MYSTERY SURROUNDS news of a possible collaboration between MORRISSEY and current hot Manchester dance outfit 808 STATE.

According to 808 State - riding high in the charts with their 'Pacific State' single - Morrissey has ditched his famous dislike for Dance music and approached them to work on new material.

808 State claim "Morrissey has taken an interest in us and been in touch with our bosses. He hates House music but he said that 'Quadrastate' is the first House thing that he could listen to."

But a spokesman for Mozzer at Parlophone/HMV told NME that no such plans were in the offing: "Unless something's happened in the last two days, I think it's untrue. If he's planning anything like this then he hasn't told me."

Morrissey has always been outspoken in his criticisms of the dance scene, particularly of rap ("pop thuggery") and reggae ("vile"). In 'Panic' he encouraged his Smiths followers to "burn down the disco" and "hang the blessed DJ' because the music "says nothing to me about my life.

But since then, with House/Dance fever gripping his native Manchester and increasing crossover between the club and indie posses, it seems the Mozz be reconsidering his stance.

Should he decide to enter the dance scene and the remix/production side of recording, then 808 State would be the natural choice. Current front-runners in the city's dance underground, they've recently signed to ZTT/WEA.

There have also been rumours in Manchester that Morrissey has bought a warehouse in the region and may be opening a club, either in Manchester or Liverpool, in the near future.