90

La música techno de los 90s seguramente puede encontrar muchas de sus raíces en este disco. La música de los videojuegos seguramente tomó muchos elementos de este género porque a ratos pareciera el soundtrack de algún juego de NES o SNES. Pacific 202, 808080808, y Sunrise lo mejor del disco. 3.5 que voy a subir a 4, porque de lo poco que he escuchado de electrónica, es de lo que más me ha gustado.

A genuine rave classic.

Great but I think americans did it better

Je m'attendais à rien mais je suis agréablement surpris Prefs: Ancodia, Cobra Bora, Pacific 202, 808080808 Moins pref: Donkey Doctor

Sometimes this kind of music is good and I like it. Often it is boring and repetitive and not all that enjoyable for home listening. This album is not boring, definitely of its time, but quite delightful start to finish. Favorite: Pacific 202

Yes yes yes. So retro future. Remembered some of it from my parents playing it back on the day.

Seminal bangers.

Whoa this was fun. Do I like house now?

Hated acid house at the time, mainly because all the big kids dressed in weird ghastly coloured shell suits knocking off tabs whilst gurning and dancing crazy style in fields and warehouses. In retrospect, quite an album.

Its 808's best album which means it must be very good.

1989 - Techno, Acid house, Electronica, Synth-pop, New wave, Intelligent dance music

Excellent, that's the good stuff.

-"Ancodia" is pretty catchy with the upbeat backbeat and "L-O-V-E Love" line -Nice driving groove in "Pacific 202" -Lots of good grooves and stuff for an electronic album

Big beats are the best. I enjoyed this while I cooked pasta e faglioli

Better than I expected, doesn't fall into the massive hit and filler trap as the whole album is definitely a piece of work as opposed to some mashed up half ideas. I'd almost go as far as to say it's worth a listen even if you took Pacific state off it.

This shit is so acid

Imagine this was really fun to rave to in the 90s. Would love to get ham and party to this at a festival.

Liked this, great to work to. Would have been fun clubbing in 90s to this

It was a very vibey album. I enjoyed it a lot, even if it had no real "substance" other than interesting instruments, sounds, and samples. Every song is something that I would put on in the background, but I wouldn't really actively listen to any, save for me favorite. Favorite track: Pacific 202

I get around this energy. Pretty wild for pre 90s

I like the atmospheric, even vaguely jazzy beats , such as Sunrise, mixed with more conventional elaborations of the old funk-soul sound. (7/10) Favourite Songs: Pacific 202

Enjoyed that - ambient music great to work to and recognised a few of the tunes. 3.7 for me

I

I like this. Start to end it is good.

Liked every song . Great music and techno beats. Shocked how old it is. Good to workout 🏋️‍♀️ with and have never heard of them before

3.8 perhaps good ambient tunes

nice beats. best electric/house one so far. dancey dance :)

i like

Surprisingly good

-really good fam

Funky and cool. Good work music.

it's an above average house album, the sound design is pretty unique, and the drum sound on the first couple of tracks is pretty good. kind of ethereal.

Classic slice of Mancunian techno.... ticks all the boxes including nostalgia!

Dated ambience but listenable

"best LP ever produced in the style" - that's great but acid house is a singles style, so that's like being the tallest short person or something. Anyway, better than I expected.

Didn't thrill me but okay ambient music.

This was better than I was expecting, but still something that I would enjoy more dancing in an abandoned warehouse on drugs than listening to in my office chair. "Cobra Bora" "Pacific 202" and "Donkey Doctor" were the standouts for me

I like EDM and electronic music, but didn't really enjoyed it, although it wasn't too bad

Electro sonic dance spectacular. Some enjoyable moments making hard to skip through.

Nostalgic electronic dance music. Definitely feels of the early '90s and is nice to throw on in small amounts.

Took a little bit to find its groove, but this is actually one of the better early electronic releases on this list.

I hadn't heard of 808 State before. This was a pretty cool album, what they were able to produce in 1989 is pretty impressive. 6.24.26

Slightly dated acid house, it’s definitely evocative of a time and I recently scored the Coldcut album fairly well which you could argue is similarly ‘of its time’. I don’t have the same nostalgia for this and perhaps it only suffers for that. It’s sound was influential, I hear it even in Primal Screams early 90s output but in of itself, it’s something I don’t mind but that I wouldn’t personally choose.

It was pretty tolerable album. I wish the vocals from the first track were on all the songs, I feel it could've made this album a lot more better. There's cool drums tones and patterns, the album has atmospheric elements which contrast pretty well with the drums. The synth sounds on here are quite trippy-sounding. Like I said earlier, I think more vocals would've improved the quality but it's a more than fine album. High 3 star album. Highlight Song/s: "Ancodia" and "808080808"

Pretty solid stuff; I dug this more than I thought I would. Kind of crazy that this came out in 1989.

So, that's good, an electronica album that I didn't hate, featuring songs that feel like songs, developing and expanding on themes. It maybe even helped me understand why people enjoy this when they're working or driving (and certainly feels good for a relatively chill club). Did I enjoy it? Nah, not really, but I'd give it a 2.5/3, and might even say that if there's electronica on a list of 1000 albums with a somewhat historical framing, this is a pretty good one.

Album #179 808 State: Ninety Well, just mere days after I was presented with a good album in one of my most maligned genres (metal), I am yet again surprised by my enjoyment of an album in a genre I traditionally dislike, this time electronic. Or more specifically, 90s rave/house electronic music, which I tend to find jarring and repetitive. Though I do enjoy some electronic albums, they tend to be more minimal and subtle, rather than a constant barrage of noises. Ninety seems to lie somewhere in the middle; some tracks are quite soft and beautiful like Magical Dream, and others seem to be more harsh and clumsy like 808080808. But for the most part, the album is a pleasant listen, with some engaging and exciting instrumentals. I guess it’s because this isn’t technically a 90s house album, but rather an 80s one; and as we all know, the 80s were the peak of music, and it can do no wrong as a decade. Best Songs: Magical Dream, Pacific 202, Cobra Bora Worst Song: 808080808 Score out of 10: 6.5

808 State is one of those real pioneers of modern electronic dance music, so fun to see it here on the list. For me, 'Pacific 202' and 'Sunrise' are the only strong songs on this album. The rest are a bit too busy and all over the place for my taste. Sonically the songs haven't aged as bad as one could expected, but the arrangements are definitely not modern to me. In summary, this is a fun album to run into and to have on the list, but not something I'd go around listening to today.

A while ago i played the game Neon White which had a really cool soundtrack (and cool game as well). The music sounded a lot like this. This was quite different and I enjoyed it. Maybe not the album with the biggest hooks but still a fun one, and a new discovery. I especially liked how hard it was to place to when it was released. Anything form late 80s to today seemed like valid guesses. Pacific 202 and 808080808 were my favourite tracks.

Not a bad album to listen to while doing something else, but not really enough “song” on here to really grab me.

Feels like I'm in a high stakes Nintendo game escaping monstrosities while my manager asks the status of my yet to start task...

Magical Dream - 4/5 Ancodia - 3/5 Cobra Bora - 3.5/5 Pacific 202 - 4/5 Donkey Doctor - 3.5/5 808080808 - 3/5 Sunrise - 2.5/5 The Fat Shadow - Pointy Head Mix - 3/5

A quite fun listen. It's good as a bit of background noise but it's not something I would ever want to sit and listen to with the intent of giving it my full attention again Some of it it just a bit weird, that Sonicstyle sound on Donkey Doctor is really distracting and the only thing I really remember about it. Other sections also sound like something limmy would make on Ableton, so I'm guessing he must be familiar with this Highlights: 808080808, Ancodia

Not usually my genre but a decent listen!

It’s not excel but it’s good stuff.

Music that Marty McFly thought we would be listening to in 2015.

This would be great video game soundtrack I’d give it a 6/10

This had a rough opening, but once I adjusted, I had a nice time.

Big electronica fan. Cool to listen to some older stuff.

Mid

Fun, electronic. Not a big fan, but reminds me of “Streets of rage” soundtrack

Not bad. Better if tripping balls.

Today I listened to The Yardbirds, Emmylou Harris, that French mf, Chicago and now this. Was this the BEST of the day? Who could say. Most fun? Certainly. It reminds me of Todd Terje “It’s The Arps” the Arps being the synth he used to make the entire thing. Here obviously it’s the 808, but both have the consistency of style without being boring. Want to go 4, but I think I was vibing mowing the lawn and on re-listen it won’t hold up.

Meh

Compelling house music.

I almost bought into this album. I was almost ready to give it a four. But like so many other electronic albums on this list, it just can’t sustain itself for an hour. There were some bangers. There were also a ton of misses on here too.

This represents part of the sound of 'Madchester' and features one of the defining tracks of the acid house scene in 'Pacific State'. I found it quite a good listen to accompany other activities and the sound seemed familiar despite last hearing any sound from it on the soundtrack of the '24 Hour Party People' film. Evocative, but that did not mean a lasting career was guaranteed.

first listen cool stuff

I'm a slut 4 synths. No entiendo por qué está tan mal rateado, la gente odia lo raro. Honestamente no es algo que escucharía a diario, pero sí drogado.

Enjoyable electronic House, felt quite ahead of its time

It's fine enough I suppose

One of those that starts well - I quite enjoyed the first three tracks - but that becomes a bit of a blur of electronic synths and beats after that. Plus I can’t imagine when I’d ever listen to this again.

My rating 2.6. Now it’s sounds old and stale but take into account they this came out in the late 80s and you have to give it more respect.

Decent electro, quite enjoyed this but probably more as a background thing

Mostly instrumental electronic music that wasn’t too droning. Not the worst, but still not great. 3/5

Rather enjoyed that. Probably won’t get round to ever listening to it again as there’s too much proper music out there to enjoy on repeat.

Little nostalgic

Some good old songs on here

My age back in 2007.

Good but indistinguishable

This was alright. I did appreciate the futuristic sound to this album, but I didn't feel like it was anything substantial. A lot of the songs did sound the same to me, so nothing really stood out.

This is fine. This genre is over represented, but this is fine.

01) Magical Dream - 7,5 02) Ancodia - 7,0 03) Cobra Bora - 6,5 04) Pacific 202 - 10,0 05) Donkey Doctor - 7,0 06) 808080808 - 7,0 07) Sunrise - 6,5 08) The Fat Shadow - 5,0 TOTAL: 7,06 (71/100) Current ranking:

Another album where the historical context and impact do pretty much all the heavy lifting. I mean, I do like to imagine how head-spinning music like this probably was for a lot of people in 1989. But really beyond that it strikes me as some really boilerplate-ass 90s rave music. I don't hate it, but absolutely nothing stood out to me about any track.

Innovador, que algo del 89 tenga tanta preparación técnica y se sienta como un electro más reciente es muestra del talento de este grupo, genialidad de álbum que revisitaré 3.5

This did not make me want to dance. It did not make me want to turn it off either, so you get a 3.

I can absolutely see how somebody wouldn't like this, but I did. It was perfect walking and putter around the house music at that moment. Was definitely ahead of its time. I really wish that there were half stars bc I don't like this as much as Dookie or Back in Black but I couldn't squeeze a fourth star out for those. Anyway, I'd listen to more when in the mood.

Découverte de l'artiste. Album techno bien dansant, des rythmes qui s'enchaînent bien. Pour être sorti en 89, j'aime son style. Il s'écoute en boîte sans problème.

This is a solid 3 maybe a 4 if I gave more time to it.

Surprised by how much I like this one. And acid house in general. I was familiar with Pacific State, and am well aware with Primal Scream’s take on the genre on Screamadelica, but I didn’t imagine how inventive and listenable it would be. Good discovery

Ok - not my sort of thing, but perfectly listenable

Surprised by this one. You can hear the 90s dance club coming, and were these synths influence for Gorillaz? Interesting stuff.

This is pretty good, hadn’t heard any of this before despite being into electronic music from this era. Complex beats and very danceable with some very nostalgic sounds of the time. This is fun.

Pretty basic tbh, but lowkey this did something for me.

Really liked it! Sometimes electronic music can be a bit repetitive but this is not the case. Would recomend.

A decently enjoyable techno-house record, and I see how artists that I do like, i.e. Aphex Twin, Daft Punk & Justice, would be influenced by it. Same time, though, I’m not getting addicted to ketamine just for the sake of appreciating it more.

I would never choose to listen to this but I am glad I did. Definitely a little dated but the beats are cool.

Cool album but definitely feels dated

Solid slab of acid house. Has an all time classic, a few bangers and a couple of duds.

Weer eens wat anders

Better that the 90's drum and bass stuff

This is another group and record I had not heard or heard of. I would have loved it if I was in the clubs in those days

Technically influential as a pioneer of the Acid House scene, the album showcases a clean and sophisticated sound design. However, it feels somewhat underwhelming in its emotional delivery. While historically significant, it struggles to leave a lasting impact on a modern listener used to more intense electronic or instrumental soundscapes, ultimately feeling more like a background atmospheric piece than a compelling journey.

Nice to have something different, think this was the first proper "electronic" album that has come up for me so far. Bit repetitive for my tastes, but I think that's basically just the nature of techno/electronic stuff. There was at least a decent variety of sounds and effects across the album, it's just that the individual tracks are too repetitive. Not bad background music. Could have been more interesting. Some tracks were slightly grating just based on the effects used. I think "Pacific 202" was the worst offender.

This gives me crazy nostalgia for old video game soundtracks. Stuff like pokemon mystery dungeon and the like. Really enjoyed it tbh, was a nice break from all the country on this list. High 3

'Pacific State' is a banger, but a whole album of acid house, when not living it live in a warehouse during the 90s, is a tall order and a bit of a slog 🙂 Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆ (6/10) Total reviewed : 259 Already owned : 60 Purchased : 15 To buy list : 1 Nope : 183

Some pretty cool tracks on this thing. I wasn't sure this would be so interesting without the context of a dance floor, but surprisingly it sets a mood even sitting around. I got into sort of a head bopping trance, just enjoying the groove and being pleasantly surprised when it's broken up by a new idea in the form of an angular set of chords or a weird sample used in a melodic, musique concrète-y sorta way. It definitely is light house music, not the most involved house music or jungle. But, it was 1989 as well which feels pretty early for the scene, so that makes sense. Reminds me of late 90s early 2000s popular platformers vgm (Pacific 202 would be right at home in Sonic CD) and obscure ones (Looney Tunes: Sheep Raider lol). But, I like vgm and that kind specifically. It's good! For now I'll call it a 3, but I could see myself changing it to a 4 on subsequent listens.

808 State's 90 is not an album that I have a ton to say about. I don't have much praise to give, but I don't have any significant complaints either. Well, okay, there is something fairly positive that I can say. This album is quite impressive for its time. This feels VERY 90s, so the fact that this was released in the 80s is something that I can commend the album for. Granted, the album was released in December 1989, but it's still the 80s so it counts. But me saying that this album is VERY 90s isn't 100% a compliment, because that does still mean that the album is kinda dated. Like, I'm sure this would've lit the dance clubs on fire in the mid 90s, but it's a bit of a novelty to go back to in 2026. The production is solid enough. "Pacific 202" is quite nice. The album is at least short, so even if I straight up didn't like the music, I wouldn't have to deal with it for too long. 90 is certainly interesting in some senses, but is also not particularly interesting in others. It's an album that exists and there's nothing wrong with that. 3/5.

I'm not an edm person, so this isn't really for me. However, I can imagine how insane this would be coming out in 1989. It just sounds like the 90's to me and you can hear its influence on everything. I am happy to have listened to it but I doubt I'll be back.

OK

Got that house sound from 1990 I was expecting

Fine No complaints Ronseal

Bangin' '90s Acid House is a bit much for my tender ears first thing on a Saturday morning to be honest, but I've got it on quietly in the background and it's pleasant enough.

another inoffensive listen

Ravey fun, if a bit samey

This is certainly music

funky, experimentell, aber naja

Not at all my usual kind of thing, but rather enjoyed getting into this. Some dated sounds, just like you would expect from a rock album of this era, but the grooves were hypnotic, interesting song structures and hooks.

Too bad I wasn’t cool enough in college to know about them—I’m taken by their sound and the way it is close to 80s new wave and indie (Depeche Mode, New Order, even Yaz) but also pushes into new terrain—I guess technically acid house, but in the bigger picture, planting the seeds for EDM. “Pacific State” is a pretty stellar song.

Nice ambient music. Best track was Cobra Bora.

808 state were one of those dance bands I didn't mind back in the day (along with Utah Saints). Like most of their stuff this is a bit hit and miss. Some decent tunes and some that are a bit too repetitive for me. Pacific is still a cracker of a tune though. I might still have the single somewhere.

Found this one pretty interesting. Not entirely sure what to make of it. It almost sort of clicks with stuff I normally listen to, but it's just not quite the same wheelhouse. Might look into this artist more some other time.

Not bad. I won’t listen to this album again but I don’t hate it.

I quite enjoyed this.

Pleasantly surprised...

3 Stars (8/15)

I had heard of 808 State, but it wasn't until "Pacific 202" came on that I recognised them. As soon as that heady sax riff came on, it was like being transported back to the early 90s. Early acid house isn't really my scene, but I do like this all the same. I can hear where 808 State have influenced later bands that I'm big fans of. In "Donkey Doctor" I can hear early Prodigy, and throughout other songs I can hear elements of Dust Brothers-era Chemical Brothers too. There are sax, flutes and other unexpected instrumentation thrown in with the breakbeat techno sounds, making it all sound quite unique, rather than just thumping beats. Playing "Pacific 202" today still brings vivid images to mind of what it must have been like in the Hacienda at 4am. Not my usual preference in genre, but enjoyable, interesting and definitely influential.

beep boop robot music

Started out kind of liking this, but in the end I couldn't wait for it to be over. There are some good beats here, but it's a lot at times. It's probably a 2.5 for me, and I'm likely being overly generous by rounding up, but it is what it is. It deserves some props for being a trailblazer. Wasn't much else like this in the late 80s.

Right off the bat, this premise is quite unique. I’m excited to see how this listening experience goes :) I think after a first listen of this, I can see it’s very of its genre. Very techno, very upbeat, which is something I quite enjoy. Ok, after a final listen, I’ve come to the conclusion that this music is a bit too repetitive for my taste. But I think it’s good for pumping at the gym because of this consistency.

Out of the 300 British electronic albums on this god forsaken list, this is one of the better ones, and probably the only one under 55 minutes. Nothing really blew me away, but I had fun, and I was singing Flight Tonight by The Avalanches over every song. High 3.

Magical Dream - 3/5 Ancodia - 1/5 Cobra Bora - 4/5 Pacific 202 - 5/5 Donkey Doctor - 4/5 808080808 - 5/5 Sunrise - 3/5 The Fat Shadow (Pointy Head Mix) - 1/5 Average score: 3.3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ i was ready to completely write this album off as house music from the late-80s that's too dated for first-time listeners like myself to truly appreciate, but there's actually quite a few gems here that i didn't expect. half of the tracks are kinda trash in my opinion, but the other half was strong enough to pull the score up a bit

This was an electronic album.

This definitely has a vibe to it and I really liked some songs. Ended up being a bit repetitive on some of the songs but not bad!

Cobra Bora slaps

background music

Shockingly modern late 80's dance album! It's kind of glitchy, it's interesting, it doesn't hang on to one idea for too long. Unexpectedly enjoyable! Best Tracks: Cobra Bora;Pacific 202; 808080808

Shocked this is from the 80s! Tail end, sure, but still sounds ahead of its time to my untrained ears. I didn't mind it!

Mellow club hard gabber anyway house

I’m not a techno guy- but- this was fun. “Cobra Bora,” “Pacific 202,” and “8080808” really stood out to me. Sometimes you just need the menu music to every Gran Turismo game and you need it NOW. THREE STARS

Oeeeh een elektronisch album! Tsja, dan ga ik altijd wat rechter op zitten want ik hou gewoon heel veel van elektronische muziek en naar mijn mening is dat zwaaaaar ondergewaardeerd in deze lijst. Maar een album van een elektronische artiest die ik niet meteen kan plaatsen? Waar ik de grote hit niet meteen van ken? Interessant! Sowieso ook lastig om nou te bepalen welk specifieke subgenre dit is. Het klinkt best wel lekker, beetje vibey en spacend maar ook heel veel geaarde geluiden zoals vogels enzo? Vreemde elektroshit, dat is toch wel iets dat mn aandacht trekt! Zulke gekke bleepybloopy prototechno. Als je dan weer bedenkt hoe oud dit is dan klinkt het nog steeds fucking spacey en raar. Dat is toch wel heel vet hoor... Alleen ik moet proberen objectief te blijven en dan is dit niet per se mn favoriete soort oude technoalbum/plaat wat dan ook. Het is wel wat korter dan de meeste elektronische albums op deze lijst, niet dat dat de boomers op deze site gaat helpen want er komt hier geen gitaar aan te pas. Ach, ik heb hier verder geen probleem mee. Dit is gewoon een prima, best wel lekker album om je dag mee door te komen! FAVO: Cobra Bora, Pacific 202, 8080808

Surprisingly good for House music.

I think it's the first time ever I enjoy an acid house/techno record. Well done!

Música de nerd

Heard Pacific 202 from it before. I think I like 90s (well, 1989) electronic music because this album is genuinely quite fun 3/5

Album #1,025 Perfectly OK techno music. There isn't a whole lot more to say about it.

Some of this was interesting. I can recognize what might be influences on later artists, but it's also hard to say if I'm just recognizing characteristic Roland-808 patches. As a whole this was just fine, but not something I'm likely to come back to. 2.5/5

Actually enjoyed and a lot less dated than expected. Hard to sit and listen to deliberately but enjoyed it as background.

Beetje oud

Sounds like dated electrónica but probably very influential.

Good background music for work. Sounded like perhaps an influence on the White Lotus soundtrack composer.

Megaman music.

I'm sure it works if you are partying and on drugs. It doesn't hit quite as hard while sitting in front of a computer with a cup of coffee.

this would go crazy in a techno club but i’m not in a techno club. i can appreciate it and how it was groundbreaking for the time - it starts quite strong as well but i felt like i was going insane towards the final song

I liked it more than Daft Punk, but this really isn't for me.

Didn't like the first two tracks and thought I was in for a snooze. Cobra Bora is kinda dope. Overall pretty good. Two straight electros.

Three stars is my default for albums where I'm not that familiar or interested in the genre but assume that it must be competent or influential by it's inclusion in the list. I'm sure if I was high at a rave in the 90s this would be great to listen to.

I can see how those in the know would rank this higher for being fundamental in the genre, but it was a bit boring for me. Overall length was okay at 38 mins, didn’t love this but didn’t hate it. Overall 2.5/5

Not one of the best albums of the 1990s. Not even one of the best dance albums of the 1980s, but it was a serviceable album that made regular appearances at acid jazz/dance/raves in the late 80s/early 90s. I don't think it belongs on the the list, and if they were not British, I don't think Dimery would have included them otherwise, as they have never been as influential among the electronica scene as their Wikipedia entry and Dimery's book would suggest. Very surprised to see this album make the cut from the 19890s, but not any of the Yello records, particularly ONE SECOND, STELLA, or FLAG? They are 3 of the most important electronica albums of the 1980s. It just shows that Dimery doesn't understand the electronica genres at all.

House beats, nothing outstanding. Ok as background noise

Cool in the day, very basic electronica now - ok for bg music

"90" is the second studio album by British electronic music group 808 State. Acid house, techno and electropop are the Wiki-listed genres. Yep. The band was named after the Rowland drum machine and their members included Martin Price, Graham Massey and Gerald Simpson. Commercially, the album reached #57 in the UK. "Magical Dream" opens with poppy layered synths and electronic drum beats and bass. There's Vanessa Sherrington on lead vocals. A happy dance song. Very 1980's sounding. The pace picks up in "Cobra Bora." Dreamy vocals and weird synth noises. Keeping the dance vibe going. The top ten UK hit "Pacific 202" opens with a horn intro. The horns continue giving a sultry feeling. There's a rolling synth and even bird noises. I can see why this hit the top ten. Dance, techno and club. There are heavy layered synths and electronic beats. Some of the synth sounds are very 1980's synth-pop. Overall, I thought this was fine and very listenable. The album length of 39 minutes was also appreciated. I can see the influence on the 1990's rave and EDM scenes with bands like the Chemical Brothers. A recommendation for EDM and techno fans.

3/5 solidly forgettable study music; not offensive in any way.

Occasionally fun however pretty repetitive, sometimes sounding like a really boring video game soundtrack. RYM: N Saved a song: N

A vibey electronic album. Didn’t hate it, but didn’t feel like I would love it either

This album hit me at the right time and place. I needed to get a lot of work done and this was perfect background music. Will I be coming back to it? No, but it did serve it's purpose at the time.

The jobsite hated when I got stuck in an hours-long dance trace listening to this.

not my type of music but its cool

In between the respective successes The Smiths/New Order and Oasis, Manchester was wrapped up in their own house music craze: Madchester. There were more conventional bands with party-ready anthems (The Stone Roses), bands who blended together conventional rock with electronica (Happy Mondays) and acts who went all in on the electronic beats, such as today's act, 808 State. With Manchester already on the map for electronic music courtesy of New Order, 808 State was one of a handful of acts to follow their lead, and their second record, '90', is a dizzying collage of beats, samples, vocal effects and random experiments that would've been commonplace on the Mancunian dancefloors at the turn of the 1990s. '90' may be sparingly known outside Britain in the grand scheme of things, but its influence is profound. You can hear the roots of a number of successful 90s electronic acts (The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim) on this record, and for 1989, '90' would no doubt have been as breath a fresh air for Mancunian teenagers as Nine Inch Nails' 'Pretty Hate Machine' was to select American teenagers that same year. There's very sparse vocals of note on this record, but the beats alone are intriguing enough to hold your attention, and if you're interested in seeing how house music developed, this is an album worth checking out. Best songs: Cobra Bora, Pacific 202

I appreciate this more than like it. It sounds a lot like what I think electronic music sounds like...which I guess is the point with foundational albums like this. I won't be listening again but I learned a bit today and that is a good part of why I am doing this project.

Enjoyed, but nothing exceptional.

Ahead of his time for sure

ja ganz chill aber auch nix besonderes

If I was rollin' my tits off at a late 90s rave and this was on in the background, I wouldn't be mad about it.

Well it was not bad, but more background noise than anything else.

interessant album, in de club kunnen hier wel bangers tussenzitten. niet denderend, ook absoluut niet slecht

Enjoyable electro classic. Good vibe for focus.

Good tututututus

Bon ben c’était pas fou. C’est visiblement assez avant-gardiste, mais c’est pas mon genre de prédilection donc je peux difficilement dire ! Pas mon truc, tout simplement.

Just the type of music I was hoping to come across in this challenge. It was an interesting and enjoyable listen, even if it is not a genre I naturally prefer. One thing I value in this challenge is how it occasionally highlights pioneering artists and sounds I might not have explored on my own. It leaves me a bit more educated, a bit more musically enlightened, and it reassures me that, even as I approach my forties, I am still not turning into a grumpy reviewer.

solid house album. pacific state is pretty amazing.

Of its time but not bad. Pacific 202 is the standout, though not the best version of the track.

Vocea ciudata, melodii line si calme, dragut dar nu super pe gustul meu

Fun early techno that has me picturing a car chase scene. I’ll put this one on the next time i need to run from the cops.

I grumbled to myself this morning when I saw this album before me. Hooray! More British Techno Wank! Look I'm not British, but from what I've heard so far from that genre, it's a wank or whatever. From the boredom I endured on Pet Shop Boys Behavior or that Guy Ritchie heist movie soundtrack that was Red Snapper. I was ready to hate this but I was hasty in my Judgment. I enjoyed this more than I disliked it Yes, it's repetitive but that's kinda the point & the lyrics don't really matter clearly. I loved the soundscapes & grooves on Paficic 202. This is far closer to modern edm than the 80s Techno that I have come to dislike from The List. It makes me want to listen to Disco Biscuits or that take some, that'll make this a 5 star album. I'm too old for that shit. So I'm Pleasantly surprised by this. 3

Pretty cool

This was pretty good, it felt closer to a later '90s techno album than '89. I probably won't revisit, but I enjoyed it

Aight

Hypeeeeeeeeee

I am not on enough drugs (any) to enjoy this music, though there are some times from my youth I would have been down for a rave with this music playing. It was great to jam with headphones on while I got my work done. I did share with a friend who loves this type of music and he gave it a solid thumbs up.

Was good music while I complete my workplace harassment training. Will I listen to again: 35%

There's definitely some interesting stuff going on here. The project as a whole I feel lacks direction and doesn't feel all that cohesive as one piece of music, but there are still a lot of cool ideas going on that make it worth a listen overall.

Interesting, if I liked this genre I would really like this. Don't have too many complaints didn't give me a headache like the other electronic albums. I liked magical dream.

A very, very, very early House record. Of course it sound incredibly rudimentary with all those tinny drum machine sounds. However it does have its charm. Key tracks: Pacific 202

too electronica for me. interesting listen though

Couple of good songs, but EDM is not my favorite.

🤷

This kind of music isn’t for me, personally. But I appreciate the exposure to earlier EDM.

As much as the 1001 albums to hear before I die can dish out some very unfavorable projects, I am glad that recently they have been giving me plenty of electronic releases to feast on as it has been exactly what I've been looking for during these cold mornings. 808 State may not be the most familiar name to most, but if you are a fan of any 90s House, Ambient, or Electronic music I am sure you are familiar. They may not have made any huge splashes but their work in shaping the Electronic scene in the UK back in the 90s is nothing short of important. Yes this project surely is dated, but what do you expect from an Acid House album from 1989?? It is an impressive feat that continued to help define Acid House for the 90s to pick up and really make it into its' own. 90 may not be super striking by today's standards but its' influence on the world of electronic music should always be appreciated whenever possible.

Not my thing but still really good for acid rock, Electronica!

Ihan ok konemusaa, tosin omaan makuun liian ei-kasaria. 2,5/5.

Not bad honestly. For me it had manageable levels of 80's

Quite a fun album, reminds me of some old school game soundtrack 3/5

Definitely weird but I thought it was pretty fun.

That's not my taste in music - But ok

Never heard of this artist. This first track is interesting. Dig the music, not sure if I like the vocals. Second track is cool. Album is 3-stars to me

Interesting to hear 808 instrumentals, the album is strictly vibes but I can hear what evolved from it.

I enjoyed this album, but I can tell it’s not for everyone.

I'm not in the right state of mind to fully experience "90". "Anaconda" seems to be an ancestor of phonk, a genre popular among kids who think they're cool. I only like a few songs of said genre. Some of the songs on "90" are actually good, like "808080808". At least I listened to 808 State for the first time. 3 stars for "90".

Rad early electronic jams. Bad day for me to have a headache tho

Alright I guess got into it more as it went on and the 80 production kinda faded if that makes sense

Hadn't heard this band before. Always appreciate hearing new music, especially when they've been instrumental in the creation of a musical style.

They do hit paydirt with 'Pacific 202', a jazz-inflected trance classic. The dreamy sax glides through an ambient rainforest of noises, and a pumping (but not dominant) drum-beat and synth-bass kick in, everything working in ambient balance (or 'ambalance' - actually scratch that, it sounds too much like ambulance). '808080808' has more grit, and is another tour de force - different synth elements dropping in and out to carry the beat and a marvelous (8-bit sounding) break just past the two-minute mark. It could be the soundtrack to any classic Amiga game. In between, the album has some nice moments but none that ever matches those two centrepiece tracks. For instance 'Sunrise' revisits the ambulance of 'Pacific 202' but not as engagingly, notwithstanding the call out to 'Do You Know the Way to San José'. It's a rather nice document of next level acid-house, with a couple of outstanding tracks.

This is the music that plays in the club John Wick is fighting through.

robot. synth. melody. cool.

Not a fan of electronica so this was a nice ride!

Not bad

Weird weird but still good, hard to believe it was an album in 1989, would be better without vocals

fuuuuuuun. not my favourite electronic record but it was fun. it was rich and captivating. not much else to say

OK - alien beep bop to start us off - I see you. Gorgeous cover art. They're from Manchester? I wonder how many times I've heard their music in a set and didn't know. Pacific 202 is a vibe, jazzy space station (reading a book set in NASA/Space so feeling all very connected), almost sounds like bird recordings. Lastly released in 1989 - wild.

This level of energy becomes a little tiring after 40 minutes but the back to back of Pacific and Donkey Doctor is pretty strong.

Good sounds. Glad I was exposed to this album because I usually do not listen to this type of music.

A lot happening with each track. I’m not convinced it all flows smoothly enough for me to give it another full listen. Overall, very 90s house party. Never heard of 808 state before but I’m almost certain that somewhere/sometime, I’ve heard these tracks sampled in other songs.

Kinda dig this because it sounds like an old sega game. That being said though, electronics is not real music, it’s just pressing buttons.

I like electronica from 80s-90s. Sounds kinda spacey/futuristic for me

Fine. Song 1, 3 and 5 are the best.

Fine! Not particularly memorable for me but a nice change of pace

Good dance/disco album, nothing else to say

Entertaining vibes, danceable

Not really my thing but I enjoyed this nonetheless. 3.5

Had no idea what to expect and mildly enjoyed it. Probably won't remember the album exists past tomorrow..

A head below Orbital 2, which has become one of my recent favorites, but still a great techno listen.

I wasn't really a big fan of this album. The instrumentals were okay, but the lyrics kind of reduced the song qualities for me. They seemed a bit out of place to me. As for enjoyability, it was just okay. Nothing too special, probably better for background music. If I had to choose a favorite song, it would probably be "Cobra Bora."

I quite like a bit of electronica, but this one feels a bit empty to me to be honest. It's not bad, there are some nice tracks in here, but even the best of them are never getting elevated beyond general 'quite nice to listen to' status. Maybe it's the production, it's just a bit weak. 2.5 rounded up.

It’s not bad techno, but idk if I need to hear it outside of a Blade movie or Mortal Kombat

Super frickin’ retro. Could not imagine something like this coming out of any other time period, and even though it’s dated as hell, still slaps for the most part. 6/10

Out of all of the UK based electronic albums I've been given through this project, this is one of the ones that does the least for me, but this does still manage to be pretty cool. This is a very influential, relatively early form of Acid House, and it isn't a genre I'm super familiar with, but just from this I haven't decided how I feel about it in general. There are a lot of very chunky, stylized sounding synths, and the percussion is pretty minimalist in general. There's also more kind of electro-pop than I was expecting. Sometimes this comes together to create something I like well enough, but at others I think this album sounds kind of dated. Although if I'm listening for sort of background music I can get through this pretty happily. It also helps that, especially for an electronic album, this is pretty short. Overall, I enjoyed my time, but this isn't a huge standout to me.

Their second album. Electronic / Techno / Dance. Very much of it's time. I see the Hacienda, sweat, ecstasy, bucket hats and Adidas. Or loved up Summer of Love 88 raves in farmers fields. The album sounds like a cliche now but these were some of the pioneers of this sound. Cobra Bora is a good track. Just a good old school techno album. At the time it must have sounded like the future.

This is a fine early electronic album. I can put it on the background and groove out. It sounds well produced but a bit-dated in terms of sound now. That's to be expected given the evolution of electronic music, so fair enough. I would not seek this out but it was a good listen.

Cool stuff

Someone really used every sound from a drum machine and synth lol. I think it's a good version of itself, though I don't enjoy this kind of music that much.

808 state are probably my least favourite of the big early 90s dance acts. Pacific State is a classic, but nothing else of theirs really grabbed me, and listening to this doesn't change my opinion. Everything is fine, and probably sounded incredibly futuristic at the time, but now it's just quite pedestrian. Vitally important in the history of dance music, but very much superceded since. A very, VERY low 3.

It’s OK dance music but I think you had to be there. There is some brilliant programming and some cool sounds but being electronica (a genre I don't really listen to) it lacks organic elements required when listening outside of the late 80s/early 90s context.

Pacific 202 is still enjoyable, the rest sounds a bit dated, but appreciate the innovations made at the time!

it sound pretty good but i am never on acid 3/5

Fine. Zingy electronica. Is it essential? Nah. But it’s worth a listen.

track 1: it's an okay opening track 2: idk man, it's a good track ngl, but I can't find myself to vibe with it Track 3: Okay, an improvement here. I like the production for this track; it's not as close to the word "flawless" as it could be, but it's listenable. I vibe with this. Track 4: Just like Track 3, it's a good, listenable track. not too messy in terms of production track 5: WAITT!!! I KINDA LIKE THIS!!!! THIS IS WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR OMG track 6: Okayy I like this one too, production is clean track 7: I kinda lost with this one, the only thing I like about this track is the flutes and bird-noise thingy track 8: A short outro, nothing much to say about this track (6/10 might give it a 7)

Funky I like it,

Interesting to get this the day after a Kraftwerk album. Hard not to see some parallels. There probably would not have been an 808 State without Kraftwerk. I enjoy seeing the DNA across some of these albums. As a fan of electronic music, I enjoyed this, but not as much as some other entries. It’s less strange to me, but still curious, that this list gives such priority to electronic music from several different generations than they do for Latin jazz (which, caveat, I really enjoy). Just interesting to see where the list’s priorities are when it comes to influential music.

Perfectly serviceable background music. Would probably work well in a video game level. "808080808" should have been called “5318008”.

This is cool considering it came out in 1989. It sounds pretty modern while still being able to tell it's older.

It took a couple listens to really dig into this one. The first pass was rough, probably just wasn’t mentally ready for the electronic onslaught. By the third listen, it started hitting better. There are a few fun tracks and I get that 808 State were pioneers of the ‘90s dance/electronic scene, but overall this lands a little flat with me.

I felt like this was a solid EDM album that probably paved the way for the EDM music genre that we know today. I feel like I listened to this passively so I would need to listen again to get a better feel for this album. Overall, I had a good time listening to this album and I would recommend it to others who like this genre or folks who want to expand their music horizons.

Great for a rave, not my jam.

holds up

73% Best: Magical Dream; Ancodia Must-Hear? Nah

Såg dem live 1992 tror jag det var. Stilbildande inom sin genre. Plattan okej.

Honestly I think this album starts off pretty well between "Magical Dream" and "Cobra Bora" (which I noted "The Hustle" sample) overall, I find this being called 90 when it still feel definitely in the feel of late 80s house. Unfortunately, towards the some of the beats get a bit tiresome, most notably in "808080808" and "Sunrise", and "The Fat Shadow" straight up sucked (thank God it's only 59 seconds long) 7.65 ★★★½

Quite cool early electronica, but more influential than essential listening. 3.5 stars

I guess the generator took my review from yesterday personally. This was okay but really forgettable. I am struggling to remember it and I only listened to it 16 hours ago.

Electronic music. Kinda fun and listenable but also kinda noisy. It was alright.

Surprised to see this was rated so low when I checked the reviews after listening, I thought this was quite a fun and innovative electronic album. It’s got some really nice drum loops and a really cool “wet” sound to the synths, which sound like something out of the early 2000’s rather than 1989 (genuinely surprised me when I checked the date of this album like halfway through). There’s also plenty was also an interesting addition of bird chirps to pacific 202 which I thought was cool. It’s not something I’ll be rushing to listen to again but I certainly enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind hearing it again. Favourites: Ancodia, Pacific 202 and 808080808. Overall 6/10.

A lot of EDM that I'm certain I've heard on late night Cinemax before. It's all very standard stuff. Nothing too groundbreaking here. ~ 2.5 stars, but I'll bump it up to a 3 for the song "Donkey Doctor" alone. That's funny.

Some classic tunes but definitely from an era. The 808 drum machine has no doubt been superseded many times but was a classic of its time. Not an album to just pop on but enjoyable nonetheless

This felt very dated and on initial listen very repetitive! However, there were a few times that I really got into it especially on Cobra Bora

That certainly was something else! 3/5

alright

7/10

Definitely of it's time but has some aspects that feel a little shoegazey/plunderphonic like in a cool way. A little dreamy and trippy while being a little jungle and a little dated. Enjoyed it more than not.

Its fine, but its dancing music, not album shit

Is this bad? No. Is this particularly interesting? No, not really. There's a ton of more interesting electronic and club music out there. I don't know why this is on the 1001. I suspect it's that same boring reason for many of the other head scratchers on the 1001 -- it's from the mid to late 1980s or early 1990s and features a UK band or an act that was unusually popular in the UK. The author clearly has a soft spot for material that was popular with his peer group, and it's unfortunate, in that there are dozens of selections in the 1001 that make no sense.

The loons on Pacific 202 were nice to hear. But the rest of it was quite forgettable.

Decent background music. Probably fun to dance to, as well.

This one had me in the first half and I truly believed this would be the first 4 I gave to an album like this, but the magic ran dry, and it finished as a 3.

It was ok, but nothing too impressive and there’s much better electronic from this list.

I expected to like this more. It wasn't as dancy or as funky as I expected. I'm flip flopping between 2 and 3. Leaning to 3 because it wasn't bad, it just wasn't that good. It's a low, low 3.

Is this great electronic music? Maybe. I feel like I just binged geometry dash for the last few hours or something. But I like geometry dash so what is that a good thing ? Maybe. If the Mario Kart soundtrack would be a 5 I’ll give this a 3

A few decent sounds

eh. another album that probably would've been super impressive in 1989 when it came out, but now just sounds like everything else from this era: all over the place and with some really tired, played-out instruments and loops. that said, it's still more interesting than a lot of the 90s british electronic albums on this list. starting around pacific 202, it all just sounds like background music made for Sonic CD levels but left on the cutting room floor, with donkey doctor perhaps being the best example. points for that i guess? favorites: magical dream, donkey doctor, 808080808

This is good stuff! Good music to concentrate by or program to

Bryan’s right… It’s crazy how many English electronic pop groups from the 80s are on this list. But this is actually pretty sick. Knocking it down to a three in solidarity with my mate, but I did enjoy it a bunch

some nice beats

Likte da egentlig litt, kan vurdera å beholda da i albumlisto for et par gjennomlyttinga til

50/50.

This is naturally of its time, but some of the melodies are timeless. Pacific (et al) is a GOAT. High 3s

Old school Techno music kinda hits, reminds me of old game bgm, like from Metroid or something. Gave me cyber punk vibes too 3

Not my thing but listenable.

Repetitive but I get why it would have been groundbreaking

Early edm/techno, not my typical genre but I can appreciate the art and impact of it

Funny that this is the next album after CHVRCHES. Another “electronic / EDM“ album, but this time from the end of the 1980s. At first I dreaded another CHVRCHES experience especially when the first song started with a female singer. But the listening experience of this album was far more exhilarating than expected. (There is only the first track that features a singer.) I’m not into EDM by any means but I found myself enjoying a couple of songs (especially but not limited to Ancodia and Pacific 202). This record was experimental and led me to unexpected soundscapes and I appreciate this. I liked the scratches on Ancodia and I feel like I know of at least two hip hop records from the 2010s that show that they are rooted in these 1980s sounds. A fun record!

Var godt nok lige nødt til at dobbelttjekke udgivelsesdatoen på den her! Mange fede numre, fedt at der sker en del så det bliver aldrig kedeligt

This was pretty nice background music.

1. Surprised/not surprised by the strong hip hop vibe running through the album 2. Pacific (202? 707?) casts a long shadow over everything else.

This EDM album is muscular and sophisticated at the same time. Immaculately produced, it *sounds* like a million bucks. Containing a number of top-notch tracks (such as "Cobra Bora" and the titanic "Pacific 202"), perhaps its greatest flaw is not being able to sustain that level of quality across the entire record. *90* opens with a couple of forgettable tracks but then ups the game with the propulsive "Cobra Bora", followed by the centerpiece of the album, the "Pacific 202" version of the group's hit "Pacific State" - a magnificent track that is both energetic and serene at the same time. Following that, "Donkey Doctor" is solid but displays its Kraftwerk influence a little too plainly. Penultimate track "Sunrise" heads into chillout territory and would have made for a fine album closer (though oddly that slot is given over the bizarro "The Fat Shadow - Pointy Head Mix", a brief and incongruous slice of clattering drums and sci-fi sound effects).

A raving pc Takes over the party mix With sax and quick beats

Wow, Trump overperformed Not bad. Maybe a bit bad towards the end but even the worst songs were at least passable

Strange.

Not terrible, not amazing. I could sit and listen to it, but probably wouldn’t seek it out

Uno de los primeros álbumes de acid house (podría incluso ser el primero) ya en el año 89. A día de hoy no suena a nada especial, pero hay que reconocer la influencia que tuvo en el techno y el dance que vendría más adelante. Es un álbum de calidad dentro de su estilo, de percusión electrónica compleja, con muchos cambios dentro de un mismo compás y melodías minimalistas, etéreas y dispersas. Un exponente pionero de la cultura rave de los 90 que estaba por llegar. La edición americana Utd. State 90 me ha gustado más que la original, sobre todo los temas adicionales "Cubik" y "Revenge of the Girlie Man", probablemente porque son más melódicos que el resto. Aunque, una vez más, esta elección padece del sesgo británico del editor, me ha parecido un álbum interesante y relevante.

I didn't hate listening to it, like most of the British DJs I've encountered on this list so far.