Two reel-to-reel master tapes of Built To Spill’s 1997 record Perfect From Now On have sold on Etsy, of all places. The tapes popped up for sale on the page of Pacific Northwest seller ElliottBayVintage, selling last night. It’s unclear how the seller got the items, but according to the listing, the tapes “contain the initial studio recordings without remaster, mixing, and overdubs,” and only some of the actual tracks from the final album. However, they do contain “Velvet Waltz,” so that’s all that really matters.
The seller says the tapes are “breathtaking,” and that “if you’re a fan of BTS or Northwest music, consider this, it’s like finding the 'Velvet Underground' of Idaho’s unreleased acetate.” That’s a little hyperbolic, but it’s still pretty neat—and entirely weird—that these just randomly showed up online.