Orbital 2 (aka The Brown Album) – Orbital – Various – Released 24th May 1993, FFRR
Known to Orbital fans as the Browm Album, Orbital 2 is the follow-up to their 1991 debut, Orbital 1, aka The Green Album. Both albums were released on FFRR Records.
Since I imagine that first sentence was as painful to read as it was to write, it’s fortunate that subsequent releases were given full album titles, rather than being merely colour-coded.
As well as having similar-looking packaging, Orbital 1 and 2 are similar in terms of tone and style. And, as with its predecessor, Orbital 2 contains some of the group’s best known, and best loved tracks, such as Lush 3.1 and Halcyon (and on.)
Looping Back…
Another parallel with the first album comes with the opening track, Time Becomes.
As with the previous album’s opener, The Moebius, Time Becomes features a sample of Star Trek TNG’s Lieutenant Worf, uttering the immortal phrase, “where time becomes a loop.”
This sample is then – no points for guessing this – looped, with additional delay effects added creating variations of space between each loop.
This goes on for a full one minute and 43 seconds, which would be annoying if it were anyone else.
Honestly, though, Worf just happens to be my favourite character in the series and I could listen to him all day. The actor who plays him, Michael Dorn, has such a cool voice he could read out a KPMG white paper on tax compliance and still sound like a badass.
Track two, Planet Of The Shapes, starts off deceptively distant, appearing in one channel only while a sample from the movie Withnail and I repeats, “even a stopped clock gives the right time twice a day.”
Next, a brooding bassline fills out the centre, holding our attention as we wonder what’s next… strange clipped metallic percussion ensues, followed by a steady drubbing breakbeat.
Just under a third of the way in the beat cuts and we’re treated to some sitars, because why not, we were all pretty mystical in the 90s…
Some trademark Orbital sounds throughout this one and it still holds up compared to some of their other older works. That said I don’t think anyone will ever count this among their best tracks or whoop with glee if the band ever decided to play it live.
Planet Of The Shapes – Orbital
Lush 3-1, on the other hand, wow. And I’ve been fortunate enough to hear this one live a couple of times, including in my hometown last year, which was something truly special.
For me it’s all about that high tinkly arpeggio – gives me a warm glow every time I hear it.
It’s then augmented further by a thumping bassline and those trademark flutey pads.
I’d wager this tune is the third most popular and beloved, after the obvious paring of Chime and Belfast. It’s certainly in my top five Orbital tunes and, judging by the crowd reaction when they play it, I’m far from alone here.
Lush 3-2 doubles down on the beat of its predecessor, with greater emphasis on the percussion, while a 303 and female vocal samples ride along the top.
Absolute belter this one.
Might as well take this opportunity to mention the fact that both of these were released together on the 1993 Lush EP along with remixes from Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia, Underworld and CJ Bolland.
Lush 3-2 runs into the next track, Impact (The Earth Is Burning), another breakbeat and acid-driven track with that trademark kooky sound design that only the Hartnolls can deliver.
Worth noting the name of this track too, part of a long-running thread of environmental themes that runs throughout the Orbital discography.
Social activism and ecological conscientiousness have always been major components of Orbital’s music. And unlike so many others, its authenticity resonates. That’s partly down to the group’s punk ethos who, despite swapping sequencers, never lost that anti-establishment attitude.
Impact (The Earth Is Burning) – Orbital
Four in a row here as, once again, the preceding track runs into the next as Impact merges into the stirring synth arpeggio of Remind.
As the new piece takes shape we get a trance-like beat for a few bars before being joined, once again, by some breakbeats and acid.
This one definitely sounds like 1993 and, though instantly recognisable as Orbital and very much flying its UK rave flag, you can nonetheless hear that Frankfurt/Harthouse influence in there too.
A curious hybrid of styles which, though not the freshest, is an interesting time capsule none the less.
Walk Now starts off with a digeridoo and a house beat and also features a sample recorded off a set of Australian traffic lights, because why not?
Interesting how the sound is used as the basis for the main rhythm and melody, all built around that one repetitive staccato blip.
Again, I’m not sure whether this one will ever be counted among anyone’s top Orbital tracks but there’s still plenty to appreciate in the dense rhythmic programming that’s on show.
Walk Now… – Orbital
Monday is maybe the track on this album that shows its age the most, it’s got pumping hands-up house vamps, albeit merged with Orbital eccentricity.
It’s perfectly representative of the type of sound one can only ever associate with Orbital, but I’m not as keen on dwell on it, since I’m already getting excited for what’s coming next…
Right, so Halcyon + On + On, I forgot to mention this one earlier didn’t I? Maybe this one is tied with Lush on most people’s top three, for many perhaps it’s their number one. Deffo in the top five though, another HUGE cheer whenever this one plays and with good reason.
This is, without a doubt, one of the greatest and most uplifting electronic tracks ever recorded, and one that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the rave era.
The melodies are perfect, the bassline is so simple, yet effective, the female voice that soars over it all is like honey. Put it all together and it’s an endless cascade of warm, all-embracing ripples of joy, and every time they play it live it’s collective goosebumps from start to finish.
Most people just know this track as Halcyon, and forget the “and on and on”, but I know the score and remember the “and on and on” – and Ariston – on which this title is based.
Halcyon + On + On – Orbital
So for those who don’t know (i.e. those who don’t already now have the ad playing in their heads automatically) “On and on and Ariston”, was a particularly irritating TV advert from back in the day. (Course now I can’t help but imagine how much cooler it would be if Michael Dorn had voiced it instead.)
“Input translation, output rotation”, that’s all Input Out says, at the end of the album, using the same interpolated delay effect as Time Becomes but it’s not as cool because there’s no Worf this time.
Time Becomes…
Funny ole thing time, the older you get the quicker it passes.
Wasn’t all that long ago I was young and spotty and getting into Orbital while watching Captain Picard every Saturday afternoon. And what’s this new internet thing I keep hearing about? Apparently it’s going to make all our lives better!
As with its predecessor, this album enjoys classic status mainly due to a couple of all-time classic hits.
As such the album mostly it shows its age, but that scarcely matters since the gems on here will never lose their lustre.
Halcyon + On + On (and Ariston) remains one of the most beautiful dance music records ever recorded, Lush 3.1 and 3.2 are pure unbridled euphoria as only Orbital can deliver, especially when jamming them out before a crowd.
And, of course, there’s Michael Dorn, Lieutenant Worf himself, a cherry on top for me. In fact the more I think about it the more I realise they need to get that man into the studio to record some voiceover, Worf, son of Moog.