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THE SCOOP: If you don't bis by now, where the hell do we start?! Check out their bio below, for the story of three kids who've grown up in public since their debut on Top of the Pops, from being the most loved or loathed band of 1996 to being 21st century techno pop heroes with a huge fanbase world wide. The year 2000 will see a burst of new material, starting with a 6 track mini-album / e.p. thing called Music for a Stranger World. Then there will be a new single and a brand new album for late summer/early autumn. Bis are now self producing (in addition to writing, playing programing etc!) up at Apollo in Glasgow and they've more ideas than ever before. BIOGRAPHY: bis came into being in 1994. Brothers Sci-fi Steven and John Disco were joined in their (until then) bedroom dabblings by school friend Manda Rin. They quickly started gigging around Glasgow at venues like the 13th Note and Nice'n'Sleazy where they were spotted by Jesus! (that's Jesus from Spanish label Acuarella) who went on to release the band's first EP. "Transmissions From the Teen-c-Tip". Barely available in the UK the 5-track EP contained the first bis recordings including versions of "Kill Your Boyfriend" and "Public Schoolboy". Their first UK release in 1995 was the "Disco Nation" EP on Glasgow's Chemikal Underground label. It was no.9 in NME's "On" end of year chart and earned bis a Peel session in October and slot in the coveted Festive 50. It was with the release of their next EP "The Secret Vampire Soundtrack" that their profile rocketed. A limited edition of 4000 Ep's were scheduled for release while the band toured with Super Furry Animals. However, a week before release, Top Of The Pops producer Ric Blaxill asked bis if they wanted to appear on the following week's show on the strength of hearing "Kandy Pop". They made history : the first unsigned band ever to appear on Top Of The Pops and "The Secret Vampire Soundtrack" went on to sell over 30,000 copies and charted at 25, ensuring a second TOTP slot. The press went into a frenzy - bis became the most famous teenagers in the country. More importantly the exposure won them a devoted following. Their fanbase has remained loyal, so many people were beside themselves with joy when seeing bis live in action recently - notably at Reading festival 1998 where they played a triumphant set on the main stage - their third Reading slot in a row! 1996 saw over 100 bis shows including gigs with Garbage, Bikini Kill, Ash and Lush prior to the release of the ironic "Bis vs. The D.I.Y. Corps" (June 1996) on their own teen-c recordingz label. With no marketing budget and no record shop deals it sold over 20,000 copies in the UK, and a further 10,000 abroad. After much peculation (and with nearly fifty record labels waving cheque books at them) bis finally signed to Wiiija records in June 1996. "The Atom Powered Action" EP was the first release on the label five months later (October 1996). By then, the band had consolidated their reputation with storming sets at the Phoenix, T-in-the-Park and Reading Festivals. In April 1997 bis released their debut album "The New Transistor Heroes" on Wiiija to kisses and kicks of reviews. Indifference has rarely been a reaction associated with bis. Basically, having been written and talked about so much, bis were loved and hated with a passion not seen since early Manic Street Preachers days but writing them off was futile, they only went and signed to Grand Royal, The Beastie Boys label, in America and became one of the buzziest UK acts internationally, didn't they! 1997 saw them more visible on the international gig circuit than ever. Their first Grand Royal release, "This is Teen-c-Power" (early singles compilation) made CMJ's college radio chart's Top 3. "The New Transistor Heroes" repeated the feat a few months later. The first American live shows were with Teenage Fanclub in January, followed by a headline tour in March and shows with Pavement (June) and The Cardigans (July) before returning to headline shows again, playing to 800 people in New York and nearly 4000 in total on a 15 date US tour which has also garnered them high praise from the American media. bis have spanned Europe with tours alongside Luscious Jackson, Foo Fighters, Sleater Kinney and red Kross. 1997's international activity limited their UK appearances but they played a short headline tour in April and a second Reading Festival appearance. They also appeared with John Disco's hero Gary Numan (John was one when he topped the charts with "Cars") in Glasgow and Manchester, to bemused looks from the assembled Numanoids who had obviously not heard their cover of "We Are So Fragile" on the Numan tribute album "Random". They visited Japan in November 1997 to coincide with the bis-mania surrounding first Japanese release "Kandy Pop" / "Sweetshop Avengers" and were knocked out by the accompanying hysteria. They returned in June to play their first Japanese gigs having sold 70,000 copies of their LP during its first two weeks on sale. Record sales have continued steadily topping 100,000 in Japan and around 200,000 worldwide to date. (incidentally the first week's sales were the highest for a non domestic artist in Sony's history - outstripping Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, etc.). Also, Casio made 6 different special edition bis "G-shock" and "Baby G" watches which have sold 30,000 in Japan. The individual band members have been working on their own projects. Manda contributes a monthly cartoon strip for Japanese style and music magazine Buzz. John remixed Shonen Knife's "Wind Your Spring" for their recent remix LP and Steven has set up his own teen-c-recordingz label, which released singles in 1997 by Lugworm, Pink Kross and Dick Johnson. 1998 saw the completion of the second bis album, "Social Dancing". With a more substantial and considered approach it broadened their range while retaining the vibrancy and pop hooks of its predecessor. It has thrilled bis fans (a fiercely loyal collective), being a collection of sassy, sussy disco rock pop classics, and greatly swell the ranks. The potential of their worldwide appeal very obvious on hearing songs like "Action and Drama", "Detour" and "Making People Normal". The first release from "Social Dancing" was the massively infectious "Eurodisco" which brought bis back to the charts in November 98 and is still one of the dancefloor's most popular anthems. bis also recorded the soundtrack for the new high profile Cartoon Network series,'The Powerpuff Girls". A mini-album of selected b-sides and demos "Intendo" was released on Grand Royal late in 1998. It has spent around four months so far on the CMJ charts since release, peaking at number 7 (also reached no.5 on Gavin and no.5 on the Core chart). bis recently returned to New York to model for the cool Alloy Clothing catalogue. bis also played some highly successful shows in America including a sell-out appearance headlining at the Grand Royal Records night at New York's Irving Plaza which was broadcast on the internet via Sonicnet. bismania remains rife in Japan where they cause scenes of hysteria and "Eurodisco" has also won bis a lot of new friends all over the world. The year 2000 saw the release of a six track e.p.,"Music For A Stranger World", which was their last for Wiiija. |
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