Federal Prisoner

Federal Prisoner
Founded2018
FounderGreg Puciato
Jesse Draxler
GenreExperimental, industrial, electronic, alternative
Country of originUnited States
LocationLos Angeles, California
Official websitefederalprisoner.com

Federal Prisoner is an American independent record label founded in 2018 by musician Greg Puciato and visual artist Jesse Draxler.[1] Based in Los Angeles, California, the label releases music alongside books, films, and limited-edition physical items, and has issued work by Puciato, the Black Queen, Draxler, Annihilus, Trace Amount, Sore Dream, God Is War, and Black Magnet.[2][3]

History

Founding and early releases (2018–2019)

Puciato, formerly of the Dillinger Escape Plan, and Draxler, a longtime visual collaborator of Puciato's band the Black Queen, founded Federal Prisoner in 2018 in order to retain full ownership and control of their creative output.[1] The label's first release was the Black Queen's second album, Infinite Games (2018).[4][1] The following year it published Separate the Dawn, a book of Puciato's poetry and photography.[1][5]

Expansion (2020)

In 2020, Federal Prisoner released Puciato's debut solo album, Child Soldier: Creator of God.[6] That September, the label issued Reigning Cement, an audiovisual project in which Draxler asked more than twenty musicians—including Chelsea Wolfe, Trentemøller, Ghostemane, Uniform, Portrayal of Guilt, and Full of Hell's Dylan Walker—to build tracks from a fixed set of environmental sound recordings he supplied; the album was accompanied by a 100-page book of Draxler's photography.[7][1] The label also announced a vinyl edition of the score to Rob Sheridan's graphic novel High Level, composed by the Black Queen's Steven Alexander Ryan and Justin McGrath.[1] In December 2020, Federal Prisoner presented Fuck Content, a performance film by Puciato that debuted as a 48-hour streaming event and was followed by a companion live album.[8][9]

Reissues and roster growth (2021–2022)

In February 2021, the label marked the fifth anniversary of the Black Queen's debut album Fever Daydream (2016) with new vinyl pressings and a deluxe digital edition featuring instrumental and a cappella versions, bonus recordings, and demos.[10][11] That June, the label announced its first release not involving either founder: Follow a Song from the Sky, the second album by Annihilus, the one-man black metal project of Chicago musician Luca Cimarusti, released on August 13, 2021.[12][13] Draxler said he contacted Cimarusti after listening to the project's 2020 album Ghanima.[12][14]

In 2022, Federal Prisoner released Tears of a Blistered World by Sore Dream, the electronic duo of Full of Hell's Spencer Hazard and Dylan Walker;[15] Anti Body Language, the debut album by Brooklyn industrial project Trace Amount, featuring guest appearances by Kanga and Statiqbloom and cover art by Draxler;[16][17] and the EP I Have No Enemies, I Permit No Such Thing by Los Angeles electronic act God Is War.[18] Puciato's second solo album, Mirrorcell, followed on July 1, 2022, after an early Bandcamp release prompted by a leak.[19][20] In December 2022, the label issued 11/11/22: Los Angeles, a live album documenting Puciato's debut concert as a solo artist, recorded the previous month at the Don Quixote venue in Los Angeles.[21]

Black Magnet and Tongue of Angels (2025–2026)

In 2025, Federal Prisoner signed the Oklahoma City industrial metal band Black Magnet, previously with 20 Buck Spin, and released the group's third album, Megamantra, on July 25, 2025.[3][22][23]

Beginning in April 2025, Draxler issued a series of collaborative singles—with Presser, OAA, Trace Amount, and God Is War, among others—leading up to his second album, Tongue of Angels, scheduled for release on July 31, 2026, through Federal Prisoner.[24][25] Like Reigning Cement, the album is built from field recordings supplied by Draxler and reworked by more than twenty collaborators, including Zola Jesus, Ho99o9, Iggor Cavalera, Ian Astbury, Lord Spikeheart, and Black Asteroid; Draxler described the project as "a system where authorship is distributed but never dissolved".[25][26]

Aesthetic

The label's visual identity draws on Draxler's largely monochromatic fine art, and its releases frequently take the form of limited physical editions with artwork and apparel designed by him.[1][9] Puciato has described the label's ethos as one of "aggressive honesty" and independence from conventional music-industry structures.[1]

Artists

Artists who have released work through Federal Prisoner include:[2]

Selected releases

YearArtistTitleNotes
2018The Black QueenInfinite GamesFirst label release[4]
2019Greg PuciatoSeparate the DawnBook of poetry and photography[1]
2020Greg PuciatoChild Soldier: Creator of God[6]
2020Jesse DraxlerReigning CementAlbum with accompanying photo book[7]
2020Greg PuciatoFuck ContentPerformance film and live album[9]
2021The Black QueenFever Daydream (5 Year Anniversary Deluxe Edition)Reissue[10]
2021AnnihilusFollow a Song from the Sky[12]
2022Sore DreamTears of a Blistered World[15]
2022Trace AmountAnti Body Language[16]
2022God Is WarI Have No Enemies, I Permit No Such ThingEP[18]
2022Greg PuciatoMirrorcell[20]
2022Greg Puciato11/11/22: Los AngelesLive album[21]
2025Black MagnetMegamantra[23]
2026Jesse DraxlerTongue of AngelsScheduled for release on July 31, 2026[25]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Greg Puciato on Vision of "Aggressive Honesty" Behind Label Federal Prisoner". Revolver. April 30, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Artists – Federal Prisoner". Federal Prisoner. Retrieved July 21, 2026 – via Bandcamp.
  3. 1 2 "Exclusive: Black Magnet premiere new track and video "Endless"". Lambgoat. May 2, 2025. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  4. 1 2 "The Black Queen (Feat. The Dillinger Escape Plan's Greg Puciato) Announce New Album". Kerrang!. June 15, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Greg Puciato". The Creative Independent. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Aggressive, But in a Positive Way: Greg Puciato Takes Us Inside His New Solo Album". Kerrang!. March 11, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Jesse Draxler Premieres Reigning Cement Album Featuring Chelsea Wolfe, Greg Puciato, VOWWS, and More: Stream". Consequence. September 4, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan) announces "Fuck Content" streaming event". BrooklynVegan. November 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 "Greg Puciato releases 'F*ck Content' Album via Federal Prisoner". Soundsphere. December 18, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  10. 1 2 "The Black Queen issues five-year anniversary edition of celebrated debut album". ReGen Magazine. January 29, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  11. ↑ "The Black Queen To Release Deluxe 5th Anniversary Edition Of "Fever Daydream"". Theprp.com. January 29, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 "A second Annihilus". Scene Point Blank. June 18, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Greg Puciato-Approved Black-Metal Act Annihilus: Hear New Song "Draw the Beast"". Revolver. June 15, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Federal Prisoner announces release of latest album from Chicago artist Annihilus". ReGen Magazine. June 17, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 "Tears of a Blistered World, by Sore Dream". Bandcamp. March 4, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  16. 1 2 "Federal Prisoner to release full-length debut from Trace Amount with guest appearances by KANGA and Statiqbloom". ReGen Magazine. February 16, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Trace Amount (Literally) Invent a New Language on New Single "Anti Body Language"". Flood. April 6, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  18. 1 2 3 "I Have No Enemies, I Permit No Such Thing – God Is War". Qobuz. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Greg Puciato Releases 'Mirrorcell' Early Via Bandcamp". Wildfire Music. June 26, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  20. 1 2 "Greg Puciato – 'Mirrorcell' (Album Review)". V13. July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  21. 1 2 "Ex-Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato will release his debut solo live album on December 20". Louder. December 13, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  22. 1 2 "Black Magnet 'Megamantra' Album Review". Lambgoat. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  23. 1 2 "Black Magnet, "Megamantra"". I Die: You Die. August 6, 2025. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Jesse Draxler announces immersive new project Tongue of Angels". Alternative Press. April 3, 2025. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  25. 1 2 3 "News: Jesse Draxler releases collaborative track with HOLLY and Ho99o9 as latest single from upcoming album". ReGen Magazine. June 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Jesse Draxler: 'CTRL ALT DEL'". Metal Magazine. June 11, 2026. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
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