Rating: 5/10

Track Amount: 11

Running Time: 1 hour and 17 minutes

Genre: Techno

Personnel: Paul Hartnoll & Phil Hartnoll

Producer: Orbital

Recording Location: Various

Record Label: FFRR

Art Direction: Fultano ’91

Best Tracks: Chime – Live

Quick Verdict: Repetitively annoying Techno Music that wears out its appeal quickly

Orbital really got going with this album, their debut album, released back in 1991. Before this release, they had some considerable commercial success with the release of their Chime single back in 1989. This charted in the UK at #17 during the era of Acid House, which promptly got the Hartnoll brothers some attention. Eventually, they were signed to FFRR Records and released this album, which is also referred to as Orbital 1 or the Green album. Although this is not seen as Orbital’s best album release, it is a starting point for the duo that has lasted to this very day. Let’s go back in time to 1991 and hear if this album is at all promising.

1. The Moebius is a seven-minute-long piece that begins this album. It launches with a quirky vocal sample from a documentary of sorts and launches into an irregular and unusual EDM-style tune. This is very robotic-sounding music, but clever and detailed throughout. This is a minimal listen that sounds like music directly from a future that we have not reached yet. It builds up into a surreal and fantastic tune that sounds awesome and great. If this is pure Techno, it is simply impressive. This mutates and transforms as it goes on, sounding sweet and effortless throughout. The percussion-based sounds are absolutely gorgeously divine and interesting to listen to throughout. If a higher state of human intelligence is developed through music, it is Techno that stands strong in that area. A really interesting listen that, although it may be retro by EDM’s standards today, literally sounds great here. The midsection gets even more minimal, with hi-hats galore and the vocal sample at hand. This is an interesting and detailed listen about the multitude of existences, if you have an understanding of the universe. This is seriously underrated music at hand, and needs to be heard much more by others in the world of music listening. A deeply interesting and fun listen for straight-ahead Techno. This tune transforms and changes throughout, sounding seriously great to hear. It gradually gets more minimal towards the end, sounding fresh and consistent throughout. A wonderfully interesting and structured tune with robotic and futuristic sounds to stretch one’s imagination. A solid tune at hand that sounds extremely enjoyable.

2. Speedfreak sounds totally awesome from the start of it all. It has some pseudo-percussive melodies to begin with, and sounds awesome and amazing throughout. Better than most of the early Acid House Music, this is a fantastically upbeat and nicely structured tune with different melodic sections and structures throughout. A deep and powerful tune at hand. This sounds very much unlike anything else out there and deserves major credit for being interesting and different enough to be listened to until this very day. Sure, it is over seven minutes long, which is a long time for a track, but it really sounds fantastic, danceable and interesting enough to push through it all. An awesome track that sounds great for those of you who think Rock Music is dead and that Techno has a place in your life. A deeply interesting and developed sound that sounds ridiculously good to listen to. There are many layers of electronic sounds that, although they are quite repetitive, sound totally awesome to listen to. A really supercharged and interesting tune at hand. This music deserves more credit than it gets. An upbeat and glorious tune that has many different aspects to it. There are sampled yelps towards the end, alongside many different musical sections of pure Techno glory. A cyber journey through sound and textures that will make your mouth water. This album is likely where Underworld got some of their music ideas from as well. Towards the end, this becomes fairly minimal, with some static basslines following into place. A seriously good tune at hand, which finishes up with some nice beats. Decent.

3. Oolaa begins with some interesting samples and launches into a digital set of bleeps and melodies. This continues the consistency of this album along very nicely indeed. The music and melodies sound really very cool indeed. This is a bit different from the first two tracks, yet it still upholds the general consistency of this album so far, even if this seems a little weaker overall. Some trippy sounds enter that are looped, sounding really fantastic. This is more of a listen that people who trip on mushrooms or LSD will get. It sounds very different to anything else musically made, before or since this release. A great listen for old-style Techno, although there are also elements of Acid House sound on this album as well. A deeply wonderful and interesting tune that sounds gorgeous and very mechanical in its sound. The second half continues the glory, and sounds really awesomely intelligent, artistic and cool. A seriously great piece of tunage. The sounds are out of this world and are like what one would hear on a DMT trip. In any case, drugginess aside, this is absolutely brilliant music to listen to. It just works wonderfully. Orbital had set themselves up very nicely with this main album release at hand, and they had a clear indication musically of where to go. This eventually wraps up after six minutes with some simple beats and basslines to match it, with some occasional sound loops thrown in for good measure. If you want to hear how the future was seen back in the early 1990s, look no further.

4. Desert Storm begins with some robotic vocals, which are different and are a mocking reference to Christianity throughout. This stops, and bombastic and looped beats enter, which sound really great. This launches into a different and low-key tune that has some killer vibes about it all. A repetitive but very enjoyable listen overall. The music and sounds are really diverse and interesting throughout. A deep and rich-sounding listen, with some horn-style sounds throughout. A really cool and extended listen, a bit like an electronic LSD trip at hand. This particular track goes on for over 12 minutes, so switch your patience mode on if you are still with us. Even for its length, this does sound really quite amazing and enjoyable to hear. A refreshingly diverse and original tune at hand, which sounds very laidback and sweet for a Techno-based tune. It has some odd and interesting moments about it all. A seriously interesting and sonically different tune, this is the sound of Orbital making Techno that broke down music barriers back in 1991. This tune is original and inventively creative enough to merit that. All in all, a tasty music adventure for the ears. A really different and warped tune that sounds absolutely killer at hand. This is refreshing music that sounds clever. It may take a while for this particular track to be appreciated, however. Towards the midsection, the beats stop, with some additional textures playing alone, before some unique sonic sounds enter nicely. A really interesting and different-sounding Techno instrumental that, although very minimal-sounding, is a great musical effort. A sensationally good effort overall that has some music mojo about it all. This is great intellectual Techno Music that has a multitude of sections that change, which is very noticeable by the second half of listening. There are some very minimal sampled sounds as we progress through the second half of the tune. This spacey, minimalist Techno is super intelligent and sounds absolutely neat throughout. A seriously awesome listen from Orbital. It is a bit like the sort of music that one would listen to in the Middle East on a trip of sorts. The music continues on nicely, even if some people will be impatiently turned off by its minimalism. Nonetheless, it continues on very well. This likely could have been shortened, all the same. It still sounds good for what it is. For a debut album of this sort, this is undeniably good and interesting to listen to. A really quirky outro is present, which sounds super neat. Although this track outstays its welcome somewhat, it is very magically rewarding at the end, with unusual melodies and chiming sounds. A thoroughly interesting, albeit lengthy tune. Very different overall. The bassline and sounds right near the end are very catchy. A sweet tune to listen to that has some interesting sonic sounds and a fade-out to finish.

5. Farenheit 303 is another long listen at over eight minutes in length. It begins with some nice percussion and some other background sounds. The bongos become particularly prominent on this tune, and the tune itself continues the minimal yet tasty and repetitive sounds throughout. Soon into there is a drastic music change with some pattern oscillations and loops that sound really fantastic. Some glassy sounds and chiming sounds enter, and this tune gradually builds up in melodic sense and structure. 4/4 kick drum beats enter, and this minimalistic tune gradually becomes alive. Again, this is the sort of music that would have inspired Underworld to embrace Techno and other forms of Electronic Music in their music journey from Rock to EDM. All the same, this is a minimal yet enjoyable listen that, although lengthy, works a treat. This is also danceable and good listening for those of you who really want to delve into some history of Electronic Music via listening. Although this is Techno-based, one can clearly hear the influence of early Acid House Music throughout this tune as well. This is simple EDM for those of you who do not like complex changes or vocally based Pop tunes to listen to. All in all, a seriously different and excellent listen that makes great sense upon hearing it all. The second half has a very neat and percussive return. To be fair, patience is a virtue with this album. The music present is really fantastic and good listening, but it cannot move beyond repetitive 4/4 progressions. In any case, this slowly continues to a conclusion with some different melodies thrown in for good measure. The final section has some different melodies to listen to, which is much welcome at this point. This does sound very neat and solid, though. One can imagine the underground raves at the time playing this music a great deal. It gradually finishes up after eight minutes in length, with some subtle changes and an abrupt finish.

6. Steel Cube Idolatry begins with some clinking sounds, followed by some metallic instrumentation looped melodies, as the track title suggests. 4/4 beats enter, and this metallic tune (not Heavy Metal FYI) launches into action. This is an odd-sounding tune. It certainly takes the unusual into Techno based Music. Eventually, it builds up to quite a nicely danceable piece of music. This is a bit of a strange listen overall. Fortunately, although this is still very long as a tune, it is six minutes in length, which is significantly shorter than before. There are some weird vocal samples here, and this surges in and out of audibility well. The music and sounds throughout are extremely different from anything music has made before or since. Still, the repetition of this album’s individual tracks is present, which is not great. This then follows into a minimal piece of percussion-based sounds that are incredibly quiet, but stereo-panned. Some random noise loops enter, and this tune keeps on going on and on a bit too long. Still, this is good music, but it is so annoyingly repetitive that it makes you never wish to listen to this album again. It is a good mash-up of sound, but it lacks sonic progressions and variety throughout. Even so, these sounds are different from anything recorded before, or since, for the matter. It gradually concludes with some interesting loop changes and finishes after over six and a half minutes in length.

7. High Rise begins with some clanking sounds and footsteps, seemingly of someone going into an elevator. This goes on for a bit before launching into a really dreary-sounding Techno Music piece. It stops and starts again, with some typical Acid Techno-style sonic loop melodies in it. This is another lengthy piece of music at over eight minutes in length. This sounds a bit like a dull version of the original Doom video game soundtrack in a way, except that it is not that soundtrack itself. Beats enter, and this tune gradually gets going. This is a disappointing track to listen to, especially considering the variety of music on offer from earlier. Still, it is definitely listenable if you have patience. A breakdown occurs, with some looped bongo-style drums re-entering. To be frank, this is not the best of Orbital’s Music overall. The sound progresses on, with some interesting ascending melodies present. Near the midsection, the mixture of melodies and beats does sound a little better, with a key change as well. This is the sort of minimal music that is good for some illicit drug use, but not really for a scenario where you can sit down and listen to it in full. So in reality, this isn’t the greatest, despite the clear efforts of Orbital otherwise. The music sounds very Techno styled in the second half of it, with some interesting melodic looping riffs and sounds galore. This leads to a pseudo-piano-sounding melody, which is different. All in all, this is okay, but far from being absolutely fantastic music. The sounds are okay, but the repetitiveness and lack of music magic are disappointing to listen to. You’d be better off listening to The Chemical Brothers early works instead of this album at this point. The fact that it just goes on and on, needlessly, is a bit disappointing overall. The outro sounds a bit more interesting and makes light of a better section. This eventually concludes after nearly eight and a half minutes have passed. Very average.

8. Chime – Live is fortunately much shorter, and is the classic tune by Orbital. It begins with a repeated single note melody, and sounds extremely cool to listen to. 4/4 kick drum beats enter, and we are underway on this tune. This is much better as a listening experience than much of what has come before it. This is an interesting and nicely layered melodic music cut. The melodies and music sound incredibly intelligent and natural throughout this tune. This is a great representation of what was achievable by two brothers back in the late 1980s with a mission of music and purpose. All in all, a seriously great tune to listen to. The Roland TB-303 melodies are also a winner. This is mixed with Roland TR-808 and TR-909 sounds that take one’s musical imagination elsewhere. A seriously good listen, and thankfully Orbital had the foresight to put this onto their debut album. It has some melodic changes in the second half, which are proto-early 1990s UK Hardcore sounds. Nonetheless, this is a great tune that EDM heads will need to hear to appreciate. It continues to shift and change towards the end, with some different beats than at the beginning of the song. There are some excellent TB-303 sounds present as well. This was the future of music from the latter part of the 21st century. It has some weird descending melodies to conclude with. Great to hear, all the same. Good job, Orbital.

9. Midnight – Live sounds incredibly dated from the beginning. It has some synth string-style melodic sounds that sound miserable and not that good. Soon enough, hi-hats and beats enter, bringing this one alive. The raw appeal of this album wears off by this point. Sure, it is still a good album release, but the music on this track in particular is very forgettable. 808 State were releasing tunes better than this around this time. Regardless, you can probably skip ahead if you wish. This is not outright bad. Certainly, worse has been released that is popular since then. Still, it just doesn’t sound enjoyable, nor impressive. Some guitar-like looped sounds are present here. This is followed by a breakdown of some better melodies and intricately crafted percussion sounds. The music and sounds are a bit different in this section, and it makes for a better listen overall. The sounds continue to arrive, with some melancholy minor key melodies. The second half continues on with these melodies, launching into a depressing and, yes, repetitive tune. Nothing great is here; this is quite difficult to sit through and appreciate musically. Understandably, Orbital were just starting out, but for all this tune promises, it is not very good in the wider music world. This music continues on for nearly seven minutes, when it should take half as long to get through. A disappointing track, let’s hope that the rest of the album is better than this. It concludes with the minor key melodies. A dull listening experience.

10. Belfast is an eight-minute-long piece that begins with some deep and dark sounds. It has some odd sounds throughout. Again, this is dark Techno that needs a rethink. Percussive sounds enter as this eight-minute-long tune gradually kicks into action. Some lighter melodies and Roland sounds emerge, along with some wordless female vocal harmony-based singing. This is a bit better at this point, but still, no need for so much looped repetition on this track. Big beat styled EDM beats enter, and this tune gradually moves into action. Surprisingly, this is far better than expected after a while. It just goes to show that there are some surprising moments on this album. Even so, this is a bit difficult to appreciate overall. The minor key melodies are good, but still, there is nothing really special on this track. The music plays on and on, with a more focused drum machine beat section. This predates the EDM subgenres of both Breaks and Breakbeat, which focus on cut-up beat loops rather than just 4/4 kick drum beats. This has an ethereal sound to it all in the second half. The music will not be to everyone’s tastes. Having said that, one can appreciate the energy and effort by Orbital on their debut album. The music and vocal harmonies are definitely different to listen to, however. This music continues on well, although this track also could have been quite a bit shorter. It slowly marches towards the end, slowing down deliberately to a more downtempo section. This has some melodies and sounds that become far more noticeable as a result. This continues to slow and has some other textures thrown in for good measure. It finishes up with a smooth yet slow jam throughout. A better tune overall.

11. I Think It’s Disgusting is the final track on this album, and has some vinyl hiss and some piano present. Shorter than a minute long, and not really necessary to hear at all. This is a very stupid conclusion to the album. Not needed here.

This is an album that is very good on some levels, but also hugely repetitive overall. This need not be so. Fortunately, although this album, in retrospect, is a bit of a failure upon listening to, Orbital did lift their game on future releases. However, as a debut album, this is not really fun, consistent or interesting to listen to overall. Which is a real shame, as it could have been otherwise. Should you listen to this album? Unless you are a huge Technohead, don’t bother; this album will likely disappoint you.

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