Bis: История шотландской инди-поп группы

Scottish indie pop band

Bis (/b//ɪ//s/ BISS, stylised in all lowercase) are a Scottish indie pop band composed of Steven Clark (Sci Fi Steven), John Clark (John Disco), and Amanda MacKinnon (Manda Rin), formed in 1994. The band's name, rhyming with 'this', derives from "black iron skyline", a lyric from the song "Twilight of a Champion" by The The. After releasing numerous EPs and three studio albums, The New Transistor Heroes (1997), Social Dancing (1999), and Return To Central (2001), the band broke up in 2003, but re formed briefly in 2007 for a series of concerts. In 2009, they re formed again and released the album data Panik etcetera (2014). In 2019, the band's lineup returned to the original core three piece and released the album Slight Disconnects. In 2021, the band self released Low Level (A Return To Central Travel Companion), a CD consisting of previously unreleased material recorded during the Return To Central sessions. In October 2022, Systems Music For Home Defence was released, which Sci Fi Steven has described as the band's "rave" album.

The three musicians formed Bis in late 1994 while Rin and Disco were in secondary school, Woodfarm High School, and Steven who had recently finished there. After releasing their first singles Transmissions On The Teen C Tip! and Disco Nation 45 the following year, they appeared on BBC Television's Top of the Pops in 1996 performing "Kandy Pop" from their The Secret Vampire Soundtrack EP They contributed a song to the Gary Numan tribute album Random in 1997. Two of the band's early releases (Disco Nation 45 and The Secret Vampire Soundtrack) were on Glasgow's Chemikal Underground label, run by the Delgados, and the band released one EP (Bis Vs. The D. I. Y Corps) on their own Teen C Recordings label, before they transferred to Wiiija where labelmates included Cornershop. In the United States, their records appeared on the underground label K Records, and on the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal label. and Green Day, despite a particularly hostile review by Steven Wells in the New Musical Express entitled "The Sinking of the Bis Lark". Sleeve artwork for the band's early releases featured a consistent "cut’n’paste" visual aesthetic and typewritten text in line with the band's interests in zine culture, DIY and punk. The band produced the fanzines Funky Spunk and Paper Bullets and advertised these in record liner notes. Manda Rin's manga influenced artwork adorned early record sleeves contributing to a defiantly "twee" and self consciously "cute" aesthetic. The band was heavily influenced by the approach of cult punk band The Nation Of Ulysses. Liner notes often made reference to "The Teen C Tip" and outlined the band's vision for a "Teen C Revolution" involving various factions in the Bis canon such as the "Disco Nation", "Secret Vampires", "Atom Powered Action Gang", "Icky Poo Air Raiderz", "Sweet Shop Avengerz", "New Transistor Heroes" and the "D. I. Y Corps". The Teen C Revolution (and its adherents, the "Teen C Nation") effectively advocated for self empowerment, independence and perpetual adolescence (as well as the right to enjoy both disco and punk) in part it was an embrace of "deceptively dangerous" cuteness, the positive energy of youthful exuberance, a knee jerk rejection of enforced maturity and the dour responsibilities of adulthood, and a rallying cry against blandness, normality and "yr geetarawk". Songs that directly mention Teen C include "Teen C Power", "Team Theme", "Tell It To The Kids", "Sweet Shop Avengerz", "Rebel Soul", "Ninja Hi Skool" and "Cliquesuck".

From 1997 to 2001, Bis released three mainstream albums: The New Transistor Heroes (1997), Social Dancing (1999), and Return to Central (2001). A compilation of non album tracks entitled Intendo was released in 1998. That same year Manda Rin contributed vocals to the J Church album Cat Food. The band enjoyed a period of success in Japan, selling nearly 100,000 copies of their debut album in its first week of release, but future releases failed to match its success in Japan. The single "Eurodisco", from Social Dancing, became a minor success for the band in Australia as well as the UK. Their single "Detour" was also given some radio airplay in the U. S. and was included in the 2000 film Bring It On. The six track EP Music For A Stranger World was released in 2000 and featured increasing electronic elements which would later become more prominent on Return To Central. Also in 2000, Sci Fi Steven (adopting the pseudonym "Marco Stiletto") formed the duo Italian Electro with partner "Angelino Vampyro" Catmobile Records released their sole output (the track "Don’t Come Back Alone") that year on a split 7 inch with Kumari. Bis gained some American popularity in 1998, when they recorded the closing credits theme to the animated series The Powerpuff Girls. They also did a punk version of the theme for 2002's The Powerpuff Girls Movie. The four song EP Fukd I. D. #5 was released in 2001 through Chemikal Underground. Bis contributed a remix of their song "Statement of Intent" to the 2002 game Jet Set Radio Future. after playing a farewell show at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut.

The band members remained active in the local music scene. Steven and John Disco produced music together as the duo Dirty Hospital (releasing multiple 12 inchs on their own label Rottenrow Records) and Rin acted as a DJ. Disco (with Ally Christie) formed Kempston, Protek & Fuller who released the 12 inch Fukd I. D. #8 12k Boost Boost in 2003 on Chemikal Underground. Rin was also in a duo called The Kitchen with Ryan Seagrist of Discount (debut album Foreign Objects released on Damaged Goods in 2004), whilst Disco joined the ska band, The Amphetameanies, which included members of Belle & Sebastian, Franz Ferdinand and Pink Kross. Also in 2004 Rin contributed vocals to the album I Met The Music by Meister. In 2005, the band announced on the official Bis website that together they had formed a new band called data Panik, with Stuart Memo on bass and drummer Graham Christie. After releasing two 7 inch singles, however, this band split up. Also in 2005, Bis performed in animated form on the CBBC children's cartoon BB3B. In 2006, Rin was working on solo material. The following year, she teamed up with the Scottish electro pop outfit Juno!, and has collaborated on their independently released singles, "Smoke & Mirrors" and "These Boys Are Athletes", as well as regularly appearing live with the band, most recently at the Rock Ness 2008 Festival. To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the release of their debut album The New Transistor Heroes, Bis reformed in April 2007 for three shows in Glasgow, Manchester, and London. A greatest hits compilation, titled We Are Bis from Glasgow, Scotland, was released on compact disc to coincide with these shows. In August 2008, Rin released the solo single "DNA", which she followed up with the release of her debut album, My DNA with This Is Fake DIY in September 2008. In 2009, Disco (using the moniker John Hospital) released a digital only solo EP The Truant on Pest Control Records.

In November 2009, Rin announced that the band would reform to play at the Primavera Festival in May 2010, returning this time with a bassist and drummer, former data Panik members, Stuart Memo and Graham Christie, respectively. Rin made two guest appearances on the BBC music quiz programme Never Mind the Buzzcocks (on 18 November 2010 and 19 January 2011). She also teamed up with Hyperbubble on a track for their 2011 album Drastic Cinematic. Rin would go on to work with Hyperbubble again on the 2013 EP Hyperbubble + Manda Rin. Around 2011 John Disco began releasing solo electronic material under the moniker Debukas, with his debut solo LP I Am Machinery appearing in 2013 on the label 20:20 Vision. In 2013, Rin contributed lead vocals to the track "Crack On, Have A Booze" which appeared on the album Why Do Birds Suddenly Appear by punk rock/oi! band Hard Skin. In February 2014, Bis announced they would release their fourth album, data Panik etcetera, on 15 May on Rough Trade Records. The album was made available for streaming at NME on 28 April. The same year, the band's first three albums were re released as double CD deluxe editions by the Do Yourself In label. In 2014, Rin provided the artwork for an iPhone game called "All Fridges Are Psychotic". In 2015, Sci Fi Steven began releasing solo material under the moniker Batteries with Do Yourself In Records releasing the self titled debut album Batteries in 2015 and sophomore album The Finishing Line in 2016.

In October 2017, the band announced that they were working on their fifth album. Slight Disconnects was released in February 2019 on Last Night From Glasgow. They also returned to a three piece with only Manda, John and Steven being in the lineup. In 2020, Last Night From Glasgow released Music For Animations, an archival album consisting of the music recorded for the CBBC kids cartoon BB3B. In 2021, the band self released a cassette only live album The Fan Club Tapes Vol. 1 Live In Toulouse 1997 and Komponist released Low Level (A Return To Central Travel Companion) a collection of previously unreleased material recorded parallel to Return To Central. In October 2022, the album Systems Music For Home Defence was released on Last Night From Glasgow.