Orbital's new release Wonky, April Fool's Day, 2012

[34958hq439-qjw9v5jq298v5j]

Anyone heard this yet? Given that the Chems and Underworld both pulled out their best albums in a decade last year I'd expect a rejuvenated Orbital to do the same. I've already heard it's better than everything past Middle of Nowhere.

[stimpee]

No comment on that brash statement except that from the material ive heard it sounds like good stuff from the Orbital camp.

[Dirty0900]

Teaser single is gash so I'm not expecting much.

[froopy seal]

There's a link to a mix with new stuff in this thread:
http://www.borndirty.org/forums/showthread.php?t=17701

Maybe a moderator wants to merge both threads?

[34958hq439-qjw9v5jq298v5j]

you could. but this thread is to discuss the new album, not a mix they put out
after a bit of hunting, the pieces I've heard of this sound decent. I think it'll probably be something lesser than their classics, but better than anything since MoN - just my prediction

[Flywaver]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/stations/6music

Orbital playing at 12pm i believe :-)

[holden]

Other than the free cut "Never", I've been trying to not listen too much to the singles and mixes until the new album comes out. For me, Orbital music works best over the course of an album, especially when continuously mixed: Orbital 2 (Brown Album), "Out there Somewhere" and "The Box", stretching over most of "InSides", even the first few cuts off "Middle of Nowhere" - they approach epic quality for me.
When the tracks seem disjointed (eg. Orbital 1, The Altogether), it's harder to for me to get into it.

From the many video diary entries Orbital have made over the course of the production, and including Flood in the studio, "Wonky" seems like it will be a cohesive, deliberate, quality record - something that seemed lacking over the course of the past few releases..."Altogether" was in part "just for laughs" and "Blue Album" was almost an EP, full of retreaded themes, imho.

[Jafs]

"Never" is a really good cut. It's been on several play here since it was available. "New France" is okay. Enough to be hoping for a better thing than the Blue Album which is certainly their weakest album.

[the mongoose]

Really liking "Never" and "Straight Sun":

video for Straight Sun
http://youtu.be/E9USCcjfNm8

"New France" has a neat video but I'm not too keen on the song itself. Its growing on me though.:)

Remaining hopeful that this is a return to form....but Middle of Nowhere and everything else after it has been pure shit up until "Never" got my ears going again.

[Badger]

I've managed to get a promo copy of the album a few weeks ago and I can say it's a great album.
It took a couple of listens all the way through and there were some stand out tracks straight away (Distractions - very In Sides and Where Is It Going? - possibly the best thing they've done in years and I'm even loving the title track "Wonky" with it's battle rap vocals and the Dj Version they've been playing out as well. It works!) but i admit some tracks still took a few listens to really work. This album is a great combination of old Orbital with new Orbital. You will hear familiar echoes of past works (Snivilisation, In Sides, Brown and MON) subtlety layered into a great new sound.

I can't wait to hear the rest of this live. As we speak i'm sitting in an airport lounge in Sydney about to head over for the Orbital UK tour in a couple of weeks and I haven't been this excited about a tour in AGES!

The new album is a little bit of a grower but once it all clicks into place...boy does it click into place!

Straight Sun really sounded great live last week from the BBC6 Maida Vale broadcast (SPOILER ALERT...



















...so did Sad But True revamped and in the new live set). :eek::D:D:D

[Flywaver]

Always found the first album very dated. All the other albums are pretty cohesive apart from The Altogether but that has Meltdown. Not forgetting Remind,Kein Trink Wasser,Dwr Budr,Nothing Left,Transient off the others :-)

[stimpee]

Its on the 3voor12 luisterpaal (listening pole) now! http://3voor12.vpro.nl/luisterpaal/playerpage.group.13390766.html (http://3voor12.vpro.nl/luisterpaal/albums/Orbital.html)

1. One Big Moment 6:17 min.
2. Straight Sun 5:29 min.
3. Never 4:44 min.
4. New France (Featuring Zola Jesus) 4:48 min.
5. Distractions 7:05 min.
6. Stringy Acid 5:20 min.
7. Beelzedub 4:55 min.
8. Wonky (Featuring Lady Leshurr) 6:14 min.
9. Where Is It Going? 5:51 min.

[Jafs]

Got the 404 thing...

[crank]

http://3voor12.vpro.nl/luisterpaal/playerpage.program.13390772.html

[//\/\/]

I can see this being fantastic live - they do 'big and immersive' better than anybody...

[holden]

I obtained the new album and have listened to it in full 5 times today. Going for spin 6 in a minute.
It's good. It's very, very good!

Quick review...
1. One Big Moment - beautiful opener, with spoken word and lushness straight out of "Snivilization", then going into distorted analog, chimes and drum machine beats - Orbital like they never left!

2. Straight Sun - a bit of a grower, this one; just builds with all the classic Orbital melodies, piercing trebles and storming analog basses

3. Never - begins with still more mid-90's tinkering keys, halfway through it's a soundtrack for a fast drive to the club.

4. New France (Featuring Zola Jesus)) - Close to a few of the better tracks off of "Blue", with the Orbital penchant for female wails tastefully applied and cut up/reassembled. Makes me scared, makes me happy, at once.

5. Distractions - probably my least favorite track; so many things going on, you lose track. There are amazing sounds and a few great sections, but almost too many ideas to develop anything fully.

6. Stringy Acid - this could have been on Orbital 1 (Yellow Album) for sure. Call it vintage, dated, or classic. Depends on your tolerance for early 90's Orbital.

7. Beelzedub - Orbital always put an aggro track or two on their records, and this is it. Not quite a "satan" remix, but in that vein. The dubstep beat plus the jungle patterns on top sound a little dated, but hey, it's energetic.

8. Wonky (Featuring Lady Leshurr) - the first exposure to the wonky-uppitched vocals along with the singing cats in the video made me think this was going to be a disaster, a techno "Meow Mix" advert. But it grows on me to the point where i'm looking up the lyrics to the quasi-rap.

9. Where Is It Going? Buzzy bass and skippy beats, a bit of menace that recalls "P.E.T.R.O.L" and parts of "Nothing Left", but mostly just an uplifting album-ender that affirms that the boys have more in them.

[34958hq439-qjw9v5jq298v5j]

just arrived- so far "Never" and "Where Is It Going?" are my favorite two tracks but I really have liked everything on here (well, maybe not the dubstep track, but whatever). this really is good!

[Flywaver]

This is the best album since In Sides. Had dozens of plays and I'm buzzing as I am seeing Orbital in Cambridge tonight :-)

[dubnobasswithme]

All these nice words have me appropriately excited to pick this album up. Will have to see if I hold out for it to be released in the states or if I get the import though...

[Jafs]

Saw them live yesterday, fantastic; The second part of the concert made me going nuts, and the new stuff is magnified played like this, especially Beelzedub which took another dimension.

Setlist goes as this, if I remember well:

Time Becomes

--- Hartnoll's entrance

One Big Moment
Halcyon
Straight Sun
Sad But True
Beelzedub
Never
Belfast
Impact (The Earth Is Burning)
Wonky
Are We Here?
------
(encore)

Satan (Vocal sample from the intro)

Stringy Acid
Chime
Where Is It Going?

[dubnobasswithme]

Was halcyon mixed with anything this time around? Any Belinda, Bon jovi, or Darkness?

[Flywaver]

Just Belinda and Bon Jovi. Not as good as it was live back in the day. The gig was the loudest I have ever been too. As much as I loved it I thought it needed a notch down. Beelzedub is definitely a beast. New France was dropped from the set quickly..

[Jafs]

Was halcyon mixed with anything this time around? Any Belinda, Bon jovi, or Darkness?

Only Belinda for us! :) Was a bit louder for me too, but the place has a good standard in a sound level so it was ok.

Hey Flywaver, were did you saw them?

[//\/\/]

Only Belinda for us!

nice - I always thought the Bon Jovi bit was unnecessary and unwanted. they only added it when they played Sonar the same year as them...

[Jafs]

Chime: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRIkL9aB8Gs

Wonky & Are We Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF4JhW5DqXA&feature=related

Full concert (a bit better than average sound quality): http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL22C4C18FFB501C6D&feature=plcp

[Rog]

Best album from the brothers for a long time........I bloody love it!:D

[ndrwrld]

free webcast of Orbital concert tonight.
http://www.youtube.com/opener