Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Summary: The first track's title sums up the album. A really solid album with some creative and very technologically-impressive (for their time) synth/electronic drum beats. The electronic percussion, in particular, stands out greatly on this album. A lot of the ideas are pretty cliched now, but at the time of release they would've been revolutionary, not only for acid house, but for all modern genres of music. Magical Dream: Crazy drum machines. This would be an incredible event to experience while high. Rhythm is 4/4 but has an alternating 7/8-9/8 feel at times. The vocals are very weak, but this is forgivable since they clearly aren't the focus. Rave-like synths and other high-pitches sound effects I can't name. Smooth transition to the next track. Ancodia: Reminds me of something you might hear in a 2000s/10s rhythm video game. The soundscaping is definitely ahead of its time. The drum machine is killing it again (in a good way). Vocals are better in this track than the previous one. Very jarring but fitting transition. Cobra Bora: Normally I dislike drum machines, but the drum machine work on this album is just great. Hyper-syncopated riff at 0:45ish that is really well composed. The track could be cut down a little. Video game shooting solo at 3:10 - cool. New high-pitched synth introduced in the outro - also cool. Pacific 202: Great intro, with a strange bird-like electric sound repeating heading into the verse. Hard to tell if the sax is real or fake, but the melody on it is solid. Jarring percussive noise at 5:00 takes us into a great percussionless synth outro. Donkey Doctor: Solid track. Not too much to say here. Terrible transition to the next track - the music just stops. And this ain't no I Want You (She's So Heavy), so don't think you're getting away with this, 808 State. 808080808: The drum track is a little less in-your-face than the previous tracks, but this means the primary charm (and strength) of the artist's music is slightly lost. Bubbly noise throughout. Fun chords, but they never resolve because of another really badly cut ending. Sunrise: Very repetitive rhythm, but the airy synths hovering around the mix create this awesome, mystical, spacey atmosphere that definitely makes up for any lack of interest in other parts. Synths are especially noticeable after the texture drop at 3:25. The Fat Shadow - Pointy Head Mix: prototypic. Reminiscent of a "Seven Seas of Rhye" off Queen's debut album. Some cool synth-voices in here.
Þetta fannst mér ekkert spes. Ekki minn tebolli og hvarf alveg inn í bakgrunninn án þess að ég muni eftir neinu lagi.
Frekar mikið drasl
Aldrei heyrt um þessa hljómsveit eða þessa plötu.
I'm sure this was very influential for the era, but it's not really doing much for me.
Sooo... It wouldn't be anything extraordinary, if this album would be created in the 90's or later. But it was done in 1989, so I think we have to respect an attempt of the artists to kind of jump in the future. Although it's not the level of jump Jean-Michel Jarre or Kraftwerk has accomplished, it's a small step forward in the history of the electronic music.
Didn’t really do much for me. Was glad to get through second listening. Did remind me somewhat of Future Sound of London recordings in the early 90’s. Looking up history 808 predate London by around 2 years but very much contemporaries. Much prefer FSoL to this. To bright and jangly for my tastes. Where’s the edge.
My first attempt via Sonos to search for this artist came up with The Chemical Brothers. Not a great start. It was about to get worse when the Amazon music bespoke album found the album no problem. I think I saw 808 State live in 1990. Supporting Depeche Mode at Wembley Arena. They were not memorable. Pacific 202 is vaguely memorable. As nor is this album. I wasn’t an irresponsible e’s and whizz person at the time. I didn’t go to raves and I didn’t scream “aceeed” whilst listening to the radio. This album does nothing for me except reinforce most musical merit is down to nostalgia rather than worth. I’m sure others who experienced the “not working for a bank in a graduate recruitment programme” crowd will fund nostalgia in this record but I find nothing. No melody, no tune, no structure and no enjoyment. I’ll listen to it all but never again snd it’s giving me a headache.
Late 80's synthy-dance music. Not memorable, not terrible. One hit.
Seems to have been very influential for a lot of the electronic dance music that has been made since this came out. Unfortunately, I don’t enjoy any of the electronic dance music that this has influenced, and I didn’t enjoy this either
Right up my street - excellent album
Congrats on completing your first semester on music theory here's a synthesizer
This is the real deal. The gay club music of my dreams. Noises so high pitch can be aggravating on Cobra Bora and 808080808 but great stuff all around
First EDM album from this list, a genre I'm not at all familiar with. Not bad at all. I'll keep this in mind if I need background music without getting caught up in lyrics.
Is this... polyrhythmic electronica? from 89? Okay, that's cool
Too much grunch
Old school acid house, Pacific 202 is a clear highlight
Day 122 Back in the day I couldn't care less about acid house and rave culture. It was only recently that I became curious about it all and started digging back and checking out some of that scene records; some of them became part of my collection, some others went on to become part of my never ending wantlist. Now according to my wantlist I already heard Utd. State 90, which is kind of the US version of this album. I must have heard that in 2017/2018; my hearing has changed since: I now seem to struggle with much music that was originally mastered for CD and this doesn't have to do with genres but with audio quality, a certain brightness of sort. In short, I'd probably like the music on this album a lot but I can't handle the recording, it causes an increase in the buzzing in my ears. It is sad really because it is an interesting album, full of poly rhythms instead of the insisting beat on the third, with some scratching, some wah wah funky effects, and a lot more going on; I can also hear its influence on the 90s scene that was about to explode a few years later, especially Dig Your Own Hole by the Chemical Brothers, which by the way doesn't bother me as much. Also, it would have been nice to include Cübik, included the US version, which in turn adds more tracks and loses The Fat Shadow, which I don't think is necessarily a filler. Rating: the whole square, minus a drop.
6.5/10 fave: pacific 202
Not hard to hear the huge influence here, and that's impressive enough. There are legit hooks and grooves and some unique shadings (see vaguely Arabic flavor of "Pacific 202") that feels impressive (if not groundbreaking) for early house/techno, but overall it's far too frenetic-energetic, and thus very much not one's thing. The computerized vocals are a crime against humanity, a misdemeanor in this case, but it's risen to felonly level in the years hence (an influence for which they might be held accountable, critically speaking). As with all tech-defined and tech-dominated music, it doesn't ever seem to get anywhere or resolve its own (occasionally intriguing, intermittently intriguing, and momentarily melodically beautiful) complexities or add up to much. Also hard to envision anyone thinking, on his/her/their deathbed, "If only I'd got to hear more of 808 State." This music will only grow more forgetabble over time, and at a much faster rate than than the editors expect.
Classic beats.
Zoals vaak vind ik dit genre nogal eenzijdig, maar de drumbeats in deze zijn precies net complex genoeg om er ietwat van variatie in te steken
Don't understand the hate, I quite liked it.
prog rock? very boring, not a fan
# 81 : what? Who? Why? - Thank you it is only short! This album should have been sold with a free hit of ecstasy LOL. I don't want to listen to THAT again! 05/10/2023
Bad
It’s ok for what it is. Doesn’t really hold up though.
Never heard this. It's a pretty cool listen. Apparently this group were involved in the UK import of acid house. Much of this (especially the first half) sounds like straight-up retro electro. There isn't a four-on-the-floor beat for the first three tracks. Then there are bits of techno, house and breaks, with just a little bit of the squelchy acid sound. The whole thing feels dated, but in a good way - like a fantastic time capsule of late-80s futuristic drum machine fun. Each track has a different style and mood, and the whole thing is balanced and paced well. Really enjoyable album! 4*
Solid stuff
Trippy, but I’m not tripping.
I'd listen to this again. Sounds like a less exciting Streets of Rage. Maybe someday it'll go up to a 4. In my heart anyway - we can't edit these.
very good
It’s fine. Is the author of the 1,001 book a white British guy in their 50s/60s? Because that’s the vibe I’m getting so far from these album choices (which is not a criticism). I love electronic music in general, and this album probably sounded futuristic when it was released, but now it sounds almost quaint. I feel like I’ve heard the sax part in Pacific 202 before. Maybe as a reference or joke in an Edgar Wright thing?
Not bad but not really for me. It feels like it’s probably perfect for listening to at a club or a rave, but just casually without any stimulants it’s just fine. I feel like New Order and bands like that do this kind of thing more interestingly
One of the reasons I was excited to do this project was to discover new music, including being exposed to genres I haven’t gotten into, or bands/albums I missed that do types of music I like. This certainly fits in the former. I really liked the first track and I’m a sucker for weird/interesting sounds in my music. However, this didn’t hold my attention and, at times, I felt like I was listening to the opening credits of Beverly Hills Cop, or the music you’d hear in the scene of a movie when they go to a club. Certainly well done, but it didn’t sell me on the genre.
Hot garbage - DNF
My head bobbed.
Decent album from the 80s
Given the great band name and slick, minimal cover art, I really wanted to like this one. Unfortunately it was too minimal for its own good - stripped-down drum beats and archaic synths can’t sustain even the short runtime this LP aims for. There’s just something about 90s dance albums that has so irreparably dated them beyond repair and so many are now slogs to get through
Pretty decent electronic music. This is not usually one of my go to genres of music but I enjoyed this enough to earn it another listen. Cool
Not on apple musak
I thought this album would be better than it was. I love the track they released as a single but was disappointed by the rest, some of which just sounded frenetic. Overall a low 3*
Nah, cannot be doing with that. Admittedly was listening to it whilst stuck on a plane on a runway but I don't think that was the only reason for not enjoying it.
IDK, sampling and drum machines had been around for some time by ‘89. Hell, even “Pump Up the Volume was ‘88. A bit more refined I suppose. ”Pacific 202” is groovy.
Is this what old people mean when they say things sound like noise. 16/100. Only getting a 2 because they're good honest manc lads. Rkid.
This did not age well. I mean, Pacifica 202 is a classic and very likely will always be. But this acid house/techno sound really died out a long time ago and sounds extremely dated.
A synth-y sort of electronic music. A bit eerie at moments. Mostly pretty basic. Fine.
No me gusta mucho este estilo de electronica.
Found this bit too slick for my taste, better music in this genre available. But nice to hear, 3 stars.
Interesting to listen to this in close proximity to The Shamen, which I thought was more entertaining in the end. But this is a pretty solid 3 I guess.
Acid house is a genre that sought some variation on the already-established house genre of electronic dance music by adding modulation and distortion to the bassline in order to produce a sound that became core to the genre. While picking up steam throughout the mid 80's, it hit a fever pitch in 1988 and 1989. Hence, we have 808 State's 90, dropping just before the decline of the house genre. Tracks flow from one to the next so it creates a seemless 40-minute dance party. It has a lot more atmosphere than I was anticipating. Most of my experience with acid house is form Daft Punk's Da Funk, so this caught me off guard. I thought a lot of it was pretty good, but 808080808 was the best showing of Acid House's excellence. Likely the best of the crop from this time, but has long fell to the wayside.
Good techno beats. Not something I would ever listen to but its still pretty cool.
I know it paved the way for what was to come, but doesn’t really hold up. Standouts are Pacific 202 and 808080808
Dear people who like this type of music, Can you explain why you like it? I’m not trying to be a jerk - I love all different types of music but this electronic stuff does absolutely nothing for me. What’s the attraction? What do you feel from it? Thank you.
202 Pacific and Sunrise are bangers. Otherwise half decent album.
Electronica garbage. Why is there so much of this crap on this list?
Not my thing.
I had an epiphany while listening to this. Maybe I've been approaching dance albums on this all wrong. Maybe the purpose of things of this genre is losing yourself in the music like you would on a dance floor, and when you came to, you enjoyed what you were listening to. I think it's difficult to say whether that's right or wrong, but approaching this album like that, it definitely became my favorite dance-music album on the list. It's a little dated in spots, but you can see some of the influence it would have further down the line. Favorite tracks: "Donkey Doctor", "Pacific 202", "Sunrise"
It sounds like it was the creator of the original cell phone ringtones. It's like hearing the original cuts and what didn't make it on the floor.
Electro, pero no me ha atrapado
Obviously, this was a major early entry into a genre and one likes this more than much of the progeny it spawned (looking at you Depeche Mode). There's some color here and, again, this would work well for some gym days. But, let's be honest, it's very much on the soulless side (especially the computerized vocal boxing), maybe made the dance music world safe for soullessness. "Pacific" is easily the best cut.
8/10 pretty fun, good vibes
This is fucked up good. Every track, bar Sunrise, is a genuine banger. It's rare to have an electronic album that feels so equally at home in a club or in a bedroom (maybe it lends itself slightly more to a club, but this has enough substance to entertain no matter where you are). So impressive to me that electronic albums from decades can still up hold up, given just how far technology in the area has come. Fav Track: I'd love to say Cobra Bora but Pacific 202 is impossible to go past, one of the electronic GOATs. 4.5
A bit grumpy listening to this on a hot train. Just as the 808s intended. Think it was pretty cool though. Three and a half. Fave track: Pacific 202
Fun and infectious, but I was not really in the mood to listen to this. I can acknowledge that this is something new to me, and that is a big part of doing this whole project, but this feels like another album that I probably could have died without listening to just fine. Two and a half. Fave track: Pacific 202
Not made for me 2/5
Really great and clearly very influential
I really enjoyed the album. Perfect for getting some work done
I am not an electronica guy. All the beeps and boops are there but they don’t amount much to me. This just isn’t something I enjoyed sitting through.
UK electronica has had more than its fair share of slots on this thing, gimme more acts from the continent pls. The sheer number of this kind of thing really puts into sharp relief that not only were Daft Punk really good, they were specifically mopping the floor with most of the other acts out there
Ehhh. it's fine EDM. Again most of the stuff on this list is pretty bland and there is far better music in the local dance club.
Pretty dull. It’s best moments feel like remixes of Depeche Mode b-sides. The most that can be said for it is that it’s not intolerable.
a fun 90s electronica album
Is this record great for studying, working, or having on in the background when you need a good bpm pulse but don't want to be dragged down by detailed audio? Sure, it is. Is there more going on in the record? Probably! But after a couple of listens, I can't help but think that it only matters to the headphone crowd now. What now sounds tame was once fire.
Silly and dated sounds.
This would be awesome on drugs in the early 90s. Not too fussed about it now but i appreciate that the sound influenced a generation.
A low 4, but Pacific 202 is such a fun track. There are other moments of being good here, other times its quite dull, and some times where its kinda bad and good at the same time. Surprised how 90s this sounded for an 89 album, and thats usually a sign of someone pushing the envelope.
This is kind of a weird one for me, since this album sounds super generic and dated, but I also know that this would have been pretty innovative when it came out, especially for the mainstream. It does seem a little weird to me that this list features British acid house, rather than American acid house, since the genre was developed in America. However, I don't know the genre well enough to know how many albums of this quality were produced by the Chicago acid house school. Regardless, this is one of those albums where I'm able to recognize its importance, despite the fact that I don't find it all that interesting to listen to 3/5
Not terrible. Decent background music. Not good for much else.
This rules. I'm going for a run outside
This is fun
Love this music for working 15 hour days. Not great for most of the other things I do during a day though.
boo
Pretty decent electronic dance music.Id listen to it again.Not a super strong recommendation but pretty good.
Not bad but I kept forgetting I had it on. Not really sure if that's a good sign or bad. It did have a strange familiarity even though I'm pretty sure I've never heard anything on this album before.
A time capsule of 90s electronic music, somewhat aged poorly but with some massive highlights. This mix of pacific state is great. best tracks: pacific 202, cobra bora, sunrise
Look, I understand this is a landmark album in electronic music. I understand it was hugely influential on the acid house and rave scenes. I'm very happy that Manchester at the close of the 1980s has good representation on this list, as it seems to have been a fertile, groundbreaking time. I hugely appreciate that, unlike many of its successors, "90" is only 39 minutes long. I even enjoyed "Pacific 202" as a reasonably dynamic, sweeping leg-shaker. It's just that I couldn't shake the feeling I was trapped inside an enormous ringing Nokia phone from 2002. Send help, for I have been transformed into a mere microchip in Ringtone Factory, surrounded by raving robots force-feeding me happy pills and glitching out all over the place. One day, an electronica record will move me to my core. But sadly, today is not that day.
Not really my thing. Didn't hate listening to it but wasn't really into it either. A solid Meh.
Love the Afrobeat influence and more experimental sections but eventually the prog-house drone is tiring and dated.
Not my sound.
This sounds like that one Spongebob episode where Squidward goes to the future and everything is shiny and chrome. It's cheesy and parts of it remind me of intros for old nature documentaries about fish with really bad CGI, but I actually liked it quite a bit.
I can see how this one was influential. Pretty intricate instrumentals. Not something I would listen to again.
This album shocked me. I was not expecting to experience this. Very early Aphex Twin type sound. Some early IDM ideas that would carry own to other genres. Very good listen.
A nice break from lots of moody rock-adjacent music. I wish some of the songs were a bit more varied, but definitely good overall
Too techno for my taste. I prefer my EDM to be more house/trance, and while there's definitely some house in here (especially in "Pacific 707"), there's too much of an 8-bit MIDI vibe. I often felt like I was trapped in a NES game. Let's call it a 2.5.
808 State laid the groundwork for electronic dance music. It may sound dated, but they are pioneers for their genre. Gotta love when Speak & Spell was used as a musical instrument.
Who knew 80's synth music could be so vibey?
Música electrónica sin muchos matices. Se escucha bien, pero no destaca para nada. Pasa desapercibido
This one didn’t immediately click with me, but after a few tracks I was booping along. Another example of something that was super innovative for its time, but also a product of its time. If you like drum programming, this could be a great one for you.
Lush, perfectly produced acid house as likely to get your brain moving as it is your body.
Interesting early electronic stuff, but not my bag.
The Roland Bass Line makes videogame boss music. Not a waste of time at all, but like... why?
Historically important for the future of house music, yes, but also incredibly dated. This isn't music to be listening to with your headphones at home, reading reviews about online. It belongs to the ghosts of dancefloors in the 90s past.
I don't take drugs. I liked it but wouldn't listen to again.
It sounds maybe 5 years newer than it is. Lots of attention to detail regarding the drums. The bass and the rest of the music are sometimes in completely different keys. It definitely belongs on the list, but I don't like it very much. Favorite song: anacodia.
Always glad to listen to an album from a genre I rarely hear. This one gets a bit repetitive to my ear, but it's very well done.
Solid dance album that really was ahead of its time, as it felt like something I'd hear in the later 90s, not later 80s.
Love the 80s sound but this album didn’t do it for me. I will need to relisten to see if this album improves. Let’s hope so! 3/10
This era of electronic music is still refreshing in 2023. In fact, it's amazing what 808 State could do with much less technology. This album is a classic of the state of the art in 1990.
Beep boop boots and pants but all and all pretty enjoyable
Really approximates what I assume being in a club in a middle-upperclass area of great London in 1989 was like. You can practically smelly the LYNX
Turn of the decade listenable rave techno a bit like Orbital. So much better than The Shamen of the same period (still no idea why Boss Drum is included in this list).
Heard before. Sounds a bit like proto-vaporwave. Liked it more this time around. + Pacific 202 + Donkey Doctor + Sunrise
It was ok, very 80's feel, but didn't grab me.
Great ambient music for work, but not much going on to keep my interest in these tracts. Still, the music is to my taste.
The worst thing about electronica is that there is just no semblance of any soul or heart - at all. This record is something that I'd expect to hear in a post-apocalyptic night club that's run by robots who have no idea what real music sounds like.
It ok
Dance music. It doesnt make for a great album, but the tracks are OK. 2/5
Man why does this kind of music suck so much
As far as this kind of music goes, it was pretty enjoyable.
Pacific state and that's it
utterly forgettable. monotonous. boring. why?
Nothing stood out about this album, it was decent background music though
It must have been a real stretch to include 1,001 albums, because in no world is this one deserving of a listen before checking out.
realmente muito ruim kkkkk. na primeira música achei que ia ser legal, até que só ficou completamente repetitivo, extremamente chato de ouvir. ao final não aguentava mais e só queria que terminasse. péssimo álbum.
Denne kan likes i veldig spesifikke settinger, som noen utesteder. Ikke min greie ellers
Snuser på 4 stjerner men når ikke helt opp
Meet George Jetson, in space traffic. Daughter Judy, dancing in a warehouse. Jane his wife, at a exercise class. All listenig to this album. Kind of liked it.
Not bad
Awesome, the influence on a lot of electronic albums in the 90s is obvious.
Sounds like half a dozen budgies in a tumble dryer
This is an album that needs to be listened to on a good stereo, not crappy in ear headphones. I tried listening at work with headphones and it was just so many clicks and beats and electronic sounds, nothing that was exceptionally great. When I listened to it in my car though, it was much better! It needs the bass to enjoy it for sure. Still not something I would listen to on my own though. Listen again: probably not Purchase for my collection: no Favourite Song: Pacific 202 Worst Song: Can’t really remember all the songs, only the one that stood out that I liked.
I'm afraid I just don't get why this stands out enough to be on this list.
Pero qué es esta re mil mierda? Ni voy a opinar
Bit odd but interesting
Not a huge fan of acid house beats. However, for 1987, not bad.
groovy danceable stuff. 4 stars.
Of its era, pretty solid, would never dance to this but might help with concentrated, focused work. I’m not sure that is a good thing.
Pretty lame tbh
really not my vibe
Genre: EDM Review: Decent music for running, workouts, work etc. Not a fan of the genre at all so don't go by my words necessarily, but it was all quite same-ey, uninventive and one-dimensional. At least it wasn't at all off-putting so I could easily listen to the whole thing. Rating: 5/10
This was not up my alley. It was like weird house music. 2/10 I did not enjoy it
Is there actually someone unironically listening to this? I'm not sure this is music
Feels dated, it's fine but nothing mindblowing
Ok, I did understand how much the book's author is really into party hard. I got it, I swear.
I didn't know this was a house album, so it was kind of a weird way to start the work day. Sitting in my office but my mind is at a rave. This isn't really my kind of music to begin with, to be honest. It's very repetitive, which I guess is the point. It's very danceable, and therein lies the problem -- I don't dance. But overall, not terrible background noise either.
Not bad and ahead of it's time but it's a bit dated today. It's impressive that it was made in 1989 with this amount of variety in the sounds and beats.
kinda "futuristic" - it's OK. Almost like merging 80's with dance music. But then also something that would show up in Stranger Things or ET. Not my bag. 2 stars.
Listened to Out of Step and this right after... I have a headache
Not bad 2.7
Àlbum d'electrònica que sembla sentar les bases de molta electrònica que escoltarem durant les següents dècades (Chemichal brothers, Underworld, Laurent Garnier...). No m'apassiona, tot i que la producció és acurada i alguns temes enganxen.
Not for this list
1.75
Not impressed. Lackluster techno. Feels like boring, background music to an early video game. Standout is "Pacific 202"
This had its time and place on the dancefloors in the 90s, but it's not the type of music I would listen to outside of that. It sounds a bit dated and is somewhat tedious. 2/5
An acid house release.. elements of it have dated but there are still some bangers in here
Mér finnst þetta æði. Mikil nostalgía, dans og chill. Pacific 202 verður á rípít hjá mér næsta klukkutímann.
À noter que j'ai configuré hier soir cet album comme réveil-matin. Il me fallait en effet un son électronique pour lequel je n'avais aucune affinité afin de ne pas associer mes réveils pénibles à un artiste que j'apprécie. On peut dire que 808 State fait parfaitement l'affaire
Cet album possède la particularité d'etre entièrement composé en binaire. On y prend absolument aucun plaisir mais saluons l'originalité. Le titre 0111001110 sort tout de même un peu du lot.
I realllyyy do not like albums that repeat a million times. Or sound like this. It was too long in general, and for sounding like total crap it didn’t help one bit. Boo.
(n.b. this linked to a different/US/longer version on my Apple Music. To my ears that one is much worse than this original disc and I was panning the hell out of it until i realized the mistake. I do like ("like") the proper version more - it seems to cut a lot of the most repetitive and dated sounding tracks which doesn't make sense to me but hey... fewer annoying minutes is better. Still not a fan tho. Am keeping my initial reactions to the longer/worse album just for my own weirdness but I'll never read it again. Anyways, this is enough for me to boost from a 1 to a 2. the world quakes.) 1989 release date. I never could have guessed. /s This could have been a sample disc included with the "new for the 90s!" budget drum machines. It's not interesting at all and sounds like you might guess it does... very early-period electronica; like someone just got a bunch of new-for-the-time tools and put together a series of loops with canned beats. Incredibly dated like so many other 80s music of all genres. Playing with the then-new technology turns out to just sound lame pretty quickly. I like electronic music but a lot of this is shockingly weak come on. 3/10 2 stars.
This is one my son would be proud of me for listening to. But, he wouldn't realize I went through a Madchester phase a long, long time ago.
Got me feeling like a fruity little dance floor baby first thing in the morning. Loved this ‘bum
Decent but a bit irritating after a while. I can imagine this would be great to run or write an essay to. One of those ones I need to be super in the mood for
Too much mediocre “electronica” here :(
6/10
Now THIS I can really jam to. 808080808 goes hard af, "Sunrise" is pure bliss, and "Cobra Bora" sounds like a 90's Sonic stage. That's good stuff right there.
One of those albums I just cannot see merits inclusion on this list. I didn't hate it, but I think I'd have to be on something chemical to have enjoyed it.
Video game music? Lol
Da future
Generic electronic music representing the time it came out in, yes, but in what way is this to die for?
Electronic Synthesizer music just doesn't resonate with me.
Early UK acid house techno. It's very dense and is overwhelming intense in texture. It's intended for the dance floor, not my kitchen radio so I feel a bit lost. I love electronica but I like stuff that let's me breathe. 3
Pretty solid electric music. I may never listen to it again but I enjoyed it. Gives the feel of a 90s club. I imagine that this was a quite influential album for the electric scene Favorite songs: Magical Dream, Pacific 202
An album a child could have made with a fisher price keyboard.
Unnecessary and boring
Techno jazz, je pensqis pas ca existait, c’est vraiment pa smauvais .4
Yet another edm album that I appreciated as edm but didn’t see how it stood out in any way enough to be on this list. It was fine I guess
Molto trippy. Non male alcune canzoni.
I wish I could go back in time to when dance music sounded like this.
Felt like I was trapped in a video game. Fun to work to, but I'd never put any of this into a playlist.
Not for me. I was leaning towards giving just 1 star, but then I cranked the volume up and discovered a little more... 1 additional star, to be exact.
It's alright as a historical record. 2 glow sticks out of 5.
I just always thought of 808 State as the Pacific 202 band, and little more. But this is a great album, and Pacific 202 actually proves to be one of the weaker tracks.
This album is pretty good. The only song I really enjoyed was Pacific 202, but the other songs were decent. Also helps that I heard Pacific 202 before. This is the first early Electronica album that I enjoyed. Favorite song: Pacific 202 Worst song: 808080808
Not awful, but not my cup of tea
Stand out tracks - Cobra Bora - Pacific 202 - Donkey doctor
Completely in one ear and out the other, fade into the background music. While not unenjoyable, definitely don't see why it was included in this list above another of the same genre
40 minutes of sounds. I'm not sure if this was innovative for the time and that's why it's included here but there wasn't really anything that stood out about this album. It wasn't bad but wasn't good.
All I could think of while listening to this was “Cheesy background music for a cheap budget 80s movie.”
Someone found the "house" section on an old electronic keyboard and went to town.
This was a pretty good acid house album. Not really my style as far as electronic music goes, but I enjoyed it more towards the end. I find this genre a bit too busy for my taste and am more drawn towards the minimalistic genres of electronica.
Late 80s techno pretty non descripte it ended and start playing other 80s techno and I didn't notice for several songs.
Really enjoyed this slab of electronica
That was more chilled out than I was expecting.
I sometimes get bored with electronic music, but this one was quite enjoyable. I loved that it sampled the Hustle.
This was some fine electronic music. It had some good rhythm and some engaging samples. I struggle to appreciate why this album is so important to be on this list. But, I didn't mind listening.
Except for the parts that sounded like the alarm on my phone, I very much enjoyed this. Fun dance grooves with tiny melodic surprises.
This was a lot of fun to listen to. Enjoyed hearing shades of The Hustle and Do You Know The Way To San Jose? on Cobra Bora and Sunrise. Was a perfect accompaniment to an afternoon of housework.
not my fave. i’m not too into the sort of electronic song and i’m more of a lyrical kinda goblin myself
Liked it more then expected
Listened to it twice while at work, but times I didn't even notice it playing. Nothing on it draws my attention.
This album is basically the musical equivalent of the frutiger aero aesthetic. It feels way ahead of its time. If someone told me this came out in 2004, I would not have been surprised. An album wayyyy ahead of its time with some profound influence on techno, edm, and even hip hop. On top of everything, the music in Neon White completely copies everything good from this album. Best Songs: Magical Dream, Cobra Bora, Pacific 202, 808080808 Worst Songs: Donkey Doctor
Maybe if I was into this techno-ish genre I would appreciate it more
I don't like this type of music so i don't know if the album is actually good or not. It's still better than Lorde so fuck it. 3 stars.
pleasant enough noodling, and okay if you like dancing to this sort of thing. Not really for me
Fun old school dance music.
Prima electro, maar weinig aparts
Like the music at the end of an epic boss fight.
I'm so lost
I love 808s and dance music but idk about this one. I usually like House-style music but something about the songs here were a little harsh for my taste. Not bad music by any means just not for me.
Couldn't find it
This is interesting, very densely packed with synths, drum machines and vocals. Dance music from this era pretty much always sounds extremely dated, due to the fast nature of change in the genre and this is no exception. Second track Ancodia is prophetic of the way the genre would shift once mainstream in the 90s. Laid back rhythms with sexy pads and squelchy bass. Notable is the complete lack of detuned, circuit bending, glitchy stuff that would appear in the genre 10 years later.
Electric house music from 1989. Reminiscent of 1990s video game music to the extent that I wonder if 'Donkey Doctor' is a deliberate nod to Donkey Kong. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Donkey Doctor Date listened: 30/08/22
90 is the second album by British EDM group 808 State. The music can be classified as something in between acid house and techno. This album showcases an early form of EDM - a genre that would explode in popularity throughout the upcoming 90's and after the turn of the century. I liked the nostalgia given off by this older style of EDM, but I love the newer, more popular genres of EDM of today.
‘Pacific 202’ and ‘Sunrise’ are my two standout picks for best tracks on this album, as they are both timeless and still sound current today. They are weapons that can still get a dancefloor going. The rest of the album hasn’t aged as well unfortunately, which is a shame as I was hoping for more.
Late 80s electronic album from the UK. Pacific 202 still sounds as great now as it did in the 80s. The other tracks are very good: 8/10 overall
good electronica sound. I liked it. Ahead of its time.
Easy listening electronica. Didn’t grab me
Good stuff! Not all was ground breaking but I definitely found a hit
Sure... I don't really go in for acid house, and I don't have a lot to say about this. There were moments I enjoyed, I would not listen to this unprompted.
I generally like this as it stirs up a fair amount nostalgia for this aesthetic. The fact that this came out in 1989 simply blows my mind. I can't think of any electronic music from that year that is as sonically dense as this, balancing samples, synths, and drum sequencers so fluidly. I have newfound respect for their place in the evolution of electronic music. Kinda prefer the Utd. State 90 version that starts off with Pacific 202.
Ok.
Ok electronica
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.
De esa electrónica que se ve que tuvo mucha influencia y la samplean en todos lados, pero que la verdad a mí me transmite poco. No le alcanza para la tercera porque ya hice un redondeo hoy.
Not really my thing so hard to judge tbh. But 2 stars for being forgettable
A genuine rave classic.
Wild early electronic styles. Not my thing, but it is intriguing to hear it.
This felt little a demo reel (no surprise given the name) and made 40min seem like 2 hours. Fuck off. 2/5.
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
Meh, couldn’t get into it
I just don't get how people can listen to this at all, let alone rate it one of the greatest albums of all time! This is coming from someone who listens to some unlistenable music
Yes yes yes. So retro future. Remembered some of it from my parents playing it back on the day.
I honestly can't find it in myself to care about this album at all.
5.0 - When it comes to enjoying electronic dance records, I generally have a spotty history. I'm not sure what constitutes excellence within this genre but for me it has a lot to do with balance between a handful of variables. First is tone: is there a balance between light and dark, heavy and floating elements? Second, is there the right amount of surprise, familiar and unfamiliar? Third involves the beat: how well does it come together? Does the beat sound canned and cheap? Does it sound cool and tasteful? I realize as I'm writing this that there's a certain alchemy to dance music that I can't presently articulate. And I can't pinpoint exactly why this particular album puts me in a joyful trance where other electronic dance albums I've listened to have failed, sometimes miserably (see "Fat of the Land", "You've Come A Long Way Baby", "Darkdancer", "Exit Planet Dust"). But I do know that I'm fully engrossed and my brain is happy.
as far as dated dance music goes this was pretty good
Si me muero mañana no pasaría nada si no lo hubiera escuchado
Electronic music. Not my style.
Interesting embryonic techno. A bit too banging in parts for me, but it had some good moments.
I think I need more vocals on my electronica.
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Had a good combo of interesting sounds mixed with good rhythm. Still prefer marshmello
Seminal bangers.
Whoa this was fun. Do I like house now?
Takes me back to listening to the House music radio station with Hans on GTA san andreas
Six minutes of the same beat looping doesn't seem so long if you're on the dance floor. Because as some poets or whatever said, time slows down when one is dancing. But what about when someone is listening to it while crunching numbers in his laptop? Well, it made me realize how long 3 minutes can be. Time is such a thick dimension. Still, the beats are nice. No wonder it set the country on fire.
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.
Dece, no standout moments but pleasant background music
The second summer of love in Manchester. Known for raves and its advancements in neo-psychedelia with the whole Madchester movement. It's an excellent example of acid house. On the stranger end, it's filled with a variety of samples that reminisce of 80s hip hop or later artists like DJ Shadow. Fortunately, this follows IDM's principles and offers a compromise between the lengthiness for dancing like crazy and the lack of repetition suited for casual listening. There's a strong momentum, and the tracks are creative and memorable, with a fair amount of replayability. However, most of the tracks are standalone weak, with a few standouts including the acid house standard "Pacific." Favorites: Magical Dream, Cobra Bora, Pacific, 808080808
Yeah this album wasn’t for me, a bit dated now and maybe not helped I’m listening to this at 8am.
Decent
This album has all of the 80s sounds, essentially no lyrics, techno. I suppose it could be considered a precursor to EDM. I did not dance. Nothing is really memorable about the album. I have no need to listen to it again.
Not a big electro guy. I need a melody, something to listen for.
3/5
Good for what it is: ambient/background dance music. I definitely wouldn't mind having it on while I studied or worked or something. Relative to the albums on this list it's a 2/5. It reminds me of the music that played when I worked a laser tag arena at a in 2018 I've learned to appreciate that the 1001 list isn't necessarily the same as the 1001 best albums of all time. (Most "best albums of all time" lists are lousy anyway). This 1001 list is meant to be a survey of important/influential music, as well as include some greatest albums of all time. That's why I like it. I can appreciate that this is probably an album that inspired a lot of modern electronica music.
meh
2.5/ 5 at best. It's definitely nothing special. I think a couple of the songs are better than the rest, but overall, it isn't for me. I'm glad there are folks that enjoy it.
Nice polyrythms, and a good listening experience overall. Aged well! Highlight: Pacific 202.
Good fun - a bit dated sound wise but otherwise a solid electronic album
I did not find anything super exciting about this album. It was fine.
Its 808's best album which means it must be very good.
late 80s techno
Rating: 5/10 Bests songs:
80s, early 90s house techno. More British stuff pushed. It was fine, that's all.
Fun but got to the end and realized I hadn't really listened to it. A little too background-y.
Didn’t really find this anything exciting. Pretty boring electronic album that I doubt I’ll ever hear again. 2.4/10
Really awful
Fucking sucked
Electrónica.
Sounds ahead of its time
Fun electronic album, good for running or exercising
1989 - Techno, Acid house, Electronica, Synth-pop, New wave, Intelligent dance music
Hm, acid house...great example of the genre, but it's a dated album.
The team behind the decision of choosing 1001 Records should have the bar set higher, imho
Hier heb ik niets mee.
Mijn oog begon te trillen en ik kreeg de neiging een fidget spinner te bestellen op amazon.
Wel aan te horen maar ik vond er niet veel aan.
Beetje achterhaald, maar best leuk zo tussendoor.
Hmm, njae. Det finns ju i teorin en gräns som går att passera med all typ av musik. En gräns som passeras efter en viss tid av lyssnade i sträck. En gräns som när den passeras, gör lyssnaren galen. För mig är gränsen för den här genren väldigt kort. Techno kan med andra ord inte bära mig särskilt långt. Om vi tänker rent hypotetiskt kan jag se en användning av sådan här musik i ett smutsigt och övergivet varuhus där alla åhörare står obrydda och gungar i takt med blickar som är så svävande att man skulle kunna möta deras blick utan att de skulle kunna se en. Spontant känns det som ganska långt ifrån en plats jag skulle önska att befinna mig på. Men jag vet inte. Jag har ännu inte testat.
Lacks the energy of early 808 State.
80808080 I like 👍
Classic funk, an old favourite
Exhaustively polished dance music, especially for a record that came out pre-1990. There are hints of electronic music to come everywhere, and the sound design still blows a lot of modern projects out of the water.
Samey all the way through, Pacific 202 is probably the best song, but all the rest are nearly as "good", or "half decent" to be more accurate
More like a drum machine demo reel than a coherent album. Background music for video games.
By the numbers, somewhat appropriately.
Interesante disco. Me parece que ha influido en los inicios de gente como Massive Attack, Moby o The Chemical Brothers.
Oh Dear, another Dance Album! I missed the whole Ibizian experience as we were heavily parenting at the time. I am sorry but I suppose "you had to be there" to experience the real feeling of this music. Acid House obviously has it's merits and Musically this album is at the top end for me but..... just don't "get" the love of the repetitive beats etc. But I suppose you had to be there and popping some "e's" "Pacific 202" The stand out track but not a record in my collection I'm afraid.
Def not a must listen for me...
A fun, energetic listen, and a Manchester/acid house classic. 808 deserves credit for bringing strong melodies into this genre while retaining the groove. It's a real bridge between electronic music of the 80s and all the electronic genres that would blow up in the next decade. I recall this sounding incredibly fresh and ahead of its time in '90, like we hadn't really heard anything like it. "Pacific 202" and "Sunrise" are the "prettiest" songs on the album, but "Donkey Doctor" "Cobra Bora" are just wonderfully layered and built for the dance floor. The only track I absolutely did not like was "Magical Dream," not because of the music but because of the terrible vocals. Fave Songs: Donkey Doctor, Cobra Bora, Pacific 202, Sunrise
Proto-Techno zum woken Voguen. Irgendwie geil; lief es doch etliche Male durch, ohne dass jedoch großartig was an Spannungsbögen vernehmbar war. Saugutes Cover 2.7
Beginnt leider mit zwei - aus heutiger Sicht - schwachen Nummern, die sich anhören wie Musik von paar Jazzstudenten die im Sommer 88 irre euphorisch aus der Hacienda gelaufen kommen und sowas jetzt auch mal ausprobieren wollen. We all know: die Jungs hier haben DEN Hacienda-Sound und Madchester ja ganz maßgeblich mit erfunden und groß gemacht - und dürfen deshalb alles - auch mal heute dated klingenden Quatsch hinterlassen. Weil zu den anschließenden Cobra Bora und natürlich Pacific 202 muss nichts mehr gesagt werden - Meilensteine für immer, genauso wie auch noch Cübik, das auf dem Release hier aber gar nicht drauf ist. 3 Punkte gibts insgesamt für's Album.
Goofy, really didn't see the point to this. So many cheesy riffs and weird vocal choices.
Wtf
Excellent, that's the good stuff.
Some pretty solid complex drums. It's a cool album.
Been looking for my pacifier and glow necklaces all day and now that this is on, I need them IMMEDIATELY!
Since listening, I've discovered that there are two versions of this album, with different track orders and even some added songs. That's annoying. Did they at least wait a while? Kanye West released "Donda" earlier this fall, clocking in at almost 2 hours long, then released a "deluxe" edition with five additional songs and topping the 2 hour mark. Calm down, Kanye, you've gotta space this out and spend years milking this with special and deluxe and international and live and remastered and anniversary and whatever else editions. Oh, and the "Kanye's Version" re-recording. Anyway, I only listened to one version of "90." Maybe the worse one? Definitely some decent songs, but also some that made me glad the genre developed past these guys."