Mo-Ho-Bish-O-Pi
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founder | Martin Bimrose, Richard Arnold, Mike Carter |
| Defunct | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Cardiff , Wales, United Kingdom |
| Products | Indie rock music |
Mo-Ho-Bish-O-Pi was a Welsh indie rock group formed in 1996, comprising Martin Bimrose on guitar, Richard Arnold on drums, and Mike Carter handling bass duties. The trio came together during their fine art studies at Cardiff University and released music through labels including Soda, FF Vinyl, and V2.
Their musical style, characterized by NME as "as eclectic as their name is confusing," invited comparisons to artists like Beck, Sonic Youth, and Pavement. Critics identified elements reminiscent of The Flaming Lips, Bis, and ABBA, combining a "punky garage" vibe on tracks such as "Drop Jaw" and "Playboy" with a more tuneful approach on "Names for Nameless Things."
The origin of the band's name traces back to Moho bishopi, the extinct Hawaiian bird known as Moloka‘i ‘ō‘ō. Martin Bimrose discovered the term in an issue of Reader's Digest and modified it with distinct punctuation to capture the group's diverse character.
Following their split in 2002, Mike Carter and Richard Arnold established The International Karate Plus, which eventually dissolved. Arnold subsequently became a member of King Alexander, while Carter played with Heck until their disbandment in 2017.
Albums
- Vague Us (released 10 September 2001)
Singles and EPs
- "Smoke Yourself Thin"/"Fingers For Eyes" (1999)
- Two Tier Water Skier (1999)
- Vitamin E(P) (31 January 2000)
- "Hear the Air" (19 June 2000)
- "Drop Jaw" (18 September 2000)
- "Playboy" (12 March 2001)
- "Names for Nameless Things" (21 May 2001)
- "Hear the Air" (3 September 2001)
Compilation appearances
- "Kate is Cool" featured on Otter Than July, a Double 7" Vinyl EP / Compilation CD EP from Fierce Panda alongside artists such as Scribble, Fraff, Pop Threat, Hofman, and Rosita
- "Vacuum" included on Sold As Scene, a sampler compilation album released by FF Vinyl (30 October 2000)
External links
- Drowned in Sound
- [ AllMusic]