Human Chain have toured in Europe, North America, South America, Japan, China, and India and have also worked in the classical orchestral world for concerts in the UK, Finland, Germany, and Greece (classical music collaborators have included Joanna MacGregor, Britten Sinfonia, London Sinfonietta, and the Duisberger Philharmonic).
Bates remembers that "during performances in this trio formation, Stuart Hall would often make three instrument changes per tune, sometimes playing steel pan and piccolo flute simultaneously whilst unplugging a violin with his foot."
Arguelles and Hall both left, saxophonist Steve Buckley arrived and the band also gained a permanent drummer, Martin France .
This left the remaining members (Bates, Buckley and France) without a bass player just before the start of a Human Chain tour of South America.
Michael has an infectious fascination with all things rhythmic: he chewed through pieces like "Three Architects Called Gabrielle... Just What I Expected" with an extreme verve and assurance that forced the whole band to perform at a new level of energy."
In 1993, Human Chain were the central performers on Bates's second album Summer Fruits (And Unrest), playing four tracks as themselves and the remaining seven as the core of Delightful Precipice.
Also in 1993, Human Chain became involved in the innovative music-theatre piece 'Out There', conceived and directed by Campbell Graham and written by Simon Black with music by Bates.
'Out There' toured on various dates between 1993 and 1995, performing at The Place, Riverside Studios, Manchester Royal Exchange, Tron Theatre, Glasgow International Jazz Festival.
In 1995, Human Chain were again the main performers on Bates's fourth album Winter Truce (And Homes Blaze), this time playing five tracks as themselves and five within Delightful Precipice.
Although most of the album was performed by Bates with the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, the other three Human Chain members also contributed as part of an altered lineup of Delightful Precipice.
In 1998, Bates set up a new Anglo-Swedish band called Quiet Nights, which consisted of the four members of Human Chain plus Swedish jazz singer Josefine Cronsholm.
In a 2008 interview with All About Jazz, Bates commented on his conversion to this kind of music as follows: "Back in the early 1990s I did a couple of records with a Norwegian singer, Sidsel Endresen.
However, Human Chain remained Bates's main performance band, and appeared alongside The Smith Quartet at the Venice Biennale in 2003.
Human Chain was once again the core band on Bates's eighth album You Live And Learn (Apparently), which was released on his own label Lost Marble Recordings in 2004.
Lindstrand was also a band member on the album which featured additional guest performances by The Smith Quartet, saxophonist David Sanborn and guitarist Jim Mullen.