808 State - State To State (feedback.com)

808 State's new album - "State To State" - has been recorded and released exclusively for members of their fan club. In a move conceived and prepared over a two year period, the band have been working in Sheffield's FON Studios recording tracks and ploughing through old master tapes for this, their 8th album.

This album is to be given away free to anyone that joins their fan base, and tracks for next years second "State To State" release are already being written! The three members of the group, Darren Partington, Andy Barker and Graham Massey (who has continued his on-going collaboration with Bjork on her recent "Vessel" video) decided that they wanted the album to be released on CD only, to support the many people that have complained to them about the over-pricing of compact discs.

But its the rare and unreleased material on "State To State" that will attract record collectors. As Graham Massey told RC, "We record about 50 tracks for every album we release, which obviously can't all be used. So State To State will give us the chance to put out some of the more off-the-wall and wacky versions of tracks that we have recorded." On joining the fan club, members will also receive a quarterly magazine - written by the band - with news on all their projects and merchandise.

The album starts of with a unique DJ mix of "106" (it's first appearance on CD) from their sought-after pre-ZTT "Quadrastate" album blended in to the "State To State" theme. This moves in to a live version of 808's Top 10 hit "Cubik" from the "Ex:el" album which is the first live track they have ever released. Next up is "Yakuza" which, along with "Diana" and "Jackson Fraction" were recorded especially for the album. Also included are never-before-heard remixes such as the "Rhythm Device Mix" of "Lemon" from their Japan-only "Forecast" CD, "20:20" (the "Sax Mix" of "Stormin Norman" from "Gorgeous"), "Reaper Repo" live at Wembley and "Control" an early mix of the Joy Division-sampling "Contrique". Add to that the bands three favourite unreleased tracks from their vaults and you have quite a CD.

The packaging for the "State To State" CD was specially-commissioned by the band to Designers Republic who are best known for their sleeve art for Warp records (Aphex Twin, Back Dog etc.), and Pop Will Eat Itself. The CD sleeve looks like a cross between the break-in packaging of Madonna's "Sex" and a computer floppy disk. As this is a mail-order-only release the design even incorporates space for the fans address and postage stamps!

The trio launched the concept live of MTV's "The Party Zone" last summer, the first time the show had ever been co-hosted. Since then they have released their "Bombadin" single, which was premiered at a New York fashion show featuring Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford. They returned the favour to Naomi by recording an awesome new remix of her "I Want To Live" track. In fact the band have been continuing their successful remixing career lately, something that began with collaborations with David Bowie, Electronic, Yes and Siouxsie And The Banshees. Recently they have completed remixes of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" and "One To One Religion" - Bomb The Bass' next single. And fans are still snapping up - when they can - the 10" promo on red (and extremely rare blue) vinyl of an unreleased mix of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "Two Tribes"!

For the complete history of 808 State, check out Issue 101 of RC, as read by the band when they found it in a newsagents in Canada while on tour with New Order and The The. Apparently they loved the feature but - as the band told us - they were a bit worried about what their tax man would think about the incredibly lengthy discography!


This review also published in: Record Collector

Janet Jackson - janet. (PMI)

This video stretches the five promos for the "janet." album singles into a 74 minute compilation including rehearsal footage and alternate takes. The documentary side is a complete antidote to films such as "In Bed With Madonna". Here the "behind-the-scenes footage and never-before-seen home movies" consist of Janet working hard for weeks on dance routines, giggling with her girlfriends, water pistol fights and getting rather squeamish for filming the risque scenes for the promos. Quite a contrast to Madonna's version of 'control' on and off stage.

Two versions of each promo are presented and the cover shot was previously used on the front of Rolling Stone. The bonus cuts (including the one-take edit of "That's The Way Love Goes", a re-edited "Any time, Any Place" set to the "R. Kelly Mix" and the colourised "You Want This") are just as entertaining as the standard releases, but with an added rarity factor.

Janet Jackson either has a skill of being able to keep her public image up with the times or is just developing as a person, depending on how cynical you are! From the power dressing of her mid eighties breakthrough, "Control", taken to the logical - almost military - conclusion for "Rhythm Nation 1814", her current image is unique and diverse - being herself.


This review also published in: Record Collector