Orbital - O2 Academy Brixton, London (25/09/09)
Posted Mon 28 Sep 2009 5:35PM BST by Reviews Editor in Down The Front
Among the waves of high-profile reunions, Orbital's has been one of the most curious. After all, it's not like they ever really went away; they just took a five-year break and, when compared to the less-than-voluminous output of say, Massive Attack, their return feels more like an attempt at re-acquainting themselves with both their audience as much as with their muse. In truth, the only reason that this gets called a reunion rather than a comeback is the difference between touting new material or playing a set of crowd-pleasing bangers. Yet Orbital continue to occupy a rarefied space that's a sanctum to only a few acts. The Hartnoll brothers are an original of the species, creators of music so innovative that its antecedents are few and far between and whose shockwaves and ramifications are still felt to this very day.
In addition to the epileptic beats, squelching 303 bass lines and swooping, twisting lead runs, Orbital still continue to succeed where so many other dance acts fail to succeed beyond the realm of recorded music. Fusing a rock sensibility to their live performances - or is it the other way around? - Paul and Phil turn what could be the fundamentally dull live experience of two blokes bobbing their heads behind a bank of sci-fi synths and sequencers into something that still excites and delights in equal measure.
The volume is reassuringly powerful, driving "Satan"'s stark and relentless rhythms with a reinvigorated urge that lays bare Orbital's genesis from a time when the simple act of dancing and unabashed hedonism was tantamount to civil disorder. Certainly, a large number of the 30 and 40-somethings gathered here tonight allow their eyes to mist over at thoughts of former glories amongst the joyous gurning. But crucially, the duo have also attracted a generation of whom some members may well have been squired at Sunrise or any number of the outdoor raves dotted around the M25 and there's a comfort to be had watching their hands reach the air for "Chime"'s anthemic introduction.
"Halcyon" remains a delight and the collision of Bon Jovi, Belinda Carlisle and bowel-quaking beats induces a wave of euphoria that's soundtracked by spontaneous cheering, becoming the aural equivalent of a Mexican wave. Yet despite the joy, the nagging doubt remains that with the absence of new material, Orbital run the very real risk of blotting a highly enviable copybook. But hey, with this Friday night party going into overdrive, let's worry about that another day.
by Julian Marszalek
