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I've always been a big fan of Orbital, but I just have to say that this album is just terrible. Tension & Tootled are just two god awful tracks. Tension is probably one of the worst into songs I've heard. It sounds like Orbital trying to be something like Fatboy Slim or Moby and looking even worse. I can't tell if these guys really think its good work or if it's just a sarcastic, funny type of piece. It's horrible. So disapointing. It's chessier than Daft Punk "Discovery". Only that's a good album. David Gray singing on a track? And to make matters even worse, they included the Doctor?(Who) song on the album. This track should've been one of those that just goes down as a legendary live one, but they ruined it. The next thing you know they'll try to put out cds of their "Halcyon + Heaven Is A Place On Earth + You Give Love A Bad Name" live song that they've been doing for years. I don't get it. Boring dance tracks. They're much more talented than this....In Sides tells you that. The only okay thing about it is that the production quality is excellent, but that's typical of their music. Did I mention that I'm really disappointed? And the artwork is decent. I bought the import version and payed too much. Damn it. TekDz9er --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

Here's a reply to the message "[idm] Orbital - The Altogether" written on Thu, 03 May 2001 01:06:05 -0400:

quoted 2 lines I've always been a big fan of Orbital, but I just have to say that this

>I've always been a big fan of Orbital, but I just have to say that this >album is just terrible.

It's certainly their most poppy album to date. Gone are small handful of towering, blistering epics -- instead we've got about a dozen shorter, more compact efforts. I'm still absorbing it all at the moment. I like it more *now*, four days after I bought it, than I initially did, but it's still far from their best work. Album highlights for me are "Tension" (pounding, relentless, dark), "Illuminate" (yes, the David Gray one -- I'm not really a fan of his stuff, but his vocals in an Orbital context work extremely well and it's just a nice summery pop song -- if this isn't a future Top 10 UK single, I'll buy a hat and then eat it) and "Meltdown" (odd that we didn't get the full 17 minute version -- there's enough room on the CD -- perhaps just a cunning marketing ploy to get us to all buy the DVD as well). The rest of the tracks are all pretty much Orbital Lite. Listen-to-able but not particularly outstanding. Overall, a bit of a disappointment. It's not going to win Orbital any new fans (the "Orbital are shite" posse have new ammo here), but if you already dig Orbital then you'll at least get something out of it. As for their Doctor Who track -- well, the fans begged them to put it on a CD, so we can't really complain about its inclusion here. If you're a fan of the various incarnations of the Doctor Who theme tune over the years, then it's actually a *very* good version of the theme. Certainly much better than David Arnold's recent effort. I stuck an mp3 up somewhere, slapped a URL down in a Doctor Who mailing list and all the Who fans seem to love it -- some are even going to buy the whole album -- so I guess Orbital did something right. Hmm, back to "Confield" I go... (Am I the only person who like this?) -- Mark Stevens http://www.headspin.clara.net/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

I hear you on this. This album is complete trash. I really enjoyed Middle of Nowhere, and was hoping for an even better progression from these guys, but they decided to take a right hand turn into the alleyway of no-talent. For any Orbital fans on the list, do NOT buy this record. Ugh. -mark Rob Salit wrote:

quoted 27 lines I've always been a big fan of Orbital, but I just have to say that this

> I've always been a big fan of Orbital, but I just have to say that this > album is just terrible. Tension & Tootled are just two god awful tracks. > Tension is probably one of the worst into songs I've heard. It sounds like > Orbital trying to be something like Fatboy Slim or Moby and looking even > worse. I can't tell if these guys really think its good work or if it's > just a sarcastic, funny type of piece. It's horrible. So disapointing. > It's chessier than Daft Punk "Discovery". Only that's a good album. David > Gray singing on a track? And to make matters even worse, they included the > Doctor?(Who) song on the album. This track should've been one of those that > just goes down as a legendary live one, but they ruined it. The next thing > you know they'll try to put out cds of their "Halcyon + Heaven Is A Place On > Earth + You Give Love A Bad Name" live song that they've been doing for > years. I don't get it. Boring dance tracks. They're much more talented > than this....In Sides tells you that. The only okay thing about it is that > the production quality is excellent, but that's typical of their music. Did > I mention that I'm really disappointed? And the artwork is decent. I > bought the import version and payed too much. Damn it. > > TekDz9er > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org > For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org > > >

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It just seems like the guys found a CD full of samples they'd never used before, and proceeded to throw them together in a big pile of crap. What the hell were they thinking 'remixing' a Tool song? Yee Gods, that's one of the worst tracks I've heard in eons. Middle of Nowhere was a masterpiece in comparison, and Orbital now have a new worst album (old title going to Snivilization, which I do really like, but it IS/WAS Orbital's worst) - Dan J. -----Original Message----- From: Mark [mailto:mef@ecst.csuchico.edu] Sent: May 3, 2001 5:40 PM To: Rob Salit Cc: idm@hyperreal.org Subject: Re: [idm] Orbital - The Altogether I hear you on this. This album is complete trash. I really enjoyed Middle of Nowhere, and was hoping for an even better progression from these guys, but they decided to take a right hand turn into the alleyway of no-talent. For any Orbital fans on the list, do NOT buy this record. Ugh. -mark Rob Salit wrote:

quoted 3 lines I've always been a big fan of Orbital, but I just have to say that this

> I've always been a big fan of Orbital, but I just have to say that this > album is just terrible. Tension & Tootled are just two god awful tracks. > Tension is probably one of the worst into songs I've heard. It sounds

like

quoted 4 lines Orbital trying to be something like Fatboy Slim or Moby and looking even

> Orbital trying to be something like Fatboy Slim or Moby and looking even > worse. I can't tell if these guys really think its good work or if it's > just a sarcastic, funny type of piece. It's horrible. So disapointing. > It's chessier than Daft Punk "Discovery". Only that's a good album.

David

quoted 1 line Gray singing on a track? And to make matters even worse, they included

> Gray singing on a track? And to make matters even worse, they included

the

quoted 1 line Doctor?(Who) song on the album. This track should've been one of those

> Doctor?(Who) song on the album. This track should've been one of those

that

quoted 1 line just goes down as a legendary live one, but they ruined it. The next

> just goes down as a legendary live one, but they ruined it. The next

thing

quoted 1 line you know they'll try to put out cds of their "Halcyon + Heaven Is A Place

> you know they'll try to put out cds of their "Halcyon + Heaven Is A Place

On

quoted 3 lines Earth + You Give Love A Bad Name" live song that they've been doing for

> Earth + You Give Love A Bad Name" live song that they've been doing for > years. I don't get it. Boring dance tracks. They're much more talented > than this....In Sides tells you that. The only okay thing about it is

that

quoted 1 line the production quality is excellent, but that's typical of their music.

> the production quality is excellent, but that's typical of their music.

Did

quoted 12 lines I mention that I'm really disappointed? And the artwork is decent. I

> I mention that I'm really disappointed? And the artwork is decent. I > bought the import version and payed too much. Damn it. > > TekDz9er > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org > For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org > > >

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Here's a reply to the message "RE: [idm] Orbital - The Altogether" written on Thu, 3 May 2001 18:45:47 -0400:

quoted 3 lines Middle of Nowhere was a masterpiece in comparison, and Orbital now have a

>Middle of Nowhere was a masterpiece in comparison, and Orbital now have a >new worst album (old title going to Snivilization, which I do really like, >but it IS/WAS Orbital's worst)

Oddly enough, I remember people saying almost *exactly* the same thing when Middle of Nowhere came out. Eg, "In Sides was a masterpiece in comparison, and Orbital now have a new worst album..." etc. Ah well, I guess it just goes to show we all have different tastes. I thought the "Brown" album was a pile of shit myself, yet most people go orgasmic over it. For the record, not that it's worth much, but here's how I'd rank the Orbital albums: 1) Snivilisation 2) In Sides 3) Green 4) Middle of Nowhere 5) The Altogether 6) Brown Although if I could rank "live shows" somewhere, then they'd definitely take the top spot. They're something else entirely. -- Mark Stevens http://www.headspin.clara.net/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

quoted 3 lines It just seems like the guys found a CD full of samples they'd never used

> It just seems like the guys found a CD full of samples they'd never used > before, and proceeded to throw them together in a big pile of crap. What > the hell were they thinking 'remixing' a Tool song? Yee Gods, that's one

of

quoted 5 lines the worst tracks I've heard in eons.

> the worst tracks I've heard in eons. > > Middle of Nowhere was a masterpiece in comparison, and Orbital now have a > new worst album (old title going to Snivilization, which I do really like, > but it IS/WAS Orbital's worst)

All of the previous Orbital albums have been good but Orbital have been slowly showing a decline in terms of originality and quality. Unfortunately on this last one they just dropped off the map. I think this album is a final goodbye to Orbital we all know and love. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

The 2nd CD of Insides (on one of the editions, the other includes the box ep which is 28 min long) has the live version of Halcyon, if that makes you feel worse. heh. Yeah. I don't like The Altogether at all, and its not that it just doesn't appeal to me, it actually makes me cringe. I don't know what they were thinking......just hoping the next one will be better. This seems to be a bad year for electronic musicians....duno. (not necessarily commenting on autechre :) -nik

Here's a reply to the message "[idm] Orbital - The altogether" written on Thu, 3 May 2001 16:27:01 -0700:

quoted 2 lines This seems to be a bad year for electronic musicians....duno.

>This seems to be a bad year for electronic musicians....duno. >(not necessarily commenting on autechre :)

Oh, I dunno. I got a kick out of Vladislav Delay's "Anima" (although is that technically a 2000 release?) and Autechre's "Confield" clicked (if you'll excuse the pun) with me straight away, although mainly because I've recently started exploring generative music myself. I can see what Ae have done with "Confield" and their reasons for doing it and it's certainly the right sort of album for them *and* the scene at the moment, only most of us won't actually realise this for about a year or so. Other favourites this year (or, at least, things I've *bought* this year) include: Savath + Savalas - "Folk Songs for Trains, Trees & Honey" Chris Clark - "Clarence Park" Mogwai - "Rock Action" Mouse on Mars - "Idiology" Tortoise - "Standards" Kristin Hersh - "Sunny Border Blue" (yeah, it's non-IDM, but it's a damn fine album) Radiohead's "Amnesiac" is sounding pretty fine too. Looking forward to new stuff from Plaid, BOC, Bjork, FSOL, etc. Looks like Tim Simenon may even get a new full-length Bomb the Bass project out there too. -- Mark Stevens http://www.headspin.clara.net/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

quoted 1 line For any Orbital fans on the list, do NOT buy this record.

> For any Orbital fans on the list, do NOT buy this record.

&

quoted 1 line I think this album is a final goodbye to Orbital we all know and love.

>I think this album is a final goodbye to Orbital we all know and love.

&

quoted 1 line I hear you on this. This album is complete trash.

>I hear you on this. This album is complete trash.

i haven't heard the altogether yet, but i can't say that i expected a new orbital album to be great or even good. that's depressing, because a TONN of their older material is so sublime .. anyone who appreciates gorgeous inventive harmony would do well to get their hands on in-sides or orbital 2. its great for the same reasons plaid is great, though they don't actually sound much at all like plaid. that said, the new plaid - double figure seems real orbitalish in parts. epic & synthy .. but more hightech and bouncy than orbital ever was. better than rest proof i think .. noah --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

i'm gonna go ahead and defend the brothers for a second after that one-sided bashing. "The Altogether" isn't that bad. i am a huge orbital fan from back the day (brown album is best, by far), and i think it's really silly for someone to say "orbital fans don't buy this album" when you're obviously talking to like 2000 people, none of whom share the exact same musical tastes as you. it's fine to share your opinion, but don't assume everyone agrees. aanyway. "meltdown" and "waving not drowning" are the best tracks on the album, imho. The former is in the classic orbital style of dynamically changing, melodic synth dance epics, and the latter is one of the better attempts i've heard at what i would consider to be "IDM-pop." There's definitely a bit more chaff than usual (tension and tootled both suck, no doubt), but i'm not writing phil and paul off completely just yet. i also think it's weird that people are saying they thought "middle of nowhere" was so great but the new one sucks, when i think they are VERY similar to each other in sound and approach. i can't imagine liking one and not the other - they could be on the same two-disc set as far as i can tell. nub --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

Here's a reply to the message "[idm] Re: Orbital - The Altogether" written on Fri, 4 May 2001 13:59:17 -0600 (MDT):

quoted 3 lines i also think it's weird that people are saying they thought "middle of

>i also think it's weird that people are saying they thought "middle of >nowhere" was so great but the new one sucks, when i think they are VERY >similar to each other in sound and approach.

I was in here when "Middle of Nowhere" came out and just about everyone was going on about how much it sucked. I was practically the only one defending it! Now "The Altogether" comes out and everyone in here is going on about how brilliant "Middle of Nowhere" was. Wuh? Must be some completely different people in here these days. -- Mark Stevens http://www.headspin.clara.net/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

I think they're BOTH pretty poor outings. And I liked Orbital up until InSides. jeff I was in here when "Middle of Nowhere" came out and just about everyone was going on about how much it sucked. I was practically the only one defending it! Now "The Altogether" comes out and everyone in here is going on about how brilliant "Middle of Nowhere" was. Wuh? Must be some completely different people in here these days. -- Mark Stevens http://www.headspin.clara.net/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

I don't know... i really like Snivilization, so much in fact, it is my favorite Orbital album, there's really only one poor track on it, and that's that 2 minute long "industrial" pile of dung, but the rest of the songs are incredible! How can you deny "Are We Here?" anyways, my 2 cents... everyone's different. -mark np: Bjork - Vespertine (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Dan John wrote:

quoted 95 lines It just seems like the guys found a CD full of samples they'd never used

> It just seems like the guys found a CD full of samples they'd never used > before, and proceeded to throw them together in a big pile of crap. What > the hell were they thinking 'remixing' a Tool song? Yee Gods, that's one of > the worst tracks I've heard in eons. > > Middle of Nowhere was a masterpiece in comparison, and Orbital now have a > new worst album (old title going to Snivilization, which I do really like, > but it IS/WAS Orbital's worst) > > - Dan J. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mark [mailto:mef@ecst.csuchico.edu] > Sent: May 3, 2001 5:40 PM > To: Rob Salit > Cc: idm@hyperreal.org > Subject: Re: [idm] Orbital - The Altogether > > > I hear you on this. This album is complete trash. I really enjoyed > Middle of Nowhere, and was hoping for an even better progression from > these guys, but they decided to take a right hand turn into the alleyway > of no-talent. For any Orbital fans on the list, do NOT buy this record. > > Ugh. > > -mark > > Rob Salit wrote: > >> I've always been a big fan of Orbital, but I just have to say that this >> album is just terrible. Tension & Tootled are just two god awful tracks. >> Tension is probably one of the worst into songs I've heard. It sounds > > like > >> Orbital trying to be something like Fatboy Slim or Moby and looking even >> worse. I can't tell if these guys really think its good work or if it's >> just a sarcastic, funny type of piece. It's horrible. So disapointing. >> It's chessier than Daft Punk "Discovery". Only that's a good album. > > David > >> Gray singing on a track? And to make matters even worse, they included > > the > >> Doctor?(Who) song on the album. This track should've been one of those > > that > >> just goes down as a legendary live one, but they ruined it. The next > > thing > >> you know they'll try to put out cds of their "Halcyon + Heaven Is A Place > > On > >> Earth + You Give Love A Bad Name" live song that they've been doing for >> years. I don't get it. Boring dance tracks. They're much more talented >> than this....In Sides tells you that. The only okay thing about it is > > that > >> the production quality is excellent, but that's typical of their music. > > Did > >> I mention that I'm really disappointed? And the artwork is decent. I >> bought the import version and payed too much. Damn it. >> >> TekDz9er >> >> >> --------------------------------------------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org >> For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org >> >> >> > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org > For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org > For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org > > >