Their style is described as being a blend of folk, psychedelia, electronica, post-rock and trip hop, often involving stylistic experimentation and occasional humour.
The Beta Band was formed in 1996 by St Andrews musicians Steve Mason (vocals, guitar) and Gordon Anderson.
As they pulled together songs for their debut EP, Champion Versions, they added Robin Jones (drums), John Maclean (DJ, sampler, keyboards), and Steve Duffield (bass).
While living in a flat in Shepherd's Bush they met Phil Brown, who after hearing their demo took it to Miles Leonard, who promptly signed the band.
Champion Versions was released in July 1997 to critical acclaim not only for the music but also for the record's innovative cut-and-paste sleeve design (the work of John Maclean).
Jonathan Levien was invited to Chalk Farm recording studios shortly afterwards where he was asked to play three riffs on his trumpet for Dry the Rain.
The mixed press turned decidedly negative when the band announced their own disdain for the record, including Mason who declared that it was "fucking awful": Regal's deadline and tight budgets kept them, they stated, from refining their improvisations into coherent songs, and led to an album that was conceptually incomplete.
The band gradually gravitated back into the studio, this time recruiting UK producer Colin Emmanuel, aka C-Swing, to oversee the process.
The band had originally intended to release "Squares" (b/w "Won"), which featured a sample from the Günter Kallmann Choir's 1970 version of Wallace Collection's "Daydream", as the lead single.
They entered the studio with producer Tom Rothrock in 2003 and completed a number of tracks; however, neither the band nor Regal's executives were pleased with the results.
The band announced their breakup on their website on 2 August 2004, citing financial discord with their label, to whom they owed £1.2 million.
[7] In February 2025, The Beta Band refreshed their social media presence, posting a link to a brand new mailing list stating that they'll 'be in touch'.