Prodigy will launch a brief tour of South Africa and Eastern Europe with

a March 19 show in Durban, South Africa. The five dates on the mini-

outing will be the first of the year for the electronica act.

"They're doing South Africa because they've refused to play there

before, because of the political situation [during the former Apartheid

government]," said Chris Sharp, a spokesperson for the group's British

label, XL. South Africa's first free elections were held in 1994.

The tour also is slated to feature a stop in St. Petersburg, Russia,

which Sharp said is a make-up date for a falsely promoted gig.

"There was a scam last year where a promoter advertised a Prodigy show

the band had never booked and didn't know about," Sharp said. "So

they're trying to make amends and fulfill the promise to fans that

they'd play there as soon as they could."

The itinerary so far includes: The Stadium, Durban, South Africa (March

19); Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa (March 20);

Riverclub, Cape Town, South Africa (March 22); SKK Sports Complex, St.

Petersburg, Russia (April 17); and the Sofia Festivalna Hall in Sofia,

Bulgaria (May 1).

Two more dates may be added, according to U.S. spokesperson Sioux

Zimmerman. A support act will be announced, she said.

Meanwhile, Prodigy mastermind Liam Howlett is "kicking ideas around" for

Prodigy's next album, according to Sharp.

"The plan is not for this to be a touring-intensive year for them,"

Sharp said. "The plan is to focus on getting new music together rather

than touring their butts off."

Sharp said he was not aware of Howlett having finished work on any new

tracks. "I'm sure Liam wouldn't phrase it like that," he said. "He's

certainly creatively working on some stuff, going to the studio, kicking

ideas around and seeing what he comes up with."

The group -- fronted by singer/dancers Keith Flint and Maxim Reality

(born Keeti Palmer) -- generally have taken long breaks between albums.

The 1997 breakthrough The Fat of the Land, which featured the

hits

music/Prodigy/Smack_My_Bitch_Up.ram">"Smack My Bitch Up"

(RealAudio excerpt) and

music/Prodigy/Firestarter.ram">"Firestarter" (RealAudio

excerpt), was released nearly three years after Music For the Jilted

Generation.

The reason, according to Sharp, is that, unlike most bands, the creation

of Prodigy's music does not involve the usual jamming, songwriting

process.

"It's not a band where somebody comes up with a riff and then somebody

else writes a bass line or something," Sharp explained. "Because it all

comes from Liam, he has to write the beats, the music, the melodies, the

rhythms and that makes it a lengthy process. Plus, as you know, he's a

perfectionist, so he won't let anything out unless he's 100 percent

happy with it."

If Howlett keeps to a three-year timetable, a new album isn't likely to

appear until the middle of next year, Sharp said.

The Prodigy's American label, Maverick Records (co-founded by Madonna),

said there is no pressure on Howlett to speed up the process.

"It is definitely Liam's show," Maverick spokesperson Heidi Robinson

said. "I'm sure the company would love an album from Prodigy this year,

but it just depends on when he goes into the studio."

Prodigy fans can slake their thirst, in the meantime, with the upcoming

Liam Howlett DJ mix CD, The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume 1 (April

6).

The 50-minute, 50-plus track CD features Howlett mixing in a who's-who

of classic hip-hop, electronica and breakbeat. Among the artists in the

mix are old-school hip-hoppers the Ultramagnetic MCs, Tim Dog and

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and new-school British dance and

rock acts the Chemical Brothers, the Charlatans UK, Primal Scream, Fatboy

Slim and Prodigy.

Maxim Reality is expected to release his solo debut, tentatively titled

Hell's Kitchen, in mid-1999. The album -- to be written and co-

produced by Reality -- will feature collaborations with hip-hoppers

Guru, DJ Premier, Poetic and Diamond J.