Name: The House Of Tomorrow
Brand: The Magnetic Fields

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

MRG152LPC1

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "MRG152LPC1"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

Colour

Green

Colour details

Opaque Spring Green

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "Opaque Spring Green"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: Yes

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: Yes

Format detail

45RPM with Etched B-Side.

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "45RPM with Etched B-Side."}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2022-01-28

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Cargo

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

0673855015200

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "0673855015200"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

Total Cap

1 / 12" / Extended format: Yes / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No / green

MRG152LP

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "MRG152LP"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

Black

Extended format: No

0673855015217

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "0673855015217"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

1 / 12" / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No / black

Artist

The Magnetic Fields

Genre GB

Alternative / Modern

Label GB

Merge Records

Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. Founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan, it started as a platform to release music from their band Superchunk and their friends' creations. Over the years, Merge Records has grown to include talented artists from all over the world, with some of their records even reaching the top of the Billboard music charts.
With its headquarters nestled in Durham, North Carolina, Merge Records has become a renowned name in the music industry. The label was established by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan back in 1989 with a vision to share their own musical endeavors as well as support fellow musicians within their circle.
What began as a humble endeavor quickly flourished into something much greater. Today, Merge Records boasts an impressive roster of artists spanning various genres and backgrounds. From indie rock to experimental pop, *Superchunk* paved the way for other talented musicians to join forces under this esteemed label's umbrella.

The Magnetic Fields is an American indie pop group founded and led by Stephin Merritt. Merritt serves as the primary songwriter, producer, and vocalist for the band. The Magnetic Fields is known for their malleable musical style, which encompasses genres such as synthpop, indie pop, and noise pop. Merritt's lyrics often explore themes of love with a touch of irony, humor, and bitterness. The band has also spawned various side-projects including The 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, and The Gothic Archies.
Named after the novel "Les Champs Magnétiques," The Magnetic Fields was established as a platform for Stephin Merritt's exceptional songwriting skills. With his versatility as a multi-instrumentalist in addition to being the main creative force behind the band's music production process, Merritt has crafted a distinct sound that defies easy categorization.
While their songs span various subgenres within the realm of pop music, it is primarily their catchy synthpop-infused melodies and cleverly crafted lyrics that have garnered them recognition. Often exploring unconventional gender roles through his songwriting approach, Merritt's lyrics are both thought-provoking and entertaining.

The House of Tomorrow EP celebrates 30 years in 2022. The House of Tomorrow EP marks the first release introducing vocals by Stephin Merritt and this reissue comes with a bonus track Alien Being.

Cast your mind back to notable landmarks of 1992. Outside the Twin Cities, Mall of America opened to the public. Frank Gehry’s enormous golden fish sculpture, El Peix, welcomed Barcelona Olympians. And The House of Tomorrow, a four-song 7” on a small indie label, ushered in a new era for The Magnetic Fields. When Susan Anway, who sang on early albums Distant Plastic Trees and The Wayward Bus, left the group, Stephin Merritt stepped up to the microphone. “This was my first time singing on record,” he recalls. He sought to sound simple, subtle, and unobtrusive, à la the Japanese concept of shibusa. “But now, listening back, I hear a little too much vocal influence from the Jesus and Mary Chain. (I really should move to Scotland. I belong there.)”

Likewise, the arrangements and production of The House of Tomorrow felt less polished overall than on its predecessors, even as the band’s sound was evolving. “I wanted to have rock instrumentation, plus cello (so ELO without keyboards), but everyone was tracked separately so there was no question of sounding like we were playing together,” explains Stephin. Instead, he chose to highlight the artifice. Voilà! “The drums are like Tusk only more so, the cello sounds like a synth, and the guitars might as well be programmed.” The House of Tomorrow rose in stature upon re-release on compact disc in 1996, with a new addition, “Alien Being” (previously relegated to the flip of the “Long Vermont Roads” single), boosting its modest track list from four songs to five. The limits of technology had stymied plans the first time: “You can’t fit five two-and-a-half–minute songs on a 7” record, even at 33rpm.”

From World’s Fairs and Disneyland to Tex Avery and Hanna-Barbera cartoons, visions of the home of the future have long been popular. Although this new vinyl edition of The House of Tomorrow includes an etching of Buckminster Fuller’s visionary D.I.Y. Dymaxion House, Stephin laments the sluggish pace of architectural innovation. What is his dream home? “I want to live in Barbarella’s spaceship, with my neighbors being the Jetsons, floating defiantly over Edinburgh Castle.” Never before released as a 12”, this 30th anniversary remastered edition of The House of Tomorrow is available on opaque spring green vinyl (as well as basic black). But don’t press Stephin to discuss the colour’s charms, please. “I had a sickly pea green bathroom in my East Village tenement, and I never got over it,” he reveals. “It’s okay on plants, but everywhere else, the browner it is, the less I hate it. My favorite shade of green is brown.”

The House Of Tomorrow

Music GB

Discover The House Of Tomorrow by The Magnetic Fields on vinyl. This 30th anniversary remastered edition includes a bonus track and comes in opaque spring green or basic black. Available now from Merge Records.