Pop stylists Plastic Fantastic emerged in the mid-1990s at the forefront of Britain's short-lived Romantic Modernist, or 'Romo' scene. Alongside contemporaries like DexDexTer, Orlando, and Hollywood, Plastic Fantastic trended in the opposite direction of Brit-pop, taking their influences from flashier sources like glam, synth pop, art rock, and the new romanticism of Duran Duran and Adam and the Ants. In spite of the fierce hype surrounding Romo's brief rise, a compilation appearance and lone 1996 single are the sole recorded legacy left by this Brighton-based band who broke up not long afterward. Plastic Fantastic formed in 1994, and during their three-year run included Stuart Miller (vocals), John Golds (bass), Shadric Toop (guitars and keyboards), Conrad Toop (guitars and keyboards), and Adam Pumphrey (drums), the latter of whom was succeeded by Trevor Sharpe. Taking decadent visual cues from the mid-'80s new romantics (dinner jackets, high heeled boots, dyed hair) and musical inspiration from acts like Roxy Music, Tubeway Army, and Adam and the Ants, the band stood in stark contrast with the more organic nature of Brit-pop and the trance-like electronica that was popular at the time. British weekly Melody Maker took notice of the emerging nightclub scene that had re-embraced new romanticism and quickly coined the term 'Romo' which was then applied to Plastic Fantastic and scenemates DexDexTer, Viva, Hollywood, and Orlando. In March 1996, with the Romo scene in full bloom, Melody Maker put together a promotional cassette called Fiddling While Romo Burns which included the Plastic Fantastic track "Complimentary Electron" along with contributions from each of the four aforementioned bands. Another Plastic Fantastic single, "Fantastique No. 5" appeared later that year via Mercury Records. By 1997, however, hype around the Romo movement began to die out, as did its associated bands. Although Plastic Fantastic never managed to release their first album, the group's unreleased demos were circulated over the internet during the subsequent decades. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi