Description
Soul Mining is the debut album by British post-punk/synth-pop band the The (the 1981 album Burning Blue Soul was originally released by the band’s frontman Matt Johnson as a solo album, but later reissues credited it to the The). After a bidding war between major record labels which resulted in the group signing with CBS Records, Johnson began recording the album in New York City, but the initial recording sessions were aborted after the album’s first two singles and Johnson returned to London where he wrote and recorded the rest of the record. Musically, Soul Mining is a post-punk and synth-pop album with influences of the early 1980s New York club scene, while Johnson’s lyrics focus on relationship insecurities and social alienation, with imagery derived from dreams.
Re-mastered at Abbey Road Studios by THE THE’s Matt Johnson and packaged in a lavish 12″ box, this vinyl only release includes an authentic reproduction of the 1983 release on 180g vinyl, plus an extra 12″ gatefold vinyl of alternative versions and remixes. The box set also includes a unique ‘news-poster’ containing extensive notes written by Johnson that detail the making of the album.
