Usurp Synapse releases on Monday!

October 10, 2025 by David Norman

Usurp Synapse’s ‘Disinformation Fix’ releases on 2x12” and cd this Monday October 13th! This has been in the works for quite some time so it’s exciting to finally get these beauts out in the world. We are very, very humbled to have been asked to put out this seminal compilation on wax for the first time ever. Don’t forget the different colored hand-poured vinyl come in a 13-hole laser cut gatefold jacket. The vinyl is /500 and cd is /200. Check out the promo pics above and live video of their Vancouver show below.

Dollie Rot released her first two EPs ‘Survivor’s Guilt’ and ‘Mercy of the Gutter’ on cassette via Softseed Music. This is the first time her material has ended up on physical media and I couldn’t be more stoked on it. Should have some more stuff in the works shortly! You can snag these from the ZBR stores for less than we’re charging on Bandcamp (cuz of the fees).

Congratulations played a reunion show last month and Public Seating took a multi-camera video of the entire set! This band was at the heart of the early ZBR scene in Ontario alongside Foxmoulder and Terry Green. We still have some straggler 12” copies, but the mage and nebula are long sold out.

Click here for the full feature/interview!

Bok Suna received a glowing feature and interview that gestates in the mind like a warm hug. 12”s and tapes available in all stores. A truly awesome bedroom/shoegaze combo unlike no other. Read the interview by clicking on the pic above or this text. Jam/buy below!

An exceptional quote from the interview

Pain has a way of consuming space, but once you transmute it into music, it shifts—it becomes less about what hurt and more about what you did with the hurt. The act of writing reclaims power. It says: this pain didn’t end me, I bent it into sound. That’s the resilience. The song may carry sorrow, but it also carries the proof that I lived through it.

Demersal got some love from Rockambula so check that shit out. Unfortunately the plant miffed the tests so it’ll be more like Nov/Dec until we have our 30 copies. We’ll keep you posted though. Click on the pic above or this text for the review. Jam/buy below.

Operation X-Ray played some Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow and Naufraage on this particular episode. The 200th episode is next! Lotta premieres going up on that one.

Okay I think this is the final ZBR Fest video from 2025, and it’s Clay Birds! I’ve got like 1-2 copies left of their ‘A Separation of Vanity’ cassette (and one is an /1!!!). Access that below and watch them kill it live above.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: NICOLE DOLLANGANGER = Yesterday a 10-year anniversary edition of ‘Natural Born Losers’ was released for pre-order over 72 hours by Vertigo Vinyl. This album changed my life and has led to Softseed Music searching for this style of music almost exclusively, so this is the hardest of recommends.

2025 - 10 - 06 /// Massive news post!!!

October 06, 2025 by David Norman

Usurp Synapse 12”s are in hand and we’ll start shipping out pre-orders (from the U.S. store only cuz Canada Post is on strike still). We also made 200 cds that’ll drop on the 13th when the official release goes down, but you can snag all of this stuff at the show tonight in Vancouver where CanaDave will be distroing at the Usurp Synapse + Emma Goldman show at Red Gate. Please come say hi! Pre-order that sucker by clicking on this text.

The Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow x Lucidity split 7” was released on Friday! Two new jams from each band come on green 7”s and are limited to 100 copies. You can also snag a bundle with this 7” and the Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow x Komarov split 7” that we’re running low on.

Naufraage came out last Friday so be sure to check that blackened French screamo/post-hardcore out asap! For fans of Birds In Row, Celeste, Gros Enfant Mort, and Tromblon.

Oshera x Tamsen aka the Austin, Texas sibling split is out! Wicked throwback screamo for fans of: Matsuri, Coma Regalia, Tyranny Of Shaw, and Onewaymirror. First half has more an emo feel while the second half ventures into much heavier territory.

Check out the feature/interview with Demersal discussing their new 12”EP ‘Vi kunne ikke blive her for evigt, vel?’. A truly stellar release from one of the most prolific Danish bands out there. 12”s should arrive late October and we’ve only got 30 copies! Click on the pic above or this text to go to the article. Jam/buy below.

Piri Reis got some much deserved love from This Noise Is Ours. Following their New Friends Fest performance we’ve been moving these tapes like hot cakes, snag one of the last few now or…I dunno, regret it or something. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review. Jam/buy below.

Terry Green got a good review from Core & Co. - better late than never, my friends <3 I think there might be like 1 or 2 12”s in stock then they’re donezo. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review. Jam below!

Concealer fucking killed it at the fest. And by the way we’re down our last tapes so snag one asap as we aren’t making more anytime soon - gotta focus on the 12”LP!!! Our 2026 fest is already booked in Vancouver, BC Canada so get on those passports now if needed. There’s just a few of the individual band videos from ZBR Fest left. You can access more via our Youtube channel.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: NSIXHUNDRED = This band absolutely fucking owns. They’ve got an earlier EP and a new demo out. Hoping to release the next one cuz this slaps so hard, fans of Hayworth, Me And Him Call It Us, The Great Redneck Hope, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, and Rex Kwon Do are gonna love it!

2025 - 09 - 29 /// Demersal out, Lucidity x Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow next!

September 29, 2025 by David Norman

Canada Post strike again? You betcha. Definitely warranted as the Canadian government ordered them back illegally to work during the previous strike. Fuck you Mark Carney get your head out of your ass and fix this problem. Large orders will still be shipped out, and US orders from the Canada store and Bandcamp store will likely be shipped out too (but sometimes delayed as I need to send a big box to the US store so other Dave can ship them out directly). So yeah, apologies on that but my hands are tied unless you get in contact with me about your order and pay the express shipping through FedEx (which is really expensive for small orders). I expect the strike to finish in October, but it could be as late as November when things are fixed, as I don’t expect the government to last into the month of christmas cuz then so many people would be getting fucked. Remember, Canada Post can be profitable (or at least funded) if the government stops giving corporations INSANE tax breaks, and instead uses the revenue from those non-existent taxes to fund the post office. If you hear people talking shit about the strike, remind them that the government is supposed to work FOR the people, not against them. Stand with unions.

Demersal’s new 12”EP ‘Vi kunne ikke blive her for evigt, vel?’ is out! These five tracks are fantastic and show the band getting both heavier and softer at the same time. 12”s should arrive late October and we’ve only got 30 copies!

The next Zegema Beach Records release is the Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow x Lucidity split 7”. These two new jams from each band come on green 7”s and are limited to 100 copies. Both bands most recent 12”LPs are running low, I think there’s like 3 OFIAAS and maybe 10 Lucidity. You can jam one of the Lucidity jams below. More info and promo pics this week as it releases in full on Friday October 3rd at 9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST.

Usurp tour starts next Monday and I’ll be at the Vancouver show with ‘Disinformation Fix’ tour cds and distro. Please come say hi! The digital release comes out on October 13th alongside the /200 cds in 4-panel digipaks. The records are pretty much done and should be in hand mid October, so hopefully we’ll have some official promo pics by then and we can start shipping out these pre-orders earlier than anticipated.

We’ve got a handful of restocks for Nuvolascura’s ‘How This All Ends’, including about 10 cds and a few swirl 12”s. Under Floripa just reviewed it so check it out and clear us out of these last few copies please, having Nuvolascura in stock weirds me out cuz they’re way too good for us to be holding products. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review. Jam/buy below.

(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))) blog premiered a new Oshera track from their Oct 6th split with fellow Austinians Tamsen. The song is a great mixture of new and old screamo that I think most skramz fans will love. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the premiere. You can also hear split-mates Tamsen in a brand new Operation X-Ray embedded below! They also played Massa Nera and Demersal!

Sine Nomine has reformed and has a new EP coming out on November 28th! Tomb Tree will be making tapes for this one, with the band and their new label taking care of the vinyl copies. Scope the first single and pre-order the album/vinyl below! Snag one of last remaining discography 2x cassette above!

Vs Self and State Faults are the recipient of the most recent string of ZBR Fest 2025 videos. Our 2026 fest is already booked in Vancouver, BC Canada so get on those passports now if needed. There’s just a few of the individual band videos from ZBR Fest left. You can access more via our Youtube channel.

Sutras got some serious head-turns at Maximum Rock’n’Roll, who reviewed their 2025 endeavor ‘The Crisis of Existence’. Snag a copy on tape below and access the review by clicking on the pic above or this text.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: LETTERSTOYOU = Amazing new band with two releases this year. Love this shit, it’s like Life and Congratulations but heavier.

2025 - 09 - 23 /// Mourn Recif x A Recorded Dawn released

September 23, 2025 by David Norman

The Mourn Recif x A Recorded Dawn split (also known around here as the ‘Josh split’) was released yesterday with the cds arriving today! Please take a listen and if you like what you hear snag a copy, as ZBR only has 25! Vancouver Island pinball skramz, baby.

Next up is the Demersal self-titled 12”EP releasing this Friday on Tomb Tree! Pre-orders will be going up, should ship in November.

Mourn Recif got a nice write-up from the always reliable This Noise Is Ours. The band is playing with A Recorded Dawn and Coup D’etat on October 24th in Victoria, making it essentially a triple-ZBR release show! Click on the pic above or this text for the review, jam/buy the EP tapes below.

Nuvolascura continues to embrace all that love they’re getting for a groundbreaking third full length ‘How This All Ends’. Our final copies are up in the stores, get’em or forever hold your peace. That being said, we’ve got another run of cds coming in a jewel case instead of dvd case. Lastly, above is a great interview with the band and below is the album with links and whatnot.

Operation X-Ray ran with a record-tying four band on this episode, including the premiere of “Twelves” by Mourn Recif, a couple of Abandoncy jams, Athousandangelsandseven cuz of dem 7”s, and a new Demersal jam which comes out in full on Friday!!!

The Names Of Our Friends lived up to the hype and tore through their set with abandon. We were lucky enough to snag some 10”s of that beast, too. There’s just a few of the individual band videos from ZBR Fest left. You can access more via our Youtube channel. Snag the last of our 10”s by clicking on this text.

Bok Suna got some love from The Bad Copy, and if you haven’t scoped this phenomenal sophomore album from Seattle/Tacoma’s best kept secret then I’ve gotta say, ya fuckin’ up. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review. Jam/buy below.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: BACKYARD CAMPING = My boy Mathew from Athousandangelsandseven sent me his high school band. It’s fucking awesome. Check it!

2025 - 09 - 16 /// Athousandangelsandseven 7"s out, Magana 12" lathes released

September 16, 2025 by David Norman

Athousandangelsandseven 7” are finally out and they look great! The foldover jacket was a great call. 163 ultra clear and 85 black! Probably CanaDave’s EP of the year!!!

Our next release is the Mourn Recif x A Recorded Dawn split cd /100!!! The always reliable Operation X-Ray premiered one of the A Recorded Dawn tracks which you can scope below, which also includes our November release from Twins.

Click here for the full list of reviews!

We’ve put up the final Nuvolascura restocks for the figment swirl 12” and the cds (single digits of each). Get’em before their gone! Horns Up rightly included ‘How This All Ends’ in their most recent roundup, giving it the props it deserves. Click on the pic above or this text to go to the review. Buy/jam below!

Magana’s '‘Teeth’ released today on Softseed Music! I couldn’t be more excited to be working with Jeni, who has been releasing incredible, witchy, folksy, indie rock for about a decade. This 12” lathe is on 20 black (Softseed edition) and 20 clear (Magana edition) with a few copies now being up in both ZBR stores as well as the Softseed Bandcamp. I can't recommend this California solo project enough. For fans of: Squirrel Flower, Nova One, Laura Stevenson, and Holly Mae Henry.

Bloom Dream ripped the fest apart nice and early, so here’s their video from ZBR Fest 2025. We’ve got one test tape left (linked here) from CanaDave’s personal collection then both runs of cds and both runs of tapes are 100% out. More than half of the individual band videos from ZBR Fest have popped up but there’s a few stragglers still to come, some of which have additional videos that weren’t included in the full fest documentary. You can access more via our Youtube channel. Jam their album below.

Johnny’s Reco-mmendations: YOUREYESINMINE = Amazing debut EP from Baltimore/Pittsburgh. Huge fan of the atmosphere on this, kinda A Paramount A Love Supreme and part Swan Of Tuonela.