808 STATE - BOMBADIN (ZTT/WEA)

This is a personal lineage which DiGiorgio shares with 808 State's Graham Massey. Years ago I used to work in a Manchester record shop that specialised in jazz, fusion, soul and the like. Massey was a regular customer, buying up all the second hand CTI records that no one else would touch with a furry dice. You can hear traces of Massey's record buying habits in 808 State's new "Bombadin" single (ZTT/WEA Promo 12"). The record parallels the atmosphere of such classics of the Latin fusion genre as Louis Bellson's Ecué by having percussionist Colin Seddon lay that clavé thing alongside the machine rhythms and bunched chords. "Bombadin" won't rock the house in the way the 1988 Quadrastate album did, but as a group 808 State is palpable in its attempts to stretch the boundaries of their music beyond the restrictive confines of Western pop. And they still manage to produce coherent pieces of music that work both as dancefloor disorientation and diverting home entertainment in the process. Now that's ambitious.

[Reviewer: Unknown]

808 STATE 'Bombadin' (ZTT ZANG54T)

Initially promoed on US Tommy Boy back in May, the Mancunian trio's usefully very 'Jingo'-like Brazilian flavoured throbber featuring percussionist Colin Seddon has 127.7bpm Barta Mix, really rattling Bombapella and 119.7bpm Original Quica versions, plus the hoedown-gone-techno type tribal twittery fluttery frisky 0-29.5bpm 'Marathon (Club 12" Mix)'.

(MR ***)

[Reviewer: James Hamilton]

808 STATE: Bombadin (ZTT)

Coming from the same family fun pub as The Grid's 'Swamp Thing', this is 808 State with a balloon tied around their neck. Maybe we need a new genre here. Piss-up house? Inebriant techno? 'Bombadin' will not accrue much snob value on the Berlin underground but as a disco floorfiller it's frighteningly effective. There's a dippy chant of "Bombadin born bombadin", a large dose of hooting pseudo Latino carnival jollity and an overabundance of bounce. Even the slightly cooler 'Marathon' acid mix will not stop hordes of office party-goers forming a giant snake of rowing bodies all the way from Southend to Graham Massey's balloon folding factory.

[Reviewer: Roger Morton]

808 STATE - BOMBADIN (ZTT)

The boys are back in town and - having stormed the sound systems at Glastonbury with their full-on, funky techno - in rocking good form. The flip, "Marathon", is a digital hoedown complete with Jew's harp and a bongo massive.

[Reviewer: Beezer]

808 STATE - Bombadin (ZTT)

A welcome return to the club arena for the past masters. Throbbing and slamming.

[Reviewer: Eastern Bloc]

808 STATE Bombadin (5:39)
PRODUCERS: 808 State.
WRITERS: 808 State, K7, J. Gardner, G. Drummond
PUBLISHERS: Perfect Songs Third & Lex/Zomba Songs/ Blue Ink/Tee Girl/ Vangerrod, BMI
Tommy Boy 631 (12-inch single)

One of the acts that launched the original ambient/house movement returns with an invigorating and forceful instrumental, merging a peppy house beat with layers of ear-catching keyboard passages. Track builds to a hypnotic musical climax, and then breaks down to a percussive epilogue, that will leave punters squealing with joy. Thoroughly satisfying, and several notches above current club fare.

The return of the original ambient architects, 808 State, is finally here. "Bombadin," with its pillowy synth layers and propulsive beats, was premiered at designer Todd Oldham's portion of the recent Seventh On Sixth fashion spree in N.Y. An album will follow soon...