Nirvana Plastic & Matrix Codes

The goal of this website is to explain the complete manufacturing process of records and CDs, especially how matrix codes are inscribed and what they mean, and apply the information to explain official Nirvana releases, such as deciding the time and place of manufacture, verifying authenticity, and even understanding why certain items were made. The site covers test pressings and Pennyroyal Tea items. (More.)

For a complete discography, please visit nirvana-discography.com.

Do you own a Nirvana test pressing which is not shown on this website? Please get in touch!

Bleach, Nevermind, Bikini Twilight, and Houdini test pressings

Bleach, Nevermind, Bikini Twilight, and Houdini test pressings

Some new test pressings have surfaced over the past few years; the long rumoured Australian Grain Of Sand/ Bleach, the Argentinian Nevermind LP, the Scratch It Out/ Bikini Twilight 7", and the American Houdini LP. The Iberofon pressing plant page has been thoroughly rewritten after looking through the original information again, although the information still cannot be verified. (The related Eurogram page will be updated later.)

Sliver test pressing in German Rouch Trade sleeve

New test pressings

New copies added of Sliver 12" in German promo sleeve (copy 4), Blew (copy 4), and Waterfront Bleach (copy 11). Upgraded pictures of the first publicly known Love Buzz (copy 2).

Here She Comes Now test pressing

Nirvana/ Melvins

After almost 30 years, a test pressing of the Here She Comes Now 7" has finally surfaced. It was sold on Discogs.com, and originally came from the collection of a former Sub Pop employee.

Come As You Are DGCS 7 test pressing

Come As You Are

After having been rumoured to exist since it was advertised for sale in Record Collector in March 1995, a test pressing of the British Come As You Are 7" single has finally appeared.

Bleach, Oh, The Guilt, and Eight Songs For Greg Sage And The Wipers test pressings

New Bleach, Oh, The Guilt, and Eight Songs test pressings

New copies have been added of the Australian Bleach (copy 10), French Oh, The Guilt (copy 7), Australian Oh, The Guilt (copy 2), and Eight Songs For Greg Sage And The Wipers (full set) test pressings. Better photos of Love Buzz, Sliver, and Molly's Lips (all copy 1) test pressings have also been added. Several pages have been rewritten slightly, most substantially Vinyl manufacturing, Test pressings, and Hormoaning.

Bleach TUPLP 6 test pressing

New copy of Tupelo Bleach

A new copy of Tupelo Bleach has been found, and the omission of Lithium on SV Nevermind has been noted.

Sliver SP73 test pressing

Sub Pop Sliver test pressing

A fifth copy of the Sub Pop Sliver 7" test pressing has been found in Seattle, 27 years after the release.

Nirvana reissue test pressing

Nirvana - Nirvana

Nirvana 2015 and Divine And Bright test pressings, and Pennyroyal Tea no IFPI and no ring matrix variant.

From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah test pressing

First Muddy Banks

First copy of From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah reissue, and new copies of In Utero and Live Through This.

The Beavis And Butt-Head Experience

Beavis & Butt-Head

A Canadian sample CD of The Beavis And Butt-Head Experience has been found.

the "Priest" the called him

Oh, The Guilt and the "Priest"

A sixth copy of the European Oh, The Guilt test pressing has been added, along with upgraded scans of the "Priest" they called him (ver. 1).

Bleach remastered reissues

Bleach, Bleach, and Bleach

New copy of Bleach 2LP 2009 test pressings with evaluation sheet; Bleach 2LP 2014 test pressings; Bleach single LP 2011 mispress; In Utero ORG 2009 test pressing.

Pennyroyal Tea American RSD release

Various updates

Pennyroyal Tea American and European RSD reissues; Sliver 12" (copy 3) and Oh, The Guilt (copy 5) test pressings; Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! and Live & Loud sample DVDs.

Sliver TUP 25 test pressing side A label

Sliver TUP 25

A new copy of the French 7" test pressing of Sliver has been shown on Discogs.com. This is the sixth confirmed copy to surface.

Nevermind ORG first test pressing

Nevermind ORG

The first RTI test pressing of the ORG reissue of Nevermind was pressed before the previously known first test pressing, as a copy has appeared dated three weeks earlier.

ORG/ ORG Music test pressings

More ORG and ORG Music

Multiple new ORG and ORG Music test pressings: Nevermind 2010; Incesticide failed cut, unreleased recut; In Utero 2010; Unplugged In New York 2009, 2010.

Nevermind ORG test pressing

Nevermind ORG pressing

A copy of the test pressing for the first Original Recordings Group reissue of Nevermind, manufactured by RTI, has surfaced on eBay.

Sub-Pop-200 test pressing set

Second set of Sub-Pop-200 test pressings appears on eBay

A second set of Sub-Pop-200 test pressings have been found, along with the first copy of a Live & Loud sample DVD.

Nevermind 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

Nevermind 20th

The first seen test pressing of the 20th anniversary edition of Nevermind was recently sold on eBay, though only the first of four records was included. A fifth copy of the Sliver 7" on Tupelo has also been unearthed.

Sliver 7" test pressing on Tupelo

Tupelo Sliver 7"

Another copy of the Sliver 7" on Tupelo has surfaced, together with one previously not added to this website there are now four surfaced copies. The new copies have been added as copies 3 and 4.

The Winding Sheet test pressing, seconc cut

The Winding Sheet

Two copies of Mark Lanegan's first solo album which have only been listed on the site before, are now shown with pictures. The new pictures are of copy 4 of the original cut and copy 1 of the second cut.

Swedish Bleach sample CD

Swedish Bleach sample CD

A printed Swedish sample CD of Bleach has surfaced. It can be identified as a sample disc due to the sticker from the pressing plant. Images of copy 4 of Teriyaki Asthma have also been upgraded.

French Oh, The Guilt test pressing

Oh, The Guilt and In Utero

A new copy of the French Oh, The Guilt test pressing has surfaced. Copy numbers have been reorganized, so this was added as copy 1. Upgraded scans of clean labels of the American In Utero test pressing have also been added.

Winding Sheet (USA), Live Through This (Germany), Bleach (UK), Blew (UK), and Unplugged In New York (UK) test pressings

Several test pressings found, first copy of Live Through This

A new copy (3) of the rejected cut of Lanegan's first solo album was recently sold on eBay by Dan Peters. A never before documented German test pressing of Hole's Live Through This has also surfaced, barely containing Cobain's vocals buried in the mix. Tupelo test pressings of Bleach (copy 3) and Blew (copy 3) owned by a friend for a decade are finally shown on the site, and the image of the first copy of the British Unplugged In New York test pressing has been upgraded in all its blank beauty.

American Heaven & Hell test pressing

Heaven & Hell test pressing

A second copy of the American pressing of Heaven & Hell has surfaced, with a sheet from the distributor.

British Unplugged In New York test pressing

Cancelled British Unplugged

A second test pressing of the cancelled British pressing of Unplugged In New York has surfaced on eBay.

ORG test pressings, from left to right: third pressings of Nevermind, In Utero, Unplugged In New York, and first pressing of Incesticide

ORG test pressings revealed with full manufacturing history

Scans of the third pressings of Nevermind, In Utero, and Unplugged In New York, as well as the first pressing of Incesticide, have all been uploaded. It is recommended to read about the pressing plant, Pallas, first.

Unplugged In New York and In Utero Canadian sample discs

New Canadian sample disc

A second copy of the Canadian Unplugged In New York sample CD has surfaced, and the images of copy 1 of the In Utero sample CD have also been upgraded.

EMI and MPO matrix codes

British matrix codes solved

The British Geffen vinyl releases were not cut by Abbey Road, but by Copymasters. The matrix codes were stamped or written by the pressing plants, which for the purpose of this website were EMI and Orlake. The same applies to Utopia cuts, in this case MPO wrote the matrix codes.