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 Sony E5-90HMEX Professional Video Cassette is in very good condition, with intact reels and a handwritten label. The tape is marked “SODA ‘SLAVE’” and includes a note for One Track Mind (Vocal Backup), suggesting it contains isolated vocal stems or alternate vocal takes. The cassette has been stored securely and remains playable for archival or reference use, assuming compatible Hi8 PCM playback equipment.

What's Included: This listing includes the Original Sony Hi8 Tape with handwritten label and printed format specs. The tape is configured for PCM stereo audio and includes timecode support, indicating it was used in a professional studio setting. The reference to “Slave” and “Vocal Backup” suggests this was part of a multitrack vocal session, possibly used for overdubs, comping, or mix isolation during the production of One Track Mind.

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.