Electronic/trance artist BT (real name: Brian Transeau) will have some high-caliber talent on his next album of new material, as Peter Gabriel and Sarah McLachlan will both lend their vocal talents to the as-yet-untitled disc. BT says the new album, his fourth and first since 2000's Movement in Still Life, will be done by Christmas and out late next spring.

With all of his recent endeavors -- compiling a remixes and rarities collection of his early work for an October 23rd release on Nettwerk, producing tracks for Britney Spears ' upcoming disc and 'N Sync's Pop, and scoring three summer films, including The Fast and the Furious and Ben Stiller's forthcoming Zoolander -- it's surprising that BT has even thought about his next record. But he says, "I've written almost twenty songs for the next album. It's going to be a dope record."

The track with Gabriel has only a working title at this point, but BT promises something special. "The one Peter's singing on is just unreal," he says. Expect plenty of electronic guest stars as well. "There'll be collaboration with all of my friends: Hybrid, Timo Maas and Sasha," he says.

As for working with Britney and 'N Sync? "I love hanging out with them, and I have so much respect for their talent," BT says. "They're phenomenal singers, and really level-headed too. I've had more attitude from someone who works at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf than I get from them."

STEVE BALTIN
(August TK, 2001)