New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Orbital Official Website) Named after Greater London's own circular autobahn, the M25, and central to the early rave scene and party network in the South East during the halcyon 'daze' of Acid House,
Orbital have just been announced as headliners of Decibel Festival in Seattle, WA, which will take place on
September 26-30. They will be joining an incredible line-up of the best electronic talent from around the world, including the Cannabinoids feat. Erykah Badu, Carl
Craig 69 Live, Kimbra, Matthew Dear, John Talabot, and many more.
Manned by brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll and founded in the late 1980s,
Orbital released a string of classic 1990s singles including "Chime," "Style," "
The Box" and "Satan." Paul and Phil put their partnership on hold in 2004, but a five-year absence only increased demand for their exhilarating music and legendary live shows.
Currently,
Orbital is back in the ring with Wonky, their first new album in 8 years on Downtown Records. Following their long sabbatical, Paul and Phil Hartnoll are back on fighting-fit form and ready to reclaim the spotlight. Both timeless and contemporary, Wonky puts a vividly modern spin on their signature blend of richly melodic, deeply emotive electronica.
According to The BBC, "The time away has obviously helped re-energize the brothers into crafting this triumphant grand return."
Confident, energized and eclectic, Wonky already sounds like the duo's finest album to date. Gleaming, whooshing, shimmering tracks like "Straight Sun" and "Stringy Acid" instantly tap into the warm-blooded rush and restless bounce of classic Orbital. These are future festival-rocking anthems in the making, right up there with vintage live favorites "Chime" and "Belfast."
But there are nods to cutting-edge club culture on Wonky too - including a guest appearance by hotly tipped Birmingham grime MC Lady Leshurr on the album's irresistibly vibrant electro-rap title track. The Hartnolls even give a radical post-dubstep makeover to their much-loved techno-rock classic "Satan," reworking it into a razor- backed beast of shuddering bass called "Beelzedub."
Watch:
Orbital performing "Wonky" at Manchester Academy
Pitchfork praises, "thank whatever god you wish that Wonky mostly finds
Orbital deciding to do what they've always done best: gorgeous blends of house drive and techno precision, linking airy whoosh and stadium stomp, melodic hook and rhythmic push. These are dance tracks that hit you with the immediacy of pop singles."
Like all
Orbital albums, Wonky defies narrow-minded caricatures of electronic music as cold and mechanical. Playful humor and warm humanity are woven into its fabric - from the heart-tugging harmonies and woozy vocal layers of "
Never" and "Distractions," to the guest appearance on their first single by the highly acclaimed LA-based electronic musician Zola Jesus on the brooding, atmospheric epic "New France," which Fader Magazine calls "A reassuring return." These are machine-made symphonies to stir the soul and electrify the senses.
The Observer acclaims, "Of all the rave-era outfits that so appalled the establishment,
Orbital were by far the most consolatory and melodic. They had plenty of time for prettiness and emotion, and the skills to tend evolving musical subplots - the kind of sophistication you might feasibly compare to the richness of classical music. Hearing the sweet strains of their opener, "One Big Moment" - it's hard to imagine
Orbital ever being thought of as yobbish wreckers of civilisation. Indeed, in contrast to the big dance acts of today - the craven mechanics of Swedish House Mafia, the coldness of Skrillex, the workouts of
Deadmau5 - they feel like zen masters, privileging airy contemplation over manipulation."
Recently,
Orbital played to a sold out Royal Albert Hall, and will be making stops at festivals across the UK and the EU throughout the summer.
Watch:
Orbital performing "Beelzedub" at Manchester Academy: https://bit.ly/Omq3dk
From Decibel Festival:
"The first electronic dance music CD I purchased was Orbital's "2" back in 1993. Unlike the industrial music I was listening to at the time, what struck me immediately with
Orbital was there were no vocals. The emphasis was entirely on the sound design and composition, which were unlike anything I had ever heard prior.
Orbital has always held a special place in my heart both as producers and performers. They were one of the first purely electronic live acts to headline major festivals and tours globally, which pushed the idea of live electronic music performance into the forefront of early rave culture. As Decibel curator, I have taken the stance that live electronic music performance is crucial to the Decibel brand and no performance duo in history is more relevant to me personally than Orbital. It's worth noting that 2012 celebrates the 20th anniversary of my discovery of
Orbital and it is with great pleasure that I announce they will be one of the headliners for the 2012 Decibel Festival."
More US tour dates to be announced soon.
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