Don Solaris

Photographers: Don Solaris; Adam Barnes .
Easily the most diverse and experimental album in 808 State's eclectic catalog, DON SOLARIS seemed to fall on deaf ears at the time of its release. A pity, because repeated listenings reveal that here the band digs further into its electronic arsenal to come up with a multi-hued and varied album.
"Bond," for instance, opens with angelic synth bells and trills, then morphs into a traditionally 808 State-style thumping bassline, featuring the kind of vocals first brought to prominence on the previous GORGEOUS. "Azura" is a simply beautiful piece, with whispery, floating electronics eventually giving way to a calvacade of pumping drum-and-bass rhythms and diva vocals. "Kohoutek" distills the dense arrangements that are at the center of this inventive recording. Here, strange environmental sounds clash with clattering steel pans, house-y piano rhythms, and gelatinous bass grooves, as 808 State merges exotica with contemporary electronic dance music.