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when the smashing pumpkins released machina 2: the friends and enemies of modern music on the internet, it was partly because virgin records wasn't interested in the album (especially not a double album) after the lackluster sales of their previous album, machina: the machines of god. there is a link explaining all about it here, and you can download machina 2 here.

But as several people have said, only a few songs from Machina II ever ended up on commercial release - those were included on the second disc of the SP Greatest Hits compilation, called Judas O.

For more complete information, check here. For a copy of Machina II, try SoulSeek. There's an SP hub on Direct Connect, but they're kind of bastardly about letting people on.

The Smashing Pumpkins' last album was never in stores. They made 25 vinyl prints, and told the fans to rip them and put them online. Their last studio album, which was released in stores, was Machina. The very last album, Machina II, was really just the leftovers of Machina (and a little new stuff), and Virgin didn't want to release it, so the Pumpkins said fuck it and put it out there for the people to hear. For the full details, please go here.

machina: the machines of god was such an underrated album. now finally it gets exposure on slashdot, but i think it is a little late! it will never catch mellon collie! i'll bet half the people here have never even heard of machina ii, even though it was an internet-only release ripped from vinyl and distributed for free to the general public. a damn good album billy! keep up the good work in zwan.

tall & baldingly yours,
letter

machina: the machines of god was such an underrated album. now finally it gets exposure on slashdot, but i think it is a little late! it will never catch mellon collie! i'll bet half the people here have never even heard of machina ii, even though it was an internet-only release ripped from vinyl and distributed for free to the general public. a damn good album billy! keep up the good work in zwan.

tall & baldingly yours,
letter

There were 25 copies pressed on vinyl that were given to friends with instructions to copy it and give to the world.

From spfc.org:

"A followup to Machina, and the last album from the band. As a final farewell, and a "fuck you" to a record label that didn't give them the support they deserved, a limited pressing album was made (3x10" +
2LP, 5 discs total) and given away to be bootlegged out among the fans." ...

"Just to clear up any possible confusion, this is the final album from the band. There are 25 copies on vinyl only. There is not, and will not be a CD pressing."

"MACHINA II/the Friends & Enemies of Modern Music" is the pumpkins' final album, the followup to "MACHINA/the Machines of God". It is a limited pressing of only 25 (twenty-five) copies on hand-cut, hand-numbered, non-lacquered acetate (aka vinyl, aka records), consisting of 3 10" EPs and a double 12" LP, 5 discs & 25 songs total. The 25 copies were given to close friends of the band, a few of whom happen to be online, and whom were instructed to circulate the new material as quickly as possible, since the band plans on playing some of the new material on the European tour.

For more detailed info, see: SPFC

Since there were only 25 copies on vinyl, unless you were one of the lucky 25, you can't get the original pressing. But since the band instructed some of the recipients to circulate and distribute the material, you will be able to get copies of it- consider it an "official bootleg". Currently, the only source available is mp3. Since none of the 3 known online recipients had access to an ultra-high-end audiophile turntable (the tube kind that cost thousands), one of them used what they had and made mp3s so that the new songs could be distributed immediately. There are plenty of web/ftp sites and mirrors hosting the new songs, as well as people sharing files via napster, AIM, etc. Look around a bit, the info has been posted in many places many times.

Virgin was not interested in releasing a followup to Machina, so rather than pack up their gear and go home, they recorded and released it themselves. It will not and cannot be officially released on CD, as their contract with Virgin includes a non-compete clause, which prevents them from releasing anything Virgin holds rights to under another label for 1 year. Since the material was partially recorded while still under the Virgin contract, they are legally prohibited from releasing it on another label or in any other way.

To download, or for more information, go to Machina2

"MACHINA II/the Friends & Enemies of Modern Music" is the pumpkins' final album, the followup to "MACHINA/the Machines of God". It is a limited pressing of only 25 (twenty-five) copies on hand-cut, hand-numbered, non-lacquered acetate (aka vinyl, aka records), consisting of 3 10" EPs and a double 12" LP, 5 discs & 25 songs total. The 25 copies were given to close friends of the band, a few of whom happen to be online, and whom were instructed to circulate the new material as quickly as possible, since the band plans on playing some of the new material on the European tour.

For more detailed info, see: SPFC

Since there were only 25 copies on vinyl, unless you were one of the lucky 25, you can't get the original pressing. But since the band instructed some of the recipients to circulate and distribute the material, you will be able to get copies of it- consider it an "official bootleg". Currently, the only source available is mp3. Since none of the 3 known online recipients had access to an ultra-high-end audiophile turntable (the tube kind that cost thousands), one of them used what they had and made mp3s so that the new songs could be distributed immediately. There are plenty of web/ftp sites and mirrors hosting the new songs, as well as people sharing files via napster, AIM, etc. Look around a bit, the info has been posted in many places many times.

Virgin was not interested in releasing a followup to Machina, so rather than pack up their gear and go home, they recorded and released it themselves. It will not and cannot be officially released on CD, as their contract with Virgin includes a non-compete clause, which prevents them from releasing anything Virgin holds rights to under another label for 1 year. Since the material was partially recorded while still under the Virgin contract, they are legally prohibited from releasing it on another label or in any other way.

To download, or for more information, go to Machina2