808 State bassist and keyboard player Andrew Barker has passed away. The announcement came this morning via a social media statement from the band on their Twitter account.
“Its with a heavy heart to inform you of the passing of Andrew Barker.” The statement from his family reads: His family and friends asks that people respect their privacy at this time but remember him for the joy he brought through his personality and music. You’ll be sadly missed.”
Barker was one-half of the Madchester acid house pioneers, initially formed by Graham Massey, Martin Price, and Gerald Simpson in 1988. Taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine, the group released their debut album Newbuild, in September of that year, and also recorded an acid house version of New Order’s “Blue Monday”—a favourite at version played often at the New Order and Factory Records owned Nightclub The Haçienda.
808 state showcases their post-punk influences on the albums Ex:el and Gorgeous by either sampling or featuring icons from the genre. For example, New Order’s Bernard Sumner is featured on the song “Spanish Heart” and Echo and The Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch on “Moses”. The song “Contrique” samples the bassline from Joy Division’s “She’s Lost Control”. Andrew Barker, known as one of the “Spinmasters” along with Darren Partington, joined the group in 1989 and is featured on both these albums.
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