808 State Albums (9)
What The Critics Say
Five years after Rephlex's 1999 reissue of 808 State's first album, 1988's Newbuild, the same label was responsible for this archival release -- a collection of demos, long out of print productions, radio sessions, and live material rediscovered by the group's Graham Massey (all of which was recorded while Gerald Simpson/A Guy Called Gerald was still a member). Some tracks are extremely primitive, lacking refinements -- even by acid house standards -- but this is part of the appeal. As with garage rock, acid house's illicit nature is often magnified when the tracks sound as if they came from nth generation hand-me-down cassettes. Though the three tracks recorded in the attic of Gerald Simpson's mother's house will likely give audiophiles headaches, none are present just for the sake of documentation. "Clonezone" is the best of that batch, sunk in deep murk yet still effective with its fusion of the synth-driven psychosis of a John Carpenter film score and the throat-grabbing immediacy of Adonis' Chicago classic "No Way Back." One of the other tracks with super-low fidelity also happens to hold some of the disc's most undeniably thrilling moments: "Thermo Kings," recorded at the group's first performance in Manchester, is a particularly demented, sprawling 14-minute workout that's as disorienting and psychedelic as anything recorded in the '60s. Two other noteworthy inclusions are both sides of the 12" released by 808 State under their Lounge Jays pseudonym, including the volatile, sleaze-soaked "Sex Mechanic." Along with some of the Trax compilations, this disc is another valuable 2004 release that can be valued by anyone who wants to revisit or explore the early years of house music. It's plainly evident that 808 State were just as vital during this period -- if not more so -- as they ever were, and each track here is, to some degree, absorbing. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It would have been hard to imagine 808 State having such a low profile during the days of the massive "Cubik." Outpost Transmission is the first album by the group since entering their second decade in 1998. Five years in the making, it's not an up-front stunner but a slowly developing well-rounded collection of electronica falling outside contemporary subgenres. There's nothing to easily latch onto like back in the early days, but Outpost Transmission gives the listener more cheeky psychedelia to nose around in than any previous releases. The clever "Chopsumwong" sounds like old-school 808 being remixed by Mike Paradinas with a melody just about to fall apart, and the delicate "Suntower" brings to mind Graham Massey's work with Björk. Simian's Simon Lord guests on the stomping "606," a great track that looses some impact due to a murky mix. Elbow's Guy Garvey does well enough on the Scott Walker-meets-Yellow Magic Orchestra-flavored "Lemonsoul." Alabama 3's vocalists have less to work with on "Crossword," with its corny "no chillout!" call-out hook. When the vocal tracks are skipped it all seems much more focused. It's a mature 808 State on Outpost Transmission, and the album does take more listens than usual to appreciate. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Although Manchester's first breakthrough acid house band hadn't disappeared entirely from the production scene, their sporadic recordings following 1993's Gorgeous were limited either to Japanese-only pressings or to members of their fan club, State to State. Don Solaris, the group's first widely available album in more than four years, is thus something of a return for the group. And somewhat surprisingly, it's accomplished stuff, successfully avoiding the twin slumps of blandness and derivativeness that so often attend the post-hiatus of once innovative groups. The album roams freely from anthemic acid house to trip-hop to jungle to dense, warping electro, with studio chops that raise well-written songs to a higher level of listenability. Although vocal contributions from the likes of M. Doughty of Soul Coughing, Louise Rhodes of Lamb, and James Dean Bradfield of the Manic Street Preachers occasionally prove intrusive, the group deftly integrate pop song structure with a focused experimentalism. ~ Sean Cooper, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Gorgeous is 808 State's most vocal-oriented effort, and features a number of fairly anonymous and forgettable guest singers. The record is most successful when it sticks to the group's trademark atmospheric dance instrumentals, although even those are fairly run-of-the-mill. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Capturing 808 State at their absolute best, none of their subsequent albums quite matched Ex:El's perfect blend of art, mass appeal, and zeitgeist (one of the most common vocal samples in techno, Willy Wonka's "We are the music makers," made its first major appearance here). A major change here from past releases is the increasing variety and power of the State's percussion: beats are heavier and more staggered, embracing earlier flirtations with hip-hop and industrial music with even greater success, as heard on heavy duty groovers like "Leo, Leo." A sign of how influential Ex:El ended up being can be seen in how one of the commonest clichés of U.K. techno albums -- the guest appearance of a noted indie/alternative rocker on a track or two -- got its start from the cameo vocals here. Fellow Mancunian dance pioneer Bernard Sumner of New Order sings one of his patented gentle ruminations over "Spanish Heart," a nice piano-led number with a solid backbeat. Meanwhile, even more notably, the Sugarcubes' Björk lends her swooping singing to the lower-key but still active "Qmart" and the dramatic, flamenco-tinged "Ooops," establishing a partnership with the State's Graham Massey that would result in his working on many of her solo projects. Add to all this two of the best techno singles from the early '90s -- "In Yer Face," a subtly politicized anti-American slammer, and the almighty "Cubik" (in America replaced by an astonishing remix of the same song, the original having appeared on Utd. State 90) -- and Ex:El stands out all the more strongly. A true masterpiece. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The canard regarding American releases of British records, from the Beatles on down, has been that the stateside company screws up, rearranges, or drastically pares down the original release. Quite happily for all concerned, American label Tommy Boy got its version of the 90 album almost exactly right. While the track order was drastically changed (and the 60-second concluding track, "The Fat Shadow," removed), there was no real disruption of flow, and seven bonus tracks were added to create a full CD's worth of early 808 in one easy package -- a perfect gift for American fans. The new tracks come from a variety of sources, most being earlier (or later) singles or remixes done exclusively for this release. Of these, "Cubik" is the clear standout -- three-and-a-half minutes of utterly compelling techno force, led off by what would shortly become one of the most commonly imitated and ripped-off electronic basslines ever. "Kinky National," while derived from the Quadrastate EP's "State Ritual," appears here with an almost industrial feel to it, armed with an ominous bass riff and a stiffer, complex percussion pattern. "Revenge of the Girlie Men" is another reworking of a decent Quadrastate track, "Disco State," minus samples from the band IOU. "State to State," the final Quadrastate recycle, remains more or less in its original form. Two fine, new remixes of "Pacific 202" -- numbered "212" and "718" -- appear at the end of the disc, while "Boneyween" appears to be the one wholly new track, a fast-paced house thump driven by some great squiggly keyboard melodies. The end result remains the best way to listen to early 808 State, and is a near-perfect demonstration of the band's work. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
808 State's debut album release on ZTT Records wasn't the first major U.K. house/techno release, but arguably, it was the most important at the time, gaining a reputation over the years as a true classic in the field of electronic music. While not remarkably different from its many American precursors, 90 not only established that Britain could do things just as well as the States, it also helped to fully lay the groundwork for the '90s electronic revolution that continues to play out in the U.K. Arguably, 808 at this point weren't always pushing edges: "Magical Dream" and "Ancodia" have a decided gentility to their grooves. That said, "Cobra Bora" has an aggro edge, mixing gentler impulses with something more clipped and rough, not to mention a wickedly clever sample of the a cappella opening to Van McCoy's "The Hustle," clearly pointing the way to the monstrous groove of Cubik in a year's time. "Pacific 202," 90's classic number, fuses the two strains perfectly, with its soft synth and sax combination riding an insistent bass groove that's just a little bit more forceful than might be expected. The concluding tracks, such as "808080808," are closer to being in-your-face danceable, though with interesting tweaks along the way, such as "Donkey Doctor"'s echoed vocal sample and sudden mid-song break to a softer groove. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The group's 1988 debut -- the only material recorded with A Guy Called Gerald -- is straightahead acid-house, minus the genre experimentations that characterize later albums such as 808:90. Nevertheless, the mid-'90s generation of techno progressives (including Aphex Twin) saluted this album's raw edge as a major influence. In 1999, Aphex Twin reissued Newbuild on his Rephlex label. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
