808 State Prebuild CD - Import

First ever issue of some lost tapes from the beginnings of the UK's love affair with house music; a time of incredible invention is documented on these tapes, made available here for the first time. Recordings made circa 1987-88. 808 State were central to the roots of Acid House in the UK and Rephlex has previously reissued their debut album (Newbuild, originally issued in 1988 -- an album hailed by the likes of Aphex Twin, Squarepusher and Luke Vibert, as one of the most influential records of all time). 2004.

Five years after Rephlex's 1999 reissue of 808 State's first album, 1988's Newbuild, the same label was responsible for this archival release -- a collection of demos, long out of print productions, radio sessions, and live material rediscovered by the group's Graham Massey (all of which was recorded while Gerald Simpson/A Guy Called Gerald was still a member). Some tracks are extremely primitive, lacking refinements -- even by acid house standards -- but this is part of the appeal. As with garage rock, acid house's illicit nature is often magnified when the tracks sound as if they came from nth generation hand-me-down cassettes. Though the three tracks recorded in the attic of Gerald Simpson's mother's house will likely give audiophiles headaches, none are present just for the sake of documentation. "Clonezone" is the best of that batch, sunk in deep murk yet still effective with its fusion of the synth-driven psychosis of a John Carpenter film score and the throat-grabbing immediacy of Adonis' Chicago classic "No Way Back." One of the other tracks with super-low fidelity also happens to hold some of the disc's most undeniably thrilling moments: "Thermo Kings," recorded at the group's first performance in Manchester, is a particularly demented, sprawling 14-minute workout that's as disorienting and psychedelic as anything recorded in the '60s. Two other noteworthy inclusions are both sides of the 12" released by 808 State under their Lounge Jays pseudonym, including the volatile, sleaze-soaked "Sex Mechanic." Along with some of the Trax compilations, this disc is another valuable 2004 release that can be valued by anyone who wants to revisit or explore the early years of house music. It's plainly evident that 808 State were just as vital during this period -- if not more so -- as they ever were, and each track here is, to some degree, absorbing. ~ Andy Kellman