Fans of 808 State?

[donkey tugger]

Wonder what happened to Altern-8 now you come to it...

They played at Leeds West Indian Centre a couple of years ago, f**king mental!

Still wearing the same appareil? Was the Vicks Vaporub on hand?

I seem to recall so, was rather under the influence mind.

[griels]

I seem to recall so, was rather under the influence mind.

Tut tut.

[Lunatique]

'Qmart' is an absolute gem and really kickstarted Bjork's electronic music career. This fact is often conveniently forgotten. She was stil trying to break frm the Sugarcubes when she collaborated with them.

TOTALLY. When Bjork collabed with them on those two tracks (Qmart and Oops), it was a completely fresh sound like no other. When I heard it, I thought, "Damn, it's the birth of a new genre of music." Little did I know what a prophetic thought it would turn out to be. HOWEVER, I don't think anything Bjork has done since could match the brilliance of Qmart and Oops.

I've never really understood so many 808er's dislike of don solaris.., perhaps its the dnb and harder elements. to me its very coherent and solid as a whole and represents the climax of alot of projects Graham was involved in at the time, including Lamb's first album.

I'm a big fan of Lamb as well, but I don't hear any of the brilliant stuff from Lamb on Don Solaris. I think that album just lacks a certain dynamic--it's quite drab sounding in terms of melody and arrangement.

? Why more interesting than the remastered YMO albums they're practically giving away these days? Ooops! This thread is about 808 State. Eh... I actually bought an old YMO album AND 808 State's Ex:el at the same time the other day, if that's an excuse.

It's kinda sad that YMO doesn't get as much credit as they deserve. They were at the forefront of technopop in the late 70's and early 80's.

[Jbravo]

What about Kubik:Elektronik?

isn't it kubik:olympik?

[CinningBao]

it was cubik:olympic and the 'flutey mix'was the theme tune to a channel4 show 'the word' iirc.

I think I bought 'new build' when it first came out when i was 14 or something. I couldn't make any sense of them since the only other electronic band I listened to was kraftwerk, and they are quite different from each other! but grew on me and I've been an addict ever since. I SO wish I'd seen them play live in the 808:90 days - that album is, like, a MUST have.

a few years later I sold all the 808state I'd accrued for cigarettes would you believe! twat. so I've spent the last 10 years try to buy it all back again - Quadrastate was something I'd sorely missed. And I managed to pick the 'sex mechanic' 12 inch aswell which was a bonus as the re-released Prebuild master of that track's pretty awful..

oops, that went on a bit too long

[ScarKord]

They were never the same 808 State once martin left,they seemed to lose the individual depth their music had with him in. They have done some great tracks since, but they are very hit and miss and none as good as the ex:el years. They earned their place in the hall of classics already though.

I actually think most of the best stuff was done when 'A Guy Called Gerald' was part of the group. In fact, I believe he wrote most of Pacific State apart from the Sax line which Graham Massey came up with.

The track was originally released on 'Newbuild' then subsequently re-released on 'Ninety' (after Gerald had left the group) but Gerald wasn't given a credit.

This prompted him to write 'Specific Hate', a breakbeat laden version of the track in protest. Not as good as the original, but fairly innovative none the less.

Anyway, there is some fantastic early 808 State material available through the Aphex Twin's Rephlex label which is definately worth checking out.

Also, I've got an vinyl copy of 'Flow Coma' from '88 in which the group are credited as State 808!

[scuzzphut]

'Lift'

Anyone got any mp3s of that Altern8 album, though ?

[projectdan]

They were never the same 808 State once martin left,they seemed to lose the individual depth their music had with him in. They have done some great tracks since, but they are very hit and miss and none as good as the ex:el years. They earned their place in the hall of classics already though.

I actually think most of the best stuff was done when 'A Guy Called Gerald' was part of the group. In fact, I believe he wrote most of Pacific State apart from the Sax line which Graham Massey came up with.

The track was originally released on 'Newbuild' then subsequently re-released on 'Ninety' (after Gerald had left the group) but Gerald wasn't given a credit.

This prompted him to write 'Specific Hate', a breakbeat laden version of the track in protest. Not as good as the original, but fairly innovative none the less.

O.K time to go into picky 808 fan boy mode Pacific was originally on the Quadrastate album/e.p if there was an early draft version it wasnt released on Newbuild reissue (on rephlex) in any recognisable form to me. Also Pacific 202 was a substanial extension and development from what Gerald did (though I agree he came up with the foundations of the track). I can understand him being pissed with not being credited though, and that is fair enough. I have heard specific hate, it is a good mix.
I still think ex:el, half the tracks on 808:90 and Fire Cracker from Quadrastate was their best stuff by far, much more developed than the early stuff (which was supposed to of been dubbed live onto 2 track, so not suprising really). Just to my tastes though.

Also some body mentioned the olympic flutey mix being used on the word, well it is much closer to the euro bass version than the flutey mix. They did rerecord the word version and release it on the single Plan 9 titled Olympic (The Word mix).

[mute]

I actually think most of the best stuff was done when 'A Guy Called Gerald' was part of the group.

this lasted what? 6 minutes? his influence is totally over-rated.

imo, all his solo efforts except for the first were total rubbish... always a disappointment. he's always seemed a nice enough guy tho from interviews ive read.

[CypherOne]

imo, all his solo efforts except for the first were total rubbish... always a disappointment. he's always seemed a nice enough guy tho from interviews ive read.

I rate his last two albums.

[mute]

'Lift'

Anyone got any mp3s of that Altern8 album, though ?

only altern-8 cd ive got that i havent thrown in the trash after all these years is the 'infiltr-8 america' ep, with the beltram remix of 'infiltrate 202' on w/ that samples the bejezus outta 808state.

[projectdan]

I actually think most of the best stuff was done when 'A Guy Called Gerald' was part of the group.

this lasted what? 6 minutes? his influence is totally over-rated.

imo, all his solo efforts except for the first were total rubbish... always a disappointment. he's always seemed a nice enough guy tho from interviews ive read.

They did most of their best stuff without him IMHO, his Black Secret Technology album is very good though.

[mute]

I actually think most of the best stuff was done when 'A Guy Called Gerald' was part of the group.

this lasted what? 6 minutes? his influence is totally over-rated.

imo, all his solo efforts except for the first were total rubbish... always a disappointment. he's always seemed a nice enough guy tho from interviews ive read.

They did most of their best stuff without him IMHO, his Black Secret Technology album is very good though.

yah i should revise that a bit, they aren't all total rubbish.. Automanikk has some moments, so does black secret..., and that last one he did in 99 or 2000 wasn't half bad. i generally get bored by his music tho.

[mute]

a few months ago i was having a conversation with another friend about 808state and we had a contest to see who could come up the track that sounded the most like 808state with a 10 minute time limit.

http://www.plosive.net/mp3/quicky/mute_808stated.ogg

was the result.

compared to my regular music, i consider this rubbish because it was just slapped and a paint by numbers kinda thing.. this is important for you to know

anyways.. I won the 'contest'. I can't find his track laying around right now though.

[Manc Chris]

I was actually working at Spirit studios in Manchester - late 80s - when these guys were at the 'throwing ideas around' stage.

To be honest, they were a pain in the arse. Miserable noisy bleeders, who kicked everyone out of the control room every time one of them had a brainwave.

Basically, they were on a mission, trying out groove and feel in order to come up with something new.
They went through every synth in the studio - even my own SH101 - on top of (ahem) LIVE drums, until one day Massey walked in with a Roland TR ... and they finally made a quantum leap towards their sig sound.

However .... that TR was actually a 909!

I left before they got their 808.