Soda – Britpop Band Collectible Eden Master Reel #1 – Excellent w/ Mix Variants & Studio Notes

Condition Details: Please check all photos of the item carefully, as they form part of the description of the condition of the item. This professionally labeled reel-to-reel tape from Eden Studios is in excellent condition, with intact reels and a detailed handwritten track sheet. Dated 12th September 1995, the reel documents multiple mix variants and mastering decisions across two key tracks. It has been professionally stored and remains fully playable for archival or reference use.

What's Included: This listing includes the Original Studio Reel housed in an Eden Studios box, featuring:

• Track Breakdown:

  1. Tones – 1kHz, 10kHz, 100Hz @ OVU +4db/500Hz

  2. Riot Kid (2:00) – Master (with long solo at 1:30)

     • Note: “Use this version with long solo”

  3. Riot Kid (2:00) – Lower vox and lower solo

  4. The Young Own The Town (3:41) – Master

  5. The Young Own The Town (3:41) – Broken vocals up

• Technical Specs:

  • Studio: Eden Studios Ltd, London W4

  • Producer & Engineer: Paul Corkett

  • Assistant: Simon

  • Client: Mercury

  • Artist: Soda

  • Reel No: 1

  • Speed: 30 ips

  • EQ: NAB

  • Format: 2 Track

  • Dolby: [not marked]

  • Master: ✓

  • SSL Reel Disc(s): Enclosed

This reel captures the vocal mix evolution and mastering decisions for two of Soda’s most prominent tracks. The presence of alternate vocal balances and solo treatments offers insight into the band’s production process during the Mercury era.

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.