Orbital - Classic or Dud?

i agree that the last three tracks start to dip in quality a bit

There's no Tiny Foldable Cities-type highlight but it's pretty consistently good

late to the party but I wanted to wait until the shop actually got it. all I can say is I've been a fan since I was 16 and this makes me real happy. reminds me a lot of No Geography by the Chems. it's kinda everything you want in a late-career album; production is amazing, it hits their signature sound a lot but has some new things, and it's lean and focused. I don't agree that there's a dip late in the album either - actually I think that's where they're at their most Plaid which is a side of them I really like

First listen right now. Part of me longs for them to roll out another Belfast / Halcyon+on+on / Girl With The Sun, but they’re just not going to do that at this stage. Doesn’t mean it’s not really enjoyable, though. Dirty Rat is awesome. The whole thing sounds just like Orbital, but, like everything since The Altogether, it doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be anything but Orbital. I feel like their sound constantly stretched and evolved up until then, and then calcified a little. Which is inevitable. This is as good as Wonky was. I didn’t listen to the last one enough cos it was 2018 and almost everything got ignored that year.

Fucked Up do a cover of "Quality Seconds" on their new 7'': https://fuckedup.bandcamp.com/album/cops

last few tracks feel a bit like Plaid which I would argue is kind of a new direction, if one could possibly exist for them at this stage. funny cuz Plaid are the other guys that come to mind when you think of electronic groups whose sound has gone completely static. they both make quality records though.

“There is the theory of the möbius, a twist in the fabric of space where time becomes a loop, and when we reach that point, what ever happened will happen again.” That time, it would appear, is now.

Pre-Sale 17/10 10 AM BST. General Sale 19/10 10 AM BST https://t.co/otQ1IDu32Z pic.twitter.com/oEsgwLQcDA

— Orbital (@orbitalband) October 13, 2023

Wonder if they'll subsequently do the Brown Album?

guessing this is gonna coincide with vinyl re-releases of all their old albums

Hopefully. They did say last year that they had some new licensing deal that was going to see all of their catalogue end up on streaming services but there's been no sign of that yet. Think it's only Chime and Radiccio of their early singles that are available atm

from the newsletter:

'I’ve always been sceptical about going back but when we thought about playing the Green album live I rolled the idea around for a bit, how could this work? The way we perform is always free and full of improvisation in production and arrangements. This approach will give us a chance to take these fabulous old tracks, written by young versions of ourselves, and perform them with a modern sensibility.
Intrigued, I gathered all the original gear, set it up and switched on…
As I dusted off the old floppy discs, samplers and an Atari ST computer (Google it), I discovered the ghost of my past in the machine. It was like collaborating with my 22 year-old self. As the songs broke free from their original form, it quickly became clear that I really did want to take these songs on the road, many of which have never been played before.
We love playing live, the most exciting thing is to take a whole bunch of music we haven’t played before and discover how to play it, to see how people respond to it and shape it as we go along together.
To play the Green album live will be a wholly new experience for us and you, it’ll be a bit of an adventure. This will be new territory that I can’t wait to explore. As the saying goes...
“There is the theory of the möbius, a twist in the fabric of space where time becomes a loop, and when we reach that point, what ever happened will happen again.”
That time, it would appear, is now.'
Paul Hartnoll

No shit that's really awesome! Hope this makes it to the US

Yeah same here! Still have never been fortunate enough to see them.

I was fortunate to see them around 92 when they had the tower set up in the middle of the floor and the headlights and Belinda Carlisle/Bon Jovi drops. And also a few times at Glastonbury.

Saw them again on the Wonky tour and, suffice to say, they were no longer the only bald people in the room

vinyl reissues finally happening:

https://orbital.tmstor.es/#main_menu

so far it's just Green but they say the rest are coming. track list looks different...what is "Macro Head"??

Macro Head was on the original vinyl release

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj42b9M1fXI

oh god the screaming!!!

actually come to think of it I haven't heard "Steel Cube Idolatry" or "High Rise" either, though I know they were on the UK release. glad to see "Belfast" is at the end...for whatever reason the US version puts it as track #1, which is very bizarre

wonder if future reissues are gonna have bonuses too - imagine a 4xLP In Sides with full versions of The Box & the Times Fly EP, plus "The Saint" ? oh hell yeah

looks like the Green/Brown show is coming to Chicago? I might have to make the drive for that, dunno how many chances I'm gonna get to see them

Only just found out they're including Brown and delighted having already a ticket for the London show

Oof gotta shell out for this. Can't remember the last time they were here and don't know when they'll be back again.

wet like he's Book

I couldn't really afford the Bristol ticket but once I saw Brown was included that was it.

but... there's only one "Green & Brown set" on this list? Everything else is still the Green tour?

https://orbitalofficial.com/live/

The UK dates are all Green/Brown.

No chance I'm gonna get to see them this tour but I might be the rare Orbital fan who wouldn't be excited at all to see them do Green. Brown on the other hand...

I'd take a Snivilisation show for its 30th anniversary while we're at it.

okay who's going to the Chicago show? apparently it's not gonna be a Green/Brown show which is fine by me, they have killer tracks throughout their catalogue

I am in for Chicago! Looking forward to it.

Just noticed that the remastered version of the Chime 12" is out today on streaming services

Hope that means we'll start to see their other singles appearing soon, as was mentioned in that interview a couple of years ago

this one? that was only last year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TXmdXF1FIY

No, it was from an interview back in 2021 when they were talking about the new deal they'd signed