(The year 2020 marks my 50th birthday. Leading up to the day (22nd November), I’m planning on writing a blog entry for each year, picking a song or an album from then that I love, talking a bit about why, and giving it some context in my life)
Sometimes you just need an album you can lose yourself in. Something to help set a mood in your head, to provide background to an endeavour, or to either focus your mind or set it adrift. You can dance to music like Orbital if you want to, but its not compulsory. Sometimes, you just need something like this.
Way back in 1990, I first heard The Orb, loving their first album, and absolutely adoring U.F.Orb in 1992. I had a friend who was into this sort of thing who introduced me to other bands, such as Ozric Tentacles and Eat Static, and of course I fell for The Chemical Brothers in a big way, Exit Planet Dust a firm favourite. This carried forward into a love of bands such as Boards of Canada, Battles and Animal Collective.
Orbital though mostly passed me by until this album from 1996. I’m not sure why I took a chance on it, maybe because I bought single The Box from the bargain bin, loving the four tracks on the CD, how each followed a theme despite being very different to each other. I bought the CD that came in a very nice blue stripy box, and listened to it and little else for the whole of that summer.
All eight tracks are outstanding. The opening Thwomp of the first track always sends shivers down my spine, and the bright, dazzling keyboard lines that close the album are incredible. My love of this record sent me back to their earlier releases, my favourite The Brown Album, with the masterful double bill of Impact and Rewind. I even bought a couple of very nice Orbital t-shirts, long sleeved baseball shirt additions that I wish I still owned. I’m sure they would go for a fortune on Ebay.
Every now and then I’ll get this album out and give it a spin, and never regret it. I love working to music like this, it somehow helps me to concentrate on a task. I don’t know why, and I’m sure this is not what the music was designed for. I’d be surprised if the brothers had project plans, benefit analysis and GANT charts in mind when they designed the tracks. My wife hates music like this, really can’t get it, but Orbital will always have a special place for me, and I’m glad I took a chance on this purchase.
Why Did I Buy That 