MASK HYSTERIA

ALTERN 8 HISTORY
Origins Of
Altern 8 consisted of Stafford based Mark Archer, a fan of House music and Chris Peat, a former music technology student. Apparentley they were former deck chair attendants and worked for the Blue Chip record label. They formed Nexus 21 in 1990, a purely Techno band, but changed their name to Altern 8 when they started producing Hardcore & Rave tracks on the Birmingham based Network recording label.

The Legend
As Altern 8 they played gigs in “chemical warfare suits” obtained from Mark Archer’s brother in the RAF and also sported yellow masks with the letter A emblazed on them, which were filled with Vic’s Vapo rub. Altern 8’s first gig was in Shelley’s night club car park on top of an articulated lorry (supplied by Chris’s Uncle). They had several chart entries and travelled the country performing at massive gigs with resident dancers Crez, Johny Parkes. At the Judgement Day rave at Bingley Hall they flew in a “witch doctor from Africa” for a ritual killing of Rock music, although in actual fact it was really a blacked up photographer from Tamworth wearing a loin cloth and cow’s skull.

The Present
Mark and Chris wound up Altern 8 in 1993 due to money troubles, but Mark Archer joined Mark I in the recent oldskool revival gigs to perform as Altern 8, doing the midnight gig at a nightclub on New Years Eve 2002. While Chris went on to form run his own computer shop and study computers Mark continued to produced music under various names. Other artist names he has produced under include C&M connection (with Chris Peat), DJ Nex, M.A.D.M (with Dean Meredith), Mr Nex, Slo Moshun (with Stoke-on-Trent based Danny Taurus), Soul Brothers Inc (with Chris Peat and Bizarre Inc), The Seven Grand Housing Authority Meets Mark Archer (with The Seven Grand Housing Authority), The Siley People (with Dean Meredith), Thieves of Bagdad (with Dean Meredith again), Trackman and Xen Mantra. When not doing oldskool rival gigs it is rumoured that Mark Archer now works at Argos.