Emma Goldman tapes + Usurp Synapse pre-order on Fri!

August 26, 2025 by David Norman

Emma Goldman tapes are live! After burning through our 200 vinyl copies of ‘all you are is we’ it was apparent that the demand remained, so to get something in time for the band’s most recent Eastern Canada tour we cooked up 100 of these babies, with 50 going to the band (and are probably gone/near gone) and the remaining 50 getting split up among the ZBR stores. Snag one now, you know they ain’t gonna last!

Avery Friedman’s ‘New Thing’ 12” vinyl arrived yesterday and holy sheeat do they look sick. There’s clear pavement blue /100 and stupid fancy /30. Gorgeous, dreamy, singer/songwriter indie rock from New York.

Running low? You betcha. There’s single digit copies left of the ZBR swirl and blue, test dips are gone, and there’s about 20 of the butterfly swirl and apricot left. Gonna make more? Nope, that’s not how this comp rolls. Once it’s gone it’s gone. If they sell out soon Rob from Not Just A Phase will down a spicy Paqui on camera. It’s a win/win, baby. This killer 24-track tape (one song is a cassette exclusive) is bursting with previously unreleased tracks from: Captain Jazz, Claire Voyancé, Coup D’état, Demersal, Drought, Gil Cerrone, Floating Woods, Garland Briggs, Geronimostilton, Heavens Blinding Hue, Hynoki, Lagrimas, Leda, Letterbombs, Módulo Lunar, Mourn Recif, myhateisabeautifulexistence, Of Death…, Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow, Retratros De Heroína, and Youth Novel.

Okay, we’re doing it. Friday August 29th at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST is the Usurp Synapse ‘Disinformation Fix’ pre-order. The 2x12” releases on 500 units of hand-poured colored vinyl with lazer-cut gatefold covers. Please remember these WILL NOT SHIP UNTIL NOVEMBER. That includes orders with additional items in the order, the entire order will be held until November. Just a heads up, the unreleased This Endless Breath CD songs will not appear on the release as it enabled us to keep it to two 12”s instead of three.

Individual band videos from ZBR Fest have started popping up, many of which have additional videos that weren’t included in the full fest documentary. For now here’s Black Nail and Poetry Of Torch, but you can access more via our Youtube channel.

The new Operation X-Ray snuck in Demersal and Geronimostilton jams from the recently released Not Just A Phase Vol.3. Check it out below!

Bok Suna’s ‘Carnate’ is in. Black copies obtained. Stupid Fancy arriving any day. Full release is Friday August 29th at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST. Jam the “honest person” single below. Watch the music video for “doghorn” above.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: MALEVICH = Our good friends in Georgia’s finest sludgy, blackened, noisy hardcore/screamo/metal band released their newest record recently, scope it!!!

2025 - 08 - 23 /// Not Just A Phase Vol.3 + Usurp Synapse update

August 23, 2025 by David Norman

The Not Just A Phase Vol.3 compilation released yesterday! Some variants are already gone so don’t sleep on this killer 24-track tape (one song is a cassette exclusive) bursting with previously unreleased tracks from: Captain Jazz, Claire Voyancé, Coup D’état, Demersal, Drought, Gil Cerrone, Floating Woods, Garland Briggs, Geronimostilton, Heavens Blinding Hue, Hynoki, Lagrimas, Leda, Letterbombs, Módulo Lunar, Mourn Recif, myhateisabeautifulexistence, Of Death…, Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow, Retratros De Heroína, and Youth Novel.

Usurp Synapse’s ‘Disinformation Fix’ is just waiting on an updated/final invoice then we can release the pre-orders. This will likely be next week but I’ll have a proper update here first with an actual date and time. The 2x12” releases on 500 units of random colored vinyl with gatefold covers and die-cuts or perhaps laser cuts (that’s the last thing we’re deciding on). Please remember these WILL NOT SHIP UNTIL NOVEMBER. That includes orders with additional items in the order, the entire order will be held until November. When’s that? Shipping in November. Okay, got it. November.

Speaking of little delays the Twins pre-order and music video were pushed back a bit in order for the video production team to not be rushed. More info on that as it becomes available.

Serrate released their final song via a brand new music video yesterday! Check it out below. Full release on September 8th, 2025 - we’ve got the 12”s already in hand! Shit is fucking fire. Ouch our sensitive hands!!!

Operation X-Ray played Piri Reis (which was actually a premiere when it first went up!), Sininen and Shoganai (which is running very low) as well as a plethora of other bangers. Check it out below!

Click here for the full podcast post with links and lotsa info!

Softseed Music has so much ridiculousness in the pipeline that it’s insane. Besides the Avery Friedman 12” and Bok Suna 12”, I’ve got Magana 12”s coming in October, Fainting Dreams tapes late October and Dollie Rot tapes in November. After a pretty quiet year I’m gonna blow up the end of 2025! Dollie Rot podcast and info are linked via this text + the pic above, or you can just listen to it via the embed below.

Avery Friedman shipped to me on Friday! The 12”s will be pictured early next week after arrival then I can finally start shipping out these pre-orders. There will also be a US store link. Snag one above and jam that shit above. In other awesome Softseed Music news the Bok Suna 12”s are on press as of Friday! The 12”s should be in hand for the full release on August 29th. Jam the single and/or pre-order super limited tapes below.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: I STARED INTO THE FOREST = Wicked new track from Romania. Radar ears on.

2025 - 08 - 15 /// Usurp Synapse pre-orders on Tuesday!

August 15, 2025 by David Norman

This gargantuan release for ‘Disinformation Fix’ by the almighty Usurp Synapse is at the plant, and with all the bells and whistles on this classic we’ve decided to open pre-orders to help pay for these elaborate and amazing die-cut gatefold jackets. The 2x12” releases on 500 units of random colored vinyl. We’ll start pre-orders this Tuesday at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST in the two ZBR stores, none will be on Bandcamp. Please remember these WILL NOT SHIP UNTIL NOVEMBER. That includes orders with additional items in the order, the entire order will be held until November. When’s that? Shipping in November. Okay, got it. November.

Twins pre-orders for their new 12” ‘It’s_complicated’ go up for sale on Thursday August 21st. This will coincide with a new single and music video for it! Oh happy day…Thursday…specifically. Check out the first single below.

Not Just A Phase Vol.3 releases August 22nd! Next week we’ll reveal the participating bands, with each band submitting an unreleased track! 24 in total!!!

Hoari tapes are moving fast and almost gone. I’m pretty sure a decent amount of our followers weren’t aware of this phenomenal 2024 release so we’re happy to get it in the ears of new people. For fans of: Ditch Organ, Telos, Course, and Shora.

Nuvolascura moved like hot cakes. We’ve got our small leftover stock going up on the next Big Stuff Thing, the almighty 7th, on Sunday September 14th at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST. The band’s new album ‘How This All Ends’ was also reviewed by Rocking from Greece. Check out that review by clicking on the pic above or this text. Jam the album below.

Othiel got some much deserved love from This Noise Is Ours. I’d tell you to pick up some cds but we’re hella out, and the band probably is too after their recent shows. You snooze, you loose. Geez, I’m a dick today. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review. Jam ‘World’s Fastest Car’ below.

Avery Friedman comes in next week! The 12”s finally finished and I’ll have pictures of them up with store links (including a new ZBR U.S.A. store link!) pretty much as soon as they arrive. In other awesome Softseed Music news the Bok Suna tests were approved today. The 12”s should be in hand for the full release on August 29th!

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: DOLLIE ROT = A new song from this wicked solo artist. Expect news next week about Dollie and Softseed!

2025 - 08 - 11 /// Hoari tapes tomorrow!

August 11, 2025 by David Norman

Heaven Through Violence x Rosemary Nods Upon The Grave is almost sold out! Goddamn that didn’t take long. We’ve got 3 left on Bandcamp, 2 in the Canada/International store, and a few in the U.S.A store. Larry is pretty much out already. Please remember that US Dave is outta town so no US store shipments will be going out until Aug 20th or so.

Hoari cassette tapes release tomorrow! We only made 37 of these because they almost go too hard. Absolutely devastating, techy, metallic hardcore in the vein of Coarse and Shora. 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST on August 12th. Check out a jam from the Zampler below!

Bok Suna’s “doghorn” music video came out last week! There’s another one already out for “honest person”, with no further singles planned before ‘Carnate’ releases in full on August 29th on Softseed Music. Scope it below! Click on the pic above or this link to go to a Buzz Music review of said first single.

Nuvolascura is on fucking fire. We’ve got 1 left in the U.S. store, 1 in the Canada/International store, and 2 on Bandcamp then we’re out of everything! The band was also featured in Everything Is Noise’s “The Noise of July 2025” list. View the list by clicking on this text or the pic above. Jam/snag those last copies below.

Operation X-Ray featured a buncha Die Princess Die tracks, as well as Hoari and Heaven Through Violence. Thanks Andre!!!

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: LIGATURE. = This new music video from a friend of mine dropped a few weeks back, scope it!

2025 - 08 - 06 /// Usurp Synapse vinyl announcement + Distro discount till Fri.

August 06, 2025 by David Norman

Usurp Synapse 2x12” for ‘Disinformation Fix’ with die-cut gatefold covers are at the plant with tests already approved. Holy fucking shit that’s exciting! Releases in October.

In an attempt to help pay for the cost I’ve got this Canadian/International store (also ships to the U.S.) on 50% off everything in the distro 12” tab and 25% off all distro 7”s (discount automatically applied within 24 hours of checkout). This goes until Friday at 9am PST when the Heaven Through Violence + Rosemary Nods Upon The Grave 7”s release.

Just a heads up, there is no shipping in the US for the next 2 weeks as U.S. Dave is on the road seeing his family. So the U.S. store is open just no shipping until after Aug 20th. Thanks for your understanding and patience regarding this matter.

Heaven Through Violence and Rosemary Nods Upon The Grave 7” finally release this Friday! We’ve only got 50 copies spread across Bandcamp, the U.S.A. store, and the Canada/International store, so if this is your jam don’t sleep on it!

Serrate’s final song premiered over at Not Just A Phase last night. “Kill For the Ones You Love” is a phenomenal song and fans of screamo and Converge are going to lose their shit when this releases in full on September 8th via ourselves and Bitter Melody Records. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the premiere.

Bok Suna’s ‘Carnate’ releases Friday August 29th but there’s a new music video for “honest person” embedded above. Tapes for ‘Carnate’ available now. Single #2 and music video #2 release on Friday! Amazing bedroom pop meets shoegaze, featuring the drummer of Hillsboro!

We are literally on our last copies of Nuvolascura’s ‘How This All Ends’ so snag it now or forever hold your peace. Eklektik Rock picked up on its amazingness and gave it a great review with you can check out by clicking on the pic above or this text. Jam/buy below!

Avery Friedman got a wicked review from Real Gone, 12”s should be here this month! Oh happy day. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review. Jam the debut and snag a copy below.

Dylan played in Excrucis and was the most recent guest on CanaDave’s OMSB Podcast. Access the podcast by clicking on this text or the embed above. Jam/buy the Excrucis cassette below, there will be only one run!!!

A friendly reminder that the ZBR Fest 2025 videos for the pre-show and main fest, the former is embedded below, with the latter linked to this text. ZBR Fest 2026 is happening in Vancouver on May 1st-3rd. May 1st will be a pre-show on Vancouver Island in Victoria, followed by the Sat/Sun main fest happening in Vancouver.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: BAAN = This South Korean band released an absolute banger and it features our boy Jared Stimpfl from Orphan Donor on drums!