On the 4th August, at precisely midnight CET, 808 State launch an information network under the banner 'State To State'. Of course, this being 808 State, we're not just talking a quarterly fanzine - we're talking the permanent establishment of an 808 E-Mail address. Subscribers can therefore communicate directly with the band in the manner that cybercommunicators do, and benefit from other spin-offs such as instant updates on the trio's activities, the exchange of musical ideas and - not to be sniffed at - a free CD of exclusive 808 material. There is a quarterly fanzine too, by the way.

The launch is celebrated on MTV's The Party Zone, in which the band co-host the show and play new tracks. From this date, 808 step into a new relationship with audiences and, potentially, collaborators - similar to experiments by Depeche Mode but much more organic. If you don't have a modem, don't panic: the network supports a more traditional system of interaction courtesy of The Post Office. Write to State To State, (Contact Details). And look out for an exclusive competition in the THE MIX: the band have offered us a Roland R8 MkII (there being no more TR-808s in production) which we'll give away when we're good and ready. Or, when 808's new album is released by ZTT, whichever is the sooner.

In the meantime, the State To State album is yours if you subscribe.