808 State – ex:el

Have to agree with Steady J on this one. Just doesnt get me going in the way that the earlier state did and was prob my last 808 state purchase from that era.

This was the last release I bought from 808 State, apart from some odd bargain-bin and s/h 12"s. The reason it was practically the last is that I was rather disappointed in it. And listening to it again today I still fail to build up any substantial enthusiasm for most of it. I don't quite know what it is, but the rave/techno/acid elements of their earlier releases were gradually being diluted by shuffly breakbeats, extra synth layers, and a commercial, pop-aimed sensibility that was at odds with the pure rave scene stuff I was really getting a buzz off. I suppose these elements are exactly what made 808 (And others like them, such as Orbital) accessible to a larger audience enabling them to act as a catalyst for bringing more ears to hear the sounds of electronic and rave music, and for that at least they deserve recognition. Lush artwork and a decent pressing on this double-vinyl are other upsides.

Different from 'Ninety', this 'Ex:El' album's repertoire includes the participation of famous singers from Manchester: Bernard Summer in the pop driven 'Spanish Heart', and Björk on the lysergic-abstract 'QMart' (she also appears on 'Ooops'). The version of the rave hit 'Cubik' is a bit less aggressive and shorter than the original, but it's still a fine tune. 'San Francisco' brings lovely note sequences, broken beats and weird synths, from the bass lines to other noisy timbres. The drop out has the sample of "Here we go", the same of of Transformer 2's 'Pacific Symphony'. 'Leo Leo' unifies their breakbeat kind to some exotic melodies and funny samples.