Flux of Pink Indians

Biography

The band formed in Hertfordshire, England in 1980 from the remaining members of The Epileptics, who during the first half of 1979 changed their name to Epi-X owing to letters of complaint from The British Epilepsy Association. The lineup consisted of Colsk Latter on vocals, Derek Birkett on bass guitar, guitarists Andy Smith and Neil Puncher, and drummer Sid Ation, who was also a member of Rubella Ballet. The group signed with Crass Records in 1981 and released their debut EP Neu Smell that year, featuring the indie hit "Tube Disasters."

Their debut album Strive to Survive Causing Least Suffering Possible came out in 1983 on their own label Spiderleg Records. The 1984 follow-up The Fucking Cunts Treat Us Like Pricks was banned by many British retailers, and copies were seized by Greater Manchester Police from the Eastern Bloc record shop, which was charged with displaying "Obscene Articles For Publication For Gain." Ation left to work full-time with Rubella Ballet and was replaced by Bambi, formerly of Discharge, while Smith was replaced by Simon Middlehurst; both later returned to their original band The Insane.

During auditions for replacements, Puncher also left; the lineup was completed by former Darlex and Epileptics guitarist Kev Hunter and drummer Martin Wilson. An extensive interview with the band appeared in No Class fanzine. By 1986 the band shortened their name to Flux and released Uncarved Block, produced by Adrian Sherwood and featuring several members of the On-U Sound Records label. Flux disbanded in 1987.

Birkett later set up One Little Indian Records; Latter formed Hotalacio with drummer Wilson and guitarist Middlehurst. In 2007 the band re-formed for an intended one-off gig supporting ex-Crass vocalist Steve Ignorant at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire. The Strive To Survive-era lineup of Latter, Hunter and Wilson was joined by ex-Decadence Within bass player Ian Glasper replacing Birkett, and after a well-received set the band played three more gigs in 2008 in Bradford, Dijon and London.

Legacy

In 2009, rap artist Professor Green sampled the group's bassline from "Tube Disasters" for his single "Hard Night Out." The band and their album Uncarved Block were mentioned in the 2013 book Taoism for Dummies under the sidebar titled "An uncarved Flux of Pink anarchy." In a 2016 Guardian interview, the band was cited along with other British anarcho-punk bands as an influence on the American avant-garde metal group Neurosis. Actor Martin Freeman spoke to The Telegraph in 2019 about his older brother's influence, noting he listened to heavy anarcho-punk bands including Flux of Pink Indians.