VA - A Mercury Polydor New Music Sampler [1994]

SAMPLER

VA - A Mercury Polydor New Music Sampler [1994]

Issued as part of the Flood Sampler series, this 2-CD promotional set from Mercury and Polydor Canada is a snapshot of mid-’90s label ambition, showcasing a sprawling roster of alternative, indie, and genre-defying acts. With 35 tracks spanning shoegaze, trip hop, punk, folk rock, and funk metal, the compilation functions as both a marketing tool and a cultural time capsule.

CD1 opens with The Breeders’ “Shocker in Gloomtown,” a non-album cut that sets the tone for the sampler’s mix of exclusives and album previews. Highlights include Lisa Germano’s haunting “Cry Wolf,” Red House Painters’ “San Geronimo,” and Dead Can Dance’s “American Dreaming”—each track chosen to reflect the emotional and sonic diversity of the labels’ catalogs. The Beautiful South, Grant McLennan, and Daytona add melodic depth, while Kerbdog and Face to Face inject raw energy.

CD2 leans darker and more experimental: Portishead’s “Theme from ‘To Kill a Dead Man’” and Orbital’s “Are We Here?” (Industry Standard Mix) represent the sampler’s electronic edge, while Public Enemy’s “Race Against Time” and Downset’s “Prostitutionalized” bring political urgency. Paul Weller’s cover of “Sexy Sadie” and Kendra Smith’s “Bold Marauder” offer unexpected turns, bridging classic influence with underground ethos.

Pressed by Cinram and distributed by PolyGram Group Canada, the set was never commercially released, making it a collector’s item for archivists and genre historians. Its sequencing and breadth reflect a moment when major labels were actively courting the fringes, before the digital shift, before the algorithm. A rare document of curated chaos. (B)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Breeders - Shocker in Gloomtown 1:26

02 Lightning Seeds - My Best Day 5:03

03 Wolfgang Press - Going South 4:20

04 Gene - This is Not My Crime 2:37

05 Wool - Kill the Crow 3:12

06 Kerbdog - New Day Rising 2:29

07 Face to Face - Disconnected 3:27

08 Come - In/Out 4:47

09 Lush - The Childcatcher 3:09

10 Lisa Germano - Cry Wolf 5:01

11 Beautiful South - One Last Love Song 3:34

12 Grant McLennan - Simone & Perry 4:08

13 Daytona - Ciao 4:30

14 Dead Can Dance - American Dreaming 4:14

15 Red House Painters - San Geronimo 7:36

16 Meat Puppets - Animal 4:32

17 Consolidated - Meat, Meat, Meat And Meat 0:51

CD2

01 Portishead - Theme From To Kill A Dead Man 4:26

02 James - Honest Joe 4:40

03 Love & Rockets - Body & Soul 4:04

04 Public Enemy - Race Against Time 3:22

05 Downset - Prostitutionalized 3:16

06 Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Kin 3:09

07 Shady - Narcotic Candy 7:27

08 Soup Dragons - Do You Care 3:22

09 Wonder Stuff - Unbearable 2:27

10 Sook Yin Lee - The Hair Song 4:07

11 Fretblanket - Direct Approach 2:39

12 Shed Seven - Ocean Pie 4:44

13 Paul Weller - Sexy Sadie 2:41

14 Love Battery - Nehru Jacket 3:23

15 Kendra Smith - Bold Marauder 5:33

16 Pale Saints - Reprise 1:51

17 Orbital - Are We Here? (Industry Standard Mix) 3:49

18 Perfume Tree - Here to Haunt You 4:28

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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