If you're serious about punk and garage vinyl, you'll have come across the Radiation Reissues label. Based in Rome and operating out of a genuine love for underground music, Radiation has built one of the most focused and consistently impressive reissue catalogues in the world — bringing essential recordings back to vinyl with proper care, quality pressings, and often in formats (coloured vinyl, splatter pressings, picture discs) that make them desirable as objects as well as records.
We stock over 260 Radiation titles, making this one of the strongest areas of our catalogue. This piece is an introduction to the label, what they do, and some of the highlights from the range.
What Is Radiation Reissues?
Radiation Reissues (also trading as Radiation Records) is an Italian independent label with a clear and uncompromising mission: to reissue the records that matter to collectors of punk, garage, psychedelia, and underground rock, and to do so properly. That means licensed releases where possible, quality pressings on heavyweight vinyl, and artwork that respects the original releases.
The label operates with the enthusiasm of dedicated collectors rather than the calculation of a major label reissue programme. The catalogue reflects genuine taste — you won't find obvious cash-in titles here. What you will find is a deep and carefully curated selection of records that serious collectors actually want.
Radiation releases are typically identified by their 'RRS' catalogue numbers (Radiation Records Series), which run sequentially and make it easy to track the catalogue. Many titles appear in multiple variants — standard black vinyl, coloured vinyl, splatter pressings, and occasionally picture discs — which gives collectors options at different price points and adds a visual dimension to the range.
The Artists: Punk, Garage, and Underground Royalty
The Kids
The Belgian punk band The Kids are one of the most extensively documented artists in the Radiation catalogue, and rightly so. Their late 1970s recordings — raw, fast, and utterly uncompromising — are among the finest European punk records ever made, and they were criminally overlooked outside Belgium at the time of original release. Radiation has reissued their key albums in multiple variants, including splatter vinyl editions that have become collector's items in their own right. If you don't know The Kids, start here — they're as good as anything coming out of the UK or US at the same time.
The Cramps
The Cramps are one of the great American underground bands — a unique collision of rockabilly, horror B-movies, and punk energy that produced some of the most distinctive records of the late 1970s and 1980s. Radiation's reissues of their catalogue are among the most sought-after titles in the range, particularly in coloured vinyl variants. Essential listening for anyone who hasn't already fallen down the Cramps rabbit hole.
The Exploited
Wattie Buchan's Edinburgh street punk outfit were one of the defining bands of the early 1980s UK punk scene. Loud, confrontational, and absolutely committed, The Exploited made records that still sound dangerous today. Radiation's reissues bring these back in pressings that do justice to the original recordings.
GBH
Birmingham's GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm) were one of the key bands of the UK82 hardcore punk movement — faster and harder than the first wave, with a sound that influenced hardcore on both sides of the Atlantic. Their early Clay Records releases are the ones to find, and Radiation has made several of these accessible again.
The Toy Dolls
Sunderland's finest — and one of the most entertaining live bands in punk history. The Toy Dolls brought a sense of humour and musical dexterity to punk that set them apart from their contemporaries. Their Radiation reissues are consistently popular and a good entry point for anyone new to the band.
The Boys
Often cited as one of the most underrated bands of the original UK punk era, The Boys combined punk energy with genuine pop songwriting craft. Their albums hold up extraordinarily well, and the Radiation reissues present them in excellent quality.
The Fuzztones
New York's Fuzztones were one of the leading lights of the 1980s garage punk revival — a band that understood the original 1960s garage sound and pushed it into something new and vital. Their Radiation reissues are essential for fans of the genre.
Further Highlights
The catalogue extends well beyond these names. We also stock Radiation titles by Last Resort, The Varukers, Jingo de Lunch, Dillinger, Delroy Wilson, and many others — reflecting the label's willingness to range across punk, hardcore, reggae, and garage without losing focus.
Formats and Variants
One of the things that makes Radiation releases particularly appealing to collectors is the range of formats available:
- Standard black vinyl — The baseline pressing, typically on heavyweight vinyl with quality sleeve reproduction. Always the best-sounding option.
- Coloured vinyl — Many titles appear in single-colour variants — red, blue, green, clear — in limited quantities. These tend to sell through quickly.
- Splatter vinyl — Radiation's splatter pressings have become collector's items in their own right. The Kids splatter variants in particular are among the most visually striking records we stock.
- Picture discs — A smaller number of titles appear as picture discs. As always with picture discs, the visual appeal is the primary draw rather than sound quality.
Why Radiation Matters
In an era when major labels reissue obvious catalogue titles with little care and independent labels come and go, Radiation has maintained a consistent standard over many years. The releases are licensed, the pressings are quality, and the catalogue reflects genuine knowledge of and passion for the music. For collectors of punk, garage, and underground vinyl, it's one of the most reliable labels operating today.
The other thing worth noting is accessibility. Many of the original pressings of these records — particularly the European punk titles like The Kids — are genuinely rare and expensive. Radiation's reissues make this music available to collectors who can't or don't want to spend serious money on originals, without compromising on quality.
Collecting Radiation: What to Know
- Variants sell fast — Coloured vinyl and splatter variants in particular move quickly. If you see a variant you want, don't wait.
- Catalogue numbers are consistent — The RRS numbering makes it easy to track what you have and identify releases. Completists will find the catalogue well-organised.
- Check for multiple variants — Many titles exist in several versions. It's worth checking what variants are available before buying, particularly if you're after a specific colour.
- Stock is updated regularly — We add new Radiation titles as they're released and source earlier pressings where we can. Worth checking back regularly.
Browse our full Radiation Reissues stock — search radiation reissues on our site to see everything currently available.