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 30th 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 - 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!

2025 - 07 - 21 /// Piri Reis tapes tomorrow + Distro/restocks update Thurs. July 24th!

July 21, 2025 by David Norman

Distro and restock update coming Thursday July 24th at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST with both stores getting a whack of Icorrupt, Shove and Dingleberry releases, Icorrupt (yes including the new Ostraca 12” EP!) as well as ZBR restocks/overstock from Mahria, Crowning/Swallows Nest, Clay Birds, and more! Holy fuck!!!

Sininen’s final song premiere went up last week for the closer “mitt hus”. The band features members of Via Fondo and the seven-track EP ‘I was recently upset’ releases on 120 tapes July 28th via Tomb Tree. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the full premiere with text, links, etc. or just jam it below.

What’s next on ZBR? Well shit, I’m glad you asked. We’ve got tapes on Tuesday July 22nd for ‘Ritma’ by Piri Reis prior to their New Friends Fest performance, followed by Shoganai cassettes for their debut self-titled EP on July 29th. July 30th we’ll be premiering the ZBR Fest 2025 video on Youtube so make sure you attend the first showing if you’re as keen as I am!

Nuvolascura cds are sold out and the “Linear half’n’half” is also out of stock. “Figment swirl” is all that remains. Rockambula gave it a stellar review which you can read by clicking on the pic above or this text. Snag those last few copies now!

Trei Campbell from Iwrotehaikusaboutcannibalisminyouryearbook, Beau Navire, Elle, Vowels, and Xochtil came on the OMSB podcast for his first solo interview, and I couldn’t be more honored. Pick up their remastered vinyl via Dog Knights and catch the band on tour and at New Friends Fest 2025! Click on the pic above or this text for the full post with links, info, etc. or just listen/download below.

Avery Friedman released a live studio session for the song “New Thing” and you should definitely check it out. We’ve been talking to the plant about the 12” run, and they are behind as they’re waiting on the lacquer. We’ll keep you posted but hopefully they’ll be in-hand early August. Fingers crossed!

Emma Core & Co. gave a ripping review of Emma Goldman’s ‘all you are is we’. If we aren’t 100% sold out you need to run to the US store and snag one immediately. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review. Buy/stream below!

Dead Hour Noise are on tour! We’ve got just a handful of 12”s left and post-tour I reckon the band’ll be gettin’ low too!

Operation X-Ray played some bangers as per usual, including our very own Nuvolascura as well as Bok Suna, the latter of which Softseed Music has advance copy tapes for sale now via the bandcamp link below.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: xMISERYISABUTTERFLYx = The ultimate homies in Smush showed me this band. Very good screamo!