ex:el 808 State Artist

Capturing {|808 State|} at their absolute best, none of their subsequent albums quite matched {|Ex:El|}'s perfect blend of art, mass appeal, and zeitgeist (one of the most common vocal samples in techno, {|Willy Wonka|}'s We are the music makers, made its first major appearance here). A major change here from past releases is the increasing variety and power of {|the State|}'s percussion: beats are heavier and more staggered, embracing earlier flirtations with hip-hop and industrial music with even greater success, as heard on heavy duty groovers like {|Leo, Leo.|} A sign of how influential {|Ex:El|} ended up being can be seen in how one of the commonest cliches of U.K. techno albums -- the guest appearance of a noted indie/alternative rocker on a track or two -- got its start from the cameo vocals here. Fellow Mancunian dance pioneer {|Bernard Sumner|} of {|New Order|} sings one of his patented gentle ruminations over {|Spanish Heart,|} a nice piano-led number with a solid backbeat. Meanwhile, even more notably, {|the Sugarcubes|}' {|Bjoerk|} lends her swooping singing to the lower-key but still active {|Qmart|} and the dramatic, flamenco-tinged {|Ooops,|} establishing a partnership with {|the State|}'s {|Graham Massey|} that would result in his working on many of her solo projects. Add to all this two of the best techno singles from the early '90s -- {|In Yer Face,|} a subtly politicized anti-American slammer, and the almighty {|Cubik|} (in America replaced by an astonishing remix of the same song, the original having appeared on {|Utd. State 90|}) -- and {|Ex:El|} stands out all the more strongly. A true masterpiece. ~ Ned Raggett