IDM Mailing Archive

On Fri, 3 May 1996, Eddie O'Hanlon, Ambient Mathematician wrote:

quoted 4 lines New Orbital album out called "In Sides". Rumours have it that it's

> New Orbital album out called "In Sides". Rumours have it that it's > their darkest and best yet. I had a feeling that their next after > Sniv would be a good bet. When I finally get it, I'll review it. > Mixmag just gave it Album of the Month. "Air 2" got that once....

I finally got a copy of this hot little item yesterday. After listening to it twice, I can safely say it IS darker overall than any of their previous albums, although there certainly were dark moments in their earlier work. Song structures are extended like Sniv, with track-to-track flow like the brown album. The album version of "The Box" is a bit less embellished than the single version, thankfully. The tracklisting for the CD: 1. The Girl With the Sun in Her Head 2. P.E.T.R.O.L. 3,4. The Box 5. Dwr Budr 6. Adnan's 7,8. Out There Somewhere Supposedly this is a triple-vinyl set. Can anybody confirm this? I'd include track times if I were near a player. They're not listed. Total length is about 72 minutes. 1 and 6 are lovely, bright & evolving things reminiscent of the prettier side of Sniv. 2 & 5 are darker, noiser tracks that seem overlong to me. You know what to expect from the box. The last two tracks are another Orbital epic, like "Are We Here", starting in a tense, off-the-wall mode and gradually winding down into something quite pretty. As on Sniv, Orbital seem to have traded the incredible tension and intricacy of Lush-Impact-Remind for a more relaxed, Kraftwerkian emphasis on texture. The cover is quite out of character. It looks like a Williams' zombie-scape painted after a particularly heavy acid bender. I like the album, and I expect it will grow on me, but I doubt it will take the place of the brown album (which changed my life) in my heart. The Hartnoll bros.' sound has evolved quite a bit since then, but I don't think it's changed as quickly as the rest of the music and culture that surrounds it. For some reason this CD was incredibly expensive for a U.K. import ($28 US).

Miles Egan wrote on Sat, 04 May 96 00:04:39 BST :

quoted 3 lines Supposedly this is a triple-vinyl set. Can anybody confirm this? I'd

> Supposedly this is a triple-vinyl set. Can anybody confirm this? I'd > include track times if I were near a player. They're not listed. Total > length is about 72 minutes.

confirm. Nicely packaged - each slab has a full colour inner sleeve. But you lose the flow of the CD I suppose.

quoted 1 line For some reason this CD was incredibly expensive for a U.K. import ($28 US).

> For some reason this CD was incredibly expensive for a U.K. import ($28 US).

Either because its in a special box so they think they can overcharge, or just because they reckon they can rip everyone off as its bound to be popular. J ^ James Skilton aka Steady J - steady-j@firefox.co.uk

So, can I presume that the new Orbital full length is going to come out in the USA before too long? I passed up the import in favor of Larry Heard 'Alien' .... --------------------------------------------------------------------- Kent Williams kent@inav.net (319) 338 6053 (home) (319) 626 6700 x 219 (work) (319) 626 3489 (fax)

quoted 3 lines So, can I presume that the new Orbital full length is going to come out

>So, can I presume that the new Orbital full length is going to come out >in the USA before too long? I passed up the import in favor of Larry >Heard 'Alien' ....

According to someone on the Orbital list, the US date is 4 June. C. -- cspot@hyperreal.com (Chris.Hilker)

On Tue, 7 May 1996, Kent Williams wrote:

quoted 3 lines So, can I presume that the new Orbital full length is going to come out

> So, can I presume that the new Orbital full length is going to come out > in the USA before too long? I passed up the import in favor of Larry > Heard 'Alien' ....

-- LARRY HEARD IS THE BOMB! Is "Alien" cool? Because Muzik gave it 5/5 or 4/5; anyway, props for loving the old school! ---------------------- James Benjamin Gill jgill@u.arizona.edu check it on the www - peace.

On Tue, 7 May 1996, James B Gill wrote:

quoted 3 lines -- LARRY HEARD IS THE BOMB! Is "Alien" cool? Because Muzik gave it 5/5

> -- LARRY HEARD IS THE BOMB! Is "Alien" cool? Because Muzik gave it 5/5 > or 4/5; anyway, props for loving the old school! >

The 'Alien' record is my idea of the perfect deep chill record. Lush, melodic, with a lot of interesting timbres in effect. The last track is a sort of blunted dub poetry number delivered by someone called "Che" which, even though the rap (printed in the liner notes) is complete tripped out nonsense, the delivery and the sound of the words seems to fit just perfectly. Way back in the day there was something called 'ambient house' -- 5 a.m. music with laid back house or hip hop beats and lush melodic soundscapes (think KLF perhaps). 'Alien' is an update on that style. Perfect for laying back with the headphones on and drifting off to sleep. And for the gear dweebs among us, the Korg Wavestation is all over the place on this one. Not presets, but some cool original programming. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Kent Williams kent@inav.net (319) 338 6053 (home) (319) 626 6700 x 219 (work) (319) 626 3489 (fax)

On Tue, 7 May 1996, James Skilton wrote:

quoted 1 line Miles Egan wrote on Sat, 04 May 96 00:04:39 BST :

> Miles Egan wrote on Sat, 04 May 96 00:04:39 BST :

quoted 4 lines For some reason this CD was incredibly expensive for a U.K. import ($28 US).

> > For some reason this CD was incredibly expensive for a U.K. import ($28 US). > > Either because its in a special box so they think they can overcharge, or just > because they reckon they can rip everyone off as its bound to be popular.

Or because it's totally worth that! This album is so fucking sweet I could cry. I paid a right just and moral $22.99 for mine (the lame-o boxed version, too) but I'd *gladly* go back and pay the extra $5. (I might be tempted to link that to a refund for the last half of Snivilisation...) Nothing this good since G Spot or well before. I may never take it out of my player--and I never say stupid crap like that. Some things are just WORTH IT. Sell out and buy the damned thing anyway. THIS is why i listen to music.