A Review of Orbital's Discography

Although no longer my favourite group I probably know more from Orbital than any other artist (maybe not Oliver Lieb). So I decided I may as well do a few mini reviews of them as I’m currently in the process of listening through most of their discography. I should say that you will not find absolutely every version of every release listed here as Orbital had a habit of releasing different versions in diferent countries. I've discussed both versions of their first album which is the most important example of this occurring. I'll also probably leave out most examples of remix releases as I cannot be bothered to discuss 5 versions of a track which won't be as good as the original.

Chime [EP] 1990 – The version of Chime on there is essentially the same as that on the US version of the Green Album I believe. This is obviously a classic in Orbital’s history and showed their ability to make great rave songs. One of their few songs I’ve found that those with more mainstream tastes will listen to as it is rather melodic. The b-side of this is a relatively unknown track, Deeper. It sounds like the sort of techno coming from Warp records especially LFO at the time. Because of this it has dated quite a bit but people who are a fan of that period of techno may want to get hold of this EP for that track. Otherwise, not really worth getting as Chime appears elsewhere.

Omen [EP] 1990 – I haven’t heard 2 Deep on this EP but will discuss the two I have. I personally prefer this title-track to Chime, despite still being very rave-orientated the hypnotic style of the brothers which would lead to some of their best tracks was pioneered here much more effectively than Deeper on the previous EP. It also begins an increased use of samples and rhythm that become key in their golden period. Open Mind is certainly an interesting track for Orbital, initially sounding like Detroit techno but every so often bringing that rave sound that makes it unmistakeably from the early 90s UK techno scene. Again not an essential EP but fans may want to consider it for the title track.

III [EP] 1991 – Once again an EP I haven’t heard one of the tracks on, LC 1. The other two tracks however, especially Satan, make this the most important release from Orbital so far. The most recognised version of Satan is the Industry Standard that appears on In Sides but the original mix of it is just as awesome; less angry and abrasive than it would eventually become but a rival for Orbital’s most trippy song ever. Although I used to prefer the Industry Standard I now think this version is perhaps the greatest incarnation and definitely the gem in Orbital’s pre-Brown album career. As well as this you have their first attempt at an ambient techno track, Belfast, with very pleasing results. This track floats along using a vocal sample, a pulsating melody and beats, eventually slowing down the tempo towards the end of the song which further emphasises this floating feeling. Like Chime this track goes down well with mainstream lovers. Overall less essential than Omen however as the two big tracks appear on the Green Album.

Midnight/Choice [EP] 1991 – Both tracks appear on the US release of the Green Album and so this is only worth getting if you’re not going to get that version. Midnight appears on both versions of the Green Album but is a live version on the UK release. I prefer it in its original slower format where it showcases the tribal edge of Orbital which becomes prevalent in Snivilistion. The b-side Choice is one of Orbital’s better rave-orientated tracks and actually sounds midway between the more dated rave tracks on their first album and the more timeless ones on their second.

Orbital (Green Album) [Album] 1991 – This album has grown on me over time but still does not represent Orbital at their peak. Unlike all later albums this one is different depending on whether it is the UK or US version. Part of the reason I now like it more is probably because I now have the US version which is superior. The differences are that the US version has Satan and Choice on it instead of Steel Cube Idolatry and High Rise, Midnight and Chime are not live versions and Speed Freak is a Moby Remix. The two live tracks are basically just faster versions of their original versions, so there is little difference between them. The new tracks that are not on any of the existing EPs are nearly all rave techno tracks which are a bit above standard fair and have dated a lot in sound. The exception is The Moebius which is perhaps the most complex Orbital track up to this point. This is the beginning of the group making complex techno songs with no rave reference at all, which would culminate on In Sides. Those who have all the existing EPs may as well get the UK release as all they will miss is the remix of Speed Freak which is just the song being changed from techno to hardcore essentially. Otherwise get the US version as the only worthwhile track missing from the early EPs is Omen.

Radiccio [EP] 1992 – This EP marks the move towards their mid-era sound, the best release from the brothers up to this point. It begins with the first incarnation of Halcyon, not quite the ambient techno masterpiece it becomes on the Brown Album as this version still has a more danceable, rave aspect to it but still a great track. Next you have two versions of a tribal track, The Naked And The Dead and The Naked And The Dub which possibly stand as the group’s peak tribal songs. The former is a complex, multilayered frenzy of rhythms reminiscent of tracks like Ambush 2 by The Ambush. Although very danceable Orbital have transcending doing tracks for the dancefloor and instead for the brain by this point and this track is the perfect example of this. The latter reminds me of some of the tracks by the Orb on the Blue Room but also with a very hypnotic feel to it. It conjures up images of being present at some tribal ceremony. To seal this EP’s worth for any Orbital fans it also has the track Sunday on it, which is basically a Goa techno version of what would become Monday on their second album. Once again Orbital excel at this style despite this being their first attempt at it. Finally Chime pops up again so if you don’t have earlier releases you can get it here.

Orbital 2 (Brown Album) [Album] 1993 – For me this still stands as the peak of Orbital’s career, with influences from many styles present and yet still flowing perfectly as a complete whole. It begins with Time Becomes, a vocal sample that is looped in a manner similar to Steve Reich’s famous It’s Gonna Rain. There are two identical samples which are looped and slowly fluctuate out of time then finally synchronising again at the end of the track. Apparently the sample used was intended as a joke so that initially people would think they had a copy of the Green Album which begins with the same sample. The album ends in a similar vein with Input Output with the interesting twist that the samples are not identical and so as they fluctuate out of time the sound changes more drastically. These two sampling experiments actually indicate the repetitive hypnotic sound of the remainder of the album, especially the two mantras, Remind and Walk Now…. Remind actually was a remix of a Meat Beat Manifesto track but transcended the original when the vocals were removed and it was placed on this album. It takes the disorientating second half of Satan and pushes these ideas to the limits. Many acid lines flow while industrial rhythms continue in the background, ironically inducing the trancelike atmosphere which 99% of trance tracks fail to do. Walk Now rather than an industrial atmosphere has a more organic feel due to the didgeridoo ever present in the background, however it has a similarly hypnotic effect. Planet Of The Shapes begins as a synthetic, futuristic techno track which suddenly transforms into world music, showing that Orbital can even introduce psychedelia into their music. It lacks the rave aspect much of the album continues to retain and again indicates the move towards the sound of the following two albums. Lush 3, Impact and Monday make up the surviving rave sound on this album, yet these tracks already show a sophistication which those on the first album did not have with more complex melodies, rhythms and overall atmosphere. For this reason they have dated far more successfully than those early rave tracks. Finally there is Halcyon + On + On which for me is probably Orbital’s greatest ambient dance track with the only rival perhaps being Adnan’s on In Sides. The main difference is the removal of the rave sounds and the addition of a more complex rhythm but these slight changes give an increased ethereal sound to the track which completes an album with no weak tracks.

Diversions [EP] 1994 – This is a remix EP but a rather major release so I will review it. The way I’ll review it will probably demonstrate why I’m not going to bother reviewing most remix CDs from the discography. With regards to Impact USA you may as well be listening to the original track for the first five minutes or so until it introduces a couple of new acid lines. Relatively interesting but the original is both better in its own right and as part of the second album. Lush Walk About is definitely the most interesting track on this release which achieves what you hope of a remix; making an entirely new great track. Both Walk Now… and especially Lush 3 are remixed out of recognition in this long Goa-styled track. It essentially continues the trance-inducing atmosphere present in Radiccio and the Brown Album and makes this release worth obtaining for that alone. Orbital probably would have been better releasing a proper second album in the Brown album style or even making that a double CD with the new tracks on Radiccio and Lush Walk About. That said the Underworld and C.J. Bolland versions of Lush are good danceable tracks especially the latter which I would advise C.J. Bolland fans to get. The same cannot be said for the Psychick Warriors Of Gaia version which succeeded in taking the aspects of Lush and making them mind numbingly boring. I’m not sure if Semi-detached even has anything really to do with its similarly named counterpart on the next album but it is certainly no where near as good; feeling repetitive but not in a good way. Do not part with money for this release, its name is ironically rather accurate, but getting it for free is worth it for Lush Walk About and the two better Lush remixes.

Snivilisation [Album] 1994 – From the beginning of the album the noticeable difference is the removal of the 4/4 bass drum that had been present in most Orbital releases up to this point. It may not be as complex as Autechre but by this point there is always an attention to detail regarding rhythm. Techno now serves merely as the base on which they build their tracks. However this is still a transitional work which retains styles and influences they have had up to this point. The first track is Forever which effortlessly combines samples, whirring melodies and subtle rhythms to make a beautiful track, yet one which could have comfortably fit on the previous album. This flows seamlessly into I Wish I Had Duck Feet which begins with no rhythm or melody but merely a focus on the atmosphere and timbre of the piece. This then transforms into an eerie tribal number when the rhythm is introduced. The next track Sad But True demonstrates some of the most complex layering on record by the duo and also has the first conventional vocals in one of their tracks. They avoid the potential for a cheesy track however and perfectly combine the two styles that dominate the disc: gone is the rave aspect, now the remaining tribal influence and synthetic influence begin to take over. One aspect of the former is industrial music which first appeared in Remind on their previous album and now is the basis of tracks such as Crash And Carry and Quality Seconds. Science Friction and Philosophy By Numbers continue this focus on technology but without an industrial aspect, the second creating a particularly harrowing atmosphere. The final three tracks to discuss mark the boundary of experimentation which Orbital had pushed to by this date. This experimentation would become even more prevalent on the following album. First there is Kein Trink Wasser which demonstates a classical appreciation for melody and harmony and goes further by fusing the piano showcasing this with their style of techno. Next there is Are We Here? which constitutes an amalgamation of all the styles prevalent on the disc from the tribal and industrial rhythms to the masterful use of samples. The track even induces a rather tracelike atmosphere similar to that exhibited in the previous album. Hence, the placing of Attached immediately after it is appropriate as this is essentially their final track which could be said to retain the psychedelic, hynoptic effect from their previous album on tracks such as Walk Now…. Rhythm is actually largely ignored with a strong focus on the repetition of the synths. Overall a great album which perhaps is not quite as good as Brown or In Sides as it does not have the continuity of the other two and has a couple of tracks which are less memorable; namely Science Friction and Crash And Carry.

Time Flys [EP] 1995 – This is the first real EP since Radiccio and it certainly fulfills the expectations. Times Fly (Slow) can be included in their all time ambient dance masterpieces. It begins as an ambient breaks track but soon transforms to have a jungle background. While the melody floats along in a perfect carefree manner they as usual show a mastery of vocal samples, especially true of their ambient dance tracks. Its sister track (Fast) is fully atmospheric jungle which is also a great track but doesn’t achieve that floating feeling quite as well as the former. The carefree, ambient atmosphere pervades in the remix Sad but New which removes the menacing feel of the original and fits nicely here. The final track Tranquilizer is certainly an interesting track and sort of reminds me of their later track Style but doesn’t fit particularly well on this release and could have been omitted. Overall definitely worth obtaining for any serious Orbital fan for the title track, as it doesn’t appear anywhere else.