"C91" is a three-CD compilation box set released in January 2022, serving as a comprehensive audio time capsule of the British independent music scene in 1991. Following the lineage of the acclaimed "C" series—which honors the legacy of NME’s seminal 1986 C86 cassette—this 59-track collection documents a pivotal, transitional era in UK music. It captures the exact moment when underground guitar bands began absorbing electronic dance textures, shifting away from late-80s indie archetypes to lay the sonic groundwork for the impending Britpop explosion.
The compilation expertly balances mainstream crossover hits with rare, cult-classic tracks across three distinct discs. It explores a wide spectrum of subgenres that defined youth culture at the time, featuring the ethereal wall-of-sound of shoegaze pioneers like Slowdive, Chapterhouse, and Lush, alongside the rhythmic, dancefloor-friendly "Baggy" grooves of The Charlatans and Northside. Listeners are also treated to early, raw offerings from future mainstream giants like The Cranberries, Saint Etienne, and Manic Street Preachers, making the box set both an essential historical document and a nostalgic journey through a vibrant year in musical innovation.
