It would have been hard to imagine 808 State having such a low profile during the days of the massive Cubik. Outpost Transmission is the first album by the group since entering their second decade in 1998. Five years in the making, it's not an up-front stunner but a slowly developing well-rounded collection of electronica falling outside contemporary subgenres. There's nothing to easily latch onto like back in the early days, but Outpost Transmission gives the listener more cheeky psychedelia to nose around in than any previous releases. The clever Chopsumwong sounds like old-school 808 being remixed by Mike Paradinas with a melody just about to fall apart, and the delicate Suntower brings to mind Graham Massey's work with Björk. Simian's Simon Lord guests on the stomping 606, a great track that looses some impact due to a murky mix. Elbow's Guy Garvey does well enough on the Scott Walker-meets-Yellow Magic Orchestra-flavored Lemonsoul. Alabama 3's vocalists have less to work with on Crossword, with its corny "no chillout!" call-out hook. When the vocal tracks are skipped it all seems much more focused. It's a mature 808 State on Outpost Transmission, and the album does take more listens than usual to appreciate. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi

1		606
2		Chopsumwong
3		Wheatstraw
4		Lemonsoul
5		Suntower
6		Bent
7		Souflex
8		Crossword
9		Lungfoo
10		Quincy's Lunch
11		Dissadis
12		Doctors & Nurses
13		Brown Sauce
14		Long Orange (Testa)

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