Bands typically send digital teasers to record stores ahead of a release but The Cure broke the mold by sending rare editions of its remix album, Mixes of a Lost World, to 24 independent record stores worldwide to generate buzz and boost in-store traffic.

For in-store listening, audio fragments from Mixes Of A Lost World were pressed to vinyl acetate so that the material deteriorates every time it’s played. Even though the sound will fade over time, listeners can appreciate that their experience is one-of-a-kind and that they got to hear an exclusive edition of which there are so few in the world.

Sweat Records in Miami to Thorne Records in Edinburgh were among the select shops offering fans a chance to hear these exclusive mixes.