808 State is an English group formed in 1987 in Manchester and originally composed of Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson. Group whose name, to say the least, is a surprising reference to the Roland TR-808 Rhythm Box.
Before the official formation of 808 State, the 3 first formed a Hip Hop group named 'Hit Squad Manchester'. Then gently switch to the emerging trend of Acid House, of which they will quickly become one of the leading groups.
The group released a first album called "Newbuild" in 1988, an album which unfortunately went unnoticed to say the least...
On the other hand, the album "90" which will be released a year later in 1989 will not go unnoticed, far from it. In particular thanks to the enormous Single "Pacific state" which will give the group its first planetary top hit.
Success confirmed and amplified in 1990 with the release of a new planetary class Single "Cübik".
Single from the album "ex:el", an album which will be released in 1991 and which will remain as their biggest success on the albums side. Two other huge Singles will also be extracted from it, namely "Oops" and "Lift".
New album "Gorgeous" two years later in 1993, an album which saw the group begin to run out of steam and which produced only one hit worthy of the name with the title "Time bomb".
A shortness of breath that will increase in the following years despite the release of other albums...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others…) :
Let yourself go 1988
Pacific state 1989
Ancodia 1989
Primary rhyming 1990
The only rhyme that bites 1990
Tunes splits the atom 1990
Cübik 1990
Olympic 1990
In yer face 1991
Ooops 1991
Lift 1991
Open your mind 1991
Time bomb 1992
One in ten 1992
Plan 9 1993
10 x 10 1993
Bombadin 1994
Bond 1996
Azzura 1996
Lopez 1997
Pacific 98 1998
Invader 1999
Tokyo Tokyo 2019
Trinity 2019
Ujala 2019
Clips :
1988...a first title which will go somewhat unnoticed but which at least has the merit of launching the adventure. You have to start well one day as they say...
1989...it didn't take long to see the group explode on a planetary level. From the second title it is the jackpot, namely the glory and the honors. MAS-TER-FUL !
1989...a smashing start to their career, to say the least, but which they were unable to confirm at the start of the new decade. Mishap or end of adventure already scheduled ? The future will tell us...
1990...they didn't completely disappear from the Charts, of course, but success is now limited exclusively to England. Cruel turn of events...
1990...on the other hand, that's better than nothing. It is still difficult to understand this unexpected reversal of fortune...
1990...be that as it may, given the group's potential, a comeback cannot be ruled out, far from it. It's up to them to simply ask themselves the right questions...
1990...and they will ask themselves the right questions at first sight. Because here they are back on the front of the stage in a sensational way, a return that everyone sensed or at least hoped for...
1990...the only criticism we can make of them is that it all lacks a bit of words, that's clear. This necessarily limits their success at the highest level...
1991...they don't take it into account anyway. They continue the adventure in their own way and regardless of any criticisms made about them...
1991...that's it, here finally comes the voice that has always been missing. And what a voice since it is that of a certain Bjork Guomundsdottir, just that ! Deluxe casting !
1991...a 1991 that will undoubtedly remain as their best vintage. Three titles released and three planetary successes, that's what we call a global success !
1991... the addition of voices will have been only very punctual, it is clear. Too bad because we saw that it boosted the titles in an undeniable way...
1992... whatever it is, it doesn't penalize them too much for the moment and allows them to continue the adventure without dropping out too much with the leading pack. For how long, good question...
1992...they will share it on this title with UB40, a mixture of styles that is surprising to say the least. Nice try but not necessarily the best idea of the century...
1993...we're not going to lie to each other, the best years are now behind them. But that doesn't stop them from continuing the adventure and still believing in it a little bit...
1993...especially since this title will bring them a new major success, that's for the good news. Because for the bad, it is that this major success will indeed be the last...
1994...year with a single title and success which began to decline sharply. All lights are turning orange...
1996...an empty year in 1995 and a return in relative form in 1996. Especially insufficient to allow them to return to the race...
1996 ... fortunately England continues to support them a minimum because otherwise the group would only have to bend the saplings. Hard law of the trade...
1997... the production of titles slows down drastically and success melts like snow in the sun. It's starting to smell all that scorched...
1998... they will save the furniture in extremis but it will indeed be the last time. The group reaches the end of its adventure and is about to take the exit door in an irremediable way....
1999...everything that will come out after that is more anecdotal than anything else. They will try to come back through the back door but when it doesn't want to anymore, it doesn't want to anymore...
2019...twenty years will pass between this title and the previous title. We thought the case was folded definitively but here they are back in an unexpected way to say the least...
2019...so unexpected that no one will notice. Only the fans of the first hour will be aware and will appreciate the approach...
2019...after all is possible in music, who knows if they won't be able to surprise us by producing a new title of certain quality. To be continued as they say...
Wiki :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :