Extra, Vol. 1 announced

Early in April, we found out that KMFDM would be releasing a 3-part series of compilations called Extra, which would feature lots of the non-album material from the band’s extensive back-catalog. Then they announced the tracklisting for the first volume on May 1st, but gave no mention of when it would actually be released. I figured it couldn’t be too much longer before a date was given, and then I would post it here. But here we are now halfway through the month and we still don’t have a date, so I’ve given up on waiting around for them to give us more details.

So, if you haven’t seen it already, here’s the tracklisting for KMFDM’s Extra Vol. 1 compilation. The release date will just have to be posted later. Nevermind, Metropolis says it will be out on June 3rd. Why couldn’t KMFDM write that on their site?

KMFDM - Extra, Volume 1 tracklist

Disc One
01. Sieg-Sieg (Z Records Version)
02. Don’t Blow Your Top (Adrian Sherwood Mix)
03. Disgust (12″ Mix)
04. Oh Look II
05. Rip The System
06. More & Faster (12″ Mix)
07. Naff Off
08. Virus (12″ Mix)
09. M+F 244 (High & Geil Mix)
10. Godlike (12″ Mix)
11. Friede (12″ Mix)
12. Naive (My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult Remix)
13. Naive (TKK Remix Edit)

Disc Two
01. Split (12″ Mix)
02. Piggybank (Shock Mix)
03. Go To Hell (Fearing & Burning Mix)
04. Vogue (12″ Mix)
05. Sex On The Flag (12″ Mix)
06. Split (Apart Version)
07. Split (Mirrorball Mix)
08. Money (Radio Mix)
09. Bargeld (Radio Mix)
10. Money (Cover Charge Mix)
11. Bargeld (Rubber Club Dub)
12. Money (Metal Mix)
13. Bargeld (Jezebeelzebutfunk Mix)
14. Money (Death Before Taxes Mix)

The June edition of 24/7

KMFDM has also recently announced that June’s edition of their 24/7 single series will be “Virus (12″ Mix)” with the B-side “More & Faster (High & Geil Mix)”. Head on over to the KMFDM Store on June 1st to order this limited edition single. All the past months’ singles have been selling out in just a few days, so you don’t want to be late.

Just shy of one year after their last album Symbol, Greifenkeil is already back with a new album that was just released today, May 9th. It’s called Blood Mystery and features 12 new songs from this dark electro-industrial act.

The traditional album format of all songs being mostly the same length is pretty much ignored here. Several of tracks (called “intros” in the tracklisting, although they are probably more like interludes) are pretty short, between 1:30 and 2:30 in length. To make up for this, most of the songs in between are more than 8 minutes, while one (”Blood Motion”) is almost 11 minutes long. All summed up, the album comes out to be about an hour in length.

Check out Greifenkeil’s MySpace page for several samples from the new album. You can find it online at AlphaMusic.de for 13.99 EUR.

Greifenkeil - Blood Mystery tracklisting
01. Reveal (Intro)
02. Blood Mystery
03. The Flow (Intro)
04. Blood Motion
05. Impasse (Intro)
06. Vendetta
07. Unleash (Intro)
08. Blood War
09. Goddess Of Blood
10. Tears Of Blood
11. Mystery (Outro)
12. Blood Mystery (Video Edit)

There’s a lot of buzz online surrounding Shnarph!’s debut full-length album Lautlos, especially because it’s now almost 4 years since their introductory EP, but some of the news is kind of confusing to be honest. For example, I’ve seen about a half dozen different release dates listed all over the internet. The majority of them are pointing us towards May 9th, however.

You may also notice that they’re calling this release of Lautlos a “limited edition” even in the absence of a normal version of the album. That doesn’t make any sense at first, but some sources seem to hint at a lesser version of the album (probably without the 3 bonus remixes) being released at a later time. When that is exactly is not yet known.

So, amidst all the buzz, some useful information does emerge. The first pressing of Lautlos will be released on May 9th. You can find it at online retailers like Infrarot.de in Europe and Isotank.com in North America.

You can listen to a few samples of Shnraph!’s music on their MySpace page, however just one is from Lautlos.

Shnarph! - Lautlos tracklisting
01. Von der Einsamkeit
02. Der Eiertanz
03. Virus
04. Die letzte Pussy
05. Albtraum
06. Reden und Atmen (Album Version)
07. Lebensangst
08. Ausgebrannt
09. Schnelle Kugel
10. Eine tolle Predigt
11. Donnern im Tal (Das Berghaus 2)
Bonus Tracks:
12. Virus (Gegenmittelmix von Schallfaktor)
13. Virus (U.N.K. Retractor Mix)
14. Virus (Krankheit Mensch Mix von Splitterpuppe)

Soman is becoming well known for their industrial-EBM style that is geared specifically for clubs. Their latest album Mask proved that this strategy is quite effective… and also great listen to. Now, the crew is back with a new EP, albeit a very long one, called Re:Up which has lots of remixes of their songs done by a range of other industrial, noise, and EBM acts. Just take a look at the tracklisting below for names like Noisuf-X, Xotox, XP8, and others.

Re:Up is being released tomorrow, May 2nd, on Infacted Recordings. We will also see an American release on COP International. They don’t seem to specify an exact release date for the American version, but it doesn’t really matter since you can already get it from them now for $9.99 (and they use PayPal so payment should be very easy). If you’re in Europe, I would recommend AlphaMusic.de which has Re:Up for €9.99.

If you’re not sure you want it, check out Soman’s MySpace page and see if it convinces you. It did for me.

Soman - Re:Up EP tracklisting
01. Absolution
02. Noise Anthem
03. Hear The Noise
04. Innocence V.2 (Sam Remix)
05. Divine (Clean Remix)
06. Divine (Noisuf-X Remix)
07. Tears (2008 Rmx)
08. Hear The Noise (Remix)
09. Divine (Modulate Remix)
10. Divine (Acylum Remix)
11. Tears (Xotox Remix)
12. Divine (XP8 Remix)
13. Mask (Pt. 1 MS Mix)
14. Divine (Original Mix)

Laibach interprets J. S. Bach

Laibach, every Germaniac’s favourite not quite German but Slovenian super-political and awesome industrial/neo-classical/electronic/everything ensemble will be releasing a new record titled LAIBACHKUNSTDERFUGE. In 2006 Laibach performed at a festival celebrating the classic German composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s life and works, and now it will be available for everyone on CD or digital download. LAIBACHKUNSTDERFUGE is a laibachized (i.e. sodomized but a hell of a lot better than the original) interpretation of Bach’s composition Die Kunst der Fuge. The release will also be accompanied by a short LAIBACHKUNSTDERFUGE tour in Europe.

On 5th May, the CD will be available for digital purchase on Mute.com and later as a physical product on Laibach WTC Shop, which will be opened in May as well.

Visit LAIBACHKUNSTDERFUGE’s own page for information on the project, complete tracklisting and tour dates.

New material from Turmion Kätilöt this summer

Although the Finnish Turmion Kätilöt is far from German, their incredible music has some really strong ties to German industrial metal. In fact, I remember Greg once writing that B.O.S.C.H. is like the German equivalent of Turmion Kätilöt, so if you like B.O.S.C.H., (and chances are you do if you’re surfing Germaniac), Turmion Kätilöt should get you very, very excited if you aren’t already.

Turmion Kätilöt has now announced the release of a new single and album. The single, due for 21st May, will be titled Minä Määrään, and the new album USCH! will be released on 11th June. Turmion Kätilöt have had some major difficulties with their current record company Spinefarm, and the animosity between the band and the company will be solved in court. I hope everything goes well for them.

Tracklisting for the single and albums haven’t been published as of yet, but in the meantime you can check their website for information on the band and samples of every single song they’ve released if you aren’t familiar with them already. Trust me, you should be.

Chris Pohl is the founder of a handful of bands like Blutengel and Terminal Choice and now he has yet another new project called Miss Construction. The release of the band’s debut album Kunstprodukt is just around the corner on Friday, April 25th. Most of the songs on the album are new, but the tracklist also features a remade version of Terminal Choice’s “Totes Fleisch”, a cover of Eco’s “Hass und Liebe” and is rounded out by 2 additional remixes.

Listen to Miss Construction
Miss Construction’s MySpace page has a “MC megamix” that lets you hear a medley of songs from Kunstprodukt. The music is basically in an electro-industrial or EBM style, but the band prefers to ridicule themselves with the term “industrial splatter porno pop”… I am consistently amused by such ridiculous self-imposed genre names.

Purchase Kunstprodukt
Kunstprodukt is being distributed by the German label Out Of Line. In Europe, the lowest prices for the album can be found in their own webshop or at Infrarot.de, both of which have it for €12.99. Isotank.com has it as an import for us Americans, for $19.99.

Miss Construction - Kunstprodukt tracklisting
01. Intro
02. Miss Construction Theme
03. Kunstprodukt
04. Eins und Zwei
05. Headshot
06. F**k Me, too
07. Hass und Liebe
08. Lunatic
09. I Luv U
10. Totes Fleisch
11. Slaughterhouse
12. F**k U bitch
13. Pornostar
14. Electro Beast
15. Kunstprodukt - remixed by Gintronic
16. Electro Beast - remixed by Dolls Of Pain

I just found out that 2 more German bands will be performing concerts in the United States later this year. So far, [:SITD:] is supposed to be playing on September 20th at Das Bunker in Los Angeles, and Soman will be appearing at the same club on August 22nd and will be headlining the Reverence Festival in Madison, Wisconsin the very next day. That’s all the shows in America these 2 electro-industrial acts have planned so far, but I am really hoping these evolve into longer tours that reach the New York area. I would love to see both these bands, and I know plenty of others who would too.

I’ll keep you updated about these bands and any more American concerts they plan. Until then, be sure to check out some of their music. Visit either SITD’s MySpace page or Soman’s Myspace page.

Accessory plans U.S. West Coast tour

I heard a few complaints when Accessory’s brief U.S. tour totally missed the West coast, but they have since announced plans to return to the other side of the States for a few more concerts. With just 7 dates, this is another really short tour, but combined with the other 7 they played previously, I guess it could be considered a decent showing. Accessory will be performing with Dust Is Noise for all dates, plus an additional guest Syndika Zero for the Portland, Oregon show. If you’re into electro-industrial, Accessory is a band you may very well be interested in hearing, and then seeing live on stage.

Accessory’s U.S. West Coast tour dates:
June 22 - San Francisco, California - Fat City
June 23 - Portland, Oregon - The Fez Ballroom
June 24 - Seattle, Washington - TBA
June 26 - Salt Lake City, Utah - Club Vegas
June 28 - Vegas, Nevada - Vector
June 30 - Tucson, Arizona - TBA
July 04 - Los Angeles, California - Das Bunker

B.O.S.C.H. to perform in a movie

One of the best new electro-metal bands from Germany, B.O.S.C.H. has been attracting attention from all kinds of people, movie producers included. The band has recently announced that they will be performing in a new movie directed by Joachim Mais called Katharsis. In the scene where B.O.S.C.H. will be performing, there will be lots of extras acting as the creatures of the underworld. This is where the band’s fans come into play: You are all invited to wear your best gothic and alternative clothing and take part in the filming of this big scene. If you want to participate, just check out the band’s post on MySpace for further details.

Die! has 2 new demos online

You may remember that ex-Megaherz singer Mathias Elsholz was confirmed to be the new singer of Die! back in August of last year. Well, it looks like the band has been hard at work with their new frontman because they now have 2 new demos available on their MySpace page. Both “Alles In Eine Topf” and “Teufelswerk” have Mathias’s signature broad vocal range, and I am predicting even more fans will be debating the musical similarities between Die! and Megaherz as well. They’re not nearly as refined as Megaherz’s high-quality demos, but you can definitely get a feeling for what the finished songs may sound like. Be sure to give them a listen.

The Swiss industrial band The Young Gods are releasing a new album called Knock On Wood this Friday, April 18th. This isn’t any normal album for them, however. It’s actually an acoustic album with 11 of their best songs including “I’m The Drug” from their 2007 album Super Ready/Fragmenté. They have picked up an acoustic guitar or two and started using much softer percussion during some of their recent concerts, and I guess it has led to this new album. Knock On Wood sounds beautiful, a very different approach to The Young Gods who are usually anything but acoustic. Aside from the music part of the album, it also comes with a DVD of live concert footage recorded during the past few years.

Where can I find it?
Knock On Wood is being released on Muve Recordings in Switzerland and on Play It Again Sam elsewhere in Europe, but they both seem to have forgotten about The Young Gods. Their new album has absolutely no distribution, I couldn’t find it in anywhere online. I don’t know how any label expects to slow down pirated music if they don’t make it available for anyone to buy, but that’s a whole different conversation… Anyway, hopefully someone will stock it once it’s actually released.

The Young Gods - Knock On Wood tracklisting:
01. Our House
02. I’m the Drug
03. Everythere
04. Gasoline Man
05. Speak Low
06. Charlotte
07. Ghost Rider
08. Longue Route
09. She Rains
10. Freedom
11. Skinflowers

Paul and a few others recently asked me when I was going to write about the upcoming Festival Kinetik, and I am happy to oblige. For those of you who haven’t heard about Festival Kinetik, it’s a new electro/industrial/noise festival that is replacing the C.O.M.A. Festival which ran from 2004 until 2007. It will take place in Montreal, Canada from May 15th to the 17th and will feature dozens of bands and DJs from North America and across Europe, including 5 from Germany. They are Funker Vogt, Kiew, Noisuf-X, Feindflug, and Xotox. Also worth noting, this will be the first North American appearance by the latter 2 bands.

Tickets and other info for attendees
Tickets to the festival are available in the Kinetik Store at various prices depending on what the package includes. The festival website also has lots of information for anyone who might be travelling from a distance about hotels, places to eat, and lots of other stuff about the city of Montreal.

Listen to the bands of Festival Kinetik
ArtOfFact has a 2CD compilation that has music by most of the bands that will be performing at the festival (plus a few extras) called Festival Kinetik Volume 1. While this is a great mix for fans to pick up, it’s also a terrific sampler for anyone who wants to learn more about the festival’s bands before making the decision whether to go or not. You can actually listen to every song from the compilation right there on the website. Just click on a track name and then look to the left side of the screen and click the play button. If you like it, the 2CD compilation is just 12.99 CAD to purchase.

Are you going?
Is anyone planning to go to Festival Kinetik? Leave a comment if you plan on attending, or if you just have something to say about one of the bands.