Blackstrap will soon be entering Mailmen Studio to record their second full-length album for Sally Forth Records. Expect a spring 2005 release.
Also on the horizon for Sally Forth is a label comp entitled "A box of songs" featuring a selection of the label's artists, including a new, as-yet-unnamed signing.
Check out a clip from the new Gluecifer DVD "Royally stuffed": http://www.gluecifer.com/A_CAR_FULL_OF_STASH.mov
International tourdates for Norwegian electro artists Datarock:
11/12 - Cargo, London (UK)
11/20 - Marita's birthday party!, Nygårdshøyden (NOR) (private event)
11/25 - Charity concert for Amnesty Int., Bergen (NOR)
11/30 - tba, Montreal (CAN)
12/02 - The Empty Bottle, Chicago w/Fennesz
12/05 - Knitting Factory, New York w/The Eternals
12/26 - Julejazz, Horten (NOR)
Check out the video for "The new song" right here: http://www.datarock.no/booking/Datarock_-_The_New_Song.mpg
Duplicate Records/Beyond Dawn-related projects Two Trains, Lamented Souls, Virus and Infernö are all preparing new releases for 2005 along with the brand new side-project Beyond Brain.
A-ha will release their 20th anniversary singles collection on November 22. Check out the tracklist and artwork here: http://www.a-ha.com/index.php?id=5296&cat=417
Up-and-coming Norwegian singer/songwriter Magnet will be releasing a special EP this holiday season entitled "Minus" featuring his cover of the classic song "Let it snow". The disc will be released on CD in the UK and Japan, but in the US it will only be available via iTunes. Here's the full tracklist:
01. Let It Snow
02. Clean Slate
03. Heaviest Heart
04. Dead Happy
05. Big Black Moon
06. Clean Slate (The Bee's Remix)
"Let it snow" is also slated to be featured in an upcoming episode of the popular Fox TV show "The OC", The official release date for the EP is November 19.
Coming later this month on renown techno label Merck, a new release from Finnish expat Lackluster entitled "Showcase sampler". Tracklist and soundclips here: http://www.m3rck.net/html/discog/sc.html
CDON has teamed up with MSN to bring retail music downloads to Scandinavia and is trying to embrace the indie label scene. Read more: http://www.dagensskiva.com/news.asp?id=2901 (in Swedish)
DigitalMetal reviews the latest Red Harvest album: http://www.digitalmetal.com/reviews.asp?cid=3808
"I recently read a survey that said that Americans between the ages of 18 and 30 are the least rebellious and most god-fearing in the world. How disappointing. It's time that Satyricon came to the U.S."
The first confirmed dates for Satyricon's "The Return of the Antichrist" US tour with Infernal Majesty and 3 Inches of Blood:
12/02 - The Pound, San Francisco, CA
12/03 - The Whiskey, Los Angeles, CA
12/05 - Mason Jar, Phoenix, AZ
12/09 - Pops Nite Club, St. Louis, MO
12/11 - Harpo's, Detroit, MI
12/12 - Eagles Club/The Rave, Milwaukee, WI
12/13 – Metro, Chicago, IL
12/16 – Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
12/18 - The Palladium, Worcester, MA
12/19 – Jaxx, West Springfield, VA
Trouble seems to follow Gorgoroth everywhere they go. The latest incident involves a riot following their show in San Salvador: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=28951
How long until these guys are denied visas to any countries they want to tour?
This year's "Close-Up made us do it!" tour will consist of The Haunted, Totalt Jävla Mörker and Insision. Dates:
01/26 - Grand, Uppsala (SWE)
01/27 - Club Monster, Gävle (SWE)
01/28 - Pinkerton, Skellefteå (SWE)
01/29 - Pipeline, Sundsvall (SWE)
01/31 - Nosturi, Helsinki (FIN)
02/02 - Klubben, Stockholm (SWE)
02/03 - Platens Bar, Linköping (SWE)
02/04 - Klubb Kaliber, Mariestad (SWE)
02/05 - Diezel, Halmstad (SWE)
02/06 - Prisma, Västerås (SWE)
02/08 - Garage, Oslo (NOR)
02/09 - Trägårn, Göteborg (SWE)
02/10 - KB, Malmö (SWE)
02/11 - Kino, Karlskrona (SWE)
02/12 - Pumpehuset, Copenhagen (DK)
02/13 - Voxhall, Århus (DK)
Swedish rock label Bootleg Booze has redone their website to make it a bit easier to navigate: http://www.bootlegbooze.com/
The tracklist for the Avanto Compilation CD to be published in conjunction with Helsinki's Avanto Festival later this month:
01. Ian Helliwell - May 2nd 2004, 3:30 am
02. Sultans - Sultans Theme
03. Goodiepal - -_Mainpal Inv._Hitachi (live)
04. Ohne - Lieber Gott
05. Aavikon kone ja moottori - Karavaani
06. Aprox. - Elbow Knock (From Avanto with Love Remix)
07. Astro Twin - 20041014
08. Kemialliset ystävät - Sama vanha sama juttu
09. Krzyzosiak Verhaverbeke - The First
10. Mikko Hynninen - Kiasma-teatteri
11. COH - 665,9F (Hot Like Hell)
12. Cellule d'Intervention Metamkine
13. The Leo Bugariloves - Muukalainen
14. Alec Empire - Breakdown
15. Mattin - April 2004
16. Belgradeyard Sound System - Brush It! (live version)
17. Michaela Schwentner & Didi Bruckmayr - Giuliana 64:63