808 STATE
12th December 2025

A celebration of their seminal album ‘ex : el’, the band will be performing the album in-full in live spaces for the very first time.

Due to be a show of two distinct segments, the dates will include ‘Part 01: a full performance of ex:el’ followed by a second set entitled ‘Part 02: great transmissions – new : classics : deep cuts’.

Their early work had a prominent influence on the UK’s burgeoning acid house scene, with their first album ‘Newbuild’ now regarded as a milestone in UK electronica. The successive ‘Quadrastate’ mini-album included “Pacific State” which became an end-of-night anthem at the Haçienda. The track broke out of the dance underground when it was picked up by daytime BBC Radio 1. The band pushed against dance-celebrity culture with intentionally minimalist record sleeves and a reluctance to self-promote. In 1989 Paul Morley signed the band to the ZTT label, and the first fruit of this partnership was the critically acclaimed album ‘90’, with the exceptional 1991 record ‘ex : el’ swiftly after.

Fast forward to 2024 and 808 State remain a vital and current force in alternative music, completely selling-out their home city’s New Century Hall for a celebratory show honouring the album ‘90’, 35 years since its genesis.

In 2025, 808 State will revisit their seminal album ‘ex : el’ in its entirety. The shows will also see the band airing a second set of ‘Great Transmissions’, which will include classic singles, explorative curiosities, and deep cuts from their four-decade spanning catalogue, while offering an exclusive glimpse into some brand new 808 State material too. Special guests for the shows will also be revealed in due course.

Still led by original founding member Graham Massey, 808 State continues to create boundary-pushing new material and perform to audiences across the globe and the generations.