Following the phenomenal success of the 2000 Leeds Love Parade, it looks like another is planned for 2001, albeit in a different location. Leeds council resources were stretched, to say the least. Anyone who attended will remember the nightmare scenarios involved in exiting the park and getting out of Leeds city centre, either by road or rail (it took us six hours to get to York, where we were staying over the weekend). 500,000 revellers attended, in contrast to the 100,000 originally predicted. Council chiefs are looking at alternative venues that are capable of accomodating the large numbers anticipated - one of which is Wetherby racecourse. The venue can accomodate thousands of vehicles, access would be easier and security/ safety would apparently be greatly enhanced.
The fate of the Love Parade for 2001 is not definite however; Leeds council will not decide whether to go ahead with proposals until some time next week.

The Chemical Brothers played a brand new remix of Weatherall's classic Smokebelch at a Glint party last week. The hard-to-get-in-to event, at El Dorado's in West london, included a live set showcasing new material, as well as a DJ set, which featured the Smokebelch mix alongside DJ Rolando's Jaguar. The new Chemicals material is understood to sound more percussive and less trance/ hard-house oriented than their previous ouvre (thankfully). One track, under the name 'Balearic Techno' has alreadybeen circulated to a number of appropriate DJs. Let's hope that the new album, provisionally titled Chemical 4, will mark a return to form for Ed and Tom. All current intelligence suggests it could signal the return of inventive, melodic British techno and - potentially - take the sound overground.

Domestika is the title of Bjork's fourth studio album and it will be available sometime in Spring 2001. She's been working with long-time collaborator Mike 'Spike' Stent as well as the writer/director behind the film Kids, Harmony Korine. In the meantime, a live album of her recent Union Chapel gig will made available some time in the new year. This means that her planned collaboration with Alec Empire from Atari Teenage Riot has been put on hold (shame).
More information on the new album is available at the Bjork website, including lyrics to one new track - Harm of Will.

Dr Alex Paterson has spoken about the new Orb album, out in February 2001 and preceded by a single in January. The album - Cydonia - completes a twelve year cycle that reached huge critical acclaim with A Huge Ever Pulsating Brain... and catapulted ambient music into the national conciousness. Since the heydays of playing chess on Top of the Pops while The Blue Room burbled in the background, Paterson has been touring the globe with The Orb and keeping the flame alive in various chill out rooms around the world.
Jimmy Cauty, who left the Orb to concentrate on his activities with Bill Drummond as the KLF, is rumoured to be returning to collaborate on new Orb material, although Paterson maintains that the odds are still 70/30% (in his favour we presume).
You can watch a streaming video interview with the good doctor at Dotmusic. While you're there, check out the video to Saving Mary by Fused. The slow-mo footage of the delectible Swedish vixon Petra Hallberg is - ahem - worth watching.

Kraftwerk are releasing a remix compilation of their Expo 2000 project in March 2001. The compilation will include contributions from such haevy-hitters as Orbital, Francois K and Rob Rives, DJ Rolando and two versions from the mighty Underground Resistance.
The Expo 2000 track originally began life as a promotional track recorded for the German-hosted festival. It was the first new material to be released by Kraftwerk for over a decade. Virtually every respectable electronic music artist cites Kraftwerk as a formative influence, particualrly the Detroit techno innovators, who made no secret of the influence of European electronica on their sound. This will be the first time that Detroit Techno stalwarts have had the opportunity toi remix Kraftwerk - should be unmissable.

UR are playing at the Gainsborough Film Studios on New Year's Eve 2000. The line-up will include: Interstellar Fugitives, Mike Banks, Drexciya, Aztec Mystic, Suburban Knight, Perception and Deacon and Chaos. Tickets are £30. Don't forget to report back to nye@monoman.com if you go. We'll see you there.