ex:el is an album by electronic music

Electronic music

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...

 group 808 State

808 State

808 State are a British electronic music outfit, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and their common state of mind...

 which reached #4 in the UK Albums Chart

UK Albums Chart

The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...

 on its release in 1991 and features the UK Top 40

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

 singles "Cubik" - #10 in November 1990, "In Yer Face" - #9 in February 1991 and "Lift" - #38 in August 1991.

The album also features the guest vocals of Bernard Sumner

Bernard Sumner

Bernard Sumner , also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken and Bernard Albrecht is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player and producer....

 of Joy Division

Joy Division

Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...

 and New Order

New Order

New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...

 fame, who sang on "Spanish Heart". In addition, Björk

Björk

Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...

 sang on "Qmart" and "Ooops", and is credited with co-writing the two songs.

It is considered to be the first major release to feature the sample from the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...

of the phrase "we are the music makers", which became one of the most common vocal samples in electronic music. It is also the first pop-oriented electronic-music album to feature guest vocals on a few tracks by important indie rock

Indie rock

Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...

/alternative rock

Alternative rock

Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 artists, another thing that became commonplace on pop-oriented electronic-music albums.[]

Original track listing

1. "San Francisco" – 4:56
2. "Spanish Heart" (Featuring. Bernard Sumner
   Bernard Sumner
   Bernard Sumner , also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken and Bernard Albrecht is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player and producer....
   
   ) – 3:51
3. "Leo Leo" – 4:01
4. "Qmart" (Featuring. Björk
   Björk
   Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
   
   ) – 4:58
5. "Nephatiti" – 4:50
6. "Lift" – 5:12
7. "Ooops" (Featuring. Björk
   Björk
   Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
   
   ) – 4:41
8. "Empire" – 4:20
9. "In Yer Face" – 4:54
10. "Cubik" – 3:44
11. "Lambrusco Cowboy" – 4:05
12. "Techno Bell" – 4:56
13. "Olympic" – 4:21

2008 deluxe edition

In September 2008 ex:el was re-released as a 'deluxe edition' featuring Chapter 2 of journalist Ian Peel's 'The 808 Story', the original album remastered by Graham Massey, and a bonus disc of remixes and un-released tracks which included:

1. "In Yer Face - Facially Yours Remix" - 4:17
2. "Olympic - Euro Bass Mix" - 5:44
3. "Lift - Heavy Mix" - 4:42
4. "Cubik - State to Pan Am Mix" - 4:29
5. "Open Your Mind - Sound Garden Mix" - 4:28
6. "Lambrusco Cowboy - Alt Mix" - 4:17
7. "Ski Family" - 5:14
8. "Ooops - Mellow Birds Mix" - 4:04
9. "In Yer Face - Cheadle Royal Mix" - 3:26
10. "Olympic - Unreleased Mix" - 4:55