808 State: Albums Ranked Worst to Best

[@MENTIONED_YOU]

RIP Andy Barker, we swaped many synth. Top guy and his wife Mandy

[@dmandaman9009]

First song from 808 State I listened to was Pacific State, but if it weren't for these videos there's a good chance I would've never explored them past that. I'm glad you made these, and I'm glad for Andy and his contributions to this band. Rest in peace, and Amen to that.

[@BarkingSpiders-km7oj]

It's worth mentioning the deluxe versions of 90, Ex:El, Don and Gorgeous. I 100% recommend any fan of the original albums to get these as well. Not only are there some great reworkings of deep cuts there are also never-released-before tracks that are absolute bangers, especially on Gorgeous.

[@a_silly_birb]

My favorite is either ex:el or Don Solaris, but I really liked every single album (and Quadrastate) when I heard them for the first time about a year ago. My favorite song is either Pacific State, Magical Dream, or Jerusahat. Really grateful to 808 State for their influence and music in the industry in the 90s and they really shaped my favorite decade in electronic music. Andy Barker was too young rip.

[@SoNextJenn]

I just realised both transmission suite and ex:el have the numbers 808 in the album cover

[@welshlad6427]

Great review of a great band. Best Album for me is excel. So many memories of being in my early 20s listening to that Album. Going to put it in again now. Cheers bro 👍🏻

[@rtid7538]

I've always thought 'Don Solaris' a teeny bit spiky so it'd be mid way through my list. ex:el is way out in front for me and takes me right back to my last days at school. RIP Andy. End of an era. 😔

[@RobertLombardi04]

Nice ranking as always! I love 808 State! They are one of those artists that have such an interesting discography and this is no exception. I definitely have to agree with Don Solaris at #1. That album may very well be one of the most exciting and engaging albums I have ever heard in my life, and that definitely shows on the track Jerusahat which puts me in such a happy mood every time I listen to it. The rest of the tracks are all at least great with not even a single weak point in the bunch. Love that album with a burning passion. Easily in my top 20 favorite albums of all time. Also, rest in peace Andy Barker. His death was sad and unexpected and we will never forget all of his contributions as a key member of this band.

[@martinfarnworth6659]

Don Solaris is a great album. The muted response in 1996 when released was completely unfair.

[@tbtimtam]

Basically couldn't agree more with this list, especially the take about Don Solaris being a 10/10 (it's my favourite album of all time!). You almost nailed the same order I have (I like Ninety just a bit more than ex:el) and even feel the same way about many of the songs. So glad to hear that considering they are my favourite band. Amazing video!

[@stephen3511]

808 State are/were electronic music pioneers. Btw, glad to have found your channel 👏🏻

[@thecosmicduck]

I'm glad you did this discography review. I was aware of 808 State while I was first getting into electronic music in the late 90s/early 00s, but none of the tracks i heard back then really stood out to me. But now, following along with your review, I've found plenty of cuts I like from these guys. Especially on Don Solaris!

[@malakai9738]

I'd say Ex El is my favourite, one of my only gripes with 90 is that it's a bit on the short side, whereas this album has most of what made 90 great, except this time it's a full album

[@dsmyify]

In truth, not a fan of 808 State. Knew nothing of Andy or the band. However, the tributes that have been given to him show the love there was for him, a pioneer of the hypnotic. Rest in peace they say, but honestly, the guy is probably knocking out some quality vibes in the after life.

[@JasonBoon02]

Dude! Awesome! I started watching you after finding your videos on BoC and Aphex Twin, and it's awesome you're doing 808 too. Never listened to anything other Utd. State 90 and I really liked it, so this video should give me a great excuse to listen to the rest of their discography!

[@PetersPianoShoppe]

“Gorgeous” was my randomly-elected intro to 808 State. So I can’t help it, it’s got a special place for me.

[@RotcodFox]

Rest in peace Andy, you were a vital part of all electronic music. Don Solaris is also my favorite, but I don't listen to it much (mostly just Bird and Balboa)

[@patricklauer4452]

I still remember in the first year I discovered this channel, 808 State was one of the first bands from you I got into and instantly fell in love with them to the point they became one of my favourite bands ever. I just adore their goofy and hard hitting sound while also trying to evolve and do cool new things on each album, RIP to Andy Barker:( Anyways here’s how I would rank their albums: 7. Transmission Suite 6. Outpost Transmission 5. Newbuild 4. 90 3.Don Solaris 2.Ex:El 1.Gorgeous

[@0b11000100]

Absolutely agree with #1, the others could move up or down a spot or two. Definitely legendary band in a formative time for electronic music. I wouldn't be who I am today without them.

[@PetersPianoShoppe]

And “Don Solaris” was such a complete oddity, it took a moment to wrap my head around it. But these days it’s hard to find another early techno act who more masterfully incorporated the mid-90’s color/attitude into their work and still be completely unique.

[@halcyon14th18]

7. Newbuild (fav track: Narcossa) 6. Transmission Suite (fav track: Ujala) 5. Gorgeous (fav track: 10 x 10) 4. ex:el (fav track: Cubik) 3. Outpost Transmission (fav track: Lungfoo) 2. 90 (fav track: Pacific 202) 1. Don Solaris (fav track: Azura (fav 808 State Song))

[@a_silly_birb]

808 State ranking... sure, why not? (not deleting my other comment because it's too good to delete lol) 7. Transmission Suite - This album has just kinda shrunk on me since its release, it doesn't strike me as solid of a throwback album as Biosphere's N-Plants, Jean Michel Jarre's Oxyegne sequels, etc. There's plenty that do it better than this, but this has its moments as well for sure. 6. Newbuild - It's straghtforward as fuck but it's cool enough I suppose. I like it more as playlist fodder than a front-to-back experience but I think I'm willing to listen to this more than Transmission Suite for its brevity and I think I might like this more than LFO's self-titled so I guess there's that (still haven't heard Advance though, I should check that out soon shouldn't I). 5. Gorgeous - This is by far the most conflicting album of theirs for me, but rest assured this is a really good one. While I do have a generous soft spot and nostalgia for many moments on here like One in Ten, what makes this one so worthwhile for me is that there is beauty that gets overlooked by the aggressive 90s cheese with this one in particular. Timebomb is a goofy-ass song that I could never play in front of my friends but listen to anyways because that chimey melody thing slaps and those droning synths can be epic and Europa reminds me of my former guilty pleasure for Barbie movies at age 6 (let the record show that I mean former as in I don't like the movies anymore lol) but the harmony and the dreamy 90s atmosphere are easy to get lost in just to name a couple examples. The flaws are very easy to overlook and I've grown to enjoy the cheese, but there are other albums from them that are cheesy like this one and stick the landing better for me personally. 4. Outpost Transmission - This ranked higher than expected, but idk, it chooses a sound, sticks to it, and rocks it. Some moments like 606 are undeniable earworms while others like Boogieman can make me laugh and still end up being fun, and not in the Monty Python way. It sounds the most like it could soundtrack something compared to everything else, and that's definitely a welcome change of pace given that it's still very much an 808 State album regardless lol. This one's really good too. 3. ex:el - This is probably their catchiest one and I just love the sound of it in particular. It might be the most consistent one, but gets a bit snubbed here because I'm not very frequently in the mood for it. Whenever I listen to this album, though, it always surprises me how fun it is and when I am in the right mood, it would make perfect sense for me to call it my favorite then and there. But definitively, it gets the bronze metal as the other two have better variety and more replay value as a result. Still, I absolutely love this one. 2. 90 - I think this is their classic release overall if you account both historical value and front-to-back value, and it's their easiest one to spend time with. I don't listen to the album for the history lesson though, that's what Newbuild is for. No, I always preferred the stuff this album revolutionized over the debut because it just executed its end goal better. There are plenty of albums that did it better than Newbuild, but there is nothing like 90 despite shaping so much, and even SAW 1, my second favorite album of all time, doesn't get that distinction. Simply put, 90 earned its reputation on qulatity alone and didn't need any help from historical value. 1. Don Solaris - This album doesn't necessarily blow me away and I definitely won't call it perfect, and just on the merit that Azura and Mooz don't stand out to me quite as much, I can't technically call this their most consistent overall, but it's on the merit that this album goes in the right direction enough for me to call it a masterpiece that I'm calling it their best work. Every song stands out, it's about as engaging as 90 throughout, front-to-back experiences zip by without being too short, it makes life a bit less stressful when it falls into the background, it's one of the easiest albums to go to for playlist fodder... I mean, an album that needs a magnifying glass to define much fault in the first place is an album that belongs on the favorites list even if I do know a handful of albums that have more wow factor than this one. 90 may be more revolutionary, but this album is their best contribution to making the 90s the most stacked decade by a mile. It's ironic that this might be the longest I've spent explaining my thoughts on a worst-to-best ranking and it's on the goofiest band I've done so far. It just goes to show that a band that pioneers your taste deserves this much genuine respect. There's my two cents lol

[@kevfrompest5332]

I knew this video was coming. Even the drummer of the Moody Blues passed away, and I know you love them too, but that ranking will probably happen a lot later. I love 808 State, and was pretty moved when I heard Andy passed away.

[@randyborstol2491]

My favorite band. Soundtrack to my life. Been listening to them since 1993. RIP Andy. Shocking news. My personal favorites - '90' was my starting point. EX:el incredible. In Yer Face is my #1 song. My motivation song. Gorgeous is wonderful. Plan 9 is such a beautiful song. Don Solaris has some great tracks but a slightly a bit artsy for me. Newbuild especially narcossa has a wonderful darkness to it. Perfect for 3am at that house party on the estate. I do not unfortunately like the two transmission albums. Wonky Angle knows his stuff. Enjoyable to hear.

[@saxmidiman]

Don Solarus was my first, and still favorite. Totally agree on 808 State. And I am 70! Thanks for the great video.😶‍🌫😎

[@karaloca]

Wow, wacky. For me it’s Ninety, for its sound and ideas, then ex-el mostly for the same reason, but there are a few tracks I’d lose, then newbuild for its innovative raw sound and quadrastate for mostly the same reasons. Anything after 93, I can leave on the shelf, except for one or two tracks maybe. I felt 808 state lost quite a bit of energy and creativity after Martin Price left. He released a few of his own records in, ‘91-92, and I actually preferred them more than the weak Gorgeous, that just had way too many tracks on.

[@mettacitta2000]

You've only just gone and reviewed my favourite band, you're a legend!! Favourite album? Despite how epic Ex:El and 90 are, mine is Gorgeous. It has peaks and troughs granted but tracks like Nimbus, Colony and Timebomb are some of their absolute best work

[@randyborstol2491]

Nimbus is just incredible as well. I saw it on 'Cracker' a UK cop show mid 1990s and it sounded amazing on screen.

[@flightg97shadowgarth32]

This is how I would rank 808 State's albums: 7. Newbuild (1988) 6. Transmission Suite (2019) 5. Outpost Transmission (2002) 4. Gorgeous (1993) 3. Don Solaris (1996) 2. 90 (1989) 1. ex:el (1991)

[@karaloca]

I can kind of agree with all that accept newbuild being last, it would be third or fourth for me. I love it’s raw energy. It’s imperfect, but I love it for that. Anything after 93’ you can keep.

[@rollingcoasters2311]

Newbuild is my personal favourite

[@Bammers86]

RIP Andrew Barker - I insisted on playing Gorgeous upon this rotten news coming thru. Thank you for this insight - there was me thinking you'd go really leftfield and go for The North at Its Heights w/Tunes for top spot! In a nutshell, I'm 36 soon, benefit from a big bro who is 13 yrs older than me so was privy to a bit of his vinyl (inc. a lot of 808)... Don Solaris has been an omission I regret to inform until soon (but love Lopez & Bond thru 808:88:98). The Euro Bass Mix of Olympic is my utopia. Great vid mate. Suffolk, UK

[@djkamzpr0]

rip andy barker man, what a lost

[@djkamzpr0]

i recently (before knowing andy died) wanted to listen to most 808 state albums from their discography in full to know what my favorite 808 state song was, pacific 202 brings me back since my first time hearing it in 2017/18 and pacific overall is one of my favorite house songs ever

[@videobutcher]

Don Solaris is absolutely💯their best record easy. It was the album that was new when I was getting into them......but that's why I got into them. Makes sense.

[@alpoe4467]

Are you familiar with keyboardist, Paul Hardcastle and the band, Hawkwind?

[@theanonymouscat5062]

Andy’s death caught me off guard. I had been following this band since my teenage years. I’ve always wondered how 808 State got their drum sounds!

[@grick_rimes]

Huge 808 fan since the beginning when I got Newbuild. All albums are great but all round Don Solaris is best by miles. Complex sound structures and makes for superb headphone listening. Ex:el is also a favourite. The others have great moments but all DS tracks are good. Check out Thermo Kings for some alternative versions and a couple of extra tracks.

[@jawoody9745]

Holy......! I found Norken (+Metamatics) by just picking up instrumental electronic CD's with great looking covers. Lee knows how to hit the correct parts of my brain. 808 State are the top of the curve every album (except Gorgeous, Bombadin, 10x10, and Nimbus, but NOT Southern Cross).

[@darrellandrew5605]

Enjoyed your review ..really interesting, I couldn't personally pick a favourite from 90 ,ex el or Don Solaris and I do agree 808 state are fucking great

[@quickestscoped7603]

7. Transmission Suite (boring and bad, though listenable) 6. Newbuild (Again kind of boring, but it's shorter and more forgivable) 5. Outpost Transmission (Weird) 4. Ex:el (it's fine but a bit long and dull in a few parts) 3. Gorgeous (it's good, and the only lacking bit is the last 2 songs) 2. 90 (very very good) 1. Don Solaris (very very very good) Also Banacheq as your favorite album closer sounds like a bit of a stretch, considering your thoughts on Out There Somewhere? and Good Morning Kaia (though if it is actually your favorite album closer, that's fine)

[@antoniofuturatiani74]

Riposa in cielito Andrew Barker, così scusi, riposa in pace e mio favorita State 808 Album elenca in questa ordine è come seguende:- 11/ Forcast 10/ Outpost Transmission 9/ Don Solaris 8/ Gorgeous 7/ Transmission Suite 6/ Ex:El 5/ State to State 4/ 808 Utd.State.90 3/ Prebuild 2/ Quadrastate 1/ Newbuild

[@saulgood6909]

Check out Meat Beat Manifesto.

[@TheWonkyAngle]

here you go kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6GlhIhuotmGqJI

[@dsmyify]

Here before the guy that's here before the other guy that always comments the same thing.

[@rollingcoasters2311]

Both of the comments would be distasteful considering this video is a tribute to Andy.

[@ИванИонов-д1щ]

😥

[@windman808]

21:59 make that 2.

[@OldSchoolArchiver]

No way didn’t you make YTPs? If so I can’t belive you rate stuff like rage music and all.

[@samuelmcbride]

Is it my OCD or can he finish the fix in that wall behind him?

[@matthewpearce8481]

Yes mando, I do kinda wanna put my fist thru it

[@MatthewSuffidy]

I thought they were good at techno for musician love of techno. I don't blame anyone for drying up. The point is there is only so much of the world that admires good stuff in the first place.

[@chris1.2]

I totally disregard pacific state as a much needed chart money spinner, probably place it 2nd to last place just above “sexy synthesiser”. as for the top track I’m undecided between cobra bora, nephatiti, and in yer face,…and techno bell …and cubic Olympic and magical dream and ……..