"I'm gonna run the risk of being free," sang British glam-goth punk Patrick Wolf on his 2005 track "The Libertine". The line and song could easily double as a personal manifesto. Wolf changes genres (preternaturally confident combinations of chamber-pop, dance-pop, electro, folk, classical, and macabre machine music) about as often as he changes hair colors (stark black, stark blond, stark red). He talks with the lofty gusto of a true artiste; he would probably come across as something of an ass if his music didn't live up to his ambitions. Luckily-- for him and for us-- it usually does. Wolf's upcoming album, previously titled Battle but now titled The Bachelor, and due June 1 in the UK, looks to be his biggest risk yet. Musically, he's experimenting with rougher textures (there's a self-described "heavy metal" track) and collaborating with both digital hardcore pioneer Alec Empire and Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton. On the business side, he's parted ways with Universal-- who released his 2007 breakout LP, The Magic Position-- after the major label didn't approve of his unhinged new direction, according to the singer. So The Bachelor will be released on Wolf's own Bloody Chamber Music imprint and, in a unique move, some of the funding for the record as well as its marketing and tour budget will be paid for by expectant fans through a new site called Bandstocks. Wolf fans can buy "shares" of the new album for 10 pounds (about $14) each in advance of its release and eventually receive the record along with other fan club-type perks. (Check Wolf's UK or non-UK Bandstocks sites for more info.)Wolf called us last week from his studio in England to chat about his iconoclastic nature and that time he watched some Satanists drinking blood.read more