Orbital Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
Electronica perennials Orbital faded very suddenly. In 1999 (circa Middle of Nowhere), ten years after their debut, the Hartnoll brothers sounded as invigorated and exciting as they had at the beginning of their career; two years later came The Altogether, which made them appear as confused as Eric Clapton's ill-fated T.D.F. project and as uninspired as Juno Reactor. By mid-2004, they had announced their retirement and revealed that Blue Album would be their last. The announcement was a surprise (if not an unexpected one), but the sound of the record that followed isn't. As could be predicted after the scattershot Altogether, Blue Album returns them to the green fields of their early days and positively brims with back-to-basics techno. The evidence peaks with "Pants" and "Acid Pants" (the latter is a collaboration with another famous brothers combo, Sparks). Both of the tracks revel in the type of glazed-eye acid patterns, ringing melodies, and stark rhythms that evoke decade-old Orbital singles like "Choice" and "Satan." Another Orbital prototype is the dire-warning track, here titled "You Lot" and featuring a sample from Christopher Eccleston's speech in the British TV movie The Second Coming (he's weary at the ease with which scientists play God). A few tracks reveal (again) the Hartnolls' early fascination with spy or sci-fi soundtracks, but here too there's little ground they haven't worked over several times before. When Orbital were busy collaborating with Metallica's Kirk Hammett or attempting yet more aggro-techno fusions, this was exactly what fans begged for: a return to basics. Unfortunately, now that they have it, Blue Album will inspire little reaction other than an urge to return to brilliant records like Orbital 2 and Snivilisation. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Electronica routinely covers more ground, more quickly, than any style of music on the planet; the hottest new sound in January is old hat by March and downright foolish to even mention in June. Orbital, however, is the great constant in the world of techno. Every few years, the brothers Hartnoll manage to turn in excellent albums that occasionally reference the latest sound but rarely vary from the chord-heavy melodics of their debut single, "Chime." Though it took a bit longer to release, Middle of Nowhere is another typically excellent Orbital album. Experiments with breakbeats and other styles of music made interesting mixers of their previous two albums, Snivilisation and In Sides, and this fifth album includes nods to big beat-techno ("I Don't Know You People") and soundtrack composers. The latter is hardly a surprise, considering the Hartnolls' sideline gig as score composers (Event Horizon, The Saint). The opener, "Way Out," adds trumpet solos and a symphonic grandeur -- reminiscent of John Barry's scores for the James Bond films -- to the quintessential Orbital sound. Even considering the lack of real progression in sound, Middle of Nowhere reflects the pair once again making all the right moves and not slowing down a bit. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The political commentary inherent in 1994's Snivilization extended even to the Top 30 single "Are We Here?," whose criminal justice bill mix voiced Phil and Paul's concern over what the bill might lead to -- silence. Musically, the album delivers on the diverse promises of early B-sides "Choice" and "Belfast," with more harbingers to their thrash background -- especially on "Quality Seconds" -- and the addition of a third member, vocalist Alison Goldfrapp, on two songs. The shuffling, quasi-Eastern jungle rhythms of "Are We Here?," a beautiful piano run to begin "Kein Trink Wasser," and the glorious ambient climax "Attached" also reflect the fact that Snivilization is Orbital's most varied LP. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The U.S. version of Orbital's debut album serves as a good primer to the group's early history, including standard versions of the early singles "Chime," "Omen," "Satan," and "Midnight," in addition to two B-sides which showed Phil and Paul's first stab at varying their Kraftwerk-inspired sound. "Belfast" (from the "Satan" single) is a warm, mid-tempo synth track inspired by Depeche Mode; "Choice," at the other extreme, is an aggro-house piece with vocal samples (e.g., "Wake Up!") that recall socially conscious punks like Crass. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
