successful Swedish EBM act Run Level Zero is now working hard on their new album “Walk the Psycho[path]”, coming out this fall. They have just announced that their producer is Chris P (no, not Chris Peterson from FLA) who has worked with for example S.P.O.C.K, Cat Rapes Dog, Mortal Memories and Ticket to Wonderland.
People who have bought CD:s from the band will now also be able to download exclusive bonus material from the band's website, such as unreleased remixes, videos and demo recordings. /Johan Carlsson

Ant-zen sound highlights Ottawa festival
• Dark Carnival IV will this time feature Ant-zen label talent DJ S.Alt on June 16 and 17. The two days of live P.A. and DJ:s features Pupil, PIN, Iszoloscope, Antigen Shift, Liar's Rosebush, We_v2, L'ombre, Les Gorges Des Limbes and DJ Leslie at Babylon Nightclub and Zaphod Beeblebrox. DJ S.Alt takes control earlier at the Vromb & Szkieve record release party at O Patro Vys in Montréal on June 15. /Alex Veronac

New Kraftwerk releases in July
• Suddenly Kraftwerk announces the release of a new single and album on very short notice, although a new album has been prepared for many years. It is now said to see the light of day on July 21, preceeded by the CD and 12" single "Tour de France 03" on July 7. The album is not a "real" one with just new songs as it offers new remixes of the classic song - as well as new material - and it is called "Tour de France". The releases are of course linked to this years bicycle event in July. We have not received confirmation from Capitol yet and as always, take Kraftwerk news lightly. /Mikael Kahrle

Release watched Dave Gahan perform in Berlin

Photo by: Jens Krause (Release)

• Last night Dave Gahan landed his "Paper Monsters" tour in Berlin's Columbiahalle. The venue was sold out in about two hours and has room for 2 000 - 2 500 persons. The performance started at 21.15 and went on for one and a half hour. Gahan did all the ten "Paper Monsters" songs and also the Depeche Mode classics "A Question of Time", "Personal Jesus", "Never Let Me Down Again", "Enjoy the Silence" and two more. The show went well, was appreciated by the audience and was very similar to a Depeche Mode show.
Gahan's touring band includes Knox Chandler (has worked with Depeche Mode, REM, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Psychedelic Furs) on guitar, Victor Indrizzo (Beck, Avril Lavigne, Macy Gray) on drums, Martyn Lenoble (Janes Addiction, Porno for Pyros) on bass and Vincent Jones on keyboards. /Jens Krause, Mikael Kahrle

Wave Gotik Treffen data
• The organiser behind Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig tells us this year's 12th festival was successful, peaceful and harmonious. Nearly 150 bands played (only one cancelled their show) and 19 000 people plus 750 journalists from 30 countries visited the event. /Mikael Kahrle

Kent wants to be big in Japan
• Yet another report: 33 000 people - almost all dressed in white - watched Kent’s huge outdoor arena show in Stockholm on June 6, Sweden’s national day. All tickets sold out in about three hours after they were released, a feat no other band in Sweden has managed. The fans were a big part of the show, as two big videoscreens showed images of said fans, and during “Music Non Stop”, the audience were asked to flash with their cameras, thus creating the world’s largest disco ball. Rumours say that the concert will in some way be released as DVD or live album, but nothing has been confirmed and no camera men was seen on stage as far as I could see.
Since the band is as big as it can possibly get in Scandinavia, Kent is now gazing towards Japan, where many Swedish artists are popular. No live dates are booked yet, but several other artists might join them in one big Swedish package. The Cardigans, Robert Wells, Soundtrack of Our Lives and The Hives are some names being thrown around. /Johan Carlsson

Ohgr's "Majik" video online

Three eyed Ogre.

• The first taste of Ohgr's second release is available online in video form. "Majik" utilizes the award winning video direction of William Morrison (Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Download, Delerium, Fear Factory, Tear Garden) for a third time. Video character props used were made by Thomas Kuntz who earlier created the props for Skinny Puppy's only reunion concert (Doomsday Festival in August, 2000). This video's dark war-propaganda-capitalist theme with a similar Ogre-like character as in "Cracker" employs stop-frame animation technique. "Majik" now includes a King George II (USA) character/dictator which didn't seem present in earlier production stills. The "Sunnypsyop" CD is to have a high-res version of the video as a bonus to the audio tracks.
Select live dates seem to be certain in America at this point.
Catch earlier Ohgr news from Release here. /Alex Veronac

New Nick Cave DVD with 5.1 sound
• "God Is in the House", the new DVD from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds will be released on August 4 (Mute) and contains an entire concert entitled "Live at Le Transbordeur" from Lyon, France (June 8, 2001) as well as the videos for "As I Sat Sadly by Her Side", "Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow" and "Love Letter". Also held within this little gem is a documentary about the making of 2001's "No More Shall We Part". This release has 5.1 sound. /Peter Marks

Dr Dossche's second attack
• The musical (and real) doctor Dossche strikes back with his second dark electronic album. The first one was released via AMV/EFA in the year 2001 and became something of an underground hit. The second album with the name "Existenz" is scheduled for release on August 11, by the Strange Ways sub label ...Zeitbombe. /Jens Krause

Dark Arts festival set for Utah
• David J (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets) has been invited to bring his Cabaret Oscuro project to Salt Lake City, Utah, to headline the third annual Dark Arts Festival. Cabaret Oscuro consists of Joyce Rooks on cello and laptop with David J doing vocals, lights and occasional guitar in an "avant-garde cabaret".
Other alternative talent is present with Bella Morte, Claire Voyant, Hungry Lucy, ThouShaltNot, Faith Assembly, Deviant, Soren and local Utah bands in this premiere dark music festival in the Western USA. Festival events are rounded out by dancers, performers, DJ:s, spoken word and fashion shows. The festival runs June 13-15 with a pre-party event on Thursday, June 12, at Club Sanctuary. /Alex Veronac

Ministry back live in Europe


Ministry live at Niagara Falls.
Photo by: Alex Veronac (Release)

• Ministry are back to do the festival circuit in Europe having started in the UK and ending up in Scandinavia by mid July on their "FornicaTour". The large open airs will have a shortened set and the preferred solo club dates will offer the full Ministry show and lights. Once these dates are complete, another round in North America is planned with some surprises with up to four added acts. The Revolting Cocks and guest vocalists Jello Biafra and Ogre were mentioned as additions on tour and Spitfire Records (USA) has already confirmed Ogre's presence. Will we possibly see Ohgr opening?
See earlier Ministry reports at Release here. /Alex Veronac

Treffen is upon us
• This year's Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig is in it's 12th year as it comes to life this weekend. Highlights include international acts Laibach, VNV Nation, DAF, Wayne Hussey (solo), Noisex, Mesh, Assemblage 23, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Placebo Effect, This Morn' Omina and as previously mentioned Dulce Liquido from Mexico City. Veterans coming for the first time to appear are Psyche and Decoded Feedback. Events in Leipzig include famous scene DJ:s from all over the world and shopping at the world's largest black market... /Alex Veronac

Malhavoc returns with live date



• Canada's original Malhavoc returns to the live stage after a three year recording and remix break. Dubbed by as the "early Ministry" before this genre was defined circa 1985, their dark themed performance included now legendary stage antics of nude performance, body mutilation, punishment and persona characterization (MC JC). Band leader James C has gone beyond his band's realm and gone on to collaborate on projects with Monster Magnet, Dave "Rave" Ogilvie, Tool, Carol Pope (Rough Trade) and DJ gigs. Malhavoc is set to perform June 7 in Toronto at DarkRave v40. The current line-up also includes infamous rock producer Rob Sanzo (Signal to Noise studios) and Lee "Sick Dog" McCormack (Moon Violet).
Their new CD "Anthems for the New Flesh: a Cronenberg Tribute" is their seventh due June 24. It's the first release in a trilogy inspired by existentialism, angst and the films of noted director David Cronenberg and includes covers of songs "Human Fly", "Bad Reputation" and "Clones". Malhavoc will be touring this summer in support of this release. /Alex Veronac

Armageddon Dildos back with a new album
• The musical mastermind behind the old Armageddon Dildos, Uwe Kanka, is now back with a new album. The album is called "Morgengrauen" and it's released by Ausfahrt Musikverlag/EFA. On the album we can hear twelve new songs from Uwe Kanka together with the Swedish girl Denise. Most of the songs are in German, with only two songs being in English. The sound is hard and aimed at the dancefloors and liveshows. /Jens Krause

Hybrid works with Peter Hook



• The dance and remix outfit Hybrid has a new album out this summer. It’s called “Morning Sci-fi” and should see the light of day on July 21. A single called “True to Form” is out on July 7.
Peter Hook from New Order has co-produced and collaborated with Hybrid on two tracks, namely the above mentioned “True to Form” and “Higher Than a Skyscraper”. /Johan Carlsson

Erasure cancel shows

• Erasure have cancelled two German concerts because of illness. The over forty date long "The Other Tour" is close to its end though. /Mikael Kahrle

Hocico back with new single
• The tongue twisting “Disidencia Inquebrantable” is the name of Hocico’s new single. The two angry Mexicans are returning to the hard style from their first albums, and the CDM also includes the track “Silent Wrath” in a new version. /Johan Carlsson

Hellström helps Universal Poplab
• Synthpop newcomers Universal Poplab are working on their debut album and a friend of the band, no other than Swedish pop star Håkan Hellström, has agreed to sing backing vocals on one track. The album will be released later this year, probably after a second single. /Mikael Kahrle

New Order: 25 new songs written
• According to the New Order site World in Motion, the legendary British band has so far written about 25 new songs, which they hopefully will start recording in October. Gillian Gilbert will not participate on it, due to family commitments.
New Order have also recorded a soundtrack especially for a Peter Saville show in London. Peter Saville has made cover artwork, posters and much more for a lot of bands throughout the years, including New Order and Joy Division. You can buy a CD with the music at the Design Museum from June 6. /Johan Carlsson

Boytronic on stage for the first time in ten years

Hayo Panarinfo and Holger Wobker live in Gothenburg.
Photo by: Joachim Ljunggren

• Last Friday's first live show ever with Boytronic on Swedish soil was successful and around 1 000 persons visited the venue. The lightshow was extraordinary and four people appeared on stage, all on keyboards. Even vocalist Holger Wobker (picture) played on occasion.
- I have visited Sweden with my other project U96 to do some videos, but with Boytronic it was the first time. It was the first Boytronic live show in ten years. We'd love to play more in Sweden, but there haven't been any more offers yet, musical mastermind Hayo Panarinfo tells Release.
Panarinfo is part of the new, third incarnation of the classic synthpop band, and was also involved in the second one with no original members and an English vocalist after original singer Wobker left in 1986.
- After the big success of U96 we paused with Boytronic. Then in 1999 I formed my own production company and tried to get in touch with Holger to bring Boytronic back to life. A friend of his incidentally phoned me to ask for Holger about the name Boytronic as Holger had the same idea. So I got in touch with him and we decided to meet after all these years. We started recording some new songs and after several sessions and two years of time a new album was finished - "Autotunes", Panarinfo says.
What do you do outside Boytronic?
- I am a member of the U96 production team and we just release a new single here in Germany called "We Call It Love". Apart from that I work as a producer for many other artists like Eden, Woofer and Sydney Youngblood, focusing on electronic music. We have a production and studio complex here in Hamburg and good demos are always welcome.
We asked what the future holds in store for Boytronic.
- We will definitely do more live shows as well as a tour, but there are no dates yet apart from the WGT festival in Leipzig. A new single will be released from the album soon entitled "Pioneers Are Marching on" with different kinds of remixes.
The Triggertrax web site is not up yet, but will be soon. /Mikael Kahrle

Melotron plan for the future
• Work on a new Melotron album is underway, and according to the band, the sound will be even more electronic and harder than on “Weltfrieden”.
“Mörderwerk”, the debut album of the German synthpop band is now available again in a new and remastered form, as previously reported. New artwork and three bonus b-sides from 1999 finishes this new version off. /Johan Carlsson