In Sides

Who ever doubted the power and vision of the Hartnoll boys can be called horse to their face after this little effort. Seventy-two tantalising minutes of soothing, reflective, dark yet danceable tunes probe that less is much more. Those familiar ripples of sound on their three previous albums are again on show. From the opening chimes of ‘the Girl With The Sun In Her Head’ to the twenty-four minute closing epic ‘Out There Somewhere?’, Orbital prove that electronic music can be both angry and heartbreaking. But while 1994’s zeitgeist-defining Snivilisation did its fair share of pointing, shouting and piss-taking, ‘In Sides’ has its introverted eyes closed and its head bowed. No UFO hunting, freak-show narrative, just an empty box to make of what you will. Whilst one-dimensional rivals suffocate in their formulaic, copyright-infringing rut, Orbital rise ever higher above the mêlée, in a floaty, airy, imponderable sort of way. They’re on top of the world looking down at creation. Falling in love with the schizoid world of thechno and how intelligent and inspired it can sometimes be will cost you the price of one album. Find a place for this miracle.
10/10

• This review originally appeared in the June 1996 issue of Wax.
• Wax is published monthly and costs £1.95

[ Also: All In Sides reviews ]