Orbital
Biography
**Orbital**
In the pantheon of electronic music, few albums have captured the euphoric essence of rave culture quite like Orbital's "In Sides" from 1996. This masterpiece stands as the Hartnoll brothers' crowning achievement, a sprawling double album that perfectly balanced accessibility with experimentation, featuring the iconic "The Box" and the mesmerizing 13-minute journey of "The Girl with the Sun in Her Head." It was an album that proved electronic music could be both cerebrally challenging and emotionally transcendent, cementing Orbital's position as pioneers who elevated dance music from the underground into an art form.
Brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll formed Orbital in 1987 in Sevenoaks, Kent, taking their name from the M25 orbital motorway that encircled London – a fitting tribute to the highway that became synonymous with the late 1980s rave scene as party-goers followed it to secret warehouse gatherings. The duo emerged from this cultural explosion with a unique vision: to create electronic music that was simultaneously hypnotic and emotionally resonant, technical yet accessible.
Their breakthrough came in 1990 with "Chime," a track that became an instant classic and helped define the sound of British electronic music. Built around a simple but irresistible melody played on a Korg M1, "Chime" demonstrated the brothers' gift for creating tracks that worked equally well in massive festival settings and intimate listening environments. This ability to craft music that functioned on multiple levels would become their signature throughout their career.
Orbital's musical style defies easy categorization, drawing from ambient, techno, house, and even classical influences. Their approach was always cinematic in scope, creating vast sonic landscapes that could transport listeners on epic journeys. Unlike many of their contemporaries who focused on harder, more aggressive sounds, the Hartnolls specialized in building emotional narratives through their compositions, often incorporating unexpected elements like orchestral samples, field recordings, and complex polyrhythms.
The duo's live performances became legendary spectacles, featuring the brothers positioned behind banks of synthesizers and samplers, often wearing their trademark head-mounted lights that became as iconic as their music. These weren't just concerts but immersive experiences that helped establish the template for electronic music performances, proving that laptop musicians could create events as compelling as traditional rock shows.
Following "In Sides," Orbital continued to push boundaries with albums like "The Middle of Nowhere" (1999) and "The Altogether" (2001), though these releases received more mixed reactions from critics and fans who felt the duo was perhaps overreaching in their attempts to incorporate live instruments and vocals. However, tracks like "Nothing Left" featuring Alison Goldfrapp showed they could still craft moments of transcendent beauty.
Their influence on electronic music cannot be overstated. Orbital helped legitimize dance music as a serious artistic medium, paving the way for artists like The Chemical Brothers, Underworld, and countless others. They were among the first electronic acts to headline major festivals, breaking down barriers between underground rave culture and mainstream acceptance. Their approach to album construction – creating cohesive listening experiences rather than collections of club tracks – influenced how electronic artists would approach long-form composition for decades to come.
The brothers announced their split in 2004, citing creative differences and a desire to pursue individual projects. Paul continued under the Orbital name, releasing albums that maintained the project's reputation for innovation, while Phil explored other musical avenues. However, the magic of their collaboration proved too strong to resist permanently.
In 2009, the original duo reunited, much to fans' delight, and returned with "Wonky" in 2012, an album that proved they hadn't lost their ability to create compelling electronic music. Their subsequent releases, including "Monsters Exist" (2018), showed a band comfortable with their legacy while still willing to explore new sonic territories.
Today, Orbital's legacy extends far beyond their discography. They helped transform electronic music from a niche underground movement into a global phenomenon, proving that dance music could be both physically moving and intellectually stimulating. Their influence can be heard in everything from mainstream EDM to experimental ambient music, and their live performances continue to inspire new generations of electronic musicians.
The Hartnoll brothers created a body of work that captured the optimistic spirit of early rave culture while transcending its temporal boundaries, crafting music that remains as relevant and powerful today as it was at the height of the Second Summer of Love.
