[1] The band formed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1984,[1] by Chris Connelly, John Vick, Andy McGregor, Philip Pinsky, David Miller and Simon McGlynn.
Initially a post-punk guitar outfit, the band released a debut EP Curling and Stretching on their own Finiflex label in the summer of 1984, graduating to their first John Peel Session in 1985, before rethinking their whole approach in the mid 1980s.
The result was Let The Tribe Grow, an EP released on the Glasgow label Cathexis and featuring "De Testimony", a seminal dance floor anthem for the original Balearic/Acid House generation.
[1] Subsequently, they signed to Chicago label Wax Trax and released two singles, "I Want More" (a cover of the Can song) and "Make it Internal", raising their profile in the States and resulting in extensive radio and club success.
[1] A long and arduous "toilet" tour of the UK in 1988 led to the departure of three members – including Connelly who relocated to the States and joined the Revolting Cocks and Ministry – and a parting of the ways with Wax Trax Records.
[1] This in turn resulted in a resurrection of the Finiflex label and a distribution deal with Fast Forward for the-ir debut album, Noise Lust and Fun.
After signing a new deal with One Little Indian the band with encouragement from label boss Derek Birkett ran into controversy almost immediately with the Animal Farm EP.
Subverting the nursery rhyme "Old MacDonald" for the purposes of berating the similarly titled hamburger outlet, Finitribe (as they were now known) offered up a flavour of the anti-consumerist stance prevalent on new album Grossing 10k (1989).
[1] The success of this album allowed the band to re launch their 'Finiflex' label and the in-house production team recorded and released many singles including those by Justin Robertson, State of Flux, Ege Bam Yasi and Sparks.
The slimmed down Finitribe, now operating from a house built on the side of a volcano,[citation needed] started a new label U.G.T and released an LP by Ege Bam Yasi.
For a short while the band hooked up with Chas Smash (Madness) as manager, this indirectly led to a meeting with Korda Marshall and a deal was struck with Infectious/ Mushroom Records (home of Garbage and Ash).