[Column] 808 State - The future of techno expanding from Manchester to the world
Column en Acid House Electronic Techno![[Column] 808 State - The future of techno expanding from Manchester to the world](/../assets/images/column-808-state.webp)
What was 808 State?
| Text: mmr | Theme: How 808 State, born from an underground club in Manchester, pioneered the future of British techno and transformed dance music into an intellectual and pop expression. |
In the late 1980s, acid house from the United States was rapidly spreading in the British club scene. Particularly in Manchester, the craze went beyond just being a dance music trend, and became established as a new urban culture.
At the center of this was 808 State.
They are not just a DJ group or just a techno unit. They were a group that reconstructed dance music born in Chicago and Detroit with a uniquely British feel.
808 State’s music was club-oriented yet highly intelligent. He slips elements of jazz, funk, experimental music, hip-hop, and electronic music into the repetitive beats, giving the mechanical groove a unique sense of warmth.
With their arrival, the concept of ““British techno’’ suddenly became a reality.
808 Stateは、クラブカルチャーの熱狂と音楽的探究心を同時に成立させた稀有な存在だった。
彼らはアメリカのダンスミュージックを模倣するのではなく、英国的な感性で再編集し、新しい未来像へ変換した。
The special city of Manchester
808 Stateを理解するには、まず1980年代後半のマンチェスターを知る必要がある。
At the time, Manchester was losing its momentum as an industrial city, but a new cultural energy was bubbling underground.
ポストパンクの時代を牽引したFactory Records、そしてクラブ「The Haçienda」は、その象徴だった。
The Haçiendaでは、ニューヨーク、シカゴ、デトロイトの新しいダンスミュージックが大量にプレイされていた。そこにドラッグカルチャー、ストリート感覚、アート感覚が結びつき、独特の祝祭空間が形成されていく。
808 Stateのメンバーたちも、まさにその空気の中で活動を始めていた。
主要メンバー
- Graham Massey
- Martin Price *Gerald Simpson
- Andrew Barker, who joined later
Graham Massey, in particular, had a deep knowledge of jazz, funk, and experimental music, and was an important figure supporting the intellectual side of 808 State.
Gerald Simpsonは後にA Guy Called Geraldとして独立し、英国アシッド・ハウス史の重要人物となる。
当時のマンチェスターでは、ロックとダンスミュージックの境界線が急速に溶け始めていた。
808 State was a group that translated the chaos and freedom unique to Manchester into music.
グループ結成と初期活動
808 Stateは1987年頃に活動を開始する。
The group’s name is of course taken from the Roland TR-808. This was not just the name of a piece of equipment, it was a symbol of dance music itself at the time.
They originally grew out of the community around the record shop Eastern Bloc Records.
Eastern Bloc was more than just a store, it was an information exchange hub where DJs, track makers, and clubbers gathered.
At the time, a full-fledged techno production environment had not yet been established in Britain. To that end, 808 State makes full use of second-hand equipment, cheap drum machines, and samplers to create their own unique sound.
初期機材の特徴
*Roland TR-808
- Roland TB-303
- Akaiサンプラー
- Analog synthesizer
- テープ編集
彼らの初期作品には、シカゴ・ハウスやデトロイト・テクノの影響が色濃く存在していた。
However, at the same time, it also contained a cloudy atmosphere and psychedelic feel unique to the UK.
What was important was that they didn’t play American dance music as is, but transformed it into a British atmosphere.
808 State’s early recordings were imprinted with a unique sense of translating imported culture into local culture.
The revolution called “Newbuild”
Newbuild, released in 1988, was later reevaluated as an important work in British techno history.
当時は大ヒット作品ではなかった。しかし内容は極めて先進的だった。
アルバムは、アシッド・ハウスを基盤にしながらも、長尺構成、アンビエント的展開、ジャズ的感覚、実験性を大胆に導入していた。
In particular, the elements that would become the prototype for “Pacific State” were already appearing at this point.
Features of “Newbuild”
| Element | Content |
|---|---|
| Rhythm | Four beats from Chicago |
| Sound | Ambient sense of space |
| サンプリング | ジャズ・ファンク由来 |
| 構成 | 長尺で没入感重視 |
| Atmosphere | British and cloudy sound image |
当時のダンスミュージックはシングル中心だったが、『Newbuild』はアルバムとして成立していた。
This was also connected to later Warp works and the flow of IDM.
This work showed that club music is not just music for consumption, but can also be a work of appreciation.
"”Newbuild’’ was an important work that served as a prototype for later intelligent techno.
Impact of “Pacific State”
It was “Pacific State” that pushed 808 State into a global presence.
This song, released in 1989, drastically changed the history of British club music.
Saxophone phrases, bird calls, smooth chords, and gentle beats.
Unlike the aggression of traditional acid house, ““Pacific State’’ had a sense of openness and floating.
It was music reminiscent of a city sunrise rather than a late-night rave.
Innovation of “Pacific State”
- Fusion of techno and jazz sense
- Ambient sound sampling
- Introducing a sense of relaxation
- Ambient spatiality
- UK’s unique sense of humidity
The song also achieved success on the British charts.
This was the moment when music originating from club culture began to reach the general public.
“Pacific State” wasn’t just a club hit, it was a work that showed the direction of 90s electronic music.
With this song, techno began to be widely recognized as more than just aggressive dance music.
Electronic music before and after Warp
The existence of 808 State also had a great influence on the intellectual electronic route that Warp Records would later develop.
In the early 1990s, club music became more fragmented.
- Hardcore
- ブレイクビーツ
- jungle *IDM
- Ambient Techno
808 State existed at a crossroads.
What is especially important is that it balances ““music for dancing” and ““music for listening.”
This was a philosophy unique to British electronic music that later led to Aphex Twin, Autechre, Boards of Canada, and others.
808 State was not only a huge commercial success, but also had a huge ideological influence on subsequent artists.
They were an extension of techno into “culture”.
“90” and the acquisition of pop appeal
1990年のアルバム『90』では、808 Stateはさらにポップな方向へ進む。
Still, the musicality was by no means simple.
While maintaining complex rhythms, irregular structures, jazz sensibilities, and sampling techniques, the sound changes to a more open one.
Songs such as “Cubik” and “Ancodia” are still considered representative songs in UK techno history.
Important points of “90”
| Song title | Features |
|---|---|
| Pacific 202 | Floating feeling and ambient quality |
| Cubik | Electro rhythm |
| Ancodia | Enhanced sense of melody |
| Cobra Bora | 実験性とクラブ感覚 |
808 State at this time achieved a very high level of balance between underground and popular music.
While many electronic music groups move toward extremes, 808 State deftly treads a middle ground.
"”90’’ became a masterpiece of British electronic music that combines intellectual experimentation and pop sensibility.
Relationship with Madchester
808 State also had deep ties to “Madchester” culture.
Madchester is a general term for the music, fashion, and club culture that occurred around Manchester from the late 1980s to the early 1990s.
Famous bands such as Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses had a strong dance music culture behind them.
808 State was a key player on the electronic music side of that.
Their music was also accepted by rock listeners.
This was quite special at the time.
The fusion of rock and club culture would greatly change the British music scene thereafter.
808 State was also an important group that blurred the line between rock and techno.
Evolution of live expression
808 State also had a strong commitment to live performance.
Live electronic music performances at the time often seemed like monotonous equipment operations. However, they emphasized improvisation and a sense of performance.
Graham Massey, in particular, played multiple instruments and brought a jazz sensibility to his live performances.
Elements emphasized during live performance
- Real-time editing
- Improvisation
- サンプル変形
- Synth operation
- Spatial production
This had a great influence on later live techno expressions.
They presented electronic music as a ““changing performance” rather than a ““live performance as a playback device.”
808 State’s live feel became the basis for later live electronic expression.
Changes in the 1990s
In the mid-1990s, the electronic music scene became even bigger.
Rave culture became commercialized and club music entered the mainstream.
808 State continues to operate in the major leagues, but maintaining its early innovation has not been easy.
However, they did not lose their experimental spirit.
In songs such as ““Gorgeous” and ““Don Solaris,” he approaches a broader range of musicality.
Characteristics of this period
| Change | Content |
|---|---|
| Musicality | More emphasis on melody |
| Production | Large scale |
| Collaboration | Diverse artist participation |
| Sound image | Sophisticated production |
By the late 1990s, electronic music had become a fully global culture.
808 State was one of the first groups to experience that change.
Their career itself reflects the evolution of British electronic music history.
808 State was a generation that experienced everything from the underground to big industrialization.
A genius called Graham Massey
808 State’s mainstay Graham Massey is more than just a techno musician.
He has a strong interest in jazz, fusion, contemporary and experimental music and has participated in a variety of projects.
In particular, 808 State’s ability to build sounds and sense of arrangement were what made 808 State unique.
Massey continued to collaborate with numerous artists in later years.
Characteristics of Graham Massey
- Understanding jazz theory
- Sound design ability
- Feeling of improvisation
- A wide range of genres
- Fusion of electronic music and live music
Massey is the reason 808 State has become more than just a club unit.
He was also a symbol of intelligence in British electronic music.
Graham Massey’s flexible musical outlook has made 808 State a long-running group.
Relationship with A Guy Called Gerald
Gerald Simpson played an important role as an early member of 808 State.
He later became independent and became a representative of British acid house history with the hit ““Voodoo Ray’’.
The relationship between Gerald and 808 State is emblematic of Manchester culture at the time.
It was a time when community and passion were more important than genre or affiliation.
Importance of Gerald
- Early 808 State sound formation
- Acid House spread
- Early formation of UK techno
- Later jungle influence
Gerald’s presence indicates that 808 State was part of a larger scene, rather than a standalone group.
In Manchester at the time, creativity came from the community as a whole rather than the individual.
808 State and Japan
808 State gained great popularity in Japan from an early stage.
In the early 1990s, interest in techno and club culture began to rapidly increase in Japan.
Among them, 808 State became accepted with the image of ““intellectual and sophisticated electronic music’’.
It has had a great influence on Japanese techno fans, club DJs, and electronic music producers.
Acceptance in Japan
- Techno magazine culture
- Expansion of club culture
- Ambient Popularity
- Electronic equipment boom
- Point of contact with Shibuya system
Particularly in Japan in the 1990s, a ““culture of appreciating club music’’ was forming.
808 Stateはその空気に非常に合致していた。
Their music has also greatly contributed to the “listening techno” culture in Japan.
808 State also played an important role in the reception of electronic music in Japan.
Features of sound design
808 State’s music is distinctly different from simple 4/4.
Particularly important was the selection of tones.
They actively utilized the instability and texture unique to analog equipment.
Sound features
| Element | Content |
|---|---|
| Base | Soft and thick |
| Drums | Electro-derived |
| Synth | Emphasis on floating feeling |
| Spatial processing | Deep reverb |
| Sample | Organic arrangement |
Unlike today’s overly compressed EDM sound, 808 State had a void.
This blank space creates a unique sense of immersion.
They valued “air” more than “sound pressure.”
808 State’s sound production retains the organic quality typical of pre-90s electronic music.
Influence on contemporary electronic music
Looking around the current electronic music scene, 808 State’s influence is far reaching.
In particular, traces of this can be seen in the following areas.
Areas of influence
- Ambient Techno *IDM
- Electronica
- Chill Out *Progressive Electronic *Leftfield Dance
Also, the genre-crossing attitude was modern.
The sense of cutting across rock, jazz, hip-hop, and dance music without dividing it is common today, but it was extremely advanced at the time.
Their achievements can’t be measured just by their hit songs.
808 State was an extension of the possibilities of electronic music itself.
Chronology
| Year | Events |
|---|---|
| 1987 | 808 State Formed |
| 1988 | “Newbuild” announced |
| 1989 | “Pacific State” hit |
| 1990 | “90” announced |
| 1991 | 『ex:el』発表 |
| 1993 | “Gorgeous” announced |
| 1996 | “Don Solaris” announced |
| 2000s | Continuous live and production activities |
| 2019 | “Transmission Suite” announced |
808 State is not a group that lasted for just one era.
They have been watching the evolution of electronic music for decades.
Why 808 State still matters
Electronic music has now become a huge industry.
However, when 808 State started, techno was still an unknown future music.
They were trying to establish that future not just as a trend, but as a culture.
That’s why it never gets old even when you listen to it now.
808 State’s work retains a genuine urge to create new sounds.
In this day and age, where genres have become increasingly standardized, this sounds rather refreshing.
808 State’s legacy
- Basics of British Techno
- Development of Ambient Techno
- Intellectualization of club music
- Fusion of rock and dance
- Electronic music album culture
Their music has a sense that the future is still open.
808 State was one of the groups that most vividly embodied the creativity and freedom of electronic music.
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