Record Store Day 2024 - ISDN and From the Archives

[Ross]

Future Sound of London released ISDN in December 1994, Originally with a black cover as a limited release. June 1995 saw an alternative white-covered version released, this had a different track listing on the 4th side of the LP set with new tracks. The music on the album is edited together from various live broadcasts that the duo had transmitted to radio stations all over the world using ISDN networking. At the time ISDN was a relatively new technology that had the bandwidth to carry high-quality digital audio. 2024 Marks the 30th anniversary of this fan-favorite album, to celebrate this the audio from both versions has been amalgamated and sequenced by Brian Dougans. Pressed on clear vinyl with a brand-new front cover, this will also be pressed on 1CD as an RSD exclusive.

Weirdly, the Rough Trade website has the CD listed as 2CD release. No word on the tracklist, whether it'll be all 18 ISDN tracks or if Snake Hips Pt 2, Herd Killing and Live in New York will be there as well. I suppose time will tell!

edit: the RSD site has it listed as 2xCD as well so I think it's just an error in the blurb.

The FSOLDigital release is a repress of the 2007 From the Archives 2LP compilation.

[sigESANg5]

This sounds exciting! The clear vinyl is enticing - don't think I've seen that on a FSOL release.

[tengram]

I'm guessing the 2 CD will have everything that came out on the white and black versions on CD, along with the Promo 500 tracks, and then perhaps some others?

I wonder if these will have the velcro flaps?

[tengram]

The FSOLDigital release is a repress of the 2007 From the Archives 2LP compilation.

I'm still holding out hope that we'll eventually see Environments 3 on LP...

[Ross]

Brian mentioned it as a possible RSD release a couple of years ago, so it's not been forgotten. Hopefully soon!

[tengram]

I had forgotten about this repressing, but ISDN did get a repress on colored vinyl (green) in 2006. Based on the picture posted on the Rough Trade site currently, I have to wonder if that version is the one being used as a model for this 2024 repressing (albeit as a legit version, not a boot like the 2006)

https://www.discogs.com/release/787555- ... ondon-ISDN

[Ross]

Vinyl:
A1.Just A Fuckin' Idiot
A2.The Far Out Son Of Lung And The Ramblings Of A Madman
A3.Appendage
A4.Slider
B1.Smokin' Japanese Babe
B2.You're Creeping Me Out
B3.Eyes Pop - Skin Explodes - Everybody Dead
B4.It's My Mind That Works
C1.Dirty Shadows
C2.Tired
C3.Egypt
C4.Are They Fightin' Us
C5.Hot Knives
D1.Kai
D2.Amoeba
D3.A Study Of Six Guitars
D4.Snake Hips
D5.An End Of Sorts

2CD:
1-1 Just A Fuckin' Idiot
1-2 The Far Out Son Of Lung And The Ramblings Of A Madman
1-3 Appendage
1-4 Slider
1-5 Smokin' Japanese Babe
1-6 You're Creeping Me Out
1-7 Eyes Pop - Skin Explodes - Everybody Dead
1-8 It's My Mind That Works
2-1 Dirty Shadows
2-2 Tired
2-3 Egypt
2-4 Are They Fightin' Us
2-5 Hot Knives
2-6 Kai
2-7 Amoeba
2-8 A Study Of Six Guitars
2-9 Snake Hips
2-10 An End Of Sorts

So no bonus tracks, and the CD is basically now a double CD much like Lifeforms, right down to the structure - eight tracks, 40 minutes on CD1, 10 tracks 50 minutes on CD2. Curious to see how this plays, but I think it will become my default choice for the album.

[tengram]

The 2CD definitely is of interest to me. I agree that this could become the go to. I was hoping we'd also at least get the Promo 500 stuff also spliced in, but oh well...

On the LP version--I have an original 2LP white cover vinyl copy, and besides the fact that I sunk a pretty penny top get it, I'm liking that I've still got that because the sides C and D on this new version are each going to be pushing 25:00 or more if the versions as they currently exist on the original CDs are used. (In theory, sides A and B should be just like the original 2 LP set.)

So either the sides are going to be superlong, which is potentially going to affect the sound, or else there will have needed to be edits to the tracks to make them fit and stay under 25:00+.

At least we aren't getting a repress of the limited edition 1 LP version!

[OffLand]

I made a quick mp3 playlist of CD2 and it flows surprisingly well!
I do wish they had added Live in New York as a final track to CD1 though. Ah well.

[moxlox]

Nice. I only ever bought the black limited one at the time. So I like the idea of the additional white tracks on a clear vinyl.

See what I (they/Brian) did there? Black->White->Clear

[adreamingandroid]

Back when I was in my late teens/ early 20s and still had my decks I would love going on a vinyl/music hunt. the idea of RSD would have been heaven. I no longer have decks so I focus on CDs as I prefer having something physical over a digital release.

There's a part of me that wishes that RSD was vinyl only, that way I don't get my hopes dashed upon seeing the lack of thought being put into the CDs that are issued. I already own both versions of ISDN on cd. With there being no new tracks and seemingly nowt special about the packaging and suppose I am left wondering what the point of this release is.
For me personally I would rather have had cd copies of the remasters of Lifeforms and Dead Cities on RSD and as a cheeky bonus a cd copy of Oil's Slight of Hand.
I do get it, all of these things take time and money to put together and with vinyl being the current 'thing' that's where the money lies.

[Ross]

Not everyone has the black edition (over on Facebook I still come across people who don’t even know it exists!) and those tracks have been out of print for 30 years, so that seems like a pretty good reason for this to exist. And it’s remastered for those interested in that.

The Lifeforms and Dead Cities vinyl editions weren’t remastered, btw. There was some stuff in the Lifeforms press release about it but it ended up just being a direct repress of the original.

[tengram]

For vinyl collectors, the represses have been great money savers. I've been quite happy with the copies of Dead Cities, Lifeforms, Earthbeat, Accelerator, and Tales that have come out in recent years. Given that all of those have now been repressed, ISDN's the remaining missing piece.

[adreamingandroid]

"The Lifeforms and Dead Cities vinyl editions weren’t remastered, btw. There was some stuff in the Lifeforms press release about it but it ended up just being a direct repress of the original"

My mistake, I had got into my head that it was a remaster as opposed to just a repress.
So is the remaster of ISDN just for the vinyl or has been remastered for the CD as well, I ask as I have been led to understand that mastering for one format is not the same as it is for other ? I would certainly grab a remaster if that is the case.

[Ross]

It’s been remastered for digital/CD and vinyl, I think by Matt Colton again who did a good job on Tales last year.