Bernard Sumner previously has hinted that New Order — which reunited last year without bassist Peter Hook — may write new music, but now he’s talking about it in detail for the first time, telling interviewers that the band will meet early next year to begin writing new material with an eye on making an ‘electronic synth album.’

Journalist Hobey Echlin took advantage of his face time with New Order during a 2001 interview to grab Peter Hook’s four-string and play the bassline to Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart” in front of the man who wrote it — only to be told he was doing it wrong. So Hook took the bass back and showed Echlin how it’s done.

Long-running darkwave favorites Clan of Xymox — still centered around founding member Ronny Moorings — this fall will pay tribute to some of its own favorite bands with a collection called ‘Kindred Spirits’ that will feature covers of tracks by The Cure, Depeche Mode, Siouxsie and the Banshees and both Joy Division and New Order.

The series launched this summer, and, so far, titles are available on Joy Division/New Order, The Smiths, Cocteau Twins and David Bowie. Next month sees publication of a title on Kate Bush, with books due in spring and summer 2013 on Abba, My Bloody Valentine, Kraftwerk, PIxies, R.E.M. and Roxy Music.

This week’s round-up of headlines includes items about The House of Love, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Elizabeth Fraser, Robert Smith, World Party, My Bloody Valentine, New Order, Billy Bragg, The Stone Roses, Bob Mould, PiL, Paul Weller and more — plus our latest Auto Reverse mixtape.

We’ve seen some fairly good webcast footage this summer of the Peter Hook-less New Order playing at various European festivals, but this is far and away the best live film to emerge of the reunited band’s summer touring: a 44-minute reel of footage from the band’s June 21 performance at Berlin’s Tempodrom.