Steve Mason (born 17 April 1975) is a Scottish guitarist, singer, writer, and activist. He came to prominence in the late 90s as the lead singer and one of the founding members of The Beta Band.ÃÂ Mason created King Biscuit Time as a side project during his time in The Beta Band, and then took the name again after the group split in 2004. After a diversion as Black Affair, Mason began his solo career in 2009.ÃÂ
He has now released five solo albums, as well as collaborations with Denis Bovell and Martin Duffy.
Mason started his music career as the lead singer and one of the founding members of The Beta Band, formed in 1996. The band released four albums, and gained international notoriety when they were referenced in the film of Nick HornbyâÂÂs High Fidelity when John CusackâÂÂs character states he can sell five copies of "The Three EP's" by The Beta Band. The track he selects to achieve this is "Dry the Rain". Astralwerks, the bandâÂÂs US label stated sales quadrupled after the release of the film. During the groupâÂÂs time together, Mason was one of the first artists to speak of his depression openly. In late 2004, after a short farewell tour, they split.
During the Beta Band era, Steve appeared on TV shows including The Adam & Joe Show (2001) and Never Mind the Buzzcocks (2005).
Mason released solo material as King Biscuit Time, including two EPs on Regal Records during The Beta Band's existence. 2000âÂÂs No Style EP was described by NME as âÂÂwonderfully erratic ambles into crisp electronica, soft strumming, sleepy beats and his doleful singing about love, virtue, surviving and being comfortably glum". After The Beta Band split in 2004, Mason released one album as King Biscuit Time, Black Gold, on No Style Records, an imprint of Alan McGee's Poptones record label. Mason announced the end of King Biscuit Time before the album's release, and cancelled a subsequent tour, posting on his website âÂÂPeace to you all, IâÂÂm out of here. ItâÂÂs been amazing but IâÂÂve had enough. Over and out. Steve xxx.â The Guardian called Black Gold a âÂÂvital, dolorous treasureâ and that MasonâÂÂs âÂÂcreative well seems bottomless.â Pitchfork said although it was âÂÂa melancholy recordâÂÂ, it could listen to âÂÂMason's creaky, lonely voice all day.â Black Gold was one of the first CDs to be released in bio-degradable packaging and Mason self-released the 2-LP version of the album, in a limited edition of 150.
Mason has also worked under the name Black Affair, and has released one album under this pseudonym on V2 Records. Paul Lester wrote in The Guardian that Black Affair âÂÂreek of: old school R&B, electro, early hip-hop, Chicago house, Detroit techno, even the pristine white synth-pop that influenced all of the previous black artists in the first place â poptronic forgemasters such as Kraftwerk, Yazoo, the Human League, Depeche Mode, Soft Cell and New Order". Their sole album, Pleasure Pressure Point, was released in 2008 to positive reviews. The Boston Phoenix stated âÂÂsensitive indie man boy breaks up cult band, goes clubbing, is sexed up by shady ladies, feels somewhere between good-bad and bad-bad, tells the world about it, repeat".
On 19 April 2009, The Sunday Times reported that Mason was working on a new album with the record producer, Richard X. This album, Boys Outside, was released in March 2010 and is the first album under Mason's own name. The first single, "All Come Down", was released as a download at the end of November 2009. Q gave the album a 4/5 rating. According to Rob Fearn, the album "relocates Mason in a grand tradition of indie boys doing idiosyncratic electronic pop, a line stretching back through Hot Chip, New Order, Talk Talk and Brian Eno". Fearn argued that the album, "totally different from what he did in King Biscuit Time and Black Affair", might be seen as a "welcome return to a stripped-down songcraft". It is "...not just a work that can finally measure up to [Beta Band's] The Three EPs, but is a sign of a "bold new start", according to the critic. Record Collector added retrospectively that âÂÂBoys Outside was one of 2010âÂÂs very best albums. Steve Mason had finally faced his personal demons and was able, after years of hiding behind pseudonyms, to . . . deliver a solo album of touching sincerity, equal to any high-period Beta Band". In 2011, Mason issued a dub version of the album, Ghosts Outside, in collaboration with Dennis Bovell. Record Collector said that by âÂÂadding his reverb-laden studio trickery, itâÂÂs as if Bovell has delved deeper into MasonâÂÂs soul and created a perfect standalone piece".
In 2013, Mason released Monkey Minds in the Devil's Time. The album covers topics as diverse as his recent struggles with depression and loneliness, the suicide of David Kelly (former weapons inspector in Iraq) and the London riots. It received positive reviews: The Quietus suggested âÂÂIf MasonâÂÂs last album Boys Outside was a window on his struggles with mental ill-health, Monkey Minds⦠moves from micro to macro as he harnesses his strong sense of social justice, while continuing to hone the crisp electronics that so perfectly soundtrack his ghostly, exhortatory vocals". The Independent called it "his most rewarding release since the Beta Band"; Record Collector stated it was âÂÂAn attack on the lack of dissenting voices in popular culture, if this isnâÂÂt MasonâÂÂs bona fide masterpiece, itâÂÂs certainly approaching itâÂÂ. To support the album, Mason played several UK dates as well as selected UK, Europe and Canadian festivals. Remixes of album tracks âÂÂSeen It All Beforeâ and âÂÂCome To Meâ by Greg Wilson and Derek Kaye were issued on 12â for Record Store Day 2014.
In 2023, Mason released Brothers & Sisters. The album was recorded during lockdown, in 2020. It steps away from his âÂÂradio friendlyâ style of 2019âÂÂs About The Light, marrying electronic elements with world music. Tom Doyle at Mojo singled out the title track as âÂÂa rallying cry to dormant ravers,â and concluded that the album was âÂÂa winning beats-driven combination of the personal and the universal.â Daryl Easlea at Record Collector noted that this may well be MasonâÂÂs friend and collaborator Martin DuffyâÂÂs final appearance on record (after his passing in December 2022) â âÂÂa fine way for him to finish, on an album full of intelligence and love.â Nick Roseblade said in Clash Magazine that Brothers & Sisters was âÂÂone of his best albums to date." àA ten date UK tour to support the album runs April/May 2023.