Former frontman for the Dead Kennedys Jello Biafra has released a statement critical of the band’s re-release of their debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotten Vegetables. The reissue, which is out in September, promises a new mix of the album by studio engineer Chris Lord-Alge. According to Brooklyn Vegan, Biafra took to social media to express frustration about the reissue, calling the sound “weak”.

Biafra also took umbrage at the press release for the reissue, which mentioned that the reissue was overseen by the band. Biafra wrote, “It was not ‘overseen by the band,’ as their press release claims. I was deliberately locked out. Not one person from the band or the labels reached out to me at all. Nor did Chris Lord-Alge, who did the remix. I guess he didn’t care, or value anything I brought to the band at all. Without me those songs wouldn’t exist.”

He also took aim at a remix of “Chemical Warfare”, writing, “In October, 2019, Matti Ingham from Cherry Red, along with East Bay Ray’s Facebook page, posted a remixed “Chemical Warfare”, along with a press release bragging that I thought it was “terrible”; as though that was some kind of clever genius “promotion”.”

Biafra has had a hectic relationship with his former band for over twenty years. An outspoken political activist, just last year Biafra spoke out against pro-Republican tweets which appeared on the band’s social media pages and was reportedly blocked from their page afterwards. The band, for their part, claims that these tweets were the result of their social media manager.

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat