Orbital are an English electronic music duo from Dunton Green, Kent, England, consisting of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll. The band's name is taken from Greater London's orbital motorway, the M25, which was central to the early rave scene during the early days of acid house. Additionally, the cover art on three of their albums showcase stylised atomic orbitals. Orbital have been critically and commercially successful, known particularly for their live improvisation during shows.
Paul Hartnoll described the early incarnation of Orbital as a "low-cost bedroom New Order/Severed Heads". Other influences from the late 1970s and early 1980s included The Beat, Cabaret Voltaire, OMD and Kate Bush. The catalogues of Tamla Motown, ZTT and Trojan Records, and the classic rock of bands like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Genesis, were also influential. The Hartnolls have expressed a deep appreciation of Kraftwerk.
In 1989, Orbital recorded "Chime" on their father's 4 track tape deck, which they released on DJ Jazzy M's Oh Zone Records in December 1989 and re-released on FFRR Records a few months later. The track became a rave anthem, reaching number 17 in the UK charts and earning them an appearance on Top of the Pops, during which they wore anti-Poll Tax T-shirts. According to Paul Hartnoll, the track was recorded "under the stairs" of their parents' house in "a knocked-through stair cupboard that my dad set up as a home office". The track received its first live airing at a club night hosted by the promoter Que Pasa (Mark, Andrew and Nick Maddox) in a local Sevenoaks venue called the Grasshopper on Boxing Day. Next was a gig at the Town and Country 2 in Islington, performing for the first time under the name Orbital. Several singles and EPs followed, and their first self-titled album, a collection of tracks recorded at various times, was released in late 1991.
Orbital are an English electronic music duo from Dunton Green, Kent, England, consisting of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll. The band's name is taken from Greater London's orbital motorway, the M25, which was central to the early rave scene during the early days of acid house. Additionally, the cover art on three of their albums showcase stylised atomic orbitals. Orbital have been critically and commercially successful, known particularly for their live improvisation during shows.
Paul Hartnoll described the early incarnation of Orbital as a "low-cost bedroom New Order/Severed Heads". Other influences from the late 1970s and early 1980s included The Beat, Cabaret Voltaire, OMD and Kate Bush. The catalogues of Tamla Motown, ZTT and Trojan Records, and the classic rock of bands like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Genesis, were also influential. The Hartnolls have expressed a deep appreciation of Kraftwerk.
In 1989, Orbital recorded "Chime" on their father's 4 track tape deck, which they released on DJ Jazzy M's Oh Zone Records in December 1989 and re-released on FFRR Records a few months later. The track became a rave anthem, reaching number 17 in the UK charts and earning them an appearance on Top of the Pops, during which they wore anti-Poll Tax T-shirts. According to Paul Hartnoll, the track was recorded "under the stairs" of their parents' house in "a knocked-through stair cupboard that my dad set up as a home office". The track received its first live airing at a club night hosted by the promoter Que Pasa (Mark, Andrew and Nick Maddox) in a local Sevenoaks venue called the Grasshopper on Boxing Day. Next was a gig at the Town and Country 2 in Islington, performing for the first time under the name Orbital. Several singles and EPs followed, and their first self-titled album, a collection of tracks recorded at various times, was released in late 1991.