Orbital are back
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Jesu wrote: http://www.nme.com/news/orbital/41214
Nickos Kingos has been telling anyone who'd listen all week! 
Yup.. We've been speculating about this for about three months with the solo projects going a bit wrong. Nick was saying the biggest problem is, is that they hadnt talked to each other for eighteen months, but that appears to have been all sorted out.
Great news, all round. The Chems have been doing an admirable job of keeping their seats warm for a while. Hopefully they will come back and not fuck up their legacy.
Glad to see one of my two favourite bands back together.
Hopefully the other fuckers will sort it out before one of them drops dead.
Fabiulous news. I wept listening to their last gig on Peel.
The only concern I have now is, what happened to their live rig when they went their different ways. Rigs like that are living, breathing things, and can be a bastard to re-create somewhere down the line. It'd be a bit shit to see them "back" with MIDI data filer and a couplpe of sound modules....or worse, a mac playing .wav files.....like New Order.
Still, this is Orbital, who've kept it live through thick and thin, so I'm sure even if they can't put all the old gear back together and get it to work again[1] they'll rustle up some new kit sharpish....though it may sound different.
EDIT: ever seen "the shape of things that hum"? They're great on it. When talking about the 303, they say that they (like everyone involved with electronic music) spent many many years trying to convince luddites that the machines only PLAY the music, people still write it.....but that when it comes to Roland's finest little Transistor Bassline model 303......they best bit is to lose it in a cupboard for a couple of years, yank it out, hit play and listen to it produce perfect acid house, purely out of it's own "mind"....mine (well, long term borrow), was NUTS, and not only rewrote all it's patterns when you switched it off, it would improvise in pattern mode.....Rebirth's fun and all.....but it can't do THAT! They're also quite good in the one about the vocoder, pointing out the annoying Cher tune which resurrected the vocoder, is not one, but is actually Antares Autotune, with all the knobs set full up (to hear Antares working properly check our Krafty, it fixes Barney up a treat....but if you listen very closely, you can just hear the merest intimation of the "Cher sound".)
[1] For my money, their machines were starting to get VERY bolshy near the end, there seem to be far more machine-generate screwups in later vs earlier gigs. Glasto 02 or 04, Dr Who.....Big PeeeeeeooooooowTHUMP....ooops. The True Sons of Gillian Gilbert!
Steve, I recall Orbital auctioning off some kit shortly after they disbanded but I don't remember it being anything of any consequence. Their live rig was incredible when I last saw it sometime around 97 or so.
I like that Green album of theirs, very easy to imagine the drugged up euphoria of the time. The rest of the back catalogue can be hard work but makes sense once you immerse yourself in the loops and grooves.
Doctor? wrote: Fabiulous news. I wept listening to their last gig on Peel.
I was at that gig - great atmosphere at Maida Vale and even got to shake hands with the legendendary John Peel (3 months before he died... :( )...
Obviously I shall be going to the Big Chill (having been a regular at that festival since about 2002, although I took last year "off"). Pete Tong apparently mentioned that it wouldn't be the only gig that they're doing next year...
Hmmm... Next year's looking quite full with regards to gigs/events already: January = Rome, March = Ireland (family getogether), April = Bang Face Weekender (808, etc), August = Big Chill)...
Credit Crunch? :p
Doctor? wrote: Badgers?
Mate of ours on the Orbital list - he goes to most Orbital gig, but was in Australia at the time! :p
Hopefully, he can make this one.... :)
Doctor? wrote:
They're also quite good in the one about the vocoder, pointing out the annoying Cher tune which resurrected the vocoder, is not one, but is actually Antares Autotune, with all the knobs set full up (to hear Antares working properly check our Krafty, it fixes Barney up a treat....but if you listen very closely, you can just hear the merest intimation of the "Cher sound".)
You can hear it all over twisted tenderness, once you know what you're listening to you can spot it all over a hell of a lot of releases, hips don't lie was probably sung in one note throughout and then pitch shifted, it sounds bloody awful.
Best sample orbital used (with permission before I get called a hypocrite) was the end theme from john cravens news round, fantastic.
Ye-Hah!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just by coincidence I finally managed to find a reasonably priced copy of their 'Back to Mine' this week, which is rather fine!
Jed Stephens wrote:
Doctor? wrote:
They're also quite good in the one about the vocoder, pointing out the annoying Cher tune which resurrected the vocoder, is not one, but is actually Antares Autotune, with all the knobs set full up (to hear Antares working properly check our Krafty, it fixes Barney up a treat....but if you listen very closely, you can just hear the merest intimation of the "Cher sound".)
You can hear it all over twisted tenderness, once you know what you're listening to you can spot it all over a hell of a lot of releases, hips don't lie was probably sung in one note throughout and then pitch shifted, it sounds bloody awful.
Best sample orbital used (with permission before I get called a hypocrite) was the end theme from john cravens news round, fantastic.
Well,Hips Don't Lie is another example of it being used wrong, but yeah. Give me a proper vocoder any day though.
Surely the best sample they used was the sound of me old Type40 taking off? It was originally a "remake" they'd knocked up themselves, but somewhere along the way, Aunty gave them permission to use the real sound effect.
Nowt wrong with being a Radiophonophile now is there? :D
Anyone got a spare 1500 notes..........?
Alf wrote: Anyone got a spare 1500 notes..........?
Or........
Not QUITE the same, but 1500 bills the cheaper.
That one on the bay is the finest example I've ever seen. Sounds like it's had it's little lithium cell replaced at service time......means it will not self program (did I just spoil a magical thing there? Yes, lots of old Roland kit has a lithium cell to keep it's memory powered, it's s fucker to replace, and when it does die....LOL fun time).
Bah... save your money on the 303, grab a Future Retro XS, make a wider variety of sounds, and thank me later.
Bentley wrote: Bah... save your money on the 303, grab a Future Retro XS, make a wider variety of sounds, and thank me later.
Nice machine, but it wont sound like a 303, cos basically, nothing does, even the SH101 and Sh09 and MC202, all simillar Roland devices sound much different (with the 202 being closest when it really tries). Also, unless you have a CV/Gate sequencer, it's timing will be poor compared to Sync24.....MIDI timing blows goats as you know ;)
Still, as you say, it'll do a little bit more than go ruggadug ruggadugweeeeep Dug.
Doctor? wrote:
Nice machine, but it wont sound like a 303, cos basically, nothing does, even the SH101 and Sh09 and MC202, all simillar Roland devices sound much different (with the 202 being closest when it really tries). Also, unless you have a CV/Gate sequencer, it's timing will be poor compared to Sync24.....MIDI timing blows goats as you know ;)
Still, as you say, it'll do a little bit more than go ruggadug ruggadugweeeeep Dug.
Agreed, nothing sounds like a 303 and as much as I dig the sound, the price/value ratio is out of hand and the sound played out. Yeah, MIDI timing blows... you'd think that in this day and age someone might have gotten a handle on it by now. I get so frustrated with timing it's not even funny...
I have a thing for lots of "pulsey" semiquaver stuff....get 5 tracks of that on the go and hear MIDI crumble. 'Course the 303 is played out, but I don't care, I do love the insane little fucker, but I am just as happy with Rebirth.
BTW....Nickos Kingos....I meant to say.....where there is loud yelling from the audience of a bawdy, chanting nature....there will thee find vikings LOL.
Joy, bliss, and absofuckin'lute happiness.
[been listening to their rendition of the doctor who theme now and then. ace effort.]
Does this mean the glasses with headlights are also going to be back again:D
Good news, love it
Oh go on then.I wasn't going to this time but ..
I saw them at Glastonbury 1994.There, i've said it.
Bentley wrote:
Without a doubt one of the best electronic acts ever... in my book anyway.
In my book, too.
But folks, do they just reform for that gig? Or is there a new album coming up, too (which would be awesome)?
How do brothers actually 'reform' anyway?!
What happened? Did their Mum bash their heads together and tell them to 'stop being so silly and play nicely'?
Eh?
El Jarvo wrote: How do brothers actually 'reform' anyway?!
What happened? Did their Mum bash their heads together and tell them to 'stop being so silly and play nicely'?
Eh?
I hope so. 
I wasn't too much into their solo stuff.
El Jarvo wrote: How do brothers actually 'reform' anyway?!
What happened? Did their Mum bash their heads together and tell them to 'stop being so silly and play nicely'?
Eh?
Hmmm, you have any brothers Al?
If so, surely you should be wondering, as I always have, how each and every gig doesn't turn into something which looks like an episode of Bottom.
I havent had a civil conversation with my 'brother' in over eight years, despite various attempts from people to get us to. It would take more than a family diplomatic effort to get me to waste any of my life on him.
If they do any new stuff, hope they go back to the brown album way of doing things and not the blue album!!
mrselfdestruct wrote: If they do any new stuff, hope they go back to the brown album way of doing things and not the blue album!!
The Blue Album was alright. 'The Altogether' was the rough one.
Just found this on YouTube. Many will know what goes on live in this track, for the others, the fun starts at 4m 15s.
Never liked the album version of that, but the live version always makes me LOL.....I always took it as a gigantic piss-take of "normal" music, not only are those two songs the same (and the other track by The Darkness they later spun in), but it doesn't even matter if you reverse them as they are tonally palindromic.
If you look at the list of other videos that pop up at the end, there's a weird one of bits of 2001 cut to the song.....and by watching it you'll be as well informed as anyone who has seen the movie without first reading the book (Kubrick forgot to mention THE STORY in the film).
Do any of the heregathered orbitalists have any REALLY old bootlegs? The oldest I have was off Loopz,and while it had a FABULOUS version of Open Mind, complete with Suzanne Freytag sample, it did seem that most things were still pre-sequenced. From interviews it seems they used to do their WHOLE set on the fly, nothing preprogramed, (except sound/channel assignments one assumes). Tried this myself a few times, but only to make something new, never to try to re-create an existing track. I's a nightmare with Cubase and a stroppy Atari, and while it'd be less hairy with hardware sequencers and so on, it'd be MUCH harder work on a badly lit, disorientating stage.
"What are all these knobs for?.........."
Pure unadulterated sampling genius.
Must confess I was crushed when they were not asked if their version of that most holy of electronic anthems could be used for The Doctor's return.
In-Sides is by far my favourite, any album where P.E.T.R.O.L. is the weakest track is surely an all time classic. The Box and Out There Somewhere are electronic symphonies!!
Doctor? wrote:
In-Sides is by far my favourite, any album where P.E.T.R.O.L. is the weakest track is surely an all time classic. The Box and Out There Somewhere are electronic symphonies!!
Same here. The Girl With The Sun In Her Heard is my all time favorite and Out There Somewhere is simply an electronic masterpiece.
Bentley wrote:
Doctor? wrote:
In-Sides is by far my favourite, any album where P.E.T.R.O.L. is the weakest track is surely an all time classic. The Box and Out There Somewhere are electronic symphonies!!
Same here. The Girl With The Sun In Her Heard is my all time favorite and Out There Somewhere is simply an electronic masterpiece.
Pretty I've been punched (playfully, or at least, non injuriously) for going off on an extended rant about exactly HOW clever TGWTSIHH is, at a party.
At least they never swapped their beautiful machines for a tapedeck and a curly haired indie kid, unlike SOME!
I've got quite a few live performances - one of the oldest ones I remember is from '93 (Norwich Sound City).
I must sort them out at some point... :)
Dug out The Box CD single for the first time in yonks.God, how we used to buy CD singles .4 part epic , monolithic in its building intensity etc etc That creaking noise at start of part 2 was their studio chair sampled weren't it? Part 4 however always used to remind me of Andy Bell 
Saved by the eery whistling at the end though
I think their live sets are essentially DJ-ing with dozens of "parts" or tracks per song, amirite?
dave soligo wrote: I think their live sets are essentially DJ-ing with dozens of "parts" or tracks per song, amirite?
Not at all. If you are just grabbing that from the samples in the middle of the song i just put up then, it might look that way.
Orbital were famed for being rare in doing live sequencing onstage, and yes they use X amount of tracks. They did play notes as well, and frequently played bum notes at times (I remember a couple of rough live versions of Chime with some major out of key fuck-ups in them). Something often went wrong, which doesnt tend to happen with other similar acts e.g. Chems, Prodigy et al.
example:
It gets away from them a few times during that set, that's the best one though. Once seen Leftfiel suffer the same fate, caused, in their case by some crappy MIDI Time Code by the sounds of it. Took them 20 mins to get it sorted, there was nearly a riot in the crowd, AND on stage. Their set must have been very tightly pre-programmed cos it never seemed to occur to them to skip the offending track.
Burt, you have clearly been to differnt Chems gigs from me LOL they can fuck-up a treat, although I'd concede that in their case it's their machine abuse which causes it more than any attempt at "playing" going wrong.
Worst offenders for 0 effort....Underworld, fucking hopeless.....except Cowgirl, they stopped their shitty "one beat fits all" drum machine and played it RIGHT.....then went back to shite.....even Born Slippy was devoid of it's sole worthy feature...that drum beat....instead it had the same laid back sampled 808 beat (and single preprogrammed fill-in), that every other song barr cowgirl had been inflicted with.
Doctor? wrote: Burt, you have clearly been to differnt Chems gigs from me LOL they can fuck-up a treat, although I'd concede that in their case it's their machine abuse which causes it more than any attempt at "playing" going wrong.
Don't the Chems *ahem* just "push the button"? :p
(I dunno, but the interaction with the visuals must have quite a bit of pre-programming there to stay in synch...?)
Personally, I don't really give a damn about how much people are playing "live" - it's the whole experience - music, dancing, visuals (which the Chems/Orbital/Underworld all do) that make the evening. 
But, yeah, Orbital were one of the few bands who did actually take their studio onto the stage and play the songs as if they were composing them in the studio - keyboards, and all...
I wasn't referring to that track necessarily; I've seen them twice in the 90s (In Sides and Middle of Nowhere tours) and it seems they are just starting and stopping prerecorded sequences on cue, with some filtering and modulation effects thrown in here and there.
Burt Reynolds wrote:
dave soligo wrote: I think their live sets are essentially DJ-ing with dozens of "parts" or tracks per song, amirite?
Not at all. If you are just grabbing that from the samples in the middle of the song i just put up then, it might look that way.
