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2 1/2The innovative pair haven't dated as well as good art should, instead sounding more like standard issue techno by now, stretched slightly further from well produced synth-driven melody.
I have tremendous respect for Phil and Paul Hartnoll. The tracks which I thought were flat had new life. I just wasn't hearing or grasping the whole song, or intended concepts- the righteous didgeridoo drone is a great example- just propels the song forward.Halcyon is obviously one of the most breathtaking, and classic tracks in this style and the others are precedent type examples of great electronic music compositions. Besides the first and last track (if they can be called that) this album is, in my opinion, one of the finest examples of early-mid electronic music. I don't get into Orbital's later stuff as much as this album and In-sides, but this one is easily all-time top ten for me. However, there were always a couple of tracks that I thought were somewhat flat at the time. I first heard this album back in 95-96' and was immediately blown away. After returning to this album, I'm even more struck by the cleverness of the arrangments and melodic fragments that come in and out.
I originally heard this song while watching the music video on MTV, which was surprisingly boring yet worked -- maybe it was because I was zonked and tired, but it showed an array of people roaming a fairground, in search of bargains. After awhile, if you really pay attention, it feels formulaic, but if you dance to it without overanalyzing, there's this sublime beauty of all the pieces working together.If you're new to Orbital, I'd recommend a compilation of their work -- namely the one titled Work 1989-2002, and then travel back in time to discover how they've evolved.One of my fave, historical electronic music groups. I have many seminal memories attached to one track in particular: "Lush 3-1". (I know, it sounds like such a clash, but it fit so well for the mood I was in).Orbital's always had a gift for melodies, but this is a more daunting album if you're new to them and more comfortable with their tighter radio edits that have more of a conventional song structure (like their collab with David Gray): it takes many minutes for things to unfold, new elements being layered in 8- and 16-bar sections. Long live the Hartnoll Brothers. While I don't know why it was numbered like a Super Mario Bros. level, the basic 4-4 kick supporting a crisp overlaid arrangement worked like magic.
This was a huge leap forward from the cheap rave of its era and doesn't sound a bit dated. Few dance acts pulled it off then and I sometimes think even fewer do today.Of course the music alone makes it truly a classic. Brilliant. I didn't realize it at the time when this came out, but this album is groundbreaking just because it is a true album - a whole statement vs. a comp of 12-18 months worth of singles.
It holds up well after more than 10 years, and that's pretty unusual for a techno band. There are stomping rave anthems and goofy sonic experimentation. Some say that Orbital got even better after this one, but I personally think this was the last truly good album that they made. This album is my personal favorite by Orbital, if only because it was still heavily infuenced by their live performances and constant touring in the vibrant rave scene of the early 90's. This is dance music for smart people.
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