Remastered from original tapes, Alan Vega’s 1980 debut and 1981 follow-up return
The Vega Vault Project and Sacred Bones Records have scheduled new editions of Alan Vega’s first two solo albums for 23 January 2026. The releases cover his 1980 self-titled debut Alan Vega and the 1981 follow-up Collision Drive. Both titles have been remastered from their original tapes and will enter digital catalogues for the first time. A separate release, Alan Vega Deluxe Edition, compiles the remastered debut with a group of early demos located in the Vega Vault. All editions include previously unseen photographs and new artwork.
Artist: Alan Vega
Release Date: 2026-01-23
Genres: Art Rock, Post-punk
Label: Sacred Bones Records
Description: Alan Vega’s solo albums Alan Vega and Collision Drive remastered, plus a deluxe demo edition — out on Sacred Bones 23 Jan 2026.
The announcement accompanies newly remastered audio and video for the single Ice Drummer, directed by Douglas Hart of The Jesus and Mary Chain, and a remastered version of Outlaw. The material traces back to Vega’s work in the late 1970s and early 1980s, during breaks from activities with Suicide, his long-running project with Martin Rev.
Early solo work
Alan Vega was issued in 1980, in the same period that Suicide released their second album. During these sessions, Vega developed material shaped by his interest in rockabilly and by the music of Elvis Presley, which he had referenced across earlier interviews and performances. He had been writing independently of Suicide and began testing solo material in small New York venues.
During this phase Vega met Phil Hawk, a Texan musician who approached him after seeing a performance at Max’s Kansas City. Vega, who had been working with tape manipulation and minimal setups for years, required a guitarist for the sound he had in mind. Hawk became involved in the sessions, contributing guitar parts directed by Vega. Vega constructed the remainder of the instrumentation himself, recording drum components individually and combining electronic and acoustic elements. The album also features songs such as Jukebox Babe, Kung Foo Cowboy, and Ice Drummer.
Collision Drive
Recorded the following year in the same New York studio, Collision Drive expanded Vega’s approach with a live drummer and a harder-edged backing group. The record incorporated themes from his long-standing interests in street culture, science fiction, comics, and politics. Tracks such as Viet Vet, Ghost Rider (a rework of the Suicide title), and Outlaw appear in this period. The phrase “more more more, more for the poor” in Outlaw has been linked to a later lyric used by Billy Idol in “Rebel Yell”.
Statements from Jared Artaud, co-producer of the Vega Vault Project, and Liz Lamere, Vega’s collaborator and later spouse, describe the archive-based process behind the reissues and the varied working methods Vega applied between the two albums. The tapes for the newly issued demos were transferred by engineer Ted Young and mastered by Josh Bonati. Artwork for the releases was produced by Artaud and Michael Handis.
Factual background
Alan Vega (born Boruch Alan Bermowitz in 1938) was an American vocalist and visual artist active in New York from the late 1960s onward. Before his music career gained visibility, he worked in sculpture and light-based installations and was associated with the Project of Living Artists. In 1970 he formed Suicide with musician Martin Rev; the pair released the albums Suicide (1977), Suicide: Alan Vega and Martin Rev (1980), and later works through the 1980s. Vega also issued multiple solo albums across labels including ZE Records and Blast First. Parallel to his music, he continued to exhibit visual art and maintained an active schedule of performances, recording projects, and collaborations until his death in 2016.
Alan Vega, Collision Drive, and Alan Vega Deluxe Edition will be released on 23 January 2026 through Sacred Bones Records in conjunction with the Vega Vault Project.
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