Here’s a helpful breakdown of "Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History (Bonus CD)" , aimed at fans, collectors, or anyone trying to identify what this extra disc contains.
In the pantheon of 21st-century indie rock, few debut albums have aged as gracefully—or exploded with as much youthful vigor—as Two Door Cinema Club’s Tourist History. Released in 2010, the album was a seismic blast of jagged guitars, syncopated basslines, and dance-floor-filling hooks. Tracks like "What You Know," "Undercover Martyn," and "Something Good Can Work" became anthems for a generation raised on Myspace and early Spotify.
But for the die-hard collector and the vinyl-digging purist, the standard LP or CD has never been enough. There is one artifact that sits atop the Two Door Cinema Club memorabilia pyramid: the Two Door Cinema Club Tourist History bonus CD.
If you have stumbled across this phrase, you already know that this isn't just a piece of plastic. It is a time capsule. It is a rarity. And depending on the pressing, it might be worth a small fortune. Let’s dive deep into what this bonus disc contains, which versions exist, why it matters in 2024, and how to spot a genuine copy.
Japan has always been a haven for bonus content. The Japanese edition of Tourist History is the most coveted. It often came with a separate mini-CD or a standard CD in a cardboard sleeve featuring:
Rarity Score: 10/10. Japanese imports with the OBI strip intact are selling for upwards of $150 on Discogs.
The Japanese edition sometimes came with a separate disc featuring:
The exact contents vary slightly by region, but the bonus CD generally contains demos, B-sides, and remixes from the Tourist History era. The most common tracklist is:
| Track | Title | Notes | |-------|-------|-------| | 1 | Undercover Martyn (Whatever/Whatever Version) | Early demo/alternate take | | 2 | The Great Escape (Demo) | Raw early version of the album track | | 3 | Kids (Demo) | Early version of the non-album B-side | | 4 | Cigarettes in the Theatre (Acoustic) | Stripped-down version | | 5 | Do You Want It All? (Acoustic) | Acoustic take of the album opener | | 6 | Undercover Martyn (Jupiter Remix) | Electronic remix by Jupiter |
Note: Some Japanese bonus discs include additional tracks like “Costume” or different remixes.
In a sleepy hometown like Bangor, Northern Ireland, life usually moves at one speed: slow. But for three friends who formed a band named after a mispronounced local theater—the Tudor Cinema—the world was about to move much faster.
The story of the Tourist History bonus CD is one of transition, where the sharp, jagged indie-rock of their debut album meets the late-night neon of the dance floor. The Secret History
While the main album told stories of Cigarettes in the Theatre and wanting it all, the bonus disc was where the band truly became "tourists" of their own sound. It wasn't just a collection of songs; it was a map of where they were going.
The Rare Gem: It opens with "Kids," a track often hidden on Japanese editions or special releases, serving as the bridge between their raw early energy and their polished future.
The Transformation: The bonus CD acts as a laboratory. Tracks like "Undercover Martyn" and "I Can Talk" are stripped down and rebuilt by electronic architects like Everything Everything, Moulinex, and French Horn Rebellion.
The Atmosphere: In this second chapter, the guitars that defined their "Irish Album of the Year" are layered under synthesizers and heavy basslines, echoing the remixes that were blowing up on indie blogs in 2010. The Legacy
Holding the bonus disc—often found in the gold-embossed deluxe jewel case—is like holding a time capsule from the peak of the "sleeper hit" era. It captures the moment when three guys from a small town realized that their "tourist history" wasn't just a local story anymore—it was a global one.
The bonus CD accompanying the deluxe editions of Two Door Cinema Club’s debut album, Tourist History
, serves as a comprehensive expansion of the band's breakthrough era. While the original album is celebrated for its "all killer, no filler" tracklist of high-energy indie-pop, the bonus disc shifts focus toward the electronic and dance-floor influences that defined the band's early 2010s aesthetic. RareVinyl.com Key Bonus Content and Rare Tracks
The bonus CD is primarily known for housing the non-album fan favorite
(sometimes stylized as "Kidz"). Beyond this rare track, the disc features a curated selection of remixes that reimagine the album’s biggest hits:
: A standout non-album track that maintains the jangly, upbeat energy of the main record. High-Profile Remixes
: Includes interpretations of "Undercover Martyn," "I Can Talk," and "What You Know" by era-defining electronic artists like Passion Pit The Twelves Anniversary Expansions
: Recent 15th-anniversary reissues have further expanded this "bonus" concept, adding original demos of "Cigarettes in the Theatre" and "Do You Want It All?" along with tracks from their early EP, Four Words To Stand On Critical and Fan Reception
The CD was a ghost.
Alex had found it tucked behind the original liner notes of his older brother’s vinyl copy of Tourist History. It wasn't in a jewel case, just a plain cardboard sleeve with the words “Bonus Disc – No Label” handwritten in marker.
“Weird,” he muttered, flipping it over. The underside was a perfect, shimmering mirror. No data ring. No telltale rainbow sheen. Just silver.
His brother, Leo, had been a superfan. He’d followed the Northern Irish trio from Belfast to Bangor to a sweaty club in London in 2010. He’d died two years later in a car accident on a rain-slicked motorway. The car had skidded, they said. Just like that, the music stopped.
Alex slid the CD into his vintage player, the one Leo had modded with red LEDs. He expected the jagged, joyful hooks of “What You Know” or “Undercover Martyn.” two door cinema club tourist history bonus cd
Instead, a different voice came through the speakers. It was Leo’s.
“Test. One, two. Alex, if you’re hearing this… it worked.”
Alex froze. The voice was young, breathy, and recorded on what sounded like a cheap laptop mic.
“I ripped the stems from the album. Sam’s bassline, the guitar, the drum machine. But I layered something else over the top. A frequency. A map.”
The music started. It was “Cigarettes in the Theatre,” but wrong. Slower. The guitars were reverbed into a fog. And beneath it, a low, pulsating hum that felt less like sound and more like a barometric pressure change. Alex’s skin prickled.
“Remember how Sam Halliday said the guitar riff for ‘Something Good Can Work’ was just him trying to play a disco song? Well, I found the original demo. The one they erased. It’s not a riff, Alex. It’s a key.”
The song lurched. Suddenly, the air in the room thickened. The posters on the wall—a faded Tourist History tour poster, a map of Belfast—began to tremble. The red LEDs on the CD player flickered, then blazed bright white.
A seam of light split the air above the stereo, no wider than a doorframe. Through it, Alex saw rain. He saw the glint of wet asphalt and the red taillights of a car he recognized: Leo’s beat-up Ford Fiesta.
The bonus CD wasn’t music. It was a time-stamp. A lo-fi, 44.1kHz portal back to the last Tuesday of Leo’s life.
Leo’s voice returned, quieter now. “You have one track. Four minutes and eleven seconds. Don’t try to save me. Just… get in the passenger seat. Tell me to take the next exit.”
Alex’s hand trembled over the stereo’s stop button. He could hear the next track cueing up—“Eat That Up, It’s Good for You.” The beat dropped, and the door of light pulsed wider.
He thought of the band’s name. Two Door Cinema Club. Two doors. One was the front door of his own bedroom. The other was the open wound of the past.
He took a breath. He stepped through.
The last thing he heard before the CD skipped was his own voice, yelling from the passenger seat of a car that hadn’t crashed yet, and the tinny, distorted chorus of a song that was never meant to be released.
The bonus CD accompanying the deluxe editions of Two Door Cinema Club's debut, Tourist History
, is a high-energy collection that effectively extends the album's signature "uptempo, infectious" vibe. While some listeners feel the core 10-track album is nearly perfect on its own, the bonus disc provides essential deep cuts and creative re-imaginings for dedicated fans. Core Content & Track Highlights The bonus material typically features a mix of B-sides, original demos, and upbeat remixes that lean into the band's dance-rock roots. Two Door Cinema Club Official Store Tourist History: Amazon.co.uk
Two Door Cinema Club’s ‘Tourist History’ Bonus CD: A Deep Dive into Indie-Pop Gold
When Two Door Cinema Club dropped their debut album, Tourist History, in 2010, they didn't just release a record; they provided the blueprint for a decade of indie-pop. While hits like "What You Know" and "Undercover Martyn" dominated the airwaves, true fans know that the Tourist History bonus CD (often included in the Deluxe Edition) is where the band’s raw energy and creative versatility truly shine.
If you’re looking to understand why this bonus disc remains a collector's item and a fan favorite, here is everything you need to know about the extra tracks that rounded out this iconic era. The Anatomy of the Bonus Disc
The bonus material for Tourist History generally fell into two categories: high-energy remixes and rare B-sides that showcased a more experimental side of the Northern Irish trio. 1. The B-Sides: Hidden Gems
Tracks like "Kids" and "Costume Party" are staples of the bonus disc. "Kids" offers a slightly more aggressive, driving rhythm compared to the polished sheen of the main album, while "Costume Party" retains that signature Alex Trimble vocal hook that gets stuck in your head for days. These songs weren't just "scraps" left off the album; they were fully realized tracks that could have easily been singles in their own right. 2. The Remixes: A Club-Ready Transformation
Two Door Cinema Club’s music has always had a "danceability" factor, and the bonus CD leaned heavily into this. The Deluxe Edition featured reimagined versions of their hits by some of the era's biggest electronic names:
Passion Pit Remix of "Undercover Martyn": A glittery, synth-heavy take that blended two indie-pop powerhouses.
The Twelves Remix of "Something Good Can Work": A disco-infused masterpiece that became almost as famous as the original.
Digitalism Remix of "What You Know": A heavier, electro-house version perfect for late-night festival sets. Why the Bonus CD Matters Today
In the age of streaming, "bonus tracks" are often just added to the end of a digital playlist. However, the physical Tourist History bonus CD represents a specific moment in 2010 when indie-pop was crossing over into the mainstream dance scene.
For collectors, the Japanese Edition or the various "Limited Edition" box sets are highly sought after because they often contained exclusive tracks like "Hands Off My Cash, Monty," a fan-favorite instrumental that showcased the band's technical tightness. How to Find It
If you’re looking to add this to your collection, keep an eye out for the 2-CD Deluxe Edition. While the white cover with the signature cat is the standard, the Deluxe version often features a slightly different slipcase or a "Special Edition" sticker. Here’s a helpful breakdown of "Two Door Cinema
Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer discovering the jangly guitars of Sam Halliday and the driving bass of Kevin Baird for the first time, the bonus CD is essential listening. It’s a reminder that during the Tourist History era, Two Door Cinema Club had so much momentum that even their "extra" songs were better than most bands' lead singles.
The Two Door Cinema Club Tourist History (Deluxe Edition) is an essential upgrade for fans of the band's breakout 2010 debut, expanding the tight 32-minute original into a more comprehensive package. The core of the album remains a "manifesto of modern indie-pop," defined by jittery guitars, infectious hooks, and high-energy dance beats. The Bonus Disc Experience
The bonus CD (or second disc) significantly shifts the focus toward the dance floor, making it a standout for fans of the era's indie-dance crossover. I Can Talk
The bonus CD accompanying the deluxe edition of Two Door Cinema Club’s debut album, Tourist History
, primarily features a collection of remixes and rare tracks that expanded on the original 10-track release. Bonus Disc Tracklist
The standard second disc for the deluxe edition generally includes the following tracks: : A non-album track frequently included as a primary bonus. Undercover Martyn (Whatever/Whatever Remix) I Can Talk (French Horn Rebellion Remix) Come Back Home (Is Tropical Chilla Black Edit) Undercover Martyn (Jupiter Remix) I Can Talk (Moulinex Remix) What You Know (Cassian Remix) Come Back Home (Myd Remix) Something Good Can Work (Ted & Francis Remix) Undercover Martyn (Softwar Remix) Something Good Can Work (The Twelves Remix) : often listed as the final track on digital versions. Special Edition Variants
Depending on the region or specific anniversary release, the "bonus" content varies: Japanese Edition : Often includes " Costume Party
" as additional tracks on the main disc, plus a bonus DVD featuring music videos for the album's hit singles. 15th Anniversary Deluxe (2025/2026) : A more expansive version available on platforms like the Glassnote Records Shop Townsend Music
includes original demos of "Something Good Can Work," "Cigarettes In The Theatre," and "Do You Want It All?", alongside rarities like " New Houses Standing on Ghosts
The original album was named after the band's hometown of Bangor, Northern Ireland, which is a known tourist destination. 15th-anniversary tour
The Bonus CD for Two Door Cinema Club's debut album, Tourist History, was a staple of the "Deluxe" and "Special" editions released in 2010. It served as a comprehensive expansion of the band's energetic indie-pop sound, primarily focusing on remixes by prominent electronic artists and the inclusion of the fan-favourite track "Kids". Tracklist & Content
The bonus disc typically features 11 additional tracks, transforming the lean 32-minute original album into a much more substantial listening experience.
Original Track: "Kids" (3:04) – Often cited as a highlight, this track was included as a bonus on many international and deluxe versions. Key Remixes:
Something Good Can Work: Remixed by The Twelves and Ted & Francis.
Undercover Martyn: Features remixes by Everything Everything, Softwar, and Jupiter. I Can Talk: Remixed by French Horn Rebellion and Moulinex. What You Know: Features a remix by Cassian.
Come Back Home: Remixed by Is Tropical (Chilla Black Edit) and Myd. Significance in Indie Rock
Released through the influential French label Kitsuné Music, the bonus CD reflected the era's trend of blending guitar-driven indie rock with danceable electronic production.
Genre Fusion: The inclusion of electronic remixes from artists like Passion Pit (on specific EPs) and The Twelves helped the band bridge the gap between festival rock and club culture.
Critical Acclaim: While the base album won the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year, the deluxe package was praised by fans for offering "amazing and insightful" extra content, including links to documentaries in some editions.
Collector's Value: Physical copies often include unique design elements, such as the iconic cat's eyes on the cover artwork and specialized booklets.
Title: The Blueprint of a Breakthrough: Contextualizing the Tourist History Bonus CD and the Rise of Two Door Cinema Club
Abstract This paper examines the critical role of the Bonus CD edition of Two Door Cinema Club’s debut album, Tourist History (2010). While the standard album is widely recognized as a cornerstone of the late-2000s indie-rock revival, the Bonus CD edition serves as a crucial artifact for understanding the band's sonic development. By analyzing the inclusion of early singles, B-sides, and acoustic versions, this paper argues that the Bonus CD transforms the album from a singular statement of arrival into a comprehensive document of the band's trajectory from small-town upstarts to mainstream contenders. The analysis highlights the raw energy of the band's earlier "Tourist History" single and the melodic sensibility displayed in acoustic renditions, positing that this expanded edition captures the zeitgeist of the "blog rock" era.
1. Introduction Released in February 2010, Tourist History arrived at a pivotal moment for guitar music. Following the success of bands like Bloc Party and The Killers, the musical landscape was primed for a band that could blend dance-punk rhythms with pop melodies. Two Door Cinema Club, hailing from Bangor and Donaghadee, Northern Ireland, fulfilled this demand with remarkable precision. However, for collectors and early adopters, the Tourist History Bonus CD edition offered more than just the eleven tracks of the standard release. It provided a sonic palette cleanser—a collection of tracks that contextualized the band’s rapid evolution. This paper explores the tracklisting and significance of the Bonus CD, analyzing how its contents bridge the gap between the band’s raw demo days and their polished studio debut.
2. The Aesthetic of Tourist History To understand the significance of the bonus material, one must first appreciate the fabric of the main album. Characterized by Alex Trimble’s distinctive falsetto, the treble-heavy guitar interplay of Sam Halliday, and the disco-influenced basslines of Kevin Baird, Tourist History was a study in efficiency. The album was short, punchy, and devoid of filler.
The Bonus CD mirrors this efficiency but presents a different side of the band. Where the main album was produced with a sheen intended for radio play (courtesy of Eliot James), the bonus tracks often expose the skeletal structure of the band’s songwriting, revealing a reliance on melody over production trickery.
3. The Singles as Anchors: "Something Good Can Work" and "I Can Talk" The Bonus CD frequently served as a repository for the versions of songs that initially generated the band's "buzz" on platforms like MySpace and the "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" blog.
The inclusion of the original single version of "Something Good Can Work" (often distinct in its mix from the album version) is particularly noteworthy. It retains a jangly, lo-fi quality that encapsulates the "bedroom pop" aesthetic the band cultivated before signing to Kitsuné. Similarly, the presence of "I Can Talk" in various forms demonstrates the band's knack for the "build and release" dynamic that defined the indie-dance crossover genre. These tracks on the Bonus CD act as historical markers, reminding the listener that before the Mercury Prize nominations and festival headlines, Two Door Cinema Club was a project built on infectious hooks and grassroots digital sharing.
4. The Raw Nerve: "Tourist History" (The Song) Perhaps the most significant inclusion on the Bonus CD is the track "Tourist History"—the song for which the album was named, yet which was excluded from the standard tracklist. This exclusion is a curious phenomenon in album construction, often reserved for tracks deemed too distinct or perhaps too raw for the flow of the main record. The Holy Grail for Indie Collectors: Unpacking the
Lyrically, the track is drenched in local context, addressing the social dynamics of the band's hometown. Musically, it is more aggressive and angular than much of the LP. Its presence on the Bonus CD reframes the album title not just as a thematic description, but as a specific reference point. It suggests a "history" that had to be appended to the main narrative, serving as a grounding tether to the band's origins in Northern Ireland, contrasting with the universal, jet-setting themes of tracks like "Undercover Martyn."
5. Intimacy in the Acoustic Versions A common feature of CD bonus content in this era was the inclusion of acoustic or live tracks. For Two Door Cinema Club, whose sound was often criticized by purists for being overly digital or polished, the acoustic tracks served a defensive function. By stripping away the click tracks and high-gain guitars, songs like "Something Good Can Work (Acoustic)" reveal the strength of Trimble’s vocal performance and the underlying craftsmanship of the composition.
These tracks served to legitimize the band in the eyes of a traditionalist audience, proving that the "sound" was not merely a studio creation but the result of cohesive songwriting. This duality—the electro-pop main album and the organic acoustic bonus tracks—helped the band straddle the line between alternative credibility and mainstream pop success.
6. Conclusion The Tourist History Bonus CD is more than a marketing accessory; it is an essential companion piece that fleshes out the narrative of Two Door Cinema Club’s debut era. By housing the grit of early singles, the local specificity of the title track, and the vulnerability of acoustic renditions, the Bonus CD completes the picture painted by the main album. It captures a band at a crossroads, looking back at their "Tourist History" while stepping confidently into a global future. As an artifact of the early 2010s indie scene, it stands as a testament to the value of the physical format and the depth of material generated during the peak of the blog-rock boom.
Appendix: Typical Tracklisting for Bonus CD Edition (Note: Tracklistings for re-releases often vary by region and format, but typically included the following additions)
Original Album:
Bonus CD Content (Representative):
The Definitive Guide to Two Door Cinema Club’s Tourist History Bonus CD
When Two Door Cinema Club released their debut album Tourist History in early 2010, few could have predicted it would become the definitive soundtrack for a generation of indie-pop fans. The North Ireland trio—Alex Trimble, Sam Halliday, and Kevin Baird—crafted a record so lean and infectious that it felt like an instant "Greatest Hits" collection.
However, for the superfans and collectors, the standard 10-track album was only half the story. The Tourist History Bonus CD (and its various deluxe iterations) transformed a great debut into a comprehensive time capsule of the late-2000s indie scene. What’s on the Bonus Disc?
Depending on whether you snagged the UK Deluxe Edition, the Japanese import, or the later anniversary reissues, the bonus content generally falls into three categories: The B-Sides, The Remixes, and The Early Demos. 1. The Essential B-Sides
Before they were festival headliners, the band spent years refining their sound. The bonus CD often includes tracks that were just as strong as the album cuts:
"Kids": A high-energy track that captures the frantic, melodic guitar work Sam Halliday is known for.
"Costume Party": One of the band's earliest songs, offering a raw look at their evolution from school friends to indie icons. 2. The Remixes: A Time Capsule
The bonus disc is a masterclass in the "Indie-Electronic" crossover era. In 2010, you couldn't go to a club without hearing a Two Door track flipped by a French House producer. Notable inclusions often feature: The Magician Remix of "Sun": A disco-infused staple.
Passion Pit’s take on "Undercover Martyn": A collision of two indie giants.
Digitalism’s remix of "What You Know": A heavier, synth-driven version of their biggest hit. 3. Live at Glastonbury / Brixton
Many deluxe versions include a second disc featuring live performances. These recordings are crucial because they capture the band’s legendary "nervous energy"—playing at 1.25x speed with surgical precision, proving they weren't just a studio act. Why the Bonus CD Matters Today
In the era of streaming, "Bonus Tracks" are often just appended to the end of a digital playlist. But for Tourist History, the physical bonus CD represented the band’s world-building.
It showcased their versatility—shifting from the "Kitsuné" French-electronic influence to the jangly guitar pop of their youth. For collectors, owning the physical double-disc set is a badge of honor, representing the era when indie music moved from MySpace pages to the main stage of Glastonbury. Rare Finds: The "Kitsuné" Editions
If you are hunting for this on vinyl or CD, look for the versions released under the Kitsuné label. These often have the most curated selection of remixes, reflecting the label's fashion-forward, electronic aesthetic that helped Two Door Cinema Club break into the mainstream.
The Verdict: If you love the frantic hi-hats and interlocking guitar lines of Tourist History, the bonus CD isn't just "extra" content—it’s the missing piece of the puzzle that explains how three kids from Bangor conquered the world.
Are you looking to buy a physical copy of the deluxe edition, or are you trying to find a specific tracklist for a digital playlist?
Released by Kitsuné, this gatefold CD/DVD set (sometimes mislabeled as a CD/CD) featured a bonus disc titled "Tourist History: Additional Tourists." This disc focuses heavily on the Kitsuné remix aesthetic. Tracklist includes:
Why this version matters: The acoustic "What You Know" has never been officially released on any streaming service. To hear it in lossless quality, you need this bonus CD.
The Tourist History bonus CD never came in a jewel case alone. It was always a second disc inside a:
If you see a stand-alone jewel case with a laser-printed label, it is a homemade copy.