Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark will follow up this past spring’s North American tour — the classic lineup’s first U.S. concerts since opening for Depeche Mode’s breakthrough ‘Music for the Masses’ shows — with a return visit to the United States, Canada and Mexico this fall.

The Japanese Popstars not only enlisted Robert Smith to sing on their new album, they’ve also just released a limited-edition 12-single single with an exclusive Depeche Mode remix — and now, thanks to the folks at Astralwerks, one Slicing Up Eyeballs reader can win both.

Martin Gore and Vince Clarke are finished recording a new all-instrumental dance record and must now mix the project — but Gore warns in a new interview with Billboard.com that ‘even though it probably will be finished quite soon, it might not see the light of day for awhile.’

The much-anticipated Depeche Mode collection ‘Remixes 2: 81-11’ is out in the U.S. today, and to promote the release, frontman Dave Gahan dropped by the studios of New York’s WNYC last week for a segment on the station’s ‘Soundcheck’ show.

This week’s new releases include ‘Ninth,’ the new solo album from Peter Murphy; ‘Remixes 2: 81-11’ from Depeche Mode; the ‘Total: From Joy Division to New Order’ compilation; a 10 CD box set of remastered INXS albums; a disc of Buzzcocks re-recordings; and Duncan Sheik’s compilation of ’80s alternative covers, ‘Covers 80s.’

The fine folks at Rhino Records have provided us with a copy of the super-limited 6LP deluxe vinyl edition of Depeche Mode’s forthcoming ‘Remixes 2: 81-11’ set to award to one lucky Slicing Up Eyeballs reader — and copies of the 3CD version for five runners up.

For two months, Depeche Mode has been teasing ‘Remixes 2: 81-11’ with a series of pre-release streams of mixes from the set, but they’ve avoided releasing the two most buzzed-about tracks — new mixes by former band members Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder. Now they’ve leaked.

Grunge survivors Stone Temple Pilots are among the less likely candidates to cover Depeche Mode, but here’s frontman Scott Weiland channeling his inner Dave Gahan to perform the ‘Black Celebration’-era ‘But Not Tonight’ after shilling his new autobiography on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ last Friday.

As the build-up continues toward Depeche Mode’s release of ‘Remixes 2: 81-11’ next month, FACT Magazine today premiered the brand new ‘Master and Servant’ (RSS Mix) — a remix that, unless the tracklist has changed, does not actually appear on the new album.

Short Circuit Presents Mute wrapped up last night in London with a Vince Clarke extravaganza, which included a set with Erasure, an appearance by Alison Moyet for what might have been Yazoo’s final performance and a surprise reunion with Feargal Sharkey to play the lone single the duo recorded as The Assembly.

A parade of classic synthpop and electronic artists including Erasure, Yazoo, Nitzer Ebb and four current and former members of Depeche Mode will take the stage in London this weekend to celebrate the hugely influential Mute Records label at the annual Short Circuit Electronic Music Festival.

We celebrated Dave Gahan’s birthday this morning with some vintage Depeche Mode concert footage, but the band one-upped us with today’s release of a brand-new video for ‘Personal Jesus’ (Stargate Mix) off the upcoming ‘Remixes 2: 81-11’ compilation.

It’s Dave Gahan’s birthday today — he’s turning 49 — so to properly mark the occasion, we present this complete 1-hour, 44-minute Depeche Mode concert filmed during the World Violation Tour stop in Frankfurt, Germany, on Oct. 8, 1990.