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I'm happy to see Orbital take a small step in a more conventional direction with their first release of the new millennium. I'm not sure where Orbital was supposed to go along the vector established by In Sides and Middle of Nowhere. Both albums, particularly the latter, were rather cold and unapproachable. And, that aside, Middle of Nowhere achieved a kind of sonic and timbral perfection that it wouldn't be worthwhile to attempt to duplicate. "There can be only one."Altogether is a more user-friendly effort, more diverse and in particular more song-oriented. I wouldn't say it is less sophisticated. The brothers still produce the best mixes of anyone in the techno/ambient world (although Juno Reactor's Shango was a spectacular effort). Offhand I can't think of anyone who can install more sounds and details into a mix while still leaving it uncluttered. And unlike Middle of Nowhere, which tended to sound good only on headphones and very expensive stereos (mostly due to a lack of mid bass), Altogether also has a very user friendly overall sound, not requiring a stereo with 50 Hz and flat treble to sound good.Altogether is definitely going to be a shock to longtime Orbital fans expecting the "next in the series" along the trend established by The Box, In Sides, Middle of Nowhere ... but ... I'm as big an Orbital fan as anyone, and I'm happy to have a CD that takes itself a little less seriously, one that shows off Orbital's sense of humor better.And of course it has the long-awaited recording of the Dr. Who theme on it!
If you consider Snivilization to be the ultimate Orbital album, then you probably disagree with me. However, I find In Sides and Middle of Nowhere to be two of the best Orbital albums currently in existence. Why? Simple: They're not just a disjoint set of tracks; they tell a unified story, they blend themes and passages, they share keys, phrases, transitions, progressions, and rhythms and combine the songs in such a way to make a whole. Snivilization, like Altogether, has some excellent tracks. However, both albums don't feel like much more than a collection of tracks; they don't have the unity that the aforementioned two albums do. They don't paint an entire musical thought, opting rather to give you bits and pieces of musical ideas. Altogether is, overall, an interesting collection of Orbital songs. Most are interesting, a few are quite inventive, but the album as a whole is not groundbreaking. It's worth a listen and a buy, but I predict that those who love In Sides and Middle of Nowhere will not replace either with Altogether in their CD changers.
This is one of those albums that you pick up, listen to quickly, and think "why the #@#(! did I shell out 20 bucks for this?" Then one day you let it play through and listen to it some more and suddenly it starts to grow on you.I bought this out of sheer loyality to the group, I admit, but I was not sure if it was really for me. However, the Orbital roots shine through the strange new ideas and once you can sense the familiar territory you can appreciate what the Hartnolls are doing here.Sure, there are a few mistakes on this album. Tootled is an annoying odd five minutes. Oi gets obnoxious too, and Illuminate which has a very beautiful melodic progressive line is ruined as its turned into a pop song with David Grey's vocals and it never goes anywhere because of them. It's a shame, really...that could've been a really nice song!Mistakes aside, there are quite a few gems worthy of the distinguished orbital fan's collection. Funny Break is a nice tune, using the typical whooshy female vocals, Pay Per View morphs from a slow lounge groove into something completely different, there is of course a recorded version of the Doctor Who theme, and the shortened version of Meltdown with it's crazy combinations of brown noise, phone dial tones, typing, taiko drumming, and god knows what else is simply genius.Let this thing bake in your stereo awhile before you pass it off as a halfhearted attempt from an old tired band. You'll start to like it, and before long, you won't be able to take it off repeat!Trust me on this, and just listen to the album!!
Well, it was only a matter of time. With "Altogether", the Hartnolls have abandoned the experimental approach that was their signature from the very beginning. The Orbital machine steamed through several albums, all the way up to their most release, the disappointing "Middle of Nowhere", making innovative yet brilliant *musical* tunes that showed the world that techno was, in fact, MUSIC and not a bunch of bleeps.Enter "Altogther".Orbital, like nearly all great artists, have eventually run dry of their creative talent. Realizing (probably during their early studio sessions) that it was virtually impossible to make music that was both listenable and progressive, Orbital has decided to capitalize upon artistry already developed long ago (this album has more than a few tunes that borrow sounds from their earliest albums) and to reap the benefits. Legions of new fans, most of whom have only recently discovered the brilliance of Orbital's masterpieces (In Sides, Snivilisation) will be very pleased to find further, familiar Orbital music in "Altogether".To the rabid Orbital fan, this is also sweetness. They would rate this album 5 stars regardless of what their ears hear. To the TRUE Orbital fans who recognized Phil and Paul Hartnoll's brilliance but at the same time saw the end was near with "Middle of Nowhere" this is our proof. ... Yes, there are flashes of inspiration, but they are nothing that can help this boat float.If you are an Orbital fan who is dying for new music to listen to, I highly recommend looking back in time at their Times Fly EP, a somewhat rare find for American fans. The Times Fly EP is a collection of 4 songs recorded during the most fertile period of Orbital's works (1993-1996), in between the Snivilisation and In Sides albums. Go find this EP and forget about the dreadful mess that is "Altogether".
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
very good, July 24, 2001
Reviewer: A music fan as a long time orbital disciple, I was thrilled to see orbital follow up their worst album ("middle of nowhere") with one of their best (as far as I'm concerned they have never topped "snivilisation"). the songs are shorter, yes, but that doesn't make them any less creative or captivating. many people seem to dislike the David Grey collaboration, but I find it to be a fabulously catchy & sweet track. the only misstep (in my opinion) is track 5 ("tootled"), which is immediately followed by the best track (#6, "last thing"). it's a great disc, but i dont think that its going to win over any person who wasn't already a fan.i'd also suggest picking up the "funny break" import single for the non-album track "beezlebeat."
Orbital has something new to tell us. Can you hear them - they are trying something different. But how many people are prepared to listen? Not many, to bad. Well, got some news for you. This isn't bad. It's actually good, very good. Sure, some people are dissapointed, i know i was when i first heard it. It doesn't have the strenght like the "Brown", or the emotions that "In-Sides" had. What it does have is the experimental approach like no other Orbital album (well maybe "Snivilisation") and song structures first heard here, on the "Altogether". The songs are short, the brothers are using more samples than usual and a lot vocal inputs. All in all, not a bad move. A very brave one, and i'm sure it will pay off. Like i said, the first time i heard it i was dissapointed. But as i continued to listen to it i started to like it more and more. I suggest you do the same thing. Give it a little time,have an open mind, be patient and soon you'll see that this is another good Orbital album. Not a classic, but good everyday electronic music.
A slightly different and more accessible direction, July 7, 2001
Solid Orbital, but not as good as In Sides of M. of Nowhere, August 29, 2001
Hey, the brothers should be able to make money too, July 29, 2001
