Wikipedia

808 State

This article is about the band. For the US state sometimes called the "808 state", seeHawaii.

808 Stateare an Englishelectronic musicgroup formed in 1987 inManchester[2]byGraham Massey,Martin Price andGerald Simpson.Taking their name from theRoland TR-808drum machineand the "state of mind" the members shared, they released their debut albumNewbuildin September 1988.[2]They secured commercial success in 1989, when their song "Pacific State"was picked up byBBC Radio 1DJGary Daviesand charted for 11 weeks in the UK.[3]

808 State
808 State in 1991
808 State in 1991
Background information
OriginManchester,England
Genres
Years active1987–present
Labels
Members
Past members
Websitewww.808state

The group's early work influenced the UK's burgeoningacid housescene.[4]AllMusiccalled them "one of the most importantdance musicacts of all time, "and noted their influence on subsequenttechno,IDM,andalternative danceartists.[4]

History

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Martin Price owned Manchester's influential Eastern Bloc Records[5]and was also the founder of theindependent record label,Creed.[2]Customers Graham Massey and Gerald Simpson joined with Price to form ahip hopgroup called Hit Squad Manchester.[5]The group shifted to an acid house sound and recorded their debutNewbuildin 1988, under the name 808 State.[5]

Newbuildwas released on Price's own record label. In an interview withMojomagazinein 2005, Graham Massey explained that the album was recorded over a weekend in January 1988 at Spirit Studios, Manchester. Named after a Bolton housing co-operative, the record was re-released in 2005 onAphex Twin'sRephlex Records.Aphex Twin was a huge fan of the record: "It was the next step after Chicago acid, and as much as I loved that, I could relate much better to 808 State. It seemed colder and more human at the same time."[6]

Around the same time, the band also recorded an acid house version ofNew Order's "Blue Monday".A favourite atThe Haçienda's Hot Night, the recording was believed lost untilAutechre's Sean Booth asked Massey to dig through his archive of old material. The record was released in 2004 by Rephlex Records. "We didn't put a lot of thought into it but maybe that's its charm," said Massey at the time.[7]

The band's song "Pacific State" became the band's breakthroughsingle,peaking at number 10 on theUK Singles Chart.[2]Simpson left the group in 1989 to form his own solo project,A Guy Called Gerald.At this point, the remaining personnel enlisted DJs Andrew Barker and Darren Partington, known as the Spinmasters, and recorded themini-albumQuadrastatein July 1989.[2]The group signed toZTT records,[5]and90was released in December 1989.

MC Tunesworked with the band on the 1990 albumThe North at Its Heights.The album was a moderate success, reaching number 26 on theUK Albums Chart,[8]and also saw a European and Japanese release. It spawned three UK singles, "The Only Rhyme That Bites" – featuring asampleof "The Big Country" performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic (UK number 10), "Tunes Splits the Atom" (UK number 18) and "Primary Rhyming" (UK number 67).[2]The first two issues credited MC Tunes versus 808 State, whilst the latter was simply MC Tunes.[8]Tunes later returned in 1996 to work on a new track, "Pump", taken from 808 State's albumThermo Kings.

808 State's next album, 1991'sex:el,featured the vocals ofBernard SumnerandBjörkand the singles "In Yer Face"(UK #9)," Cubik "(UK #10) and" Lift "(UK #38).[2]

In October 1991, Price left the group to perform solo production work, eventually forming his own label, Sun Text. The remaining members released a fourth album calledGorgeous,and after that, did some remix work forDavid Bowie,Soundgarden,and other performers, before returning with the album entitledDon Solarisin 1996. It featured vocal contributions fromJames Dean Bradfieldon "Lopez", which reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart[2]and was remixed byBrian Eno.In 1997, they had remixed theMansuntrack "Skin Up Pin Up"for theSpawnsoundtrack.The song "Bond" featured vocals byMike Doughtyfrom the bandSoul Coughingand "Azura" featuredLou RhodesfromLamb.They released agreatest hitscompilation album,808:88:98in 1998. In 2000,Newbuildwas re-released.

Some of the band's work, particularly in the albumsex:elandGorgeousshow theirnew waveinfluences by sampling or featuring new wave icons such asBernard Sumneron the song "Spanish Heart" andIan McCullochon "Moses". The song "Contrique" samples the bassline toJoy Division's "She's Lost Control"and" 10 X 10 "is a gospel-house track built on the foundation ofthe Jam's "Start!".[9]

In 2003, they releasedOutpost Transmissionwhich featured guest collaborations fromAlabama 3andGuy GarveyfromElbow.

In May 2008, the re-issue of the mini-albumQuadrastatecompleted a trilogy of pre-ZTT releases on CD for the first time.

Partington left the band after being jailed for 18 months in January 2015 for dealingheroinandcrack cocaine.[10]

Barker died on 6 November 2021, leaving Massey as the sole remaining member of the group.[11]

Musical style

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808 State's style has been labeled astechno[4]andhouse,and the band are regarded as "a pioneer of theacid housesound ".[4]The band's album,Newbuild,was influential in the development of theMadchesterandbaggyscenes.[12]

Pseudonyms and side projects

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In 1990, 808 Statecomposedthetheme tuneto theChannel 4television programme,The Word.[13]

Partington and Barker presented the808 State Radio Show,first onSunset 102from 1989 to 1993, and later onKiss 102from 1994 to 1997. In 2012, they reinvented the program as the808 State Webio Showfor a number of months onMike Joyce's internet based BeatWolf Radio.

808 State and its various members have recorded under a variety of pseudonyms. An early EP, containing the tracks "Massage-a-Rama" and "Sex Mechanic", was released under the name Lounge Jays. These tracks have since been re-released byRephlex Recordson thePrebuildLP. Another early EP,Wax on the Melt,was released under the name Hit Squad Mcr. This is the only release on which all five members of the group (Massey, Price, Simpson, Barker, and Partington) contributed simultaneously.[14]

Massey released the solo albumSubtracksunder the name Massonix onSkam Records.[15]He was a member ofBiting Tongues,an experimentaljazz rockgroup once signed toFactory Records.He also created thebig bandproject called Massey's Toolshed Allstars (eventually shortened to 'Toolshed').[16]Under the pseudonym Professor Vernon World, Massey as drummer/producer with the ladies combo organ quartet the Sisters of Transistors released an album, and is also a member ofSun Rahomage the Part-Time Heliocentric Cosmo Drama After School Club.[17]

Price released a couple of EPs under the name Switzerland. He also managed the bandKaliphz(later known as Kaleef) who had a hit with a hip-hop cover version ofthe Stranglers' "Golden Brown".Barker has produced a small number of tracks under the names Atlas and Benaco.[18]Partington has also recorded under the name Jeep.[19]

Band members

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Former members

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  • Gerald Simpson(born 16 February 1967) – keyboards (1987–1989)
  • Martin Price (born 26 March 1955,Farnworth)[2]– keyboards (1987–1991)
  • Darren Partington (born 1 November 1969,[2]Manchester) – keyboards, congas,electronic drums(1989–2015)
  • Andy Barker (9 March 1968 – 6 November 2021)[2][11]– keyboards,bass(1989–2021)

Discography

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Main article:808 State discography

Studio albums

References

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  1. ^Solaris, Don (2 October 2008)."808 State".The Quietus.Retrieved12 April2015.
  2. ^abcdefghijklStrong, Martin C. (2000).The Great Rock Discography(5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp.311–312.ISBN1-84195-017-3.
  3. ^IMO Records."808 State Biography"Archived26 March 2013 at theWayback Machine,IMO Records,London, Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  4. ^abcdAnkeny, Jason."808 State".AllMusic.Retrieved21 October2014.
  5. ^abcdBradley, Lloyd (5 March 1991). "Genius Plastic".Q Magazine.55:16–17.
  6. ^Stuart Aitken (February 2005)."Acid Muthas Mental".Mojo Magazine.
  7. ^Stuart Aitken (October 2004)."Saved from the vaults, back on the decks".bbc.co.uk.
  8. ^abRoberts, David (2006).British Hit Singles & Albums(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp.179–180.ISBN1-904994-10-5.
  9. ^Wood, Sam (9 February 1993)."808 State Defies The Odds Again with a Consistently Fine Album - Philly".Articles.philly. Archived fromthe originalon 13 December 2014.Retrieved14 September2013.
  10. ^808 State DJ Darren Partington jailed for drug dealingBBC News,9 January 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  11. ^abAndy Barker (808 State) RIPLouder Than War,7 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  12. ^Taylor, Steve (2006).The A to X of Alternative Music.A&C Black. p. 97.ISBN0826482171.
  13. ^Simon Donohue (31 December 2002)."Madchester revival may be on the cards – News – Music – Greater Manchester's CityLife".Citylife.co.uk.Retrieved22 August2009.
  14. ^"Lounge Jays - Massage A Rama / Sex Mechanic".808state.Retrieved11 July2022.
  15. ^"Massonix - Subtracks".808state.Retrieved11 July2022.
  16. ^"Graham Massey's Toolshed - Official Website".808state.Retrieved11 July2022.
  17. ^"Graham Massey Article: The Quietus - Things I Have Learned Graham Massey Of Sisters Of Transistors On His Keyboard Addiction".808state.Retrieved11 July2022.
  18. ^Metason."Martin Price".ArtistInfo.Retrieved11 July2022.
  19. ^"Jeep - The Curse E.P. (featuring Darren Partington)".808state.Retrieved11 July2022.
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