Meanwhile, back in Communist Russia... (MBICR) were a post-rock band from Oxford, England.
The group was founded in 1999. The band's original line up featured keyboardist Tim Croston, guitarist Pete Williams, guitarist James Shames, singer Emily Gray, singer Ed Carder and guitarist and drum machine operator Mark Halloran, all students at the University of Oxford. Bass player Ollie Clueit joined late 1999 prior to the departure of singer Ed Carder. Their style, compared by some to Mogwai and Arab Strap, saw Gray deliver self-penned monologues over a wall of guitar noise and samples guided by a strong beat. Their first release was a split CD single with Moonkat on the Jitter label. Featuring 'Morning After Pill' this release saw the band gain play on BBC Radio 1 and London's XFM. Following this Jitter released a limited 7" featuring the tracks 'Morning After Pill' and 'No Cigar' which prompted John Peel to offer the band their first of three Peel Sessions. The band recorded their debut album Indian Ink that summer which was again released via Jitter on CD and 10" vinyl. Later that year the band were chosen by Peel to support Pulp at a Radio 1 event in Birmingham and 'Morning After Pill' was voted number 11 in John Peel's 2001 Festive 50. Williams left the band shortly after this.
The band signed to Truck Records in 2002, and they released their highly acclaimed second album, My Elixir; My Poison, the following year. Halloran had left the band during recording of the album leaving the band to debut as a 4-piece at that year's Truck Festival. In 2004 the band recorded their 3rd Peel sessions and also recorded sessions for XFM's John Kennedy and BBC 6music. MBICR featured on 'The Oxford Channel', a terrestrial broadcast within Oxfordshire, to promote the release of My Elixir; My Poison. Due to severe technical problems the band stormed off set in the middle of the live recording, leaving the station furious and refusing to feature live bands ever again.
After Clueit, Croston and Gray relocated to Brighton, the band's final gig was late 2004 at London's Bar Academy after which Clueit left the band. Gray soon followed leading to the band's ultimate demise. Later in 2004, Shames and Croston formed the core of a new group, Mesaplex, who debuted at the Truck Festival in 2005. Croston and Gray have also begun a new musical project named Ape Has Killed Ape! ( Not to be confused with the original Ape Has Killed Ape from Los Angeles) and played at 2006's Truck Festival. In 2006 Williams began playing with a new band, Titus, based in Oxford. Clueit now DJs under the name Ollie russian and works in the music industry. Halloran is a qualified Doctor.
