The Bristol indiepop collective restore their best-known album with added outtakes, updated artwork and a long-overdue streaming debut
Melancholia, the largest-selling album by Bristol indiepop collective Modesty Blaise, has spent roughly two decades unavailable to stream. That changes with a 3-disc 25th Anniversary remastered edition on From Lo-Fi to Disco!, which adds previously unreleased outtakes from the original sessions and updated artwork to a newly restored master.
Artist: Modesty Blaise
Release Date: 2026-04-24
Genres: Art Rock, Indie Rock
Label: From Lo-Fi to Disco!
Description: Modesty Blaise remaster Melancholia for its 25th anniversary: 3 discs, new outtakes, updated artwork and a streaming debut on From Lo-Fi to Disco!
Both Gregory Jones and Jonny Collins describe the process of the remastering as one of excavation rather than revision; the intention was to make audible what was already in the recording rather than to reshape it. Collins is characteristically direct about what that excavation involved: the band has always worked with extreme density of arrangement, and the new master brings greater clarity and dynamic range to layering that was present but not always fully accessible to the listener.
Running alongside the anniversary release are remastered versions of “Carol Mountain” and “The Little Things You Do”, a track originally prepared for a 7-inch single that was never released. Both come with videos shot in New York and Germany respectively during tours connected to the original Melancholia campaign.
The band was formed in Bristol in 1993 by Jonny Collins. Their debut single “Christina Terrace” was produced by Edwyn Collins and led to a live appearance on ITV and end-of-year rankings placements. Later activity included supporting Robbie Williams at the O2 Arena in London, a track on a Rough Trade compilation, an ITV documentary on Jonny Collins, and a BBC Radio session. The Melancholia lineup comprised Jonny Collins, David W Brown, Gregory Jones, Clem Courtney, and Julien Clapperton.
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