Are We Here?

Mike Brown's Mesmereviews: January 1995

1994 US CD5: FFRR            1994 US 12": FFRR 697-120 047-1
+---------------------------+   +-----------------------------+
 7:30 Who Are They?              7:30 Who Are They?
 8:36 Oral Mix *                 5:16 Do They Here?
10:17 What Was That?             8:36 Oral Mix *
 9:54 Lunasol Wet Mix *          7:37 Laconic Dub *
 3:51 Industry Standard edit     3:51 Industry Standard
 4:12 The Edit *                 8:43 They Did It?
                                 4:12 The Edit *

As the most popular of the few techno bands that consistently produce quality and quantity despite being under the wing of a major label, Orbital are under pressure to make each new release as good as or better than the last. Their latest single "Are We Here?" meets my expectations with its immodest production, while surpassing my expectations --or bypassing them, rather-- with its artistic direction.

I picked up the double 12", so I don't know how 2 of the mixes sound. The Rabbit in the Moon remixes are not as ambitious as the Mutations singles or the Lush 3 mixes, but their straightforward trancey-house approach is still diverse and make good use of the cut-up female vocal samples. The Laconic Dub is the spacey, with lots of toms that unfortunately build up at the end only to leave me hanging --apparently constructed for use in a continuous mix more than for "just listening." The Edit on the other hand is a rapidfire version for radio play that is as energetic and soulless as anything on the radio ever is.

Orbital's Who Are They? and its radio edit Industry Standard are much like the version on Snivilisation. Do They Here? is a more experimental piece, a bit wacked-out for most dancefloors, but possibly an interesting diversion to toss into a jungle set for about a minute.

If you didn't like the direction they started heading with The Peel Sessions (Attached, etc.) then probably the only track you'll like is They Did It? which is more in line with the sound the Hartnoll brothers established on their first two albums. The Are We Here? single is not as much of a departure from their old sound as Snivilisation, and it can be at times every bit as uplifting as the still-so-sweet Halcyon from their second self-titled album. I would have been happy if they stuck to their older sound, but who can blame them for moving on?

Inquire about Orbital through ffrr1@aol.com.

• The US mixes have now turned up in the UK on import.
• Mike Brown is one of the co-ordinators of Hyperreal, the techno/ rave archive.
• Contact Mike at mike@hyperreal.com.

[ Also: Melody Maker review ]