Thursday, September 20, 2012

World Renowned Electronic Duo Orbital in the US This Week! Festival Headlining Slots at Decibel, Nocturnal & Beyond Wonderland + More




Legendary electronic duo Orbital will be amongst other headling acts playing west coast dates this weekend and through next week. They will be playing major festivals, namely Nocturnal Wonderland, Beyond Wonderland, and Decibel Festival. They will also be playing dates in Vancouver andPortland.

Upcoming this Saturday is Nocturnal Wonderland in San Bernadino, CA. Orbital will be playing a live show at Queens Grounds from 9:15 - 10:15pm. They will be joining other major electronic artists such as Above & Beyond, John Digweed, Axwell, Pretty Lights, Benny Benassi and more. 

ORBITAL US TOUR DATES

9/22 San Bernadino, CA @ Nocturnal Wonderland
9/29 Oakland, CA @ Beyond Wonderland Bay Area
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



"...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!" 

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. 


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."

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