Air Formation

Shoegazing's classic era in Britain centered on the early 1990s, yet later U.K. groups still managed to channel the same blend of feedback, high volume, and dreamy textures. Air Formation emerged from that impulse, forming as a quartet in Brighton at the start of 1998. The original lineup—Matt Bartram, Ben Pierce, Paul Browning, and Neil—took the name B. E. A. B. Approved, borrowed from the British equivalent of Underwriters Laboratories; Neil later departed, with Richard Parks stepping in on keyboards. Local shows quickly built a modest but loyal audience that snapped up the band's self-released debut single Hold Fire, while the French imprint Isonauta selected several tracks for its Populogical compilation. Additional material was then licensed to Michigan's Drive-In label, resulting in the Air Formation EP. Upon learning that the actual B. E. A. B. organization disapproved of the borrowed name, the group adopted the EP's title instead, and that release surfaced in late 2000.