808 State are a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 electronic music

Electronic music

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...

 outfit

Musical ensemble

A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...

, formed in 1987 in Manchester

Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

, taking their name from the Roland TR-808

Roland TR-808

The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines . Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real...

 drum machine

Drum machine

A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...

 and their common state of mind. They were formed by Graham Massey

Graham Massey

Graham Massey was a founding member of the British band, 808 State, formed in 1988 in Manchester, England. Originally a hip-hop group called Hit Squad Manchester, the band shifted to an acid house sound, recording their debut album, Newbuild in 1988 under the new name 808 State.-Music:The band was...

, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson

A Guy Called Gerald

A Guy Called Gerald is the stage name for the musician, record producer and DJ Gerald Simpson ....

, and they released their debut Newbuild

Newbuild

Newbuild is the first album of the band 808 State, released in 1988 on the independent label Creed Records.Aphex Twin saluted this album as a major influence.- Track listing :# "Sync/Swim" – 6:20# "Flow Coma" – 6:01...

in September 1988.

The band secured commercial success in 1989, when their song "Pacific State

Pacific State (song)

"Pacific State" is a single by 808 State released in 1989. The song peaked at #10 on the UK Singles Chart. The track first appeared on their Extended Play release Quadrastate in 1988. It was then remixed to become the group's first release on ZTT Records...

" was picked up by BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...

 DJ

Disc jockey

A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...

 Gary Davies

Gary Davies

Gary Davies is a British broadcaster. During the 1980s and 1990s he was a BBC Radio 1 disc jockey and also a regular presenter of Top of the Pops.-Early career:...

.
Martin Price was the owner of a record store, Eastern Bloc, and was also the founder of the independent record label

Independent record label

An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...

, Creed.