On average, the shelf life of a dance CD is a good 18 months before it begins to sound ridiculous. But the remarkable thing about "Ex: El," the second American release from the Manchester trio 808 State, is that it still holds up almost as well as it did back in 1991. The opener "San Francisco" gets things right with its tricky drum beats and synth bleeps, and Bernard Summer of New Order guests on the funky "Spanish Heart." Bjork makes an appearance twice: on the out-there "Q-Mart" and the deliciously strange and mid-tempo "Ooops." Not that these guys can't hold their own without vocalists. They're impressive on the house-y remix of "Cubik" and the infectious "Leo Leo." "Ex: El" is a fine slice of dance bliss that no doubt help inspire the genre we now know as electronica. In my school of music, it merits a solid B+.

Ex:El was released during the Spring of 1991, a season which saw the UK beginning to feel the hangover of the twelve month long madchester party, of which 808 State were a major player (808 warmed up at what were probably the Happy Mondays' finest shows one year previous to Ex:El's release), but Ex:El was no alker-seltzer to 808:90's happy pill, featuring what were probably the most accomplished of the band's heavier tracks, namely 'Cubik' and 'In Yer Face', both UK top 10 hits.

But Ex:El saw 808 changing direction, or maybe that should be leading the way forward. More serene numbers such as 'Spanish Heart', featuring Bernard Sumner on vocals, and another single release in 'Ooops', also featuring a guest vocalist in Bjork, demonstrated a different side to the hardcore energy of earlier releases.

It's brilliant and timeless.Believe me i have listened to it all from Depeche Mode to Sasha,i will always come back to 808 State.Cheers to a great show @ the Divine Playgroud(94) rave in Miami.
Blew me away!!

Released in 1991 at the height of the rave culture in the UK you can see that this CD has dated somewhat in terms of sound. The analogue synths sounding almost quaint today. But having said that it's still a fun listen to mainly for the singles In Yer Face and Cubik. But there's a lot of hidden gems in here - this is somewhat Bjork's debut outside of The Sugarcubes. And the two tracks are a bit mixed. In QMart she just does a lot of growling and I don't know whether she's making up nonsensical sounds or if she's singing in her native Icelandic language. Either way it's a little bit irritating or idiosyncratic depending on what your view is. Ooops, however is a different story. Everything is beautiful: the arrangements and Bjork's singing combined make a surprisingly effective and affecting song. Again I can't catch the lyrics completely but I do know they're being sung in English. Bernard Sumner also makes an appearance ( it wouldn't be the last time he collaborated with techno acts ) and it's a nice song. The rest however such as Nephatiti, Lambrusco Cowboy, Techno Bell and Olympic are as equal to the rest of the tracks. In short while the production values may leave this a somewhat dated but it can still pack an effective punch.

A much more complete and consistent album than the previous '90'. It contains guest appearances from Bernard Sumner of New Order and Bjork.

Made in the early 90's so you've got to remember before buying that this was made at a time when dance music was sweeping through the UK and this Manchester group contributed to it. It may sound slightly dated compared to today's dance music but the effort that was put into this album makes it much more 'real'.

It's a mix of soft techno numbers and aggressive rave tracks. The opener 'San Francisco' is a melodic mix of techno and hip-hop while 'Lion' is a reggae-ish techno track. 'Lambrusco Cowboy' is one of the most abrasive beginning tracks 'the state' have ever produced, yet ultimately it turns into a melodic rave track.

But this album is much, much more because it contains three gems of tracks. 'Cubik', 'In Yer Face' both contributed vastly to the early, quality UK rave scene before it lost its way, and are very influential tracks. While 'Olympic' is a melodic techno number that sounds so unlike anyone else.

A testament to the way British dance music sounded when it made an effort.