If this is a three way fight between orbital, the orb and leftfield, then, in the long run, the orb win out for me, I'm always surprised how much I enjoy 'the adventure beyond the underworld' stuff when it crops up on shuffle plays, truly timeless, a lush sample-delic palette that has some awesome grooves. Orbital and Leftfield were/are special for gigs and festival times but for pure 'home' listening fun, the orb can still conjour that a bit of that magic that isn't just nostalgia, unlike the other two
― Swanswans, Friday, 2 July 2021 18:15 (two years ago) link
Orbital almost always feel like they’ve had one idea for the track, managed it in time for lunch, and then finished up. There’s not enough depth/complexity there.
― Tsar Bombadil (James Morrison), Friday, 2 July 2021 23:25 (two years ago) link
that is.. just so wrongstarting with the assumption you can’t make a deep/complex track in time for lunch.
“out there somewhere” not deep/complex?
funny enough paul did say something about starting on chimes, then heading to a pub for a few, coming back and finishing the track
― scanner darkly, Saturday, 3 July 2021 01:54 (two years ago) link
maybe on the first album though. I've always thought of that as one where you could cut the length by a third without losing any of the tracks
― frogbs, Saturday, 3 July 2021 03:38 (two years ago) link
The first album is fine but they’d yet to really start going for it complexity-wise - you can hear them really stretch their wings on “Lush” on the second album and then the USA version of “Impact”, like they’re working out their defining aesthetic while you listen.
― Tim F, Saturday, 3 July 2021 04:00 (two years ago) link
there is such a level up in confidence between the green and the brown album
― scanner darkly, Saturday, 3 July 2021 04:01 (two years ago) link
yeah incredible that they were recorded a year apart. that is a hell of a leap
― frogbs, Saturday, 3 July 2021 04:05 (two years ago) link
last two posts otm
Apart from "Belfast", I don't like the first album much. Brown through Middle of Nowhere is pure brilliance
― Vinnie, Saturday, 3 July 2021 10:40 (two years ago) link
Orbital's '94 Glastonbury set is on iPlayer at the moment (along with a huge amount of other Glastonbury sets). Not much to look at but they dance goofily and cool version of 'Sad But True' with extended intro making the Selecter sample sound extra dirty, transitioning smoothly from the slowed down end of 'Forever' right into it, at the expense of '...Duck Feet', but then right into 'Impact' and 'Remind' after that. No 'Lush' though surprisingly.
― nashwan, Saturday, 3 July 2021 12:07 (two years ago) link
Leftism sounds less dated today than it did a decade ago.
― pomenitul, Saturday, 3 July 2021 13:23 (two years ago) link
they're both shite, textbook student house and techno. What you want is the real brain frying hard acid on labworks, dj.ungle fever/structure, and magnetic north, noisy and a low key criticism of the club that Orbital couldn't manage. Let the bad times roll.
The Power of love? You bet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EPkj2ROBUI
― RobbiePires, Saturday, 3 July 2021 21:58 (two years ago) link
Did you write this review on discogs too?
Dj.ungle Fever WAS Cologne. Then the the overwhelming miasma of endless pretend genres of masturbatory boredom tightly grasping the throat of the Techno community today intruded their unwanted, fake faces and never let go.
― recovering internet addict/shitposter (viborg), Sunday, 4 July 2021 01:44 (two years ago) link
nah, not me. Although I think what killed techno was endless splits, rather than detroit-inflected minimalism, which was initially refreshing amongst hardcore and acid gear, as a kind of heads down no nonsense back 2 basics jackin sound. See the Black Scorpian technotron ep and Ian Pooley Celtic Cross ep, as well as Robert Hood internal empire. All totally uncompromising.
― RobbiePires, Sunday, 4 July 2021 03:33 (two years ago) link
it was good when trance sounded like this, like a coldly cosmic take on EBM. But then Sasha Digweed and people like Leftfield, Underworld had to come in and invent prog trance which was like soppy indie goldsmiths graduates of the 90s crying on the dancefloor to Be as One. And orbital was their chillout music of choice. Yuck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bCVLHkh5p4
― RobbiePires, Sunday, 4 July 2021 03:42 (two years ago) link
.. anyway, i need to correct myself, paul wrote chimes _before_ going to the pub.
that and other interesting bits here: https://www.soundonsound.com/people/orbital-recording-chime-london-studioand here: https://www.soundonsound.com/people/classic-tracks-orbital-chime
this particular quote is interesting in the context of green album -> brown album -> snivilisation -> insides progression, it wasn't just growth in terms of confidence level but intent also. this is after the brown album:
"We're a lot more anxious about things now," admits Phil. "We've now got the responsibility of getting a track finished 'cos it's going to be on a record. You become more analytical of your stuff." Paul: "I still have to fight with that idea — the last month has been quite bizarre, with us trying to work out what the next record should sound like. For example, I've been trying to dodge using a constant 909 bass drum 'cos a lot of our records over the last four years have got that. But then I think, 'Hey, if we were at home making music then I wouldn't hesitate to use that if I wanted to.' You know what I mean? And I'm forever trying to draw the line somewhere and work out why, if we weren't making records would we have used it? Because we just felt like it! Now we think twice about it; you start to think 'Hey wait a minute, isn't that just getting pompous?" Phil: "Consequently you're in the studio, set to do your next recording, and you end up spending three weeks just talking about it!"
leftism feels like it's trying so hard to prove something while pretending it doesn't
― scanner darkly, Sunday, 4 July 2021 20:40 (two years ago) link
new leftfield
SAD!
― the late great, Saturday, 21 January 2023 02:06 (one year ago) link