To celebrate their 23rd birthday, KMFDM are inviting fans to contribute messages for inclusion on their next album. Leader Sascha Konietzko posted the following on KMFDM’s official website:

In appreciation of our fans on our 23rd birthday, we would like to invite you to be on the next KMFDM album. Call 1-206-388-3298 and tell us, simply and honestly, what does KMFDM do for you? We’re not looking for you to just shout out some KMFDM slogans or come up with more acronyms for our name. Hit us with something original. If you leave a good message we may end up using it on our new album. Please be aware that all messages become the property of KMFDM, Inc.

The KMFDM “Fan Phone” line will be open until March 14. Sascha went on to write that they would be also “blowing the doors off the KMFDM Vault” and making rare items available through their online store.

According to Amazon.com, Howard Devoto’s “Jerky Versions Of The Dream” will FINALLY get a CD re-issue on March 8, 2007. Originally released in 1983, “Jerky Versions Of The Dream” is the first and only solo album from the former Buzzcocks and Magazine vocalist. Those who don’t remember it by name may recall the single/video “Rainy Season” (’I am on fire, and it’s the rainy season….’). Later in the 80’s, Devoto put out 2 albums as part of the band Luxuria before leaving the music industry to work at a photographer’s agency. He returned in 2001, collaborating with Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks as ShelleyDevoto. When it comes to post-punk British music, “Jerky Versions Of The Dream” has been very much a lost gem, difficult to find outside of the occasional appearance on eBay. It has long been a favorite of mine, so I’m looking forward to finally replacing my old cassette copy!

UPDATE (4/22/07): Amazon just cancelled the order, saying that the item is unavailable! At this point, I’m not sure if the re-release actually happened/will happen. But I will investigate and post any updates I find.

Throbbing Gristle are back with “PART TWO - The Endless Not,” their first new studio album in 25 years. Each disc of the initial pressing will contain one of four different TG Totemic Gifts, which were handmade in Thailand under member Peter Christopherson’s personal supervision. There will also be a double vinyl edition.

The group has announced a series of live dates to coincide with the release:

Apr 30 DONAU FESTIVAL, Vienna, Austria.
May 27 TATE MODERN London. UK.
Jun 1 INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, London. UK
Jun 2 INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, London. UK
Jun 3 INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, London. UK
Jun 7 BIOS FESTIVAL, Athens. (tbc)
Jun 9 FASTERTHANSOUND, UK.
Jun 10 VENICE BIENNALE, Venice. (tbc)
Oct 6 EMILIA OPERA HOUSE Bologna, Italy. (tbc)
Oct 13 FREIZE ART FAIR London. UK

For more info, check out the official Throbbing Gristle website. A music sample from “PART TWO - The Endless Not” has been posted on the Throbbing Gristle MySpace page.

Back in 1996, Chaos Control profiled Babyfox, a UK-based trio with a dub-influenced electronic sound. Over the years, their 2 CDs have stood the test of time and remained favorites, but the group itself disappeared from view in the new millennium. So I was very happy to get an email from member Alex Gray saying that Babyfox are BACK with a website and new music available for download.

The following is the first part of a new email interview with Gray:

Why has it been so long since we’ve heard from Babyfox? What made you decided that the time was right to return with new music?

We left Roadrunner Records back in ‘99. Usual story - original A&R guy had left (went on to manage Death in Vegas and Electralane) and the vision from the company side was gone. We got involved in writing some film soundtracks and recording new songs. We were really pleased with the new direction. Then we changed management, but although Maverick nearly went for it nothing happened. So by about 2000/2001 we kinda stopped being a band -though since we had been mates for so long the friendship remained intact. Dwight actually went off to do a fine art masters and then promptly won inclusion in Bloomberg New Contemporaries - an important platform for new emerging art. Christine was doing her own thing (Alf - bluesy twisted collaborative effort with various friends - now 3 albums in) and I started a new project that became NAGRA (album coming out later this year on a German label called www.mole.de) Since we had started collaborating again under the auspices of a Dwight art piece it made sense to see what might reveal itself if we started writing songs together again. Dwight turned up to my studio (in an ex-chocolate factory in North London) with an old doowop track about getting married. Typical start point. Fantastically inspired tangent from Dwight and me and Chris start jumping up and down(more figuratively at first) and running with the baton. Another evening Francois Hardy became our muse and we came up with a thing that became the track “E.M.O.T.I.O.N”

• Visit the Babyfox website
• Read our 1996 interview

“8-Bit Operators - An 8-Bit Tribute to Kraftwerk” is a new collection of Kraftwerk covers created primarily on old computer equipment and gaming consoles. It was conceived/compiled by Jeremy Kolosine, who under the name Receptors contributed a rendition of “Trans-Europe Express” to the disc. In an email interview, Kolosine explained a bit about the release:

1) Kraftwerk are definitely a fitting subject for a release like this, but what specifically led to their music being chosen as the theme?

well the 1st thing that comes to my mind when i saw a gameboy show was Kraftwerk’s Computer World tour from 1981, where 4 of them played various handheld devices during pocket Calculator. plus it came up in print from a Glomag quote, and an 8-Bit Weapon April Fool’s joke that backfired..

2) What would you say the balance is between tracks specifically created for this release, versus Kraftwerk covers that artists had already done?

only one track was previously recorded before i asked, Role Model’s version of “Showroom Dummies”

3) Did any of the tracks particularly surprise you in terms of what was done with the Kraftwerk material, or the types of sounds that an artist got out of their low-bit instruments?

yes, i can think of an example this happening in every song.

4) Has there been any feedback on the project from Kraftwerk on the project?

because it was to be on Kraftwerk’s U.S. home label, we ran the finished tracks by them.

5) Besides covering Kraftwerk and the use of old gaming systems and/or 8-bit computers, was there any criteria that went into the selection of artists for the collection?

i wanted as many of the new wave of 21st century chipmusic/bitpop scene originators/inventors to take part.

6) Why do you think that this type of equipment wasn’t originally taken as seriously in terms of musical creation?

i believe it’s because at the time, the marketing approaches used for synths were still assuming that users wanted realistic emulation of traditional instruments, which may be true, but in that respect, lo-bit technology doesn’t excell so it may have failed because of that (talking synthesis and not sampling technology of course).

“8-Bit Operators - An 8-Bit Tribute to Kraftwerk” also features Bacalao, Glomag, Covox, Role Model, Nullsleep, David E. Sugar, Oliver Wittchow, 8-Bit Weapon, FirestARTer, Neotericz, Herbert Weixelbaum, Bubblyfish, Bit Shifter, GwEm And Counter Reset. It will be released by Astralwerks on February 6, 2007. There’s also a 12″ single/download release (out now) featuring a multi-artist mega-mix of “Pocket Calculator” and an exclusive version of “The Robots.”

• Click here to order the CD from AMAZON
• Click here to visit the 8-Bit Operators myspace page

Skinny Puppy have completed work on a new CD, “Mythmaker.” It is scheduled to be released Jan 29th in the UK & Europe and Jan 30th in the US. The group says that they will soon be previewing music and artwork from it on their myspace page.

UPDATED : GET A FREE ADVANCE DOWNLOAD!! “Mythmaker” is not in stores yet, but you can currently download it from eMusic. And if you’re not a member and open up a new free trial membership, you can get it as part of your initial 25 downloads (yours to keep even if you don’t remain a member!) Click on the banner below to get an account!

Skye has released a new 5-track EP, “Skye: Live At KCRW.” It features stripped-down live versions of three songs from her “Mind How You Go” album, as well as her first solo recording of the Morcheeba track “The Sea” and a cover of Gorillaz’ “Feed Good Inc.” Overall, it’s a very strong release, with “Feed Good Inc” being an unexpected highlight. “Skye: Live At KCRW” is available ONLY as a download from such sites as iTunes and Napster. Be sure to check out our interview with Skye by clicking here.

On February 27th, Nine Inch Nails will be releasing a new live DVD collection, “Beside You In Time.” In addition to DVD, it will be released in Blue-ray and HD DVD format. What makes “Beside You In Time” special is the fact that it was designed from the ground up as a high definition experience, using 16×9 1080p footage from the 2006 with_teeth tour. In addition to 24 live tracks, there are also some bonus music videos and rehearsal clips (unfortunately not in high definition, as they were original shot in standard video formats.) For more information, check out the new “Beside You In Time” mini site. New clips from the disc will be added to the site every week until the 2/27 release date. There will also be some club screenings of “Beside You In Time” during Jan/Feb.

Halou have a new EP, “Albatross,” available exclusively through iTunes. Priced at $3.99, it features the tracks “Cello,” “Ingénue (Different),” “Albatross,” “One Sunny Day,” and “Night Divides The Girls.” The band points out that due to a glitch on iTunes the new version of “Ingénue” is listed as being by the band “Celtic Cross,” but it IS actually Halou.

This Friday will see the live debut of 32CRASH, a new project featuring Jean-Luc De Meyer (FRONT 242), Len Lemeire (IMPLANT) and Jan D’Hooghe (ex-VIVE LA FETE drummer). The group will be doing a short set as part of an Alfa Matrix festival in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium. Also on the bill are DISKONNEKTED, MONOLITH, AYRIA (first Belgian concert!) and IMPLANT + DJ Stef (NEBULA-H) & DJ Dave (ex-Syndroom). All attendees will receive a free sampler CD featuring a 32CRASH track. According to their website, 32CRASH will be releasing their debut album next year. In the meantime, you can hear a few of their songs on myspace.

• Click here to for more info on the festival
• Click here to visit the 32CRASH myspace page..