Alternative pop outfit Whale were formed in Sweden in 1986 by vocalist Cia Berg, guitarists Henrik Schyffert and John Flodén, bassist Björn Persson, and drummer Gordon Cyrus. They debuted with the self-financed EP Anti Apati, signing to Mondo Recordings for the follow-up, Sno Den Här Skiva. The full-length The 52nd State of America followed in late 1987, and the group's struggles to land gigs helped lead to Persson's exit two years later. The remaining quartet began investing heavily in samplers and keyboards, premiering their new pop sound on 1989's In Style, then moved toward a harder rock sound for 1991's Whatever. Flodén was fired on the subsequent tour, and in 1993 the remaining trio recorded the experimental Music for an Architectural Bachelor under the alias Orca. After briefly disbanding, they re-formed to record the single "Hobo Humpin Slobo Babe," and its manic video beceme a cult favorite on both sides of the Atlantic. The LP We Care followed in 1995, but after touring in support of Blur, the trio disbanded. While Berg and Schyffert soon agreed to re-form, Cyrus chose not to return, and so new guitarist Jon Jefferson Klingberg, bassist Heikki Kiviaho, and drummer Jörgen Wall were recruited for 1998's All Disco Dance Must End in Broken Bones. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi