bis return with new collection of Data Panik sessions

Bursting onto the rather trad and conservative Britpop scene in 1995 with the Secret Vampire Soundtrack EP, a dayglo blast of drum machine-powered, ultra-twee punk pop, Glasgow's bis went on to find fame as the creators of the theme song to Cartoon Network's Powerpuff Girls, years before the Adult Swim concept of pairing alternative musicians with animated lunacy became the norm. 

Signing to the Beastie Boys' label Grand Royal, they went on to release 3 albums – The New Transistor Heroes (1997), Social Dancing (1999) and Return to Central (2001), before splitting up in 2003. Singer Manda Rin went on to a career as a DJ and visual artist, working on Manga comic strips for Japanese titles, and other projects.

'Sci-fi' Stephen Clark and John 'Disco' Clark went on to form the electro-influenced band Dirty Hospital, before the trio re-formed in 2005 under the name Data Panik (Myspace here), playing live with bassist Stuart Memo and drummer Graham Christie, and recording new material influenced by post-punk, new wave and goth music. During the Data Panik era, the trio also toyed with reviving bis, spending some time in the studio, and recording new tracks, many of which have never seen the light of day.

Now, indie label Do Yourself In are releasing data Panik etcetera, a new bis album comprised of their tracks recorded together as Data Panik, as well as unreleased bis tracks, material they worked on for a fourth bis LP, and other rarities. It's due for release on 180-gram white vinyl on Record Store Day on 19 April, with a CD release to follow on 5 May.

The Record Store Day release will also feature a split 7" picture disc with Birmingham band Ghosts of Dead Airplanes. In a statement on their website, the band also hint at the possibility of a continuing reunion, commenting: "With work continuing on new bis material, who knows what the future holds. This could be the start of it all……..again!"