Their eponymous first album, also known as the green album, contained some of the defining tracks of early nineties, with Chimes and Belfast firmly in the rave nation s subconscious. They rapidly evolved into a massive live band, alongside the likes of the Chemical Brothers and Underworld, proving that dance music works as well live as it does on the dance floor. Ten years on, the Hartnoll brothers have travelled a lot, got married, mellowed down a bit in the mid-nineties, only to dig up their dance roots again two years ago with the release of The Middle Of Nowhere. The new album is a further proof that the Orbital sound is maturing nicely. However, the Hartnoll have expanded their sonic inspiration a little, and hey demonstrate how pretty much straight away.
Tension opens the album in a rather furious mood, drawing some punk inspiration to the frontline.
No doubt the song will feature heavily in the future live performances of the band, as it has the power to energise the masses. The song is classic Orbital, with bell-like percussive sounds, captivating melody and beautiful vocals, courtesy of Naomi Bedford. Despite the incongruity of these two pieces on paper, they actually both work rather well, and, once the first moment of surprise gone, prove to be amongst the best tracks here. After ten years spent democratising dance music, the Hartnoll brothers seem to have lost their pioneering instincts slightly. Nevertheless, if not their best album by far, The Altogether remains a good Orbital album by all means.