Graham Massey is pondering the recording of Transmission Suite, 808 State’s first album in 17 years.
"It’s not like we’ve not been making music, but as for getting back in the studio with our 808 heads on, it’s taken a bit of a while to work together in the same space," he reveals. "And having a space we could work in was important. We used to have our own studio and that’s what’s been missing, really. We got the studio at the site of the former Granada TV Studios through a commission via the Manchester International Festival, and we continued to make an album from that base."
He continues: "’What would a new 808 State album sound like?’ was the main issue. We’ve all got quite different tastes and pulling them all into a central place is the difficult thing."
Indeed. To look at Graham Massey’s Baker’s Dozen is to view a particular array of tastes and influences. Yet for all of their spread, Massey does identify a unifying thread running through them.
"When you look at this list, it’s really a core of musical communities," offers the 808 statesman. "When you look at some of these bands, they all have this almost over-commitment; they’re bands that live together and have to wear a uniform and like, go jogging together because they’re so committed to what they do."
He adds: "That’s what struck me about this list. These are people who take from genres but they invent something new. They don’t really fit into genres, but they are genre leaders. In my fantasy world, I like to think that this is what 808 State represent. It’s coming from a scene, but it’s something that’s built from many threads and that’s what gives it its awkwardness."
And here those threads that are stitched together…
808 State are on tour playing music from across their catalogue over the coming months – for more information please visit their website. Click the picture of Graham below to begin reading his choices
