Condition Details: Please check all photos of the item carefully, as they form part of the description of the condition of the item. This complete set of four vintage 3M reel-to-reel tapes from Westside Studios is in excellent condition, with intact reels and detailed handwritten labels. Each reel is marked as a master, recorded at 30 ips with Dolby noise reduction and EQ set to +7. The tapes have been professionally stored and remain fully playable for archival or reference use.

What's Included: This listing includes four Original Studio Reels housed in Westside Recording Studios cases, each with full track breakdowns and production metadata:

• Master Reel 1 (25/9/95):

  • One Track Mind – 00:14 (Master)

  • Sun Come Around – 4:35 (Master)

  • Tones at Head: 1kHz, 10kHz

  • Record PAD

  • Producer: Clive & Alan

  • Engineer: Alan

  • Studio: 1

• Master Reel 2 (25/9/95):

  • One Sweet Lie – 00:22 (Master)

  • Inside – Take 2

  • Inside – Take 3 – 7:45 (Master)

  • Stirling Chords

  • Producer: Luke & Alan

  • Engineer: Alan

  • Studio: 1

• Master Reel 3 (6/2/96):

  • No Ordinary Guy – Master

  • Down – Master

  • Hands Off Your – Master

  • Artist Souls – Master

  • Engineers: Andy Williams / Phil

  • Studio: 1

• Master Reel 4 (7/2/96):

  • When Will My Life Begin – Master

  • Dragging You Into My Dreams – Master

  • Destroy This Young Creation – Master

  • Producer: Ansel

  • Engineer: Winstanley

  • Studio: 1

Each reel is labeled with EQ type NAB, Dolby settings, and mastering indicators. Together, they represent a comprehensive mastering suite from Soda’s Mercury-era sessions, capturing final takes, alternate mixes, and full-band arrangements across multiple production phases.

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.