This installment of The Machine Age finds electronic music scenes almost as dry as Jay Leno’s monologue. The winter freeze always heralds the coming of a red-clad fat man bearing gifts, but our favorite record labels almost completely clam up until warmer weather, so here’s some stuff that may or may not cheer you up.

After a few delays, Artoffact Records present the Uturn Series, an array of hard-hitting dance tracks by Massiv in Mensch, Headscan, Negative Format and Implant. Negative Format has completed Cipher Method, a new full length described as a “journey into the dark recesses of the human mind, unlocking our encrypted thought patterns”. Gib Ihr Einen Namen, the only existing album of Fusspills 11, a collaboration between the members of Funker Vogt and Ravenous, is now seeing a re-release in a luxury digipak on Funker Vogt’s own label, Repo Records. The newest volume of the double CD compilation Venusa XX features 75% exclusive material by 32 female-fronted bands such as Chandeen, Bel Canto, L’Ame Immortelle, Theatre Of Tragedy, PNE, and In Strict Confidence to name a few. Glo, the second album from Hungry Lucy is to be released through Alfa Matrix. This long-awaited release is described as “the sensual encounter between Delerium and Bel Canto”. We listened to the first excerpts and can only but agree. Psyche vocalist Darrin Huss has been recording with Deep House recording artists Lorenzo on the album Esque. Look for the Lorenzo CD in April 2003. Psyche are currently working on their follow-up album to The Hiding Place, but before it’s released you can expect to see a “best of” album. Marc Almond will be a special guest at a celebration of Alla Bayanova, a legendary Russian singer to commemorate 80 years of performance. He and Dave Ball, aka Soft Cell will be performing their first and only PA performance as part of the promotion for their second new single The Night. Ataraxia is opening this year with the news that there will be two short-but-sweet upcoming releases—a limited10 inch and a CD single entitled Des Paroles Blanches. Nilaihah Records announces a new addition: Distorted Reality. Distorted Reality are Martha Arce (from Deep Red) and Christian Kobusch, and will release The Fine Line Between Love and Hate with new remixes from Assemblage 23, cut.rate.box, and Forma Tadre. Labelmates from The Azoic return with an upcoming CD announced as a “further continuation of Forward”. Depeche Mode members Martin Gore and Dave Gahan will both be releasing solo projects preceded by single releases. Martin’s untitled project will see a single release in mid-April. Dave’s will be released on mid-May.
Dance.com has entered into a broadcast agreement for the Male Or Female DVD release Speed Tribe with The Speed Channel (North America’s only dedicated automotive and racing channel) for 2003. Rhys Fulber has announced that he and Bill Leeb are to collaborate on a final Front Line Assembly album. In the meantime he has just finished the new Delerium album Chimera, to be released in March, after which a tour will follow. Fulber is also currently writing various material for the next Conjure One record. Terminal Choice are releasing a super-limited and hand-numbered new EP called Injustice. All tracks / versions on this EP are exclusive and give a first insight into the new Terminal Choice album due in early 2003. Industrial/avante garde pioneers Einstuerzende Neubauten will present 22 live tracks in the near future on a double-CD called Brussels 9-15-2000, Live at Ancienne Belgique. This release will also be available as a paid digital download from the official EN website, http://www.neubauten.org. Scott Sturgis (Converter, Pain Station) now has a new project called Notime. The first release of Notime, entitled Living Planet and Dying Planet, will happen through Auricle Media. The dual-CDR release will be limited to 250 hand-numbered copies and is composed of found sounds that are sampled and manipulated to create 42 experimental tracks. Newcomers to the experimental ambient-electronica scene Fake McName have recently signed to Sinister Handshake Records together with CEOXiME (a female fronted electro/bass project from Detroit and Chicago). Fake McName have already been featured on numerous compilations, including the Invisible Records / Underground Inc. release Notes From Thee Real Underground. Cop International announces 2 upcoming albums, one from Unit 187 called Capital Punishment, and a debut album entitled Traces of Solitude from the Portuguese band Phantom Vision. And One are ready to release their new album Agressor in April via Virgin Germany. They have begun preparing a single, also to be released on Virgin. US release dates are uncertain. Hanzel und Gretyl have signed to Metropolis Records and will see their new album released in the Spring. When asked why the band took such a long time to release their 3rd album, they responded,“It was a hard time dealing with legal crap, we couldn’t do anything about it.” The release will be accompanied by a tour. The new Covenant single Bullet has been released. It contains two exclusive remixes by Ellen Allien and Le Dust Sucker plus the bonus track Atom Heart. Also look for the single-DVD of Bullet containing the video done by director Joern Heitmann (Rammstein). Finally, the most surreal piece of news. Martin Atkins, known for his past with Pigface, NIN, Ministry, PiL and Killing Joke, offered his remixing skills online at eBay. Anyone who commissioned a remix could expect Atkins to contribute drums as well. Cash-wise, an employee of his label (Invisible) stated, “We’ve been hearing of remixers of producers experience getting 4-5 grand for a mix, so we felt this was a fair way of using his time. Obviously, anything under $1,500 is a steal—and the reserve is well under a grand!” The deal also included the rights to use his name on the purchaser’s CD, sticker, etc. The hilarious result…Atkins was dissed at a final bid of only $660.00, below the lowest preferred price.

The next time you hear from me will be in the Spring, just when record labels thaw and shit finally hits the fan. Until then, keep warm burning mix CDs!

Daryl Litts