Altern 8 - Biography
By Eric Brightwell
In the late 1980s, the Highgate-based Network Records label was largely responsible for bringing techno, house and garage from the US to the UK. One of the label’s more colorful domestic acts, Altern-8, burst onto the rave scene in the early ‘90s clad in chemical warfare suits and seemingly inspired by KLF’s guerilla promotional tactics. By combining influences drawn from electro, house, new beat, techno and other electronic music, their sample-heavy breakbeat hardcore proved very popular and changed the landscape of electronic music.
In 1988, DJ Mark Archer teamed up with fellow DJ Dean Meredith to release music under a variety of names at Blue Chip Recordings in their hometown of Stafford. Despite being credited to six acts, the supposed acid house compilation, Acid Trance, was in fact entirely the work of the duo with contributions from two other employees of the label, Andy Meecham and a former music technology student/computer geek Chris Peat.
The following year, the core duo made techno as Bizarre Inc and electro as Rhythm Mode: D. When Meredith decided to end his parternship with Archer, Archer and Peat formed C & M Connection, who released one single, “Another Night.” After that, the then 21-year-olds changed their name to Nexus 21. The single "(Still) Life Keeps Moving" followed and the ensuing album, The Rhythm of Life (1989-Blue Chip) paid homage to Detroit with quality, straight-laced techno. When Blue Chip collapsed shortly after the album’s release, the duo crossed to midlands to their new home at Birmingham’s Network Records.
In 1990, the two travelled to Detroit and were exposed to and acquired several pieces of equipment that allowed them to move away from their earlier reliance on sampling. Their next musical endeavor incorporated increased musical interests that helped define the emerging breakbeat hardcore direction. The two decided to create an alter-ego for what they intended to be a side project to Nexus 21. The name of this new project, Alien 8, had earlier been that of both an earlier Peat effort and a mid-‘80s video game. When the label misspelled their name as “Altern 8” on the Overload EP (1990), the two went with it. Again as Nexus 21, they released the single, “Self Hypnosis,” and the Progressive Logic EP (1990).
After a gig as Nexus 21 in Coventry, the two were booked to return as Altern 8. The two worried that they’d be recognized and came up with a novel solution. Obtaining chemical warfare suits from Archer’s brother (then serving in the RAF) and donning yellow dust masks with A’s on them, they returned undetected and at the same time added a bold visual touch that was quite at odds with the anti-image DJs of the day.
In 1991, “Activ 8 (Come with Me)” and The Vertigo EP were considerable successes. With Altern 8’s surprise popularity and the release of a second Nexus 21 album held up due to sample clearance problems, Archer and Peat committed full time to Altern 8, occasionally doing remixes as Nexus 21. “Activ 8 (Come with Me)” made the Top 30, therein earning them a spot on Top of the Pops. The next single, “Frequency,” was another success. At the time, they claimed to have only produced 10,0001 copies and burnt the masters, although it later turned out to be simply a promotional tactic and untrue.
“Brutal-8-E”and the “E-Vapor 8” (with vocals by the legenary P.P. Arnold) followed in 1992 and were massive hits in the year that proved to be a peak in hardcore’s popularity. Capitalizing on their success, Peat entered as a candidate for the Stafford constituency in the General Election on the Hardcore ticket. Promising to rid Stafford of “rock music” with the assistance of a witch doctor, he publicly sawed a guitar in two and received over 150 votes, coming in fourth. With the release of their full-length debut, Full On - Mask Hysteria (1992), Altern-8 signed to Capitol in the US. The typically hysterical British press, meanwhile, used Altern 8’s instantly recognizable image as an example of the dangers of rave and E. The ensuing moral panic resulted in the passage of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act or 1994, giving police increased power against ravers and those who dared play music with repetitive beats.
In 1993, before the bill passed, the duo abruptly parted ways. Archer remained active in music, first teaming up with Danny Taurus, producing as Slo Moshun. He later DJed as Mr Nex with Rennie Pilgrim and released solo work, most recently releasing Ring Of Gyges EP (2009-Mutate). Since he doesn’t own the rights to the band’s name, another Altern 8 album is unlikely as Chris Peat returned to his first love, computers and the two aren’t in contact any longer.
