Altern 8

Altern 8 are THE British rave duo. Formed in the embryonic pre rave days of 1990 by one of the biggest names in UK Dance Music: Mark Archer and his then musical partner Chris Peat. The duo originally recorded together under the name Nexus 21, influenced heavily by the early techno sound of Detroit. As the the Rave movement took root in countless illegal parties up and down the UK, The duo embraced the anonymity that (the now iconic) ‘A’ marked face masks and chemical warfare suits gave them, allowing them to perform live on stage in front of thousands of adoring fans whilst eluding arrest and staying one step ahead of the law, eager to crush the defiant spirit of Rave and the forces behind it. Altern 8’s singles, including Infiltrate 202, Activ-8, E-Vapor 8, Hypnotic St-8 and Frequency hit the UK charts with a force not previously witnessed. As their popularity grew their publicity stunts grew wilder and wilder (remember the infamous rave in a club car park at 2am from the back of an articulated lorry as featured in the official video for Activ-8?) As the duo continued to dominate the Rave scene into 1992, the much lauded album 'Full On Mask Hysteria' was released, reaching number 10 in the UK album charts, confirming the duo’s status in the movement, a movement that they had been so instrumental in starting. 2020 celebrates the 30th anniversary of Altern 8 with the release of a brand new single, Hard Crew.