R.E.M. Complete New Album in Berlin

From David Bowie and Iggy Pop taking up residence in the 1970s through to Nick Cave recording while the Wall collapsed and the early 1990s metamorphosis of U2 from po-faced preachers to ironic superstars, Berlin -- and, more specifically, Hansa studios -- have long been associated with reinvention and bold musical steps.

Now stepping up to the plate are R.E.M., who have announced that they've finished recording their 15th album there with Jacknife Lee on production duties.

So what can fans expect from the new album? This much we do know: Jacknife Lee is set to the mix album in the autumn and a tentative release date is spring 2011. What remains a mystery is how the album will sound. While there's no mention of kosmische influences or motorik beats, a posting on REM's website does acknowledge the influence of the city itself.

"Berlin is a pulsing, exciting city with so many varied and distinctive neighborhoods, iconic history all around, great food at all levels and from every corner of the world ... an excellent place to set up camp and make a great record," manager Bertis Downs wrote.

Remaining tight-lipped about the album's direction, he was moved to write, "I will not report on the sound or the dimension of the recordings so far, to my ears it all sounds like quite a wonderful set of songs."