Acid house legends 808 State will be In Yer Face when they come to Portsmouth on 30th anniversary tour

Now some three decades since they first graced the arena with their game-changing electronica, the band remain in a unique position as one of the prime originators of UK dance music, having helped shape dance music from their first releases.

Fuelled by the emergent music technology of the late ’80s, the band combined human warmth and delicacy to modern machine music to create abstract, artistic techno with harder melodic edges.

Initially defined to many with their breakthrough singles Pacific, Cubik and In Yer Face, they were the first electronica band to craft long-form dance music albums, well before the likes of Leftfield and Orbital released their debut LPs.

Now recording their sixth full studio album Transmission Suite, the new tour, 808 State : 30 Live will highlight the Manchester-based band’s contribution to dance music’s past and present as they perform the hits and hidden gems from their back catalogue alongside new material.

The band were also the first to bring in guest vocalists and have collaborated with the likes of Bjork, Manic Street Preachers’ James Dean Bradfield, Elbow’s Guy Garvey and a whole host of others, setting the format for many subsequent crossover indie/dance tracks.

As one of the very first fully live techno acts to hit the road, their live reputation has always been formidable. Recent concerts at London’s Printworks and Moogfest in North Carolina have highlighted that they remain one of dance music’s best live performers.

In a statement, the band, Graham Massey and Andrew Barker, said: ‘To celebrate 30 years of 808 State we’ll be taking to the road for a special UK tour at the end of the year.

‘808 : 30 Live is a new show where we will perform new live versions from our back catalogue, and we’ll also showcase brand new material from our forthcoming album Transmission Suite. We are really pleased that Lone will be joining us on the tour.’

Lone’s sets sees him weave in and out of his considerable catalogue alongside an audio-visual tapestry and his approach takes in elements of house, soul, hip-hop and techno, all combined with the artistic touches one has come to expect from one of UK electronica’s most respected breakthrough producers.

Lone said: ‘‘There was me and my mate Walshy when we first got into the hardcore rave scene back in 1994. He had a box full of rave tapes and videos at his house, which we used to go through, and one day, one of the tapes we put on was 808 State’s In Yer Face. I played it on in my mum’s car and it was then I realised it was possible to incorporate proper heart and melody in to the context of “rave” music. That was my first big push and inspiration to making my own music.’

They play at The Pyramids Centre in Southsea on Friday, November 30. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10am. Go to bhlivetickets.com.