Soda – Britpop Band Collectible CD Production Master Tape – Excellent w/ Manufacturer-Ready Label

Condition Details: Please check all photos of the item carefully, as they form part of the description of the condition of the item. This large-format CD Production Master Tape is in excellent condition, housed in its original cartridge with intact reels and a professionally printed label. Dated 23rd November 1995, it was prepared for Mercury Records under catalogue number XXXCD2 and marked “Fully Prepared For Manufacture.” The tape has been stored securely and remains in pristine archival condition.

What's Included: This listing includes the Original Tape Cartridge with detailed production label from Trinity Mews, London. The label confirms this as a Compact Disc Production Master, verified via DTA2000 and PQ encoded on Audio Channel 1. It was mastered using PCM 1610/30 at a sampling frequency of 44.1kHz with no pre-emphasis, and includes SMPTE NDF timecode on Channel 2. The tape was intended for direct CD replication, making it a definitive source for Soda’s commercial output.

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.