In the late 90s, in Action and Drama, Bis cast themselves as meta-pop activists:
Pop music’s not gonna die / It just has no direction / We need a plan of action
But what was their plan of action? The accompanying track Eurodisco (a worry about pop stagnating into inward-looking genres) had its best mix by Stuart Price — an Erasure-ish version that omits Manda’s vocals. Where has Manda gone? Price went on to be the main producer of Madonna’s 2005 Confessions album and the non-more Eurodisco Abba-sampling “Hung Up”.
Give me 80’s Madonna / (I just want some personality) / Give me action and drama
Meanwhile Bis – so the offifical story goes – broke up, reformed, formed under another name, broke up again. Ten years later, it’s the late 00’s. While Manda Rin supposedly makes badges for indie acts, we finally have a made-to-order, all-action all-drama, 80s Madonna in Lady Gaga.
I’m not saying Mr Price created Lady Gaga as a frankingstein creation out of Madonna’s DNA and the abnormal brain of a member of Bis. That would be ridiculous. I’m saying that the moral of the story is, don’t fret, pet, and let them find their own way. It could be that the acts of a pop commentator is contributing to genre-stagnation. But despite well intentioned interference, Pop will find a way.