808:90 by 808 State

The late 80s and early 90s were a period of wild experimentation for the UK dance scene, both with drugs and technology. In the case of 808 State they took the Roland 808 drum machine and pushed it to the limits of what it could do, programming complex beats and patterns to craft pieces that were perfectly suited for getting smashed and dancing in a warehouse somewhere.

Listening back to this now, nearly 40 years later is a slightly odd experience. The sound is very much of its time and much of it doesn’t work outside of the original context, but the transcendent saxophone line on Pacific 202 (an unlikely breakthrough hit on the UK pop charts) still has its hooks somewhere deep in my subconscious.

Big fish, little fish, cardboard box-tastic!