Orbital

Formed in Kent, England, around the Hartnoll brothers, Phil and Paul, Orbital established itself at the end of the 1980s in the wake of acid house and the British rave scene. The duo develops melodic and narrative electronic music, at the crossroads of techno, breakbeat, ambient, and a more accessible form of IDM, with tracks built to unfold over time and designed as much for listening as for the stage. After the single 'Chime' in 1989, Orbital released two self-titled albums, Orbital in 1991 and Orbital 2 in 1993, before expanding their palette with Snivilisation in 1994 and In Sides in 1996, where the writing becomes broader, and more political as well. Their career spans both large festivals and studio work, soundtracks and several vocal collaborations, notably with Alison Goldfrapp, Lisa Gerrard, Zola Jesus, or more recently Sleaford Mods on Optical Delusion in 2023. Marked by two separations, in 2004 and 2014, Orbital regularly hit the road from 2009, and again since 2017. Orbital's place in the history of British electronic music also lies in their live performances, where the duo early on transferred club energy to festival stages such as Glastonbury.