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 reel-to-reel tape from Milo Studios is in excellent condition, housed in its original box with handwritten session notes. Dated 15th May 1990, this reel is one of the earliest known Soda recordings, produced by Patsy Hofmann for Mercury. The reel is labeled 2/2 and includes two tracks, both marked as masters. It has been professionally stored and remains fully playable for archival or reference use.
What's Included: This listing includes the Original Milo Studios Reel Box, featuring:
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Track List:
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How Can I Be True? – Master
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U Broke My Heart – Master
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Technical Specs (Checklist):
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Speed: 30 ips (checked)
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Format: 24 Track (checked)
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EQ: NAB
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Dolby: [not marked]
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Stereo/Mono: [not marked]
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Master: ✓
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Copy: [not marked]
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Studio: Milo Studios, 43/44 Hoxton Square, London N1
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Date: 15/5/90
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Producer: Patsy Hofmann
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Client: Mercury
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Artist: Soda
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The box also includes a numbered grid (1–24), likely used for tracking tape usage or channel assignments. This reel predates the Mercury-era Westside sessions and offers a rare glimpse into Soda’s formative studio work.
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.
