VS Self's Closet Witch Future...Ed

January 08, 2024 by David Norman

Okay lotsa stuff going on in January, here’s the schedule for the next week:
Monday = Closet Witch music video
Tuesday = Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow music video
Wednesday = Carrion Spring tape promo pics
Thursday = Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow cover/tracklist
Friday = ZBR Fest 2024 Wave #3
Saturday = Tristan Tzara ‘Discography’ digital release
Monday = Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow ‘LP’ 12” release
Tuesday = Edhochuli single

This past Saturday we released the VS Self tapes with the Canada/International store and Bandcamp pages being gutted almost immediately. The US store still has a fair amount of copies so snag some from there! All links are available through our Bandcamp page embedded below.

There was another Closet Witch music video, this new one features a bunch of live footage over the song “Constantly Problematic”. It’s less than a minute of your time and ‘Chiaroscuro’ was on almost every grind/screamo list that we saw, so feel free to pick up a copy below.

Not Just A Phase helped us out again with the Spotify playlist, so check it out below if you want the heftiest dose of ZBR on the internet. Click on this text or the pic above to go to the playlist.

No Heirloom got some much deserved love on Stereogum. We’re running low on these beauties /50 so hop on it! Click on this text or the pic above for the review, jam it below.

Operation X-Ray did an amazing job with their Best Of Screamo/Skramz 2023 and features a ton of artists, including a hefty handfull of our own. Jam it below (noise rock stuff is first, screamo is a little past halfway thru).

Blind Girls ‘Residue’ is on the heels of a repress from No Funeral (we got some copies too) on the This Noise Is Ours Zegema Beach Roster Review series. We still have some copies of the follow-up ‘The Weight is Everything’. Click on this text or the pic above to go to the review, jam it below!

Othiel’s debut 12”LP ‘We Will Be Our Home’ keeps getting love and moving out of our store. I wouldn’t expect us to have any copies left when they play ZBR Fest 2024. Woot! Click on this text or the pic above for the review. Jam/buy below.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: THIN = Incredible mathcore/grindcore/screamo for those who want it totally nuts.

2023 - 12 - 27 /// ZBR's Two-Week Break (kinda)

December 27, 2023 by David Norman

We’re currently on our two-week break aka family/inventory time. We’ll get most packages out by January 6th but if we don’t this is our official apology. You won’t hear much from us other than the Zampler release and some Vs Self chatter. See ya soon <3

Zegema Beach Records Fest 2024 has been over half-revealed, which is bonkers to look at and realize there are still more than 10 bands left to announce. Two day passes are dwindling, then you’ll have to wait for the final tickets in mid-January when we release Wave 3 + Single Day tickets. Click on either pic or this text to snag some tickets.

Zampler #22 is pretty much done, I’m just volume mastering and deciding on the final few tracks, as well as waiting to see if another band decides to do some stuff with us. Looks like we’ll have brand new/unreleased jams from Edhochuli, Terry Green, Gossip, Burial Etiquette, and Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow. Art by Yuri of Bok Suna!

After our two-week break the VS Self ‘Collection 19-23’ cassette releases (that’s Saturday January 6th). Above are the promo pics for each variant, starting with the primary bird/branch/flower swirl (the most abundant) all the way to the test dips (the rarest). Every one looks badass and will probably fly out the door.

CanaDave has been posting how-to-dip videos using the halfsies (yellow/blue) variant on TikTok so if you aren’t following us there you probably should!

You can also click on this pic to go to our TikTok page!

Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow is done and in-hand, we’re just prepping the inserts. 100 black 12”s. 15 tracks. A whole lotta screamin’ and mad riffs. As per the band’s way of doing things, the drums were written and recorded in their entirety before the guitars/bass were written and thrown on, followed by vocals from Dave Norman, Jesse Mowery, and guest vocalists Arvid (Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket), Taylor and Jaccob (Burial Etiquette). ‘LP’ releases in full on January 15th, 2024. Jam the newest song from the record below!

CanaDave did an Out Past the Rings and Tomb Tree Family Tree video, this time for the Karloff/Amitie split 5” lathe and the Glass Noose ‘no more dignity’ cassette.

Operation X-Ray played some killer jams as per usual, stream it in full below! Gifts From Enola were featured on this episode.

Once the break is over we’ll drop our distro copies of Orchid’s ‘Chaos Is Me’ (only 20 copies available!!!) and a handful of Blind Girls 3rd pressing of ‘Residue’ thanks to No Funeral Records. Exact date will be released in the next news update so stay tuned!

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: GXLLIAM! = We got something cookin’ for this release. Peep now!

2023 - 02 - 20 /// Tomorrow!!!

February 21, 2023 by David Norman

What’s the primary update news? It’s kind of a secret. So let’s just say…Wednesday. 7am PST / 9am CST / 10pm EST.

Our very good friend Mark from Massa Nera was on the The Cast That Ends Creation’s podcast and discussed more intracacies about ‘Derramar | Querer | Borrar’ and a bunch of other awesome stuff. Nab a 12” or tape below!

MASSA NERA - Derramar | Querer | Borrar (tape/cd/12

Sold out

MASSA NERA - Derramar | Querer | Borrar (tape/cd/12")

from CA$10.75

MASSA NERA ‘Derramar | Querer | Borrar‘ tape/cd/12" (ZBR310)

For fans of: Envy, City Of Caterpillar, Kodan Armada, and Kidcrash

Screamo is a strange concept. It was birthed under different names, then bastardized, it learned to walk, and has since been the lead of my life. It’s such a special thing that when people and bands really embrace the concept it lights up another bulb in the basement that is screamo history. New Jersey quartet MASSA NERA have fully embraced this for years, to the point of making a cocoon and transforming themselves into something new. The chrysalis opens December 2nd, 2022 and resembles something akin to City Of Caterpillar meets Kidcrash with the urgency of Crowning. Opener “An Endless Cycle“ is a whopping 7:27 of controlled chaos, gorgeous transitions and epic builds while “Tristeza Consume” and “Eyeless Faces” are unforgiving flames. Standout track “Shapeshift“ shows the band first at their heaviest/fastest followed by a five-minute electronic/dub-step interlude that raises the entire record up an additional pedestal. Realizing the importance and general amazingness of this album, Zegema Beach has teamed up with the band to bring you over 500 12”s across three variants, 200 tapes across seven variants, and 100 cds. Each media has a very different feel with different art, different color patterns, and different inserts/extras. One of the most critical screamo releases ever.

12” /500 = 100 on white, 150 on seafoam, and 250 on splatter, all with obi-strip and 32-page lyric booklet. 12 songs.

cassettes /200 = 50 grey, 50 frosty, 20 green swirl, 20 blue swirl, 20 maroon swirl, 20 black/white swirl, and 20 test dips, all with fold-out lyric pamphlet and two-sided j-card.

cds /100 = each comes with an obi-strip

Listen here:
https://zegemabeachrecords.bandcamp.com/album/derramar-querer-borrar

Pressing:

Today’s Hiding In the Outpost (aka our last copy of something):

Blind Girls!!! The 12” first press sold out, and so did the second press. Now we have one final cassette left! Nab it below. Listen to it here.

now sold out:
Alas 12”
Eyelet new 12”
Sore Eyelids 12”

Sold out

BLIND GIRLS - Residue (tape/12"LP)

from CA$6.50

BLIND GIRLS - Residue cassette/12"LP (ZBR133)

For fans of: Lord Snow, Capsule and Loma Prieta

Years in the making, this 11-track full length album from Australia’s BLIND GIRLS on the Gold Coast is finally unleashed upon the world via the band and Zegema Beach Records. Technical, screamy, volatile and fast as fuck, these songs will likely floor anyone looking for music in the realm of Lord Snow, Frail Hands and Mahria.

1st press = 12” black vinyl/150 with insert.
2nd press = 12” transparent red/100 and smoke/200
3rd press = 12” ghostly black (No Funeral release)
Transparent red cassette/66 with j-card and sticker. 11 tracks. Download code included.

Listen here:
https://zegemabeachrecords.bandcamp.com/album/residue

Format:

Operation X-Ray played a track from the Advertising Of Dreams cassette! Check it out below and jam/buy the cassette through this link!

Tuff City Radio · OPERATION XRAY EP 88 - FEB 17, 2023

This Noise Is Ours added the final Ultimate Screamo Band 10” to their ZBR Roster Review series. We sold all of ours when the great paintening happened in late 2021/early 2022. Click on this link for the review or jam that incredible finale below.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: ВЕРЕЩАГИН = New Russian emo-violence from members of Elegy Of Me. Great stuff!!!

2022 - 11 - 29 /// New Day Rising coming!

November 29, 2022 by David Norman

New Day Rising is almost here! Pre-orders open December 9th and the full remastered digital release is December 23rd! This thing sounds absolutely massive. Co-released with Protagonist (U.S.) and Moment Of Collapse (Europe).

Massa Nera has a full album review by Distorted Sound, check it out here!

Another Massa Nera album review by Borderline Fuckup, check it out here!

Piri Reis’ ‘Ritma’ was reviewed by Horns Up, check it out here!

Lower Automation’s ‘Strobe Light Shadow Play’ was reviewed by Metal Division Magazine!

Another Lower Automation review of their new album from The Razor’s Edge, check it out here!

Massa Nera was also played on the CFRU radio station in Guelph…my old university! Holy shit! Here’s an mp3 link.

And CanaDave spoke with Rich from The Sawtooth Grin which is embedded below with a full post link with additional links here. Definitely one very specific/ZBR relevant bit of news in there, see if you can catch it.