(Before the band formally began, Cliff Bradley produced 90% of the five tracks with his piano student Mick Cripps. Charlie sent us loops and noises and Cliff slaved on the computer composing the majority of the music with Mick pointing his finger and saying, “yeah, that’s it” most of the time. Then, after the five songs were done, Cliff crashed and burned with hitting bottom in life with the dark, seedy side of Hollywood. Out of the ashes, the Phoneix rose and Cliff got sober and turned his life around. However, since Cliff was sober, he didn’t really fit in with the rest of the band any more...right...)

 

So then the official bio starts:

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Formed in 1993 by former LA Guns member MICK CRIPPS, Burning Retna (the misspelling of the word Retna is deliberate) was not so much a band as more of an ambitious art/musical project that incorporated the best of the emerging digital technology of the age with the beats and raw edge Guitar of alternative dance music. The intention was, in short, to produce an apocalyptic Soundtrack for the forthcoming Millennium. Based in Los Angeles, the original line up consisted of the aforementioned Mr. Cripps (Guitar and Keyboards), CHRIS BRADSHAW (Lead Vocal) and former Weirdos Drummer NICKEY ALEXANDER. However, having recorded a handful of original and atmospheric experimental material, Nicky soon left to join The Cramps and CHARLIE CLOUSER was recruited as his replacement (drums and programming), with SEAN BEAVAN (bass, vocals, and additional programming) joining shortly thereafter. With its new line up complete, Burning Retna continued to record extensively throughout 94 and 1995, and notched up over 30 unique and often controversial tracks in the studio (lyrically, and musically, the band took no prisoners, often writing about the great taboos of society cannibalism and incest amongst other subjects), before work commitments forced Sean to leave the project in order to concentrate on his career as a producer (Sean went on to produce, amongst others, Guns And Roses and Marilyn Manson). At this point Micks fellow LA Guns colleague KELLY NICKELS joined on bass, and whilst the new line up continued to write and record new material, Burning Retna decided to unleash itself on an unsuspecting world, and numerous live shows in the LA area shortly followed. Continuing to explore diverse musical landscapes, the project eventually evolved into television soundtrack production and ambient scores, however Retna was to disband later that year.