Can techno really ever be about anything? Or, should we say, anything more meaningful than fluffy clouds and getting substantially out of it. Than sheer sonic loveliness and the ruthless hedonism of the dancefloor. Well, you'd like to think so, wouldn't you? If anyone is going to convince sceptics, it'll be the Hartnoll brothers, aka Orbital. Over two untitled albums and several compelling EPs, they've staked a claim to be the best, perhaps in the world, at this type of thing. And what is this thing? Techno does it no justice, certainly. It's modern electronic music using the studio as a compositional tool- how's that for a sexy movement title, New Wave Of New Wave!- and 'Snivilisation' is as wonderful an example of it as you're going to hear at present.

Aficionados of nosebleed frugging à la The Prodigy or cutesy handbag house should give this the widest berth in the marina. Orbital were always deeper than that, but 'Snivilisation' marches on from what has gone previously. The title refers to an assumed condition of life in the modern world, an illusory state of civilisation that masks the domination of a vicious and corrupt ruling class. It's not too unfair to predict that the Mad Stuntman won't be essaying too much in this line.

But if 'Snivilisation' was merely clever, that counts for nothing. The fact is it sounds fantastic.

A charge constantly levelled at this kind of music is that it lacks personality. Each track of 'Snivilisation', once familiar, is full of character. The opening and closing tracks, 'Forever' and 'Attached', are graceful and stately, while 'Quality Seconds' is a feverish punk burlesque.

'Philosophy by Numbers' sets what seems to be an enrolment spiel for a degree course against densely-layered electronics to witty effect, whereas 'Crash and Carry' is brutally evocative of the twilight world of ramraiding (it's from the Shopping soundtrack). And the epic 'Are We Here?', (edited to be the new single) is particularly beautiful in its closing phrases.

Every day there seems to be less and less interesting music in the world. How odd that some of the most interesting we have originates in Sevenoaks.

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