Killing Joke: Jaz Coleman ‘alive and kicking’ in the Sahara, new ‘KJ in Dub’ project due

Killing Joke unloaded a flurry of news this morning via Facebook, announcing that “missing” frontman Jaz Coleman “appeared today from his retreat in the Western Sahara” — where he was working on a book, TV show and solo album — as well as revealing plans for a 3CD KJ in Dub remix project and the cancellation of a planned $300-a-ticket studio concert that was to have been filmed for a live DVD.

On July 31, Killing Joke announced Coleman had gone missing after apparently taking to Facebook to malign The Cult and The Mission and proclaim that the band was pulling out of a recently downsized U.K. tour with the two acts this September. The other members of Killing Joke said they were “deeply embarrassed” by the comments and hoped to still appear on the U.K. tour.

Today’s statement, posted both on Killing Joke’s and Coleman’s Facebook pages, claims “mystery still surrounds” the original Facebook message attributed to Coleman, of which he claims “no knowledge.” According to the band, Coleman says, “Looks like this has caused a right ding dong and feel its impossible to continue this tour under the circumstances.” The band wishes The Cult and The Mission “the best of luck,” and says it will try to “find out who has been impersonating” Coleman. (See the full statement about Coleman’s return below.)

According to the band, Coleman was away working on the score for his new project The Nirvana Symphonic, which is being eyed for a TV show and a concert in Seattle next year, as well as a book and album that will be packaged together and available for order as early as next week.

Just an hour before announcing Coleman’s reappearance, however, Killing Joke reported on Facebook that “due to Jaz still not resurfacing,” plans to film a live DVD on Sept. 8 at London’s Metropolis Studios were being scrapped, and that “money will be returned in full straight away.”

Finally, the band also announced a 25-years-in-making project called KJ in Dub, a 3CD set assembled by bassist Martin “Youth” Glover that includes “some classic treasures from the KJ vault,” mixes of tracks from the band’s last two albums and mixes by Nine Inch Nails and others. The collection “will become available for pre-order middle of next week.”

Below, check out the KJ in Dub tracklist and the band’s statement on Coleman’s whereabouts:

Tracklist: Killing Joke, KJ in Dub

CD 1: KJ in Dub
1. “This World Hell” (Youth Dub Mix)
2. “Money Is Not Our God” (Youth Dub Mix)
3. “Love Like Blood” (Youth Dub Mix)
4. “European Superdub” (Youth Dub Mix)
5. “Ghosts Of Ladbroke Grove” (Clive Goddard Dub Mix)
6. “Depth Charge” (Youth Dub Mix)
7. “A Sixth Sun” (Youth Dub Mix)
8. “Pole Shift” (Geordie & Clive Goddard Mix)
9. “Tomorrow’s World” (Youth Dub Mix)
10. “The Raven King” (Youth Dub Mix)
11. “ESS” (Orb VS Youth Mix)
12. “Absolute Dissent” (Geordie & Clive Goddard Dub Mix)
13. “Corporate Elect” (Youth Dub Mix)

CD 2: KJ in Dub (Dancehall)
1. “Change” (Spiral Tribe Mix)
2. “In Cytheria” (Bloody Beetroots Remix)
3. “Seeing Red” (Jagz Kooner Remix)
4. “Democracy” (Nine Inch Nails Remix)
5. “ESS” (Youth Remix)
6. “Savage Freedom” (UX Remix)
7. “Whiteout (The Intellect Is Ugly)” (Mandra Gora Remix)
8. “Love Like Blood” (Deedrah Remix)
9. “In Cytheria” (Banda Remix)
10. “ESS” (J.Zoomba Industrial Mix)
11. “Jana” (Hallucinogen Remix)
12. “Stations Of The Sun” (Hallucinogen Remix)
13. “Pandemonium” (Man With No Name Remix)

CD 3: KJ in Dub Retroactive
1. “Requiem” (A Floating Leaf Always Reaches The Sea Mix)
2. “Pandemonium” (A Thread Of Steel In The Suspension Bridge Of Time & Space Mix)
3. “Another Cult Goes Down” (Portobello Mix)
4. “Killer” (Dub aka Bread & Jam)
5. “Democracy” (The Orb Russian Tundra Mix)
6. “Democracy” (Waxworth Industries Mix)
7. “Pandemonium” (Nu-Clear Shredded Fibres Mix)

Killing Joke statement 8/12/12:

Jaz Coleman, alive and kicking in the Western Sahara

To the relief of family and friends, Killing Joke Frontman Jaz Coleman appeared today from his retreat in the Western Sahara bemused by all the fuss of his disappearance. “I’ve been finishing my book and writing the score for my new project – (The Nirvana Symphonic) – (laughs), what’s all the fuss about then?”

Coleman had apparently been living a nomadic existence for the last month in the desert in order to concentrate on finishing his two current projects. Nirvana looks like becoming a TV show and a concert in Seattle in 2013 and the book and an exclusive Coleman album will be packaged together and available for order as early as next week.

International media picked up on the story last week, sending it global, from the press release announced by the band on the Killing Joke Official Facebook site questioning his whereabouts. Fans from around the world have been more than proactive in their opinions – from random sightings in Christchurch New Zealand, to past recollections of his elusive behaviors in Iceland.

Yet mystery still surrounds the message on Facebook regarding The Cult and The Mission Shows of which Coleman claims no knowledge. ‘Looks like this has caused a right ding dong and feel its impossible to continue this tour under the circumstances’. His comments were to wish both The Cult and The Mission the best of luck on the tour, and to find out who has been impersonating him.

PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS

• Killing Joke’s Jaz Coleman goes missing, band ‘concerned about our singer’s welfare’
• Killing Joke quits U.K. tour with The Cult, The Mission over venue downsizing?
• The Cult, The Mission, Killing Joke U.K. arena tour downsized for ‘more intimate experience’
• The Cult announces 20-date North American tour with Against Me!, The Icarus Line
• The Cult, The Mission, Killing Joke team up for 5-date U.K. arena tour this September
• Video: Killing Joke, ‘In Cythera’ — plus stream 5-minute ‘MMXII’ album ‘taster’
• The Mission taking 25th anniversary reunion tour to Mexico, South America this spring