“Panic Buttons” revives the legacy of UK electronic group Joe Average with a blend of nostalgia and fire.
Joe Average, the Brighton-based electronic trio, are back after a 35-year silence with “Panic Buttons”, a track that captures the pulse of a movement they helped shape. Released July 8, 2025, the single is as much a reunion story as it is a musical resurgence.
Composed of original members Rich, Mad Mick, and Prof, Joe Average rose in the early ’90s rave era as Joshua Cry’s Wolf. Their cult anthem “Infinity (Time for the Guru)” featured unforgettable sax lines and thunderous live drumming—a formula now revived.
The reunion began unexpectedly on Friday the 13th of October 2023—the exact day, 34 years later, of their last gig. “It was like the universe was telling us to finish what we started,” Rich says. The trio reconvened after tracking down Prof in a moment that felt ripped from a movie.
“Panic Buttons” blends the signature components of their old sound—Mick’s sax, Prof’s synths—with a striking performance by vocalist Faber. Rich, who now returns to drums post-recovery, also produced the track.
Beyond music, Rich’s journey spans recovery and reinvention. After a motorcycle crash forced him to step back from drumming, he built a new career and even his own home. But the return to music with Joe Average completes the story.
