Orbital 2
After their groundbreakingdebut, brothers Paul and Phil Hartnoll quickly put trendy tags like "rave," "techno," and "hardcore" behind them. WithOrbital 2, the brothers went to great lengths to show that some of their primary interests lie beyond the dance floor, as influences likeMiles DavisandSteve Reichcrept into the fragmented, floating arrangements. Atmospheric tracks such as "Lush 3-1" and its near relative "Lush 3-2" transcended established electronic formulas by breaking away from regular beat patterns, and they borrowedOpus IIIvocalist Kirsty to create the catchy, entrancing mesmerizer "Halcyon + On + On." Orbital had come a long way from their breakthrough single "Chime," and by all indications would never go back again.--Aidin Vaziri