Air Formation

by Ned Raggett Shoegazing's "classic" days in the U.K. may have been the early '90s, but that's not to say British bands after that couldn't find their own way to that combination of feedback, volume, and blissed out vibes. Such is the case with Air Formation, who formed in early 1998 in Brighton. Originally named B. E. A. B. Approved, after the equivalent to Underwriters Laboratories, the four piece consisted of Matt Bartram, Ben Pierce, Paul Browning, and one Neil, later replaced on keyboards by Richard Parks. Early gigs led to a small but dedicated following, picking up the band's self-pressed debut single Hold Fire, while French label Isonauta chose some cuts to appear on its Populogical compilation. The next step was the licensing of a number of new tracks to Michigan's Drive-In label for the Air Formation EP. When the band discovered that the real B. E. A. B. looked dimly on its choice of name, the foursome renamed themselves after the EP, which appeared in late 2000.