English duo Propellerheads' bid to become the uber-techno act of 1998 hit a speed bump yesterday when Dreamworks Records announced that Will White had been hospitalized in London due to a debilitating digestive disorder.|

Although English magazine NME is reporting that all the group's plans for the rest of the year have been scrapped, label spokesman Roy Hamm hoped that was not the case.

"Will's been very ill for the past month," Hamm admitted. "I don't know when he'll be back, but I expect it will be before the end of the year. I have been told, however, that he will make a full recovery."

In the mean time, White's Propellerheads partner Alex Gifford is taking over touring duties for the group, and though his DJ skills are formidable, it is doubtful that they can measure up to the whirlwind of keyboards, turntables and live percussion that is a Propellerheads show.

The group's album Decksanddrumsandrockandroll -- really more of an eletrified acid jazz experiment than an electronica record -- has been duking it out near the top of CMJ's RPM chart for eleven weeks.

Another contender for the top of those pops is DJ?Acucrack, who's debut Mutants of Sound has been on the RPM chart for the past ten weeks, alternating at times with the Propellerheads for the number one slot.

DJ?Acucrack is presently on tour with goth/electronic veterans Curve, which should give the Chicago-based big beat outfit a rung up on White and Gifford in terms of exposure, but Hamm is confident that the Propellerheads will prevail.

"'History Repeating' (the album's first single) will be featured prominently in the upcoming film There's Something About Mary (Cameron Diaz/Matt Dillon). The song comes at a pivotal moment in the movie, and they play practically the whole thing," explained Hamm. "I don't think White's illness will hurt the band's ability to sell records." (Isaac Josephson)