2024 re-reissue of Cranes’ rare (cassette only) debut album Fuse (1986).

Whilst the release of 1989’s Self-Non-Self EP represented an introduction to the band for many (John Peel among them) Cranes had quietly made their debut with the release of the Fuse cassette in 1986 on local Portsmouth label Bite Back!

Infamous among hardcore fans, the recordings have been largely unavailable since release with the original tape changing hands on-line at a premium. Remastered at Abbey Road and with the addition of the previously unreleased New Liberty (a song originally slated for inclusion on Self-Non-Self) this release will be the first time the music has been widely available since its initial release.

Fuse is the 2nd release from the bands archive following the r

The second in a series of archive releases byCranes, Fuse was recorded in Portsmouth, their home town by siblings Alison and Jim Shaw. It originally appeared as a cassette album in 1986 on the Bite Back! label. With an initial run of only 200 copies, over the years this album, with its distinctive purple cover has been highly sought after amongst fans, often exchanging hands for more than 100.

Fuse showcases a sparser, darker and more industrial, post punk sound. From the hypnotic allure and rhythmic intensity of the title track to the ferocious and challenging beats of Wrench, the songs are just as mesmerising as Cranes’ later, critically acclaimed releases.

Recorded in a garage on a 4 track porta-studio, the band spent many months experimenting and became obsessed with the recording process. Jim Shaw used a very early s