808 State - Biography
808 State are an electronic act named after the Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer. Their frequent employment of the vocal services of various indie stars paved the way for electronic music’s crossover to the mainstream in the 1990s.
In the late 1980s, Martin Price ran a record store in Manchester called Eastern Bloc and an independent label, Creed. One of the store’s regulars was Graham Massey, a musician who’d played in several acts including the experimental rock band Biting Tongues, the noisy post-punkers Danny & the Dressmakers, and before that, the prog Aqua. Joining forces withGerald Simpson, rapper Nicky "MC Tunes" Lockett and a DJ duo, The Spinmasters (Andy Barker and Darren Parrington) they formed the hip-hop collective, Hit-Squad MCR in 1987. Other groups affiliated with the crew included Mind over Matter and Force Five, all of whom made regular appearances at the famed Boardwalk nightclub. In July, the unit released their only single, “Wax on the Melt” through Eastern Bloc Records with tracks credited to Scratch Beatmasters (MC Tunes, David Caine and Simpson), The Spinmasters, MC Shine (Martin Green) and The Shure 4 (DJ Darren Smith, MC Jordan and MC Tunes). That winter they began to move in a new direction when Simpson began making recordings influenced by the American acid house and techno. His first recordings, “Cosacosa,” “Johnnycab,” and “Clonezone” were laid down on a tape recorder in his mother’s attic.
The following year — in the throes of the ecstasy-fuelled Second Summer of Love — Simpson, Massey and Price recorded their earliest tracks as 808 State in Manchester’s Spirit Studio. Their debut full-length, Newbuild (1988 Creed), was acid house at its rawest and finest. Using the pseudonym The Lounge Jays, they released the rather silly “Massage A Rama” b/w “Sex Mechanic” around the same time. After its release, Simpson parted ways with the others to pursue a solo career as A Guy Called Gerald.
The following year, with the Madchester scene dominating the UK, 808 State's “Pacific State” got picked up by Radio 1 DJ Gary Davies who played it daily for three months until it was released as a single, subsequently making number ten in November. The Quadrastate EP (1989 ZTT) and 90 (1989 ZTT) followed and were completely massive. In 1990, 808 State briefly returned to their rap roots, providing and producing the music for their fellow Hit-Squad MCR member, MC Tunes. The product of their collaboration, The North at its Heights (1990 ZTT), reached #26.
The following year, as Madchester faded, 808 State returned with Ex:el (1991 ZTT), which featured vocals from Bernard Sumner and Björk and signaled a shift in direction toward a more percussive but still accessible sound. It reached number four. Then, rather than undertake an extensive American tour, Price quit the group, going on to form Switzerland (with Neale Johnson and Steve Caton), who released a couple of 808 State-ish singles before he went on to produce an Asian rap crew from Rochdale, Kaliphz.
Though Gorgeous (1992 ZTT) was the group's poppiest album yet, it largely failed to connect in an electric landscape that had splintered into jungle, breakbeat, armchair techno and other genres. 808 State continued to focus on the mainstream, providing remixes for the likes of David Bowie and Soundgarden. Forecast (1993 Warner Music Japan), compiled various remixes as well as tracks exclusive tracks and was given away with a limited Japanese edition of the Gorgeous. Another collection followed, State to State (1994 ZTT), this time comprised of live performances and unreleased tracks from various sessions. It was made exclusively available for members of 808 State's fan club.
Two more years passed before 808 State returned with an album of new material, Don Solaris (1996 ZTT), by which time they were practically elder statesman in a music scene then obsessed with garage. Contributions from Manic Street Preachers' James Dean Bradfield, Lamb's Lousie Rhodes and Soul Coughing's Mike Doughty did little court the electronic crowd. Another Japanese compilation of B-sides, Thermo Kings (1996 Warner Music Japan), followed. In 1997, Barker, (with Richard Bodgers) formed Atlas, and contributed "Saynaha" to Foundations: Coming Up From The Streets, a compilation whose profits benefit The Big Issue Foundation. A greatest hits collection, 808:88:98 (1998 ZTT), followed, although it did include one new track, "Crash," and a new remix of "Pacific."
In 1998, Massey launched The Toolshed project at Manchester's Night and Day Cafe. Each month saw Massey on various instruments joined by various musicians. In 1999, Toolshed were commissioned to perform multi-media shows in Manchester and London with a 28-piece orchestra. Darren Parrington joined Andy Rourke (ex-Smiths), Paul Wagstaff (ex-Paris Angels and Black Grape) and Phil Beckett (2 For Joy) as Jeep and released The Curse EP (Rex Records). By the time of Toolshed's first single, 2000's "Pazuzu," it seemed that 808 State were no longer the main concern for any of the members. Opti Buk + State to State 2 (2002 ZTT) was a two disc set, a DVD collection of videos and a CD of previously unreleased tracks.
808 State returned from their seven year hiatus with Outpost Transmission (Twisted Nerve) in 2003. Meanwhile, Massey's Toolshed released an eponymous debut EP (2003 Twisted Nerve). In 2004, Richard James's Rephlex label released 808 State's Prebuild (Rephlex), a collection of early tracks and demos from the Newbuild era. Barker, meanwhile, released a couple of tracks as Benaco. In 2005, Toolshed released their eponymous debut full-length (2005 Twisted Nerve). In 2006, Massey (as Massonix) released Subtracks (2006 Skam). In 2008, Rephlex re-released 808 State's ZTT albums with second discs of b-sides, remixes and unreleased tracks from their respective eras and the group toured once again, celebrating 20 years in the music business.
