Meanwhile, Back in Communist Russia...
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Oxford , England |
| Products | Post-rock music |
Meanwhile, Back in Communist Russia… (abbreviated as MBICR) was a post-rock ensemble originating from Oxford, England.
Formation
Established in 1999, the initial MBICR lineup consisted of keyboardist Tim Croston, guitarists Pete Williams and James Shames, vocalists Emily Gray and Ed Carder, along with Mark Halloran who handled guitar and drum machine duties. All members were students at the University of Oxford. Later that year, bassist Ollie Clueit joined the group, coinciding with Ed Carder's departure. Their musical style combined Gray’s original spoken-word monologues layered over guitar-driven noise and sampled beats, often drawing parallels to Arab Strap.
Their debut release was a split CD single shared with Moonkat under Jitter Records. The song "Morning-After Pill" gained radio exposure on BBC Radio 1 and London's XFM. Jitter Records subsequently issued a limited 7" vinyl featuring "Morning-After Pill" alongside "No Cigar," which led to two appearances on Peel Sessions as well as a live session on John Peel’s Birmingham show in October 2001.
MBICR’s first full-length album, Indian Ink, was recorded and released by Jitter on both CD and 10" vinyl formats. During the same year, John Peel invited them to open for Pulp at a Radio 1 event held in Birmingham. The track "Morning-After Pill" achieved the position of number 11 in Peel’s 2001 Festive 50 chart.
Disbandment and aftermath
In 2013, Emily Gray collaborated with the band Distant Correspondent, contributing vocals to multiple tracks on their debut self-titled album.
Albums
- Indian Ink (2001) available on CD and 10" vinyl LP
- My Elixir, My Poison (2003) released on CD
Singles
- No Cigar (2000)
- Morning-After Pill (2001)
- I Only Wanted Something Else to Do but Hang Around (2001)