Steve: Fair enough if you hear descending lines as depressing. I can't hear that particular progression as depressing, though, because of the tonal quality of the synths and the key it's working in (I find it hard to hear a major key as depressing).
Your point about "Adnan's and "Dwr Budr" is interesting because those are both built on minor keys and, by default, sound more... "ominous" isn't the right word, especially given the absolutely frightening oppression of the first half of "Out There Somewhere" with that screaming keyboard riff that sounds like a woman crying for help, but I can't think of a better one. Neither of them flips into major at the end (although "Adnan's" is acoustically warmer than "Dwr Budr" in its synth palette), so I find less "hope" in them than I do at the end of "Out There Somewhere".
As far as those BOC songs go, I wouldn't call any of them depressing; the only one that comes close is "THS" and that's more oppressive/claustrophobic (again, due to the arrangement and the minor chord progression; actually, that song pretty much typifies "ominous" and I love that aspect of it to death).
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 19:39 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 19:45 (twenty-one years ago) link
I totally agree with this, I was there and it was one of the most glorious live moments I've witnessed. The version of "Impact" that follows with the spectral synths at the end is special, too.
No-one does "moments" better than Orbital, do they? I have to say one of the best is on "Out There Somewhere" - yes, it's a descent, but it's a magic descent that rises. I don't know the technical musical terminology so the term "magic" will do for me. If you want ascent, though, try "Know Where To Run" for the greatest Orbital moment - that riff at the end! But then there's the harpsichord bit on the single version of "The Box" - I can feel a Top Ten Orbital Moments coming on, all of which start with "That bit where...".
― Mike (mratford), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 19:56 (twenty-one years ago) link
Mike, you can copy and paste my comments about that section if you want, although I like describing it as "magic" more.
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 20:02 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 20:03 (twenty-one years ago) link
well i'll be off to a therapist probably as i'm clearly alone on this one ;)
as for BOC, its only 'depressing' like Radiohead is 'depressing', only because its detached more from a human element it can go either way more freely in resonating positive or negative sensations...BOC tracks always primarily remind me of places rather than people, the nature of which are often dictated more by precisely that - nature, rather than the actions of people - although thats around 50/50 whereas with orbital there's more of a sense that they are communicating feelings of approval/disapproval with the actions of people, in short they're less subjective, commentators as opposed to BOC who are more strictly observers. i mentioned this before in another thread comparing the two bands - i can't remember the thread or exactly what i said (!) but i think it was the idea that Orbital present exhibits for people to see and explore - the tracks reison d'etre is to be experienced by people in certain ways, and BOC's remit and output was far more ambiguous.
― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 20:06 (twenty-one years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 20:14 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 20:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
Great Orbital moments:
- the sudden sidewise darkness lurches in "Are We Here?" and then the celestial synths flooding in
- the heavenly break in "Adnan's" which sounds like the sun coming out from behind the clouds
- the compressed vocal loops in "Nothing Left 2" drawing together faster and faster like water swirling down into a plug, then that little corny breakbeat and then the synth line rushes back
- pretty much every single moment of the live version of "Impact (The Earth Is Burning)" but particularly the total nuclear fall-out of the last five minutes or so.
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 00:33 (twenty years ago) link
Is that the track that sounds like something off "Autobahn" or some C-64 computer game in the beginning?Agree that one is kinda cool.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 08:08 (twenty years ago) link
― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 08:17 (twenty years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 08:33 (twenty years ago) link
lets talk about 'Snivilisation' some more - that is an album for me with quite a drop in the middle as i find i NEVER want to listen to 'Philosophy By Numbers' (not good with this Orbital darkness am I?)or 'Science Fiction' (find it pretty dull) particularly but i will gorge myself on the fantastic first three tracks and the last two, tho in a strange way the highlight is actually 'Kein Trink Wasser' because it always reminds me of the Glastonbury moment i described above and its just pure piano magic.
btw, has anyone heard Spooky's 'Fingerbobs'? it is one of THE brilliant Orbital tracks that was never made by Orbital. i might have to upload it...
― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 09:33 (twenty years ago) link
― David Gunnip (David Gunnip), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 10:48 (twenty years ago) link
Of course OTS only really takes off in Part II anyway, after you get that great chaotic bit where it all seems to be falling apart and then it suddenly resolves. Lovely.
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 11:05 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 11:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 12:30 (twenty years ago) link
― The Man they call Dan (The Man they call Dan), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 14:09 (twenty years ago) link
'Snivilisation' has strong broody moments - namely the two tracks i mention i never listen to on it, plus a couple of other bits (first part of 'Are We Here') - i find the first three tracks quite soothing despite the sinister overtones of the samples used on 'I Wish I Had Duck Feet' and Alison Goldfrapp's wailings on 'Sad But True' (which pilfers the intro to The Selecter's 'The Selecter' tune sample-spotters) - 'In Sides' is definitely a darker album overall imo
― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 14:29 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 15:36 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 16:15 (twenty years ago) link
Edition 1 (aka THE KICK-ASS EDITION): CD2 contains the "Times Fly" EP and "The Box" EP.Edition 2 (aka THE ALMOST AS KICK-ASS EDITION): CD2 contains two versions of "Satan", "The Saint", "The Sinner" and a live version of "Halcyon".
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 16:34 (twenty years ago) link
― dyson (dyson), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 16:44 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 17:35 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 18:27 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 18:29 (twenty years ago) link
― Leee (Leee), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 21:11 (twenty years ago) link
― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 21:45 (twenty years ago) link
Its environmental sleeve theme was definitely dark to say the least, but I wouldn't say the music was.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 21:54 (twenty years ago) link
― r. geary (rgeary), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 23:10 (twenty years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 23:30 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 23:35 (twenty years ago) link
― Ess Kay (esskay), Thursday, 1 May 2003 04:23 (twenty years ago) link
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 1 May 2003 04:26 (twenty years ago) link
Sort of but...well, not really. For reasons unexplained (and which pissed the band off enormously, apparently), their label decided to eschew the "proper" and mostly glorious full-length album/12" versions in favour of shitty radio edits.
Thus, you're best off persuading someone nice with a fairly comprehensive Orbital collection to burn you a full-length best-of comp.
(NB I'm not sure I am that person, sadly, nice as can be - most of my Orbital's on vinyl and 12000 miles away...)
― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 1 May 2003 06:23 (twenty years ago) link
― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 1 May 2003 06:43 (twenty years ago) link
Can I take this opportunity to reaffirm the unabashed kick-arsedness of Technologique Park again please? Thankyou.
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 1 May 2003 09:29 (twenty years ago) link
still 'Work' is very accessible so might suit Ess Kay, otherwise snap up the Brown album and In Sides and see how you go from there
― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 1 May 2003 10:04 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 1 May 2003 12:13 (twenty years ago) link
― janni (janni), Thursday, 1 May 2003 18:05 (twenty years ago) link
here's the Spooky track i mentioned upthread: Fingerbobs an old tune ('95/'96) that has that old Orbital sound/vibe
― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 8 May 2003 08:32 (twenty years ago) link
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 20 October 2003 13:58 (twenty years ago) link
― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 20 October 2003 14:21 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Monday, 20 October 2003 14:48 (twenty years ago) link
Steve - that's probably the remix of Initiation, which is supposedly on the next album proper. The original Initiation is alright as well - definitely the most 'Orbital' thing on there.
It's not better than The Altogether :( But it's not really being treated as a 'proper' album, though, so its difficult to judge what the next one will be like.
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 20 October 2003 14:55 (twenty years ago) link
― robin (robin), Monday, 20 October 2003 14:59 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:03 (twenty years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 12:40 (twenty years ago) link
― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 12:43 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 12:44 (twenty years ago) link