NEWS

The Garland Cult, the synthpop side project of Empire State Human's Aidan Casserly and Lar Kiernan, released their final album, Monster, this week on Ninthwave Records in North America and Electric Fantastic Sound in Europe. The album features a new version of the band's recent hit single, "Ether," as well as covers of "Feel Good," originally performed by Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and "30th Century Man," originally by Scott Walker.

Out now on the Fwank!Music label is Welcome to Postwar USA, the newest album from electronic artist Brian Botkiller. The new album features a guest appearance from En Esch on the title track and is limited to 100 physical copies; a digital edition is also available.

J Hookens of British label Urbcom Recordings, best known for his work in the projects Jerico One and The Dielectric, was recently hospitalized for a brain tumor. After receiving a brain scan on July 2, Hookens was admitted to the high risk ward at the Royal Salford Hospital in Manchester. Urbcom co-director Dave Escott states that Hookens is in "critical but stable condition" in a press release on the Urbcom MySpace page.

French electro/industrial group Ad Inferna will release their newest album, DSM, July 27 in North America. The album, which was released earlier this year in Europe, features bonus remixes from Suicidal Romance, Cellmod and Distatix as well as a music video.

Female-fronted electro/industrial act Prometheus Burning will release a new album, Displacement Disorder, July 23 as a limited edition boxed set featuring a bonus CD, Murder in the RAW, by the band's modular hardware noise project, Four Pi Movement. The album also features an exclusive mix by legendary power noise act Imminent. In addition to the two CDs, Displacement Disorder comes packaged with two stickers, two postcards and an exclusive button.

Several new releases are available now as free downloads from the D-Trash Records label: Eraplee Noisewall Orchestra's The Gloomy Side of Noisewall, Not Half's C-Division, Jul!e D:stroy's Lipgloss n' Chaos!!!!!, CPUWar's Ultrapunk 5769, and the self-titled album from The Named, the new solo project from Rabbit Junk's JP Anderson. Two compilations are also available: a collection of breakcore tracks entitled Distorted Mind and a sampler from Vancouver-based label SeveredDigit. Visit the links for more information or to download these releases.

A new digital single, Tragek, is now available from oHgr direct from the project's website. The single, according to oHgr, celebrates the project becoming "unchained from the legal ties that bound our ability to self-release the music you have been wondering about." German label SPV, to which the project was signed, declared bankruptcy in 2009. Visit the links for more information or to purchase and download the new single.

On Friday, July 30 in Philadelphia, Voltaire will headline Projecktfest. Other bands slated to perform include The Twilight Garden, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Unto Ashes and Nicki Jaine. The addition of Voltaire to the lineup was announced to coincide with the "reboot" of Projektfest, which will now be an all-ages event; the "reboot" also includes the fact that ticket prices have now been reduced to $10 from $39, following fan feedback.

German label Out of Line Music will release a compilation promoting this year's Amphi Festival on July 23. The compilation features numerous artists appearing at Amphi Festival 2010, including Skinny Puppy, Combichrist, And One, Blutengel, Faderhead, Diary of Dreams, Eisbrecher, Ashbury Heights and more. The festival takes place July 24-25 in Germany, and tickets are already sold out.

The Netherlands' XMH have signed with Nilaihah Records in North America. The label will release a North American version of XMH's newest album, State of Mind, July 13. The album features bonus remixes by Implant, Jesus on Extasy and Soman and was released in Europe on Danse Macabre Records. Visit the links for more information or to pre-order a copy of the album.