From: owner-orbital-digest@lists.xmission.com (orbital-digest) To: orbital-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: orbital-digest V2 #429 Reply-To: orbital-digest Sender: owner-orbital-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-orbital-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk X-NoArchive: yes orbital-digest Monday, July 9 2001 Volume 02 : Number 429 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 07 Jul 2001 04:18:51 -0000 From: "SR Cranks" Subject: (orbital) Orbital & MTV Dance Hello everyone, as many of you know Orbital played a special gig last week to kick off MTV Dance. The RA stream of the gig is up at www.mtv.co.uk I was wondering if anyone on the list was going to be able to record the show on to tape. It'd be great to get a nice gig shot professionally. Anyone? Anyone? If someone does record it, i'd love to get a copy of that (contact friends and see if someone can't get this recorded for the Orbital fans here on the list) Anyways, it is set to go from 9:30 to 10:00 Orbital interview. And then from 10 to midnight the Orbital concert. Check the loopz site or mtv site, but i'm assuming this is GMT zone so be on your toes... We don't have much time to act, so hopefully someone will set their VCR and record this baby. Thanks again. Where did everyone go???? The list has been very quiet. Cranks www.silencerepellent.com - ---movin molecules--- _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com # Need help using (or leaving) this mailing list? # Send the command "info orbital" to majordomo@lists.xmission.com. # To post, email orbital@lists.xmission.com; replies go to original sender. # Orbital discography: http://www.swcp.com/lazlo-bin/discogs?orbital ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 07 Jul 2001 04:28:58 -0000 From: "SR Cranks" Subject: (orbital) MTV ummmm Yo, stupid me, i forgot to mention that this gig is on Sunday July 8, 2 days from now. I didn't list the date and that pretty much guarantees a fuck up and it not getting recorded, so... Now you have it. Let's get this shit!!! Thanks. Cranks www.silencerepellent.com - ---movin' molecules--- _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com # Need help using (or leaving) this mailing list? # Send the command "info orbital" to majordomo@lists.xmission.com. # To post, email orbital@lists.xmission.com; replies go to original sender. # Orbital discography: http://www.swcp.com/lazlo-bin/discogs?orbital ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2001 01:51:51 -0400 From: Aimee Couture Subject: (orbital) random orbital thoughts Hey everyone- [Random thoughts brought to you by Aimee; if you were on the list three or four years ago, you'll understand] If I had the power to transport myself to a different time and place, I would transport myself to an Orbital show circa 1996 or 1997. I saw the boys live in July of 1997. As soon as the show ended, I wanted to have that experience again. It's now four years later, and they haven't been back to my country (Canada) since. I tried to make it to the Detroit show in 99, but a four-hour one way trip just wasn't in the cards for a seventeen year old. Creamfields USA is coming up, but Riverhead is over 600 miles from where I live now.. almost a 12 hour drive according to Mapquest: and I don't drive. That weekend is also quite possibly the busiest weekend of my year. So then I start to think about the Las Vegas show later in September: oh, it's only five or six hundred dollars to fly out there, I tell myself. What is it about this band, these two brothers, that makes me want to travel across a continent just to see them perform? In the past, I've seriously entertained the notion of flying to the UK to catch a show or two. I've made enquiries about booking them to play here. I've seen dozens of bands perform and been to more raves than I could remember, but that night still stands out in my memory. There is something about Orbital's music that I can't explain. I feel connected to it somehow; it grounds me. I've spent nights away from civilization, sitting on an empty beach listening to Orbital CDs and that experience makes things make sense. If I saw Orbital now, I would want them to play all of my old favorites. I would be disappointed if they didn't play TGWTSIHH or Halcyon. I want to hear Lush and Impact and Chime. I worry about how I would react to their live show now. The setlist has changed; two albums have been released since their last appearance here. I've grown older, my mindset has changed.. I've changed, but my passion for Orbital's music has not. This music makes me want to live, to dance, to love. It speaks to me, even though there are often no words. Tonight, I want it to be 1997. I want to be outside. I want to be looking at a stage where two of my favorite musicians are doing their thing. I remember how Orbital's music and this list used to be such a huge part of my life. There wasn't a day where I didn't listen to Orbital (not that there are many now) or post to the list. I made so many great friendships because of this list. I've been exposed to so much other music as a result. Even though the list is almost silent now, I still remember the old days.. they were great. Thanks, Paul and Phil. Aimee # Need help using (or leaving) this mailing list? # Send the command "info orbital" to majordomo@lists.xmission.com. # To post, email orbital@lists.xmission.com; replies go to original sender. # Orbital discography: http://www.swcp.com/lazlo-bin/discogs?orbital ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2001 10:18:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Brandon Invergo Subject: Re: (orbital) random orbital thoughts > If I had the power to transport myself to a > different time and place, I > would transport myself to an Orbital show circa 1996 > or 1997. i've been contemplating the same thing myself :-/ only i'd rather go back even further, to say 92 or 93 when all this, the scene as it were, actually meant something to everyone. you know, when raves and all things that i associate with electronic music stood for something, when PLUR meant more to all the people involved than a roll or some acid. drr. i would still like to go back again to 99(?) so i could see orbital again at the time when i saw them > > If I saw Orbital now, I would want them to play all > of my old favorites. I > would be disappointed if they didn't play TGWTSIHH > or Halcyon. I want to > hear Lush and Impact and Chime. I worry about how I > would react to their > live show now. The setlist has changed; two albums > have been released since > their last appearance here. I've grown older, my > mindset has changed.. I've > changed, but my passion for Orbital's music has not. when i saw them during the community service tour, i was so concerned that they wouldn't play the songs that touched me the most, like TGWTSIHH or LC1, and they didn't. however, when they started their set with Way Out, and those opening chimes just kept repeating for what seemed like an eternity with the slow motion overly blurred images of birds flying on the four screens, i knew that no matter what, it'd still touch me more than anything else. i just closed my eyes, tilted my head back and took it all in. beautiful. > > This music makes me want to live, to dance, to love. > It speaks to me, even > though there are often no words. Tonight, I want it > to be 1997. I want to > be outside. I want to be looking at a stage where > two of my favorite > musicians are doing their thing. i couldn't put it better myself ;) > > I remember how Orbital's music and this list used to > be such a huge part of > my life. There wasn't a day where I didn't listen to > Orbital (not that > there are many now) or post to the list. I made so > many great friendships > because of this list. I've been exposed to so much > other music as a result. > Even though the list is almost silent now, I still > remember the old days.. > they were great. though i'm fairly sure i haven't been on the list as long as you have, i have been on for a while, at least 3 or 4 years i think, and i definately remember all those awesome times when i'd come home to find my Inbox burgeoning with 20something emails for me to spend an hour meticulously reading. i think we can have that again. i think the people on the list (including myself, obviously) have simply forgotten or never experienced that. the list wasn't just about orbital. sure, that was the general seed to everything, but it led to a great community that shared opinions on a bunch of different stuff. we could easily get it back if everyone would just realize that we are a small community and whether or not we've ever seen each other (on a side note, aimee, what ever happened to that site with the pics of different people on the list?) we know that the other people on the list are just as retarded as we are about certain things and we can ramble on and on about them when others in our lives, our girlfriends/boyfriends wives husbands friends etc simply think that we're retarded and won't pay attention to us (well, that's what happens to me at least). well, that just about sums it up. i hope everyone felt that on the same level as me..i'm spilling tears on my leftover, re-heated pizza ;) diggit brandon __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ # Need help using (or leaving) this mailing list? # Send the command "info orbital" to majordomo@lists.xmission.com. # To post, email orbital@lists.xmission.com; replies go to original sender. # Orbital discography: http://www.swcp.com/lazlo-bin/discogs?orbital ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2001 02:12:47 +0200 From: deekay@dfu.de Subject: (orbital) Test-Mail! Ignore this mail, if you can read this, expect a very lenghty hopefully interesting email as a follow up! 8) DeeKay # Need help using (or leaving) this mailing list? # Send the command "info orbital" to majordomo@lists.xmission.com. # To post, email orbital@lists.xmission.com; replies go to original sender. # Orbital discography: http://www.swcp.com/lazlo-bin/discogs?orbital ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2001 20:35:47 -0400 From: Oleg Rekutin Subject: Re: (orbital) random orbital thoughts Monday, July 09, 2001, 1:51:51 AM, Aimee wrote: AC> If I saw Orbital now, I would want them to play all of my old AC> favorites. I would be disappointed if they didn't play TGWTSIHH or AC> Halcyon. I want to hear Lush and Impact and Chime. I worry about AC> how I would react to their live show now. The setlist has changed; AC> two albums have been released since their last appearance here. AC> I've grown older, my mindset has changed.. I've changed, but my AC> passion for Orbital's music has not. I am not objecting to the nostalgic thoughts and wishes--just touching on the idea of orbital playing all the old favorites. Probably it is more of a general statement, especially in the light of The Altogether. Consider how Orbital feels about playing Halcyon and all the Orbital classics time and again from a show to a show, from a tour to a tour, year in and out? It's like being caught in the trap of your own work. Listening to all of Orbital's work, it's clear that Paul and Phil are very creative people. However, putting out and playing the same songs live, no matter how desired and pleasing to the fans, becomes uncreative and constricting to the artist. I'm tempted to draw parallels to rock bands that play and release the same kind of music their entire career. Starting off by imitating the bands they're into, they continue with their own, not, ahem, highly original sound, and creativity consisting of coming out with new collections of cliches for lyrics, fearing change of direction (or not desiring it at all) to avoid being labeled as sell-outs. It's a dilemma of the artist: stay "true to the fans" by continuing work in the same vein or stay true to oneself, by expanding one's artistic potential and covering new grounds. If the group is sufficiently established, the former choice usually spells 'money', while the latter choice spells negativity from "fans" and risk on record sales. So, getting back to live performances, what is the point of a live Orbital performance? Is it seeing the creators live, in flesh? Is it experiencing it on a loud concert-level system? Would it be just as good if, instead of using synths and sequencers, the two brothers stood in front of turntables and spun their own records, or just played them from a DAT? Just how much difference is there between an 'all-classic' Orbital live show and personally listening to Orbital records? The music is the same, what the live show has is the volume, the atmosphere of the all the fans around and the satisfaction of seeing essentially idolized artists in person. To cut the ramblings short, I think that the live performances, especially by musicians like the Hartnoll brothers, should not be a simple rehash of the released material with some live variations and a ton of FX thrown in. I understand that it is difficult to improvise "techno" on the spot, but I think that the live shows must delivery more *musically* and less conventionally. Without the 'played this song, let's play the next song' structure, with improvisation, with surprises other than a song for live audiences (what? Who? ;) ). (Now, I'm not saying 'play synth lines live', but at least creative arrangements of pre-programmed sequences.) In the end, please do not take this e-mail as anything against Orbital, their live shows (thus far), or their fans. I have nothing against having a good time seeing one's favorite artists perform one's favorite songs. This is just something to consider, the big picture, to think about what *you* would like from live Orbital shows, to think about what you expect from Orbital's future work and to think about whether you care about the "conventional" *Orbital* sound or the art of Paul and Phil. A stadium of fans with lighters singing along to favorite themes or fans listening to something new, interesting? Just something to think about. - - Oleg mp3.com/ilp # Need help using (or leaving) this mailing list? # Send the command "info orbital" to majordomo@lists.xmission.com. # To post, email orbital@lists.xmission.com; replies go to original sender. # Orbital discography: http://www.swcp.com/lazlo-bin/discogs?orbital ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2001 02:02:47 -0000 From: "SR Cranks" Subject: (orbital) The Orbital Experience >>To cut the ramblings short, I think that the live performances, >>especially by musicians like the Hartnoll brothers, should not be a >>simple rehash of the released material with some live variations >>and a ton of FX thrown in. I understand that it is difficult to >>improvise "techno" on the spot, but I think that the live shows must >>delivery more *musically* and less conventionally. Without the 'played >>this song, let's play the next song' structure, with improvisation, >>with surprises other than a song for live audiences (what? Who? ;) ). >>(Now, I'm not saying 'play synth lines live', but at least creative >>arrangements of pre-programmed sequences.) I think you've touched on a subject that's gonna have many different opinions and some I-don't-care's. I have had the fortunate pleasure of seeing Orbital live 4 times, and that number will grow as soon as they get over here to the US for the tour. Every time I've seen them it's been magnificent, just some of the best nights of my life. Seeing Orbital live actually inspired me to start making "dance" music with 2 of my best friends. I do believe seeing Orbital live can be a life changing event, and i won't hesitate to bring some "virgins" to catch Orbital this time around. What is so great? Like you said, the shear volume is one thing. Plus the visuals and being there with your best friends (everyone in the place is your friend). Now to what you were talking about, the actual live performance. In general i think the audience is very naive and just unaware of what is really going on up there. I'm sure you could get them up there and they could just a hit play button on a DAT and many would not know the difference. I've seen quite a few artists live, ummm BT (mumbles under breath) who seem to hit play and spend most of the time jumping around like a monkey and holding his arms stretched out to the crowd, and the people go nutzzz. However, in BT's defense the first 2 times i saw him he was doing much more than that, just this last tour was like hearing the cd played. Is the majority of the audience looking for P & P to be doing a whole lot, or are they there just to hear the music? Personally, from what i can tell of Orbital's live show, and what i've seen and read about it, it seems that Paul triggers everything through his sequencer. This plays back the different synth lines, drum loops, etc.. And he can play and mute them according to the song. Phil is pretty much on mixing and tweaking duty. Get all the levels of the sounds and tweak that bad ass 303 when it comes in. I think that Orbital sticks with the basic original song structure from the album to live for a couple of reasons. First off, their songs are so unique. Duh, you say! But really, we're not going to see a trance artist or dj who just mixes in strings, bells, 4 on the floor and snare roll song after song. All their songs are so different and recognizable by there melody, beats, and noises, that they try to recreate that "song" to the audience. Orbital's songs don't build up by snare rolls and tweaking 303 noises non-stop. They build up by layers upon layers of sounds. From the subtle noise in the back to the the bad ass bass hitting you in the face. I guess they want to express their songs live like the studio versions, just with tweaking. I was hoping that Orbital would kind of take Underworld's approach this time around on tour. Anyone who has seen or heard Underworld live knows that they do a great deal of improv and don't follow the basic song structure and stop routine live. NOw, to take a stab at Underworld (I love them, i really do) But it's not quite as hard to mix from one track to the next and improv when 75% of your songs use a 4 on the floor beat and usually the same 909 drum kit sounds. But they are great live!!! I think with the beats and noises that Orbital uses, they could throw down a killer live show, without having it sound exactly like the album version. But then again, many of us want to hear the song that's on the album, we want to hear those strings, the reversed vocals etc.. As i mentioned I have a band of my own, Silence Repellent, as many of you have already checked out (thanks). We try and do a lot of stuff live when we play. We use a sequencer that we use to trigger back loops and our melodies, but we do a lot of live playing. Not the intricate melodies and break beats, but a lot of strings, percussion hits, and simpler melodies we do live. Plus each performance of the song is different, there is no set pattern. You'll recognize the sounds and melodies, but nothing is set that it has to start with this noise, go in to this noise and then break down. It's all done on-the-fly, live, so depending upon the mood of us 3 mad scientists back there behind the gear and the vibe of the audience we can build up songs. Sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes the plane crashes, but hey you give it your best. Anyways, i guess for some of us, it matters what is going on back there and what are they really doing? But to others all that matters is that the music is fuckin' rockin'. And Orbital delivers that. I'd still take Orbital live any day, they blow me away. But some variation, some surprises, mixing from one song to the next after a few minutes, or just not sticking to the pattern, yeah that'd be cool,but i don't think we'll see it. Till the Hartnoll brothers come a knockin' hear in the states, keep your headlamps on, and your feet on the ground. Thanks for puttin up with this long ass ramble. Cranks www.silencerepellent.com - ---movin' molecules--- _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com # Need help using (or leaving) this mailing list? # Send the command "info orbital" to majordomo@lists.xmission.com. # To post, email orbital@lists.xmission.com; replies go to original sender. # Orbital discography: http://www.swcp.com/lazlo-bin/discogs?orbital ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2001 19:33:45 -0700 From: "Shaun Rader" Subject: RE: (orbital) random orbital thoughts > those awesome times when i'd come home to find my > Inbox burgeoning with 20something emails for me to > spend an hour meticulously reading. i think we can I remember that too (but I don't think I posted much). I think most of the discussion went to the loopz site. I wish there was still a lot of traffic on this list as well because I'd rather read my e-mail than a web forum (seems most prefer the web forum). There definitely is something about Orbital that makes me think they are light years above everything else I have ever heard. I am so glad I found their music there is no one else like them. I hope they tour the US (I'd rather see them on their own tour than at Creamfields) and I hope the dvd comes out in the US as well! I think their new cd can make it big in the US if it ever comes out. I haven't heard much about how it did in the UK but it seems like it didn't explode up the charts or anything. They need to release a new single! Shaun # Need help using (or leaving) this mailing list? # Send the command "info orbital" to majordomo@lists.xmission.com. # To post, email orbital@lists.xmission.com; replies go to original sender. # Orbital discography: http://www.swcp.com/lazlo-bin/discogs?orbital ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2001 21:27:31 -0700 (PDT) From: Brandon Invergo Subject: Re: (orbital) random orbital thoughts > > Consider how Orbital feels about playing Halcyon and > all the Orbital > classics time and again from a show to a show, from > a tour to a tour, > year in and out? It's like being caught in the trap > of your own work. > on a similar note, that's kinda what killed jimi hendrix's creative career; at least, that's what the VH1 Behind the Scenes on him said (and we all know that's a definitive source of info). all the fans only wanted to hear the original stuff: purple rain, manic depression, etc. and he wanted to play new stuff. the crowd wouldn't take it though. bastards... >But some variation, some surprises, mixing >from one song to the next after a few minutes, or >just not sticking to the >pattern, yeah that'd be cool,but i don't think we'll >see it. Till the >Hartnoll brothers come a knockin' hear in the states, >keep your headlamps on, and your feet on the ground. yeah...well they do some mixing of one song to the next, if i recall correctly. nothing spectacular, but i know it happens. one thing that i've heard about, but never had the chance to enjoy was, i guess, at one point during Orb's live show a couple years back they would start off a few different songs at once (can't remember which ones) and it would keep building and building, and some of the songs would start to strip away until in the end Little Fluffy Clouds was the only song left, as if it rose triumphantly above the others (sorry, i guess i sounded like a bad music critic there). that would be bliss.... brandon ps- new aphex twin album!!!! "Drukqs". 30 tracks...2 discs...mmmmmmmmmm ;p plaid and squarepusher august 17th in chi-town...mmmmmmmmmm ;p anyone else going??? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ # Need help using (or leaving) this mailing list? # Send the command "info orbital" to majordomo@lists.xmission.com. # To post, email orbital@lists.xmission.com; replies go to original sender. # Orbital discography: http://www.swcp.com/lazlo-bin/discogs?orbital ------------------------------ End of orbital-digest V2 #429 *****************************