Black vinyl Limited Edition of 500.

The Fuse album was remastered at Abbey Road in 2023.  The album includes an extra unheard track from the period called New Liberty. Artwork is by Chris Bigg of V23.

The second in a series of archive releases by Cranes, 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 sampling pedal to create the drum sounds, which were all individually triggered. The only and first ‘industry’ person to hear anything by Cranes at this time was Martin Hannett (legendary producer of Joy Division and New Order).  He was looking for unsigned bands to appear on a new music TV show in Manchester and so Ian Binnington from Biteback! sent him a compilation tape of many Portsmouth bands. Hannett picked out ‘Fuse – original version” by Cranes and told Ian that the track was ‘fucking great’.   

“…The compelling strangeness that would become associated with the band is evident from the start. Jim’s ear for percussion in particular is key, sampling and triggering beats that, especially set against quieter moments, communicate a sense of near-monstrous scale … making Fuse more than a curio for the initiated.” – THE WIRE

“While later releases have seen them exploring artful, shiver-inducing ambience, the clanking industrial post-punk of Fuse represents their earliest, rawest state … Brittle guitar parts and insistent, repetitious beats wind like wire, while Alison Shaw’s lost-child vocals drift through the ever-shrinking gaps.” – METAL HAMMER 8/10

“If it seems incongruous that a DIY demo-cum LP has now been remastered at Abbey Road, it’s worth noting that these reissued recordings are of far more importance than historical value. Rather they reveal a young band fearlessly experimenting and, as on the superb title track, producing music that’s densely textured and eerie.” – CLASSIC POP 4*

“Fuse is a powerful album … as relevant now as it ever was. It sounds like now. Excellent album.” – ORGANTHING.COM

Side A 1. Pillow Panther 2. Fuse (Original Version) 3. Valentine 4. Gas-Ring

Side B 1. Things That I Like 2. Wrench 3. Fracture 4. New Liberty