NEW ALBUM WONKY OUT NOW VIA DOWNTOWN RECORDS
AVAILABLE
EXCLUSIVELY ON ITUNES VINYL AVAILABLE AUGUST 28, 2012
|
"...it's not until they goose the first few bars
of Halcyon... that the nervy anticipation in the room is released. With an
almost audible woosh, reverence is replaced with rapture."
- The Guardian
|
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 are
returning to the US! The brothers Phil and Paul
Hartnoll will be playing a string of West Coast dates, with East
Coast dates TBA. While Orbital played Ultra, Coachella, and
the San Francisco Warfield in 2010, this highly anticipated
run will be their first US tour since 2001. Buzzing from inspiration and with
a new thirst for performance, Orbital will be headlining several festivals,
as well as playing a few select dates in major cities.
Orbital are excited to be back, with Paul stating, "I
really miss playing in America! We've done some of our best gigs there over
the years. Having done our first ever tour in 1992 with Meat Beat Manifesto
we used to be quite regular. This has been the longest we've gone without
touring the states so it's well overdue! We're really lookin forward to
returning and seeing what you've all been up to while we were
away!"
As Sean Patrick Horton, Founder, Curator and
Creative Director of Decibel says, "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.” And in response to the audiences
at Orbital's various recent performances throughout the UK and Europe, The
Observer raved, "... the Albert Hall's red velvet seats are
rendered superfluous because everyone is on their feet. When the end comes...
it feels far, far too early: they, and we, have only just got going."
True words indeed - there's a reason why Orbital were able
to headline Glastonbury 20 years ago, and are still headling
the same festival today. Whether you're a long-term Orbital fan or have only
recently come to appreciate their sound, this thrilling return to America
will be an exhilirating journey through the past and present of this historic
electronic duo.
ORBITAL US TOUR DATES
9/22 San Bernadino, CA @ Nocturnal
Wonderland
9/24 San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
9/26 Vancouver, BC @ Vouge Theatre
9/27 Seattle, WA @ Paramount Ballroom
(Decibel Festival)
9/28 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
10/27 Asheville, NC @ Moogfest
Manned by brothers Phil and Paul
Hartnoll and founded in the late 1980s, Orbital released a string of
classic and celebrated 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. Decades after they first crossed over from rave-scene favourites
to charts stars with their evergreen electro anthems, you can still hear
echoes of their pulsing, melodic, emotionally uplifting sound everywhere you
turn.
Currently, Orbital are back in the ring with Wonky, their
first new album in 8 years. Both timeless and contemporary, Wonky puts
a vividly modern spin on their signature blend of richly melodic, deeply
emotive electronica. Upon release, critics such as Pitchfork gave
praise, "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."
Paul explains, "It’s been like
picking up a conversation were we left off, but there is a freshness
to it as well because things have moved on. Which is good because we stopped
when it seemed like we were treading water, whereas now it’s a like a house
on fire of creativity. We have learned so much by going off and doing
different things.”
“It has been great,” says Phil. “I’m really loving it. We lost our way, but now we’re back and it feels like how it always should have been. We feel rejuvenated and regenerated – like Doctor Who!”
Confident, energised and eclectic, Wonky 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. But there are nods to cutting-edge club culture
on Wonky too, including a guest appearance by MC Lady
Leshurr on the album’s 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." Playful humour and warm
humanity are also woven into its fabric, including a guest appearance on
their first single by the highly acclaimed LA-based electronic musician Zola
Jesus on the brooding, atmospheric epic "New
France."
|
No comments:
Post a Comment