808 State Vinyl Records
One of the most important dance music acts of all time, 808 State played a major role in popularizing acid house in the U.K. at the end of the 1980s, and have remained a primary influence on several generations of techno, IDM, and alternative dance artists. Initially associated with the Madchester scene, which otherwise consisted of dance-friendly rock bands descended from post-punk and psychedelia, they were among the first groups to put a British spin on Detroit techno and Chicago house, producing electronic tracks that were complex and experimental yet melodic and accessible.