Buddha

About Buddha

Buddha is a demo album by the American rock band Blink-182. Recorded and released in January 1994 under the name Blink, it was the band's first recording to be sold and distributed. Blink-182 was formed in Poway, California, a suburb outside of San Diego, in August 1992. Guitarist Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus were introduced to one another by Hoppus' sister. The duo recruited drummer Scott Raynor and began to practice together in his bedroom, spending hours together writing music, attending punk shows and movies and playing practical jokes. The band had recorded two previous demos in Raynor's bedroom — Flyswatter and Demo No.2 — using a four track recorder. Most of the tracks from the demo were re-recorded for the band's subsequent releases; seven were re-recorded for their debut album Cheshire Cat and one was re-recorded for their second album Dude Ranch. Pat Secor, Hoppus' boss at music store The Wherehouse, was attempting to start his own record label, named Filter Records. Secor pulled money from his savings and helped finance and produce the demo recording. Buddha was recorded live at local Santee studio Doubletime, compiling a collection that represented nearly all of the songs the band had written up to that point. Hoppus and friends Cam Jones and Kerry Key created the cassette artwork, and the original cassette packaging was compiled by the band and Hoppus' family. Locally distributed to several San Diego record stores and available for purchase at early concerts, Buddha helped the trio cement an audience and was a deciding factor in their signing to local label Cargo in 1993. more »