News
22 October 2026 – Minor Conflict Recruit Squid’s Ollie Judge for Surveillance Operator
By Editorial Team - October 22, 2026
Summary
Bristol experimental post-punk trio Minor Conflict announce their Residents EP for February 12, 2027, on Fascination Street Records and share Surveillance Operator.
Key Facts
- Minor Conflict announce 5-track EP 'Residents', arriving February 12, 2027, via Fascination Street Records.
- Lead single 'Surveillance Operator' features Squid drummer Ollie Judge and production by Ali Chant.
- Track drew thematic inspiration from the Cold War surveillance film 'The Lives of Others'.
- Entities: Minor Conflict, Ollie Judge, Squid, Ali Chant, Real World Studios, Fascination Street Records, Bristol
- Tags: minor-conflict, surveillance-operator, ollie-judge, squid, fascination-street-records, post-punk, ali-chant, real-world-studios, bristol
Bristol experimental post-punk trio Minor Conflict have announced a five-track EP, Residents, due February 12, 2027, via Fascination Street Records. The announcement is spearheaded by "Surveillance Operator", a motorik, tension-soaked single featuring guest drums from Squid’s Ollie Judge.
Recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios with acclaimed producer Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Yard Act), the EP also includes production contributions from Louis Satchell of PVA. Lyrically inspired by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's Cold War film The Lives of Others, the track channels anxious paranoia about state surveillance and modern algorithmic monitoring into an urgent, relentless post-punk groove.
Minor Conflict have built a reputation on the UK live circuit through incendiary festival sets at Glastonbury and Green Man, alongside high-profile support slots with Squid and Horse Lords. Headline shows across Bristol and London are planned around the EP release in early 2027.
At a time when personal devices track every movement and habit, a song examining the gaze of the observer feels startlingly timely. Check out our post-punk hub for more cutting-edge underground releases.