Conflict To Release “The Collusion Exclusion” EP

Conflict formed in 1981 in Eltham, a district of Southeast London, when frontman Colin Jerwood, inspired by early encounters with the Sex Pistols‘ Spunk bootleg and following The Clash on tour, struck up a friendship with Crass and set about crafting a whole new kind of punk that totally upped the ante in terms anger and confrontation. Crass, the renowned anarchist punk collective, having got Conflict started by releasing their debut single, The House That Man Built, in 1982 on Crass Records, ended in 1984 as they had always intended. Now it was up to Conflict to pick up the baton and run with it. And they did, charging into the battle lines of authority. A genuine threat. An unstoppable battering-ram of power. The years that followed saw Conflict go from strength to strength, and from threat to threat, peaking on the 18^th of April in 1987 at London’s Brixton Academy for the Gathering of the 5,000 concert. It was an ambitious gathering of the tribes. A climax and explosion of rage and rebellion that inevitably ended up in a Police provoked full-scale riot across Brixton with Police injuries, arrests and with the band hopelessly in debt and banned from the majority of major London and UK venues. 

Undeterred, Conflict continued into the 90s with their acclaimed Conclusion album and remained a mainstay of the live punk circuit throughout. However, after more than two decades since the release of their 2003 album, There’s No Power Without Control, album, the band finally released a new album, This Much Remains, in May 2025 through Mortarhate & Cadiz Music. Unfortunately the album was only out for a few weeks before vocalist Colin Jerwood passed away after a short illness. Now, the band have a new single, The Collusion Exclusion, that will be released on October 31st on 10″ vinyl, for this release they had some friends remix tracks, including the legendary Youth (Killing Joke) and Sid Truelove (Rubella Ballet) who was one of Colin’s oldest & closest friends. “Conflict are stronger than ever,” stated Colin Jerwood in May just before his premature passing, “and more relevant than ever.”

“The Collusion Exclusion is about how we are divided and set against each other in order to maintain control, unwittingly colluding in our own oppression. The more we fight amongst ourselves, the more they can exploit the situation to their advantage. Colin wrote the first verse and chorus, and I just finished it off, with my version of the chorus and a second verse. I wanted to use the imagery of a pantomime, as watching what’s happening feels like one sometimes. I mean, Boris Johnson and Donald Trump look like caricatures of human beings, it’s absurd that anyone would vote for them, but they did and have done again in the case of Trump. They are using the devices of turning people against each other. “Look over there! That other poor person is your enemy, not me, the billionaire.” (vocalist Fiona Friel)

“I was more than honoured to be asked by Gav King to do a remix for Conflict as a tribute. ‘Take your pick’ Gav said, so I picked the track ‘When the lights go out’ as there was something in Colin’s words that spoke to me lyrically. This was the track. Colin always said we would do a Rubella Ballet & CONFLICT Dub remix….. I just never imagined he wouldn’t be here to give me his loyal support and honest feedback. We were always the greatest of friends from late ‘79 when me and Zillah Minx met him for the first time. I still hear his infectious laughter echoing around the house. The lights may have gone out but Colin’s spirit remains strong in his music, his words, his and Conflict’s fight for human and animal rights everywhere. Rest in peace dear friend.” (Rubella Ballet‘s Sid Truelove)