L.A. art-pop outfit the Mae Shi (2003-2009) were so much fun people missed them when they were sleeping, so you can imagine how fans felt when they broke up. (Or seemed to, since the message on their MySpace page still reads “We do not break up.”)

Now comes word of tonight's debut of a quintet called Physical Forms (or Hypercolors, depending on which online source you're using). It features Jeff Byron and Marcus Savino from the Mae Shi, Marty Sataman (Silver Daggers), Kevin Lenhart (Division Day, the Little Ones) and, up front, Regan Farquhar — the man many of you know as the rapper Busdriver.

Byron tells Sean Carnage in an interview on the promoter's website:

Regan and I had talked about doing something together a couple years ago. Last summer I started sending him songs and he started singing on them. I had no idea what I was doing at the time, it was pure fun. I would cover my eyes and smash keys on the keyboard, and Regan would come up with amazing vocal parts. Within three weeks we were staying up until 5 a.m. three nights a week making tunes.

Physical Forms will release a split 7-inch with Deerhoof next month — a song titled “On the Brink.”

Byron, however, issues words of caution to anybody expecting “the next Mae Shi”:

I've seen some posts online that say “Physical Forms — the new Mae Shi band” etc., but that's definitely not what we are. Marcus and I played in the Mae Shi, but everyone who was in the Mae Shi is doing something creative and interesting. Ezra has his solo stuff, Brad has a new record coming out, and Signals is an amazing band featuring Jon, Bill, and Jacob from our last lineup. Out of all of the projects, I'd call them “the new Mae Shi.” I think Mae Shi fans would love Signals.

Physical Forms plays with So Many Wizards, Nicole Kidman and others at Pehrspace.

Elsewhere: August residencies wind up at Spaceland (headliner White Arrows, with Superhumanoids, Grouplove and Whispertown 2000), the Echo (Fol Chen, with Sister Crayon) and the Silverlake Lounge (Twilight Sleep, with Gliss and the Hundred Days). … And it's Halloween Swim Team and So Many Wizards at Echo Curio and Nations Afire, Diamonds Under Fire and Railroad to Alaska at the Troubadour.

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