Orbital
Brixton Academy, London
25/09/2009

A quick scan of tonight’s audience suggests that Orbital’s much-hyped London reunion show is essentially an exercise in nostalgia for ageing ravers involved in the original acid house movement. There are very few attendees under the age of 35 and one particularly happy chap (resplendent in sensible collared shirt) has substituted his glowstick for a broadsheet newspaper. One assumes that babysitters are in high demand throughout South London this evening and good old B.O. has replaced amyl nitrate as the odour of choice.
Nevertheless, the Academy is rammed to the rafters and the sense of excitement is palpable. The fraternal duo are greeted as returning heroes and kick off with the 20 minute epic ‘Out There Somewhere’. It’s a phenomenal start and the band’s performance proves to be outstanding throughout. Classic tracks are reinvented through the addition of pummelling beats and phatter basslines, whilst still remaining admirably faithful to the originals. The deafening roar which beckons the Hartnoll brothers back on stage for the encore is the loudest this reviewer has ever experienced; demonstrating the total admiration in which the duo are still held amongst fans of electronic music.
Tonight, Orbital remind us that the real reason for dance music’s success throughout the 90s was its ingenious combination of melody, emotion and imagination. Beautifully crafted compositions such as ‘Belfast’ and ‘The Box’ display a musical innovation sadly lacking today. If the genre is to emerge again as a major cultural movement, it will be these qualities (albeit interpreted in a new way by younger producers) that will account for its rise. It is unlikely that Orbital will be the scene’s flag-bearers a second time around, but in reminding us what we have been missing, they provide a vital lesson to the next generation.

James Hannam