Soda

Condition Details: Please check all photos of the item carefully, as they form part of the description of the condition of the item. This vintage DAT cassette from The Town House Post Production is in excellent condition, professionally stored and clearly labeled. Dated 18th September 1995, it is marked as an EQ’d Production Master, indicating it was prepared for CD duplication with final EQ settings applied.

What's Included: This listing includes the Original DAT Cassette with Town House label, featuring full mastering specs and studio identifiers. The tape is labeled SODA 001 A/B and marked “TRANSFER FLAT,” with no pre-emphasis and a 44.1kHz sampling rate. It was mastered using Sony 1610/1630 and Sonic PQ systems, reflecting high-end production standards of the mid-90s. This item represents the final approved master for Soda’s early release, making it a rare and historically significant piece.

About the Item: Soda were a Britpop band from Hull, England, formed in 1994. They emerged during the height of the mid-1990s Britpop boom, blending melodic guitar pop with touches of punk and new wave. The group consisted of Ocean Reid (vocals), Liam Maloy (bass/vocals), Mike Milner (guitar), Chris Charlton (guitar), and Carl Lonsdale (drums).

Signed to Mercury/Fontana Records between 1995 and 1997, Soda released a few singles including The Young Own The Town (1995) and Inside (1996). Their debut album, Artificial Flavour, was recorded during this period but was shelved by their label and only officially released twenty years later in 2016.

Their music captured the bright, energetic sound of the Britpop era, with catchy choruses and jangly guitars comparable to acts like Ash, Sleeper, and Echobelly. Critics have described their songs as “a perfect time capsule of mid-90s guitar pop.” Despite strong material, Soda’s career was cut short by label setbacks and bad timing.

Today, the band enjoys cult status among Britpop enthusiasts, with their rediscovered debut gaining positive retrospective attention. Artificial Flavour stands as a snapshot of a band that could have been much bigger had things gone differently.