Flux Information Sciences were a three-piece

noise rock Noise rock (sometimes called noise punk) is a noise music, noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimal music, minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, a ...

band based in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. The band was formed in 1996 by vocalist/guitarist Tristan Bechet (born in Portugal in 1973, raised in Brazil) and keyboardist Sebastian Brault (born in Madagascar and raised in France), who met in art school in

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

. A revolving drummer policy saw Derek Ethridge replace Phil Hernandez in 1999, who was in turn replaced by Siobhan Duffy. Eventually, the band settled on the line-up of Bechet and Brault, with

Christopher Pravdica Christopher Pravdica (born October 2, 1975) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the bass guitarist of American experimental rock band Swans. Biography Pravdica is a member of the band Human Impact, along with former memb ...

on electronics. Flux Information Sciences was influenced by the 1980s New York

No Wave No wave was an avant-garde music genre and visual art scene that emerged in the late 1970s in Downtown New York City. The term was a pun based on the rejection of commercial new wave music. Reacting against punk rock's recycling of rock and r ...

scene, by bands such as

The Contortions James Chance and the Contortions (initially known simply as Contortions, a spin-off group is called James White and the Blacks) was a musical group led by saxophonist and vocalist James Chance, formed in 1977. They were a central act of New York ...

, James White & the Blacks,

Suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

and

Foetus A fetus or foetus (; : fetuses, foetuses, rarely feti or foeti) is the unborn offspring of a viviparous animal that develops from an embryo. Following the embryonic stage, the fetal stage of development takes place. Prenatal development is a ...

. In 2004, Flux were featured in S.A. Crary's documentary on No Wave ''

Kill Your Idols Kill Your Idols is an American hardcore punk band from New York, active from 1995 through 2007 and again from 2013 to the present. They were signed to SideOneDummy Records. Their releases on SideOne were Funeral for a Feeling (2001), a split ...

''. ''Private/Public'' was recorded before a live audience who were required to stand naked and blindfolded before the band. The band's debut album ''A Dedication to Volt'' was released in 1997, followed by ''Services'' in 1999. Their third album, ''Summer'', was released in 2000, and described by Joe Silva of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

as seeing Flux "retain...

heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...

ability to playfully challenge listeners to find entry points to their material, while maintaining their levels of chaos and invention". In 2001, Flux signed to

Young God Records Young God Records is an independent record label formed by Michael Gira in 1990 that specializes in experimental, avant-garde and often non genre-specific releases. The label was named after an EP released by Gira's band Swans called '' Young Go ...

and released "Private/Public". Young God label boss and

Swans Swans are birds of the genus ''Cygnus'' within the family Anatidae. The swans' closest relatives include the geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometim ...

vocalist

Michael Gira Michael Rolfe Gira (; born February 19, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, author and artist. Now based in New Mexico, he founded the band Swans, in which he sings and plays guitar, in New York City in the 1980s at the height of ...

described the band as "life-threatening".Neate, Wilson. "The cover art of Private/Public alone is worth the price of admission".

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

, 1 May 2001. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' described their sound as "a clattering, dissonant, choppy, propulsive racket, punctuated every so often by a vocal chant; it's ominous and mockingly jubilant, somewhere between the

Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes due to th ...

and Ministry." In "Kill Your Idols", Bechet provides insight into the band's approach to rhythm when he described living across the road to "a metal stamping factory, and the rhythms and sounds that they make, are truly fucking phenomenal, just fucking...pff...amazing and groovy as shit; those are the kind of rhythms I enjoy, its almost as if New York City is the script and we interpret that. Since the band's break-up, Bechet has formed the Pinksock Records label and worked with several artists, such as F. M. Einheit of

Einstürzende Neubauten (, 'Collapsing New Buildings') is a German experimental music group, formed in West Berlin in 1980. The band currently comprises founding members Blixa Bargeld (lead vocals, guitar, keyboard) and N.U. Unruh (custom-made instruments, percussion, ...

and

Khan Khan may refer to: * Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name * Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by various ethnicities Art and entertainment * Khan (band), an English progressiv ...

.Finley, Julie.
For Your Consideration: An Interview with Trztn of Services
. popshifter.com. Retrieved on 25 October 2008. He has released albums by several experimental projects, including his heavy metal mash-up vinyl "Please Forgive Me" and "Waiting for the Sun" CD by "Sauna KIngs". After the Label faded, Bechet founded "SERVICES" with Christopher Pravdica; a former member of Flux.

Discography

* ''A Dedication to Volt'' (1997) * ''Services'' (1999) * ''Summer'' (2000) * ''Private/Public'' (2001)

Notes

External links

F.I.S. at Young God Records
{{Authority control American noise rock music groups Indie rock musical groups from New York (state) Musical groups from Brooklyn Musical groups established in 1996