High-Resolution Audio Fidelity (Lossless CD-Quality)
1983 Cassette Edition: Often included extra tracks like "Perfect," "Three Orange Kisses From Kazan," and "Nature Of Virtue" .
The fluorescent hum of the ceiling lights in “Bitrate & B-Sides” was the only sound in the shop, save for the rhythmic scratching of a stylus on well-worn vinyl. Elias, a man whose fingers were perpetually stained with ink and dust, sat behind the counter. He didn’t look up when the bell chimed. He only looked up for customers who knew what they were looking for.
1983 was a significant year for music, with various notable releases across genres. Soul music, in particular, was thriving during this period, with artists like Michael Jackson, Prince, and Stevie Wonder dominating the charts.
Remastering Process: The 2014 reissue was remastered at Abbey Road Studios by Matt Johnson himself using the original master tapes.
Matt Johnson, the sole constant creative force behind The The (yes, the "The" is intentional), was a 22-year-old from south London. He had already released the stark, industrial Burning Blue Soul (1981) under his own name. For Soul Mining, he assembled a rotating cast of legends: J. G. Thirlwell (Foetus) on synth bass, Thomas Leer on synthesizers, future Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr on harmonica (“This Is the Day”), and Zeke Manyika on drums.
