AceShowbiz - The Frank Zappa estate is bringing back their archival label, Vaulternative Records, for the first time in nearly ten years to release previously unheard recordings from 1966.

The new album, Zappa '66: Vol. 1 - Live at TTG Studios, set to be released on May 15, features recordings from October 1966 by Zappa and his band The Mothers of Invention. These sessions took place shortly after the band’s groundbreaking debut album Freak Out! and before the recording of their 1967 album Absolutely Free.

This release marks the first new project from Vaulternative Records since 2016’s Chicago '78. The label was originally created in 2002 by Zappa’s widow Gail and archivist Joe Travers, also known as the "Vaultmeister." The relaunch coincides with a year-long celebration of the 60th anniversary of Freak Out!, which debuted in 1966.

Travers explained, "We’re very pleased to announce the relaunch of Vaulternative Records, which creates a direct line from The Vault to fans." He emphasized the label’s mission aligned with Frank’s AAAFNRAA philosophy — Anything Anytime Anyplace for No Reason At All — allowing a wide variety of archival material to be shared, including interviews, raw live sets, unreleased works, or complete concerts.

All releases from Vaulternative Records will be available exclusively through Zappa.com, uDiscover Music, and Sound of Vinyl, ensuring direct access for fans.

In anticipation of the album, the label has released an unreleased instrumental track titled Move On from the same 1966 sessions. Travers said, "I decided to take advantage of the 60th anniversary and compile the best edit I could to represent what happened that day in early October 1966 when The Mothers were hired to supposedly show the world what they were responsible for." He added that the band was unique and that a young Zappa, just 25 years old and early in his signed career, was already making a significant impact.

Zappa '66: Vol. 1 - Live at TTG Studios is available for preorder now. Alongside the main recordings, it includes rare excerpts from a 1966 radio session, liner notes from Joe Travers, and previously unseen photographs by Earl Leaf and Barry Feinstein, offering a rich glimpse into this pivotal era of Zappa’s career.