808 State - Pacific State

This is a total dance classic, and one of my favourite electronic songs ever! It initially appeared on the EP Quadrastate, but was then remixed prior to becoming the group's first release on record labetl ZTT records (founded by Trevor Horn and former NME journalist Paul Morely and whose roster contained Grace Jones and Frankie Goes to Hollywood among others.) The was key in gaining the group commercial success after it was picked up by BBC Radio 1 DJ Gary Davies. It reached a very respectable #10 on the charts, but the song's influence and sustained popularity transcends its chart placing in my opinion. The remixed versions have their own respective titles: Pacific 707 refers to the 7" version and Pacific 202 refers to the 12". The version found on their sophomore album, Ninety, is the 202 version. The track's arrangement is also unique, typically bass lines in techno music tend to be short and repetitive, whereas in Pacific State the bass part has its own melody which constantly changes during the course of the song. For me, what makes the song stand out is the horn. It gives the track a timeless feel and gives it an organic kind of quality, whereas some other electronic tracks from the same era can sound a little bit stagnant or stale. It's a versatile song for me, you can relax to it (again thanks to the horn melody) but it also has an incredibly infectious and danceable quality which makes it a classic. I first heard this song a few years ago, on a compilation called In The Mix: Rave Revival, this was when I was just dabbling in electronic music. The song blew me away, as it was unlike anything I had heard before, and I've loved it from that initial hearing. The song is a staple feature on many compilations of the era and rightly so, it is one of the finest electronic songs ever!