The program for the Oslo Jazz Festival has been announced. Get the details here: http://www.oslojazz.no/
Catena Collapse and Angora Static will be teaming up soon for a two-week tour in Germany. More details soon.
Some updated London gig info for Laakso:
05/25 - Carling Academy Islington, London w/Bearsuit
05/26 - Archway Tavern/Club Fandango, London w/Costar
05/27 - Club Echo, Gossips, Club Fandango, London w/Nebraska
05/28 - Barfly Camden, London w/David & the Citizens, Silverbullit
Norwegian up-and-coming R&B singer Winta collaborates with platinum-selling UK artists Sugababes: http://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2004051216204243297322
Winta's debut album "First" comes out May 24 on daWorks.
Pics from The Defectors trip to SXSW last March: http://www.thedefectors.com/PixSXSW/Album.htm
Chalksounds has posted a new web-single from Soviac for the Emmon (Paris) remix of "Boogie Woogie" entitled "You R an ass". Head on over to download it now: http://www.chalksounds.com/
Norway's favorite troll Mortiis has confirmed "The Grudge" as the title of his forthcoming album, due out in September from Earache. The album was co-produced by Vegard Blomberg and is due to be mastered at the Living Room in Oslo shortly.
Single Unit is touring Northern Europe as the opening act for the amazing US doom band Khanate (on all but the last two dates listed):
05/15 - Schaufenster, Oslo (NOR)
05/16 - Landmark, Bergen (NOR)
05/17 - Gaffel & Karaffel, Stavanger (NOR)
05/20 - Worm & Las Palmas, Rotterdam (NL)
05/21 - Lintfabriek, Kontich (BEL)
05/22 - Planet Art, Enschede (NL)
05/23 - Occii, Amsterdam (NL) w/Enduser, Crack, Fuckin´Odal
In other news, the group recently filmed two videos with Unn Fahlstrøm and Rune Andreassen for the songs "J.O.Y." and "5th Cumming". They've already been screened in Oslo, Stockholm and Rome and should hopefully be available online soon. They also recently finished working on the soundtrack for the upcoming file "Sigil" by Roger Eugen Pollokov Egseth. It will be showing at Stenersen Museum in Oslo from May 15 into the summer.
Norwegian hardcore band Kaospilot recently recorded a new song called "Vivre Sa Vie" for a special limited edition tour split 7" with Van Johnson (CAN). As mentioned here before, the bands are getting ready to head over to the US for a full tour and here are pretty much the finalized dates:
05/29 - NYC, NY Knitting Factory Tap Room w/Malady
05/30 - First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA
05/31 - Todd's Barn, Old Bridge, NJ
06/01 - Knights of Columbus, Syracuse, NY
06/02 - The Zoo, Wilkes-Barre, PA w/LickGoldenSky
06/03 - Scout Hall, Newark, DE
06/04 - Church, Boston, MA
06/05 - Friendly Fest, East Windsor, CT
06/06 - Warehouse Next Door, Washington, DC
06/07 - Posidome, Raleigh, NC
06/08 - I Defy House, Atlanta, GA
06/09 - Red Rose Café, Nashville, TN
06/10 - Reservoir House, Tulsa, OK
06/11 - Monkeywrench, Austin, TX
06/12 - House, Phoenix, AZ
06/13 - Koo's, Long Beach, CA
06/14 - ?????, San Diego, CA (still need help)
06/15 - Sound and Lights, Las Vegas, NV
06/16 - Biko, Goleta, CA
06/17 - tba, Santa Cruz, CA
06/18 - 924 Gilman St., Berkeley, CA
06/19 - Balazo Gallery, San Francisco, CA
06/20 - The Nocturnal, Portland, OR
06/21 - 2nd Ave Pizza, Seattle, WA
06/22 - JD & Friends, Boise, ID
06/23 - The Construsct, Denver, CO
06/25 - Barn, Mankato, MN
06/26 - The Owl Sanctuary, Madison, WI
06/27 - FSU Garage, Cedar Falls, IA
06/28 - House, St Louis, MO
06/29 - The Factory, Chicago, IL
06/30 - Diaper, Michigan, MI
07/01 - Lang House, Louisville, KY w/ADIBAW
07/02 - The Lightswitch, Toledo, OH w/ADIBAW
07/03 - ABC No Rio, NYC, NY w/ADIBAW, Hot Cross
As for the future, Kaospilot plans to do a new 10" and 12" before the end of the year, but label info and releases dates are all still tba.
DigitalMetal interviews Swedish grind act Gadget: http://www.digitalmetal.com/interviews.asp?iID=4998
Norwegian black-metal act Disciplin has set "Quimbanda" as the title of the their new album, due out early 2005 on Moonfog Records.
CDOASS have updated their website with a bit of news. First off, they just finished recording their own version of the Television Personalities' song "14th Floor" for an upcoming tribute compilation due out later this summer. Some of the other bands set to contribute as well include Tidy-Ups, Embassy, Jens Lekman and Radio Dept.. Next, they have announced that they will be opening for The Hives at the Electric Ballroom in London on June 3. Not a bad little gig, eh? And lastly, the band also ruminates on the closing of the famous Polar Studios with a couple pics from the "Autovision" session they did there last spring. Read more: http://www.cdoass.com/
SubSpace Communications has announced the signing of acoustic/electronic performer Tommy Spaanheden aka Stisch. His new single "Beauty in me" featuring Weeping Willows frontman Magnus Carlson will be out soon.
Also new from SubSpace is the free online single for "Paint it Black" from Statemachine.
Mp3: http://www.subspace.se/sounds/Statemachine/Statemachine_-_Paint_it_Black_(full).mp3
Artwork: http://www.subspace.se/media/images/statemachine/Paint_It_Black_-_cover.pdf