Ex: El

808 State | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 8, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Tommy Boy
• ASIN: B000000HIA
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,359 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. San Francisco

2. Spanish Heart

3. Leo Leo

4. Qmart

5. Naphatiti

6. Lift

7. Ooops

8. Empire

9. In Yer Face

10. Cubik

11. Lambrusco Cowboy

12. Techno Bell

13. Olympic

Editorial Reviews

Includes ten track bonus disc including four previously unreleased mixes. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Still Smokin' After All These Years., October 2, 2002

By 

The Groove (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ex: El (Audio CD)

On average, the shelf life of a dance CD is a good 18 months before it begins to sound ridiculous. But the remarkable thing about "Ex: El," the second American release from the Manchester trio 808 State, is that it still holds up almost as well as it did back in 1991. The opener "San Francisco" gets things right with its tricky drum beats and synth bleeps, and Bernard Summer of New Order guests on the funky "Spanish Heart." Bjork makes an appearance twice: on the out-there "Q-Mart" and the deliciously strange and mid-tempo "Ooops." Not that these guys can't hold their own without vocalists. They're impressive on the house-y remix of "Cubik" and the infectious "Leo Leo." "Ex: El" is a fine slice of dance bliss that no doubt help inspire the genre we now know as electronica. In my school of music, it merits a solid B+.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 808 at their peak, but not necessarily their best., March 12, 2001

By 

Andrew J. Barratt (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ex: El (Audio CD)

Ex:El was released during the Spring of 1991, a season which saw the UK beginning to feel the hangover of the twelve month long madchester party, of which 808 State were a major player (808 warmed up at what were probably the Happy Mondays' finest shows one year previous to Ex:El's release), but Ex:El was no alker-seltzer to 808:90's happy pill, featuring what were probably the most accomplished of the band's heavier tracks, namely 'Cubik' and 'In Yer Face', both UK top 10 hits.

But Ex:El saw 808 changing direction, or maybe that should be leading the way forward. More serene numbers such as 'Spanish Heart', featuring Bernard Sumner on vocals, and another single release in 'Ooops', also featuring a guest vocalist in Bjork, demonstrated a different side to the hardcore energy of earlier releases.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat dated but still a fun listen, April 2, 2005

By 

filterite "filterite" (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ex: El (Audio CD)

Released in 1991 at the height of the rave culture in the UK you can see that this CD has dated somewhat in terms of sound. The analogue synths sounding almost quaint today. But having said that it's still a fun listen to mainly for the singles In Yer Face and Cubik. But there's a lot of hidden gems in here - this is somewhat Bjork's debut outside of The Sugarcubes. And the two tracks are a bit mixed. In QMart she just does a lot of growling and I don't know whether she's making up nonsensical sounds or if she's singing in her native Icelandic language. Either way it's a little bit irritating or idiosyncratic depending on what your view is. Ooops, however is a different story. Everything is beautiful: the arrangements and Bjork's singing combined make a surprisingly effective and affecting song. Again I can't catch the lyrics completely but I do know they're being sung in English. Bernard Sumner also makes an appearance ( it wouldn't be the last time he collaborated with techno acts ) and it's a nice song. The rest however such as Nephatiti, Lambrusco Cowboy, Techno Bell and Olympic are as equal to the rest of the tracks. In short while the production values may leave this a somewhat dated but it can still pack an effective punch.