Noise pin-up (and clippings fiend) Dominick Fernow is more likely to be found stamping his feet than putting them up.

Fernow already helms the punishing Hospital Productions label, which puts out much of his voluminous output alongside all manner of noise/metal curiosities. He’s about to double his paperwork with a new imprint, the cheerily titled Bed Of Nails. If his first release is anything to go by, Fernow will be using the label to explore more rhymthic structures than Prurient aficionados might be used to.

NAIL001 will be from Fernow himself, under his gyratory Vatican Shadow moniker. The four-track September Cell EP will arrive in June. This year’s Kneel Before Religious Icons rerelease reminded us what a potent force the Vatican Shadow project is, a pounding exercise in politically engaged industrial groove. Looking at the martial tracklisting for the new release, we’re expecting similarly forceful kicks from the new release.

The record is cut at Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin, and strictly limited to 700 copies. ‘September Cell’ is due on June 18. You can read our classic 2011 interview with Fernow here.

Tracklisting:
A1. September Cell (The Storm)
A2. September Cell (The Punishment)
B1. Cairo Is A Haunted City
B2. One Day He Heard The Call

Remember Holy Ship, the rave cruise that ran aground?

Well, it’s back. And bigger than before. Much, much bigger in fact.

Whereas Holy Ship’s first voyage, which lest we forget, almost ended in tragedy, sported a line-up that read like a who’s who of loud, brash dance music (Skrillex, Fatboy Slim, Rusko, Diplo, Steve Aoki et al – though there was room for the really-quite-good Brodinski and, er, Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee), their 2013 one is a more diverse affair, with Night Slugs’ Girl Unit, L-Vis 1990, Kingdom and Bok Bok, Jackmaster, Claude VonStroke, J Phlip, Eats Everything and more stopping by for sets.

At the top of the card, meanwhile, you’ve got Major Lazer, Boyz Noise, Knife Party, Justice, Diplo, A-Trak, Skream & Benga, Crookers and more.

Holy Ship sets off in Florida’s Fort Lauderdale on January 4 and patrols the Caribbean until January 7. For more information, head to their website, and for a taste of what to expect, check out these pictures from the first one.

Frank Ocean Factoid #20574: Ocean writes his lyrics using Notepad.

Pitchfork report that Ocean offered us a peek into his writing process, posting up a screengrab of some new lyrics over the weekend. The image was followed by a video post of Ocean performing in his house (Frank Ocean Factoid #20574: the man prefers blinds to curtains). It’s an offhand take of Ocean “just at home fuckin around, no judging”. Ocean’s a compelling live performer, but there’s something especially spellbinding – devotional, even, about watching him hunched over a keyboard, lost in his work.

Synthesiser pioneer Giorgio Moroder, who produced several hits for recently deceased disco singer Donna Summer, has spoke about how he’d love to make Nicki Minaj his modern day muse.

Speaking ahead of the Ibiza International Music Summit, Moroder claimed that he’s become reinvigorated by the success of dance music in recent years (we’re really hoping he didn’t say “EDM”), and is ready to get back in the game.

“I’m probably going to do some songs featuring a singer – a female or group”, explained the Italian. “I like to work with female singers, which I’ve done a lot in my life. Rihanna would be my favourite, also Nicki Minaj would be great – those are the top girls who I would like to work with” [via Gigwise].

Given how generic some of the production was on the more dance-y end of Minaj’s recent Roman Reloaded album, this could be a match made in Heaven – if still admittedly a long shot. Having said that, we can’t imagine Minaj not being into some of Moroders clothes back in the day, and that tash speaks for itself. While we’re getting excited: can you imagine Moroder working with Electrik Red?

Stream Donna Summer’s Moroder-produced ‘I Feel Love’ below.

Submotion Orchestra perform instrumental neo-soul, performed with the vigour of Funky and the exuberance of Timeless-era Goldie.

The Leeds ensemble are occasionally a little too po-faced, but when they’re at their best (as on the utterly heart-stopping ‘Perfection’, from last year’s Finest Hour LP), they hit the boss bang-on. In its original form, ‘Always’ is a prime example of their modus operandi; this is how The Cinematic Orchestra might sound if they played bashments rather than theatres. It’s the sort of track you can imagine DVA absolutely falling in love with, so it’s no surprise to find the miscevious Mr. Smart stepping up on the remix.

DVA’s take is much dinkier than anything on Pretty Ugly. A catchy/infuriating (delete as applicable) synth motif loops without end, and tin(ny) drums invoke a similar carnival feel to ‘Just Vybe’. DVA’s straightforward approach certainly diminishes the grace of the original, but in its place is a piece of effective, unrelenting dancefloor fodder. The synth lines are hollow, but there’s plenty of sparkle – eski after the thaw.

R. Kelly’s new album, Write Me Back, will be released on June 25.

The r’n'b legend has descended into one of music’s most ridiculous characters in recent years: even putting aside that court case you’ve got the cruise-line, the book, Trapped in the Closet, the recent “celebrity hosting” kerfuffle. You know the deal when it comes to Robert Sylvester, basically, but the man’s still got one of the best voices in modern music – even surviving recent throat surgery.

Write Me Back is one of two albums Kelly has in the pipeline – the other is, brilliantly, titled Black Panties - and will, so reports claim, be released packaged with a postcard that fans can use to write a letter to the singer. The record is described as “a celebration of love’, representing the “natural progression of Kelly’s musical time machine, recalling the sultry and seductive sounds associated with such icons as Barry White, Marvin Gaye and Teddy Pendergrass, among others.”

You can check the Write Me Back tracklist and stream ‘Feelin Single’ below. And how’s this for a bit of Monday fun (Fun-day)? In the comments section at the bottom of this post, let us know what you would write R. Kelly in a letter. If we ever get sent the album, the best suggestion wins our copy.

Tracklist:
1. Love Is
2. Feelin’ Single
3. Lady Sunday
4. When A Man Lies
5. Clipped Wings
6. Believe That It’s So
7. Fool For You
8. All Rounds On Me
9. Believe In Me feat. Young Jeezy
10. Green Light
11. Party Jumpin’
12. Share My Love
Deluxe Edition:
13. Beautiful In This Mirror
14. You Are My World
15. Fallin’ From The Sky
16. One Step Closer

Laurel Halo’s new album Quarantine has been one of this year’s oddest pop records.

We’ve been hosting a stream of Quarantine for the last week. The fusion of heady synth work and Halo’s wisp-thin voice offers a very singular treat. If it’s Halo in person that you’re craving, good news: the New York artist has announced a slew of European tour dates.

Halo’s UK dates include appearances in Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. Field Day and Italy’s Modena May Day! Festival are among the festival stop-offs. No word yet on whether there’ll be any visuals, but, if there are, we’re really hoping they call the same person who designed that eye-exhausting front cover. Dates are below.

Dates:
24.05.2012 P Lisbon ZDB
25.05.2012 P Guimarães Centro Cultural Vila Flor
26.05.2012 IT Modena May Day! Festival
27.05.2012 GR Athens Bios
30.05.2012 FR Paris Point Ephémère
31.05.2012 SCO Glasgow the arches
01.06.2012 UK Manchester Islington Mill
02.06.2012 UK London field day
05.06.2012 UK Liverpool Kazimier
06.06.2012 SWE Stockholm Färgfabriken
07.06.2012 DK Copenhagen loppen
08.06.2012 DE Berlin Berghain
09.06.2012 CH Luzern Südpol
11.06.2012 RUS Moscow the design center Artplay
14.06.2012 ESP madrid picnic sessions / CA2M
15.06.2012 ESP barcelona nitsa / off sonar

On Saturday July 7, We Fear Silence will toast two of the most formidable labels in grime/garage/wotchucallit: Butterz and Hardrive

Elijah & Skilliam’s Butterz imprint will team up with Terror Danjah’s modest Hardrive crew for a night of aggie thrills at London’s Cable. Mercurial ex-Roll Deep MC Trim will be bringing some freewheeling menace to proceedings. As this year’s excellent Bandoolou demonstrated, Trim’s both a commanding vocal presence and a fabulous creator, able to call on stellar beats from the likes of Harmonic 313 and Rudekid. Few Roll Deep members have quite as much fun with language as Trim, and it should make for a compelling show. Old hands Newham Generals, currently nestling under Dizzee’s wing, will also be keeping things riotous, as will Logan Sama‘s UK garage set.

Further additions include Champion, Swindle, Notion and Mr Mitch. And, of course, those label figureheads will be stopping by: Terror Danjah will be teaming up with Riko, and Elijah & Skilliam will continue to scour out curious new quarters of grime music.

The night runs from 10.00pm until 6.00am. Tickets and further information are available from the Cable website.

Update: If any of the below press your buttons – and they really should – then you may be in luck. FACT have a pair of VIP tickets to the festival to give away to one lucky reader. If you’d like to be in with a chance of nabbing them for yourself, send an email through to competitions@thevinylfactory.com including the words ‘Field Day’ and your name in the title header. Best of luck!

Field Day’s line-up is now finally set in stone.

The Bugged Out! Stage boasts the most enviable roster. German eclecticists Modeselektor are the biggest act on the bill, and SBTRKT will be getting things moving with their dynamic live show. Day-glo beatmakers Hudson Mohawke and Rustie will be repping the LuckyMe collective, and fellow Glaswegian Koreless will be keeping things warm and immersive. Julio Bashmore and Maya Jane Coles will offer their respective takes on house music. Eats Everything, Blawan, Daniel Avery and The Internet round out the stage.

Bleed have a stonker of a line-up on their stage. Austrian electronic legend Fennesz will be on board, as will Julia Holter, Laurel Halo, Kassem Mosse, Peaking Lights and (touch wood) Zomby. The Haxan Cloak (DJ), Com Truise, Casper C, Paddy O. Neil and Blackest Ever Black DJ will keep things dark and druggy.

Weirder thrills will be in strong supply over on the Village Mentality stage. Woman of the moment Grimes will be showcasing her skewed brand of pop music. Veteran post-rock ensemble Tortoise, Gold Panda, Afrocubism and the excellent R. Stevie Moore will be appearing. Tim Burgess (DJ), Revere, Mazzy Star, Rocketnumbernine, Papa M and Django Django also feature.

The Red Bull Music Academy stage also has plenty to recommend itself. Rising singer Jessie Ware will be appearing, as will Blanck Mass, debruit, UMA, Sunless ’97, Kidkanevil and Chairlift. The Laneway Festival stage, by contrast, goes in for indie-inflected sounds. Kindness, Spector, Sleigh Bells, Here We Go Magic, Errors, Summer Camp, Two Jackals, The Vaccines and Blood Orange will all be appearing.

The Eat Your Own Ears stage boasts the big indie names: Franz Ferdinand, Metronomy, Liars and Beirut are all stopping by. Finally, the Shackleton Arms stage will host Jeffrey Lewis And The Junkyard, Theme Park, THE MEN, Friends, Baxter Dury and a stash of DJs.

Field Day takes place at Victoria Park and is on June 2 this year; an earlier date than usual due to the Olympics. For more information and to purchase tickets, head to the Field Day website.

Dollop are presenting a series of three clubnights celebrating the originators of Detroit techno.

The series will launch on June 29 at a secret east London location, with Juan Atkins (pictured) headlining. Kevin Saunderson leads the charge for pt.2 on July 13, and Derrick May brings things to a doubtless ecstatic close on July 27. More acts for each night to be announced in the coming weeks.

Each night will run 10pm-6am, and super early bird tickets are currently available for £10. Limited series tickets – £25 for entry to all three nights – are also now on sale. Get yours, and find more information, here.