In the late ’80s, Eight-O-Eight State were at the forefront of England’s still developing electronic music scene. Now, thanks to the mercurial trends that define the genre, the Manchester collective is nothing more than a blip on the techno radar. While new styles like drum & bass and hardfloor take the spotlight, Eight-O-Eight State continues crafting remarkable albums that sound like none other. Don Solaris is one of the most impressive electronic music outings of 1997, if not necessarily the most innovative. Pulling in vocal contributions from artists as diverse and stellar as Soul Coughing’s M. Doughty (“Bond”), Lamb’s Louise Rhodes (“Azura”) and the Manic Street Preachers’ James Dean Bradfield (“Lopez”) certainly makes it contender as the most interesting. But the backbone of Eight-O-Eight State’s sound is still in its propensity for propulsive rhythms and dazzling synthwork. Songs like “Jerusahat” and “Black Dartangon” practically soar out of the speakers. “Don Solaris” is as enchanting as any of the band’s most popular work and a great testament to the potential emotional reach of electronica.

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