Bis – Nostalgia Central

Steven Clark (Sci-Fi Steven), John Clark (John Disco), and Amanda MacKinnon (Manda Rin) formed Bis in late 1994 while Rin and Disco were at Woodfarm High School in East Renfrewshire, Scotland (Steven had recently left).

After releasing their first singles, Transmissions On The Teen-C Tip! and Disco Nation 45, they appeared on Top of the Pops in 1996 performing Kandy Pop from their The Secret Vampire Soundtrack EP, released on on Glasgow’s independent Chemikal Underground label (although Top of the Pops billed them as their first “unsigned” act to appear on the show).

Bis released more EPs (Bis vs. The D.I.Y Corps, Atom-Powered Action!, and This Is Teen-C Power!), appearing in the UK Singles Chart in 1996, followed by several singles between 1997 and 1999.

The band toured extensively in the UK and abroad, appearing with The Foo Fighters, Garbage, Gary Numan, and Pavement, amongst others.

Between 1997 and 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 (Intendo) was released in 1998.

The six-track EP Music For A Stranger World was released in 2000 and featured increasing electronic elements, which would become even more prominent on Return To Central.

The four-song 12-inch EP Fact 2002 (paying tribute to Factory Records) was released in 2002 through Optimo Singles Club. It featured cover versions of Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio and Section 25.

Bis broke up in March 2003. They reformed in April 2007 for three shows in Glasgow, Manchester, and London to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of their debut album, The New Transistor Heroes.

A greatest hits compilation, titled We Are Bis from Glasgow, Scotland, was released on compact disc to coincide with these shows.

The band subsequently reformed (with a bassist and drummer) for some live work and new studio albums, data Panik etcetera (2014), Slight Disconnects (2019) and Systems Music For Home Defence (2022).

Manda Rin (Amanda MacKinnon)
Vocals, keyboards, drums
Sci-Fi Steven (Steven Clark)
Vocals, guitar, keyboards
John Disco (John Clark)
Vocals, guitar, bass