Graham Massey
Encyclopedia
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.
, the Roland TR-808
, ironically later admitting that until the late 1980s they thought Roland drum machines were "severely uncool." Massey had also been a member of the D.I.Y. icons Danny And The Dressmakers doing a mixture of "bad" music and Gong covers (living up to their outrageous but true tagline "We don't play our instruments, we abuse them") and also hippy - fusion band Aqua in the 1970s, along with violin
ist Graham Clark
(also later of Gong).
Massey worked with Björk
on her first solo album named Debut, which sold almost three million copies. He then subsequently worked with Björk on her next album Post, which became her second biggest selling album after Debut.
. He is also a member of Biting Tongues
, an experimental jazz rock group once signed to Factory Records
. He has side projects with 'Toolshed' and 'Sisters of Transistors', he also recently remixed Brian Dougans
's (of The Future Sound of London
) track "Stakker Humanoid
" for the remix
album, "Your Body Sub Atomic
". He has also remixed FSOL before on "Papua New Guinea
".
In 2004 he worked as a composer for the score of the movie "It's All Gone Pete Tong"
2008 saw him playing live drums for the keyboard quartet The Sisters Of Transistors.
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...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, 808 State
808 State
808 State are a British electronic music outfit, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and their common state of mind...
, formed in 1988 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Originally a hip-hop group called Hit Squad Manchester, the band shifted to an acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
sound, recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, 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 1988 under the new name 808 State.
Music
The band was named after Massey's favourite drum machineDrum 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...
, 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...
, ironically later admitting that until the late 1980s they thought Roland drum machines were "severely uncool." Massey had also been a member of the D.I.Y. icons Danny And The Dressmakers doing a mixture of "bad" music and Gong covers (living up to their outrageous but true tagline "We don't play our instruments, we abuse them") and also hippy - fusion band Aqua in the 1970s, along with violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist Graham Clark
Graham Clark (violinist)
Graham Leslie Lionel Clark is an English jazz violinist based in Buxton, Derbyshire. He also plays guitar, and double bass; a freelance violinist in most styles of jazz, rock, blues and pop, he specialises in improvisation...
(also later of Gong).
Massey worked with Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
on her first solo album named Debut, which sold almost three million copies. He then subsequently worked with Björk on her next album Post, which became her second biggest selling album after Debut.
Recent work
Massey recently released the solo album Subtracks under the name Massonix on Skam RecordsSkam Records
Skam Records is an independent Electronic record label based in Manchester, England, founded by Andy Maddocks around 1990. Skam also runs a smaller sub-label called 33.-History:...
. He is also a member of Biting Tongues
Biting Tongues
Biting Tongues were a post-punk band formed in Manchester, England in 1979, whose members went on to join Simply Red, Yargo, and 808 State.-History:...
, an experimental jazz rock group once signed to Factory Records
Factory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside and James and...
. He has side projects with 'Toolshed' and 'Sisters of Transistors', he also recently remixed Brian Dougans
Brian Dougans
Brian Dougans is one half of the British electronica group, The Future Sound of London.He is a "man of many thoughts and few words" almost always letting Cobain take the lead in interviews with them both...
's (of The Future Sound of London
The Future Sound of London
The Future Sound of London is a prolific British electronic music band composed of Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans. The duo are often credited with pushing the boundaries of electronic music experimentation and of pioneering a new era of dance music...
) track "Stakker Humanoid
Stakker Humanoid
Stakker Humanoid is an acid house track by Humanoid released in 1988 by the London based label Westside Records.-History of the track:The project behind the track started out with Stakker, a collaborative project by the video artists Mark McClean and Colin Scott...
" for the remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
album, "Your Body Sub Atomic
Your Body Sub Atomic
Your Body Sub Atomic is a 20th anniversary remix album of the Stakker Humanoid release and other tracks by Brian Dougans; the remixes are by both new and established artist's and DJ's...
". He has also remixed FSOL before on "Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (song)
"Papua New Guinea" is a 1991 song by the electronic music group Future Sound of London. It was the group's debut single and later appeared on their full-length album Accelerator. The single reached #22 on the UK singles chart...
".
In 2004 he worked as a composer for the score of the movie "It's All Gone Pete Tong"
2008 saw him playing live drums for the keyboard quartet The Sisters Of Transistors.