Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Um, yeah, I dig it. This is pretty freaking incredible! Made back in the days we simply called it electronica or techno, this album stands beautifully tall even today. I will undoubtedly be coming back to this one!
I will basically never choose to listen to techno, but this was pretty good for the genre (as far as my ignorant ears are concerned). Did I think most tracks were too long? Unequivocally yes. Other than that it was fine as background music, and I found myself enjoying the composition from time to time.
Some electric music hit, and some misses. This one, today, missed. It felt too crisp and perfect.
Meh
Really not my thing. I don't really even notice when the songs change.
Halcyon and On and On is one of my favorite jams ever.
Let's see what the project serves me today: mid 90's band/album I've never heard of. OK... Genre is "Electronica", average rating is 2.74... uh-oh. Skim some reviews, found this: "this is a huge throwback for me. My pacifier and glowsticks, oversized pants, pigtails, pumas and DANCING!"... Double Uh-Oh. But, the point is to listen, so let's listen! pause Listening to this, I’m reminded of an old joke about Grateful Dead music. “Q: What does a deadhead say when the music stops? A: Wow, this music sucks!” Maybe Orbital would be awesome if I was at a Rave, doing whatever drugs you do at a Rave. But I’m not, never was, never will be. So this is NOT awesome. And it is very, Very, VERY repetitive. I guess this is ok for what it is: background sounds for a mid 90’s party. Not really intended for you to pay much attention to, or sit and listen to. I thought about giving this a 2, and I might have, if didn’t just keep on going and going and going…. By the 50th minute, the irritation level had ramped up to max and I only listened to 1/2 of the last 3 songs. 1/5
Orbital 2, this time... more orbital? Didn't like the first Orbital album we had. Like this one only *slightly* more. I'm not really understanding the significance of Orbital, or why this is on the list. Maybe because, as other reviewers say, it's about as "album-y" as techno albums get? I mean, techno is so, so much farther along as a genre compared to this. This feels... very dated still. Not a terribly un-fun listen, I just emphatically believe it doesn't belong on this list, let alone two Orbital albums. 1/5.
Ist das Musik, oder kann das weg? Nein, diese Ansammlung von Geräuschen mag vielleicht als Soundtrack für ein Spiel taugen, aber das tue ich mir nicht freiwillig an!
This is a dance album. Not my genre at all, would never listen again.
This wasn't as bad for me as the reviews seemed to suggest. It is repetitive, but laying it on in the background while cooking was cool. + Planet of the Shapes + Impact (The Earth Is Burning) + Halcyon and On and On
It was pretty good, don’t know if I’d revisit it though.
Why???
Only electronic I like is Daft Punk.
Nonsense
Pretty good in the right circumstances
Varmaankin aika monelle konemusaorkesterille ollut esikuva, tai sitten ei. Ekalla kuuntelukerralla ei iskenyt ollenkaan, tokalla jalka tamppasi jo välillä mukana. Varmaan kuuntelemalla enemmän voisi jopa tykätä? Jotain kakkosen ja kolmosen välistä.
Melko tuskasta oli tätä kuunnella. Välillä nosti päätään sen verran, et kehtas loppuun kuunnella.
Lush 3-1 Halcyon and On and On
Next 5 songs played by my Spotify Algorithm: The Orb - Pi Aphex Twin - Analogue Bubble Bath The future sound of London - Goodbye Sky The Chemical Brothers - Fuck Up Beats Joey Beltram - Mentasm
liked it
Even though some tracks felt like they were just playing on a loop playing on a loop playing on a loop playing on a loop I still had a lot of fun with the great pieces of ear candy throughout. I don't know much about the trance/techno scene, but it's pretty hard to dislike a good beat with lush synths and vocal tones. Not much to say about this one. Would listen again, added a track or two to the 'best of' playlist.
I’ve got nothing but love and respect for dance floor forefathers like Orbital, whose pioneering efforts helped shape one of my most-listened-to genres today.
Very cool techno/ house album. Definitely enjoyed this trippy one 😁
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Lush 3-2, Halcyon and on and on
Early goa nice!
1993. Interesting electronic music but stressful for ambient noise. Appreciate it but not my thing.
Very hypnotic, it not something I would listen to regularly 3/5
I really don't feel the appeal of this kind of music. Sure, it never sounds particularly bad in itself. But the repetitiveness of just repeating a loop loooong after it has outstayed any semblence of being interesting is just nowhere near enjoyable for me.
流れが見事
Really enjoying this, good background music.
I have begun to be a big fan of Orbital for the innovation and mass appeal. This album does not disappoint.
Weird and weird.
I have enjoyed many electronic albums in my lifetime. This was not one of them.
Really enjoyed the nostalgia this provided. Good album overall
Here's the main reason I don't listen to most electronica. It's seemingly endless loops, repetitious electronic sounds over and over that flow into each other and really makes me feel I'm stuck in a soundtrack to something futuristic (at least someone's idea of the "future"). I guess it's okay as background, but it got annoying and distracting after a short while. There are a couple songs that are fine and worth hearing, but overall if I want to hear music like this, play a video game and turn off the screen.
- nach Track 1 habe ich mur noch das Schlimmste erwartet… - war aber erstmal gar nicht so scheiße! - jeder Song über 5 Minuten ging mir aber spätestens nach 5 Minuten auf den Geist - irgendwie atosphärisch und tanzbar - Impact fand ich super anstrengend - Remind klingt ab 1:40 wie der Soundtrack von Test Drive 4 und wird dann schnell noch anstrengender als Impact - Planet of the Shapes, Lush 3-1, das sehr „houseartige“ Monday und Halcyon (hätte auch auf das 2 min. Intro verzichten können) haben es für mich aber wieder rausgerissen, sind coole Tracks Rating: 2/5
- kannte orbital schon und mag den neuen Kram vereinzelt sehr - bin bei diesem album sehr ambivalent, hat meeega starke passagen und ziemlich coole ideen - manchmal aber auch sehr träge und die ein oder andere länge - fands im großen und ganzen aber eigentlich cool. Ein zwei Tracks werde ich auf jeden fall in meine elektro playlists hauen 3,25/5
- uff - nein danke - 0 / 5
repetitive repetitive repetitive repetitive repetitive repetitive repetitive repetitive repetitive
Was not a fan, kept expecting Lamar from Revenge of the Nerds to start singing. It's not the genre that's the problem, because I love The Prodigy.
Experimental in a genuinely engaging and interesting way. Can see how this set the tone for a massive portion of modern electronic music, well worth a re-listen
If you're a fan of ambient electronic dance, then this probably ticks the boxes for you. I don't mind the genre but I think it's probably best enjoyed in a rave/club/festival type atmosphere, rather than as some stimulating work music.
Decent
Oh, Orbital, I wanted to like you. I swear I did. This album is one of two in the 1001 canon by Kent’s very own electronic duo, Orbital. Before the lofty, high-concept “let’s do a consumerism piece, dudes” of “Snivilisation”, there was “Orbital II”. It’s a more straightforward record which sees the duo focusing solely on electronic loops and meticulous production, almost no vocal samples. I barely tolerated “Snivilisation”, so was not looking forward to hearing this effort. In the end, it spent half its time threatening to win me over and the other half collapsing in a series of indistinguishable beats. What works? The production really is first-rate: I listened on decent headphones, and the low-end shook my soul. The arrangements can be decent too: for example, Remind” is one of the busiest tracks, packed to the rafters with constantly shifting layers of sound. It evolves so much that it manages not to outstay its welcome: a rare thing for an electronica instrumental. “Halcyon and On and On”, on the other hand, manages to do a lot with a little, stretching into nine and a half minutes of blissed out sweeping synths and ethereal looped vocals. It earns these two stars almost by itself. The rest is a very mixed bag which ultimately didn’t stick the landing for me. Other than the very irritating framing device (two-minute tracks of two voices repeating the same thing over and over again, falling in and out of sync) there’s overlong techno-leaning material (“Impact”) slightly dated synth work (“Walk Now”) and head-scratching navel-gazing (“Planet of the Shapes”). One day, I may appreciate “Orbital II” much more. But for the time being, I don’t think it deserves a higher rating than this.
I like this sort of thing.
Seminal electronic for sure. Fun to listen to, but rather one dimensional compared to other artists of the same time.
Chill house music. I like
Having suffered through The Shamen earlier in the month, I decided after the first two tracks of this one that I wasn't going to put my ears through it again....time becomes a loop....time becomes a loop....time becomes a loop....
Fun but unmemorable
Not for me.
An hypnotic experience.I played it while working on some stuff. It helped me focus on what I needed to deliver. I felt energized and motivated, like “hey boss, is there more work to do?” type of thing.
Let's be honest here. The best place to listen to Orbital is in a club/rave/field when you're off your chops. Sorted.
Repetitive, but I think that's kind of the point. I see the cues from classical a bit as far as setting a theme forth and developing it. Lush 3-1 still a banger.
Kyllä tää on jalo tanssipläjäys! Kunnon meno! 4/5
Selkeesti laadukasta ja tyylikästä ysärikonemusaa, mutta oli siellä useampi aika kämänen biisi tai saundi.
Täähän oli selvästi parempi kuin Snivilisation, jossa oli mun makuun liikaa kepeää idm-kikkailua. Tää oli kunnon tanssimusaa ja toimi vielä hyvin levynä.
Jotain turhia toistobiisejä, mut ihan siistiä jamitteluakin. 3.5/5
Average, a tough listen in places
I've said before on here that electronic music is a real weakness for me when it comes to musical knowledge, so I was happy to see this album pop up. Have seen Orbital's name mentioned with praise a few times but never really checked them out. Clearly this was a mistake, as this album is insanely fun to listen to. I was just vibing out the whole time to the repetitive beats, almost hypnotized by it. They layer on enough additional sounds throughout the tracks so they don't get boring even at their fairly long length. Soon as it was over i was already eager to replay some of the songs.
Trippy, fun and relaxing 4/5
Interesting. Techno but a little estrange
To all you haters out there: f*ck you. This is f*cking gold.
Loop-dee-loop.
where time becomes a loop where time becomes a loop where time becomes a loop where time becomes a loop where time becomes a loop where time becomes a loop
What a nice surprise
Nice electronica. Songs are pretty good, but too long.
i love electronic music but this just felt too simple. repetitive and uninteresting. 2.5
Interesting, but not my vibe haha
The first half of the album is giving keyboard sample sounds. I was going to rate this a 2 until I heard the second half the album specifically Monday and Halcyon On and On are bangers 👌🏼
Yo this could be sum super monkey ball music! Pretty solid tho, could see it more of an influential album than a real BOP, no fat of the land that’s forsure. Soft 3
https://youtu.be/7MSFW8pZ-_4?si=brIWqzfHXSNabQM8&t=3799
Sounding a little housey early on, but was actually pretty pleasant as it went on. Soft 4
Solid headphones on productive in the zone mode music but I can’t think of another scenario where I’d put it on
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• Blissed out and hypnotic. Like I’m in a UK warehouse on acid • Lush 3-1 gets played at a rave happening inside Donkey Kong Country 2 • This album is what old excision is gonna sound like in 30 years • The la la la vocal from Halcyon And On And On is a famous sample. Most recently used in a Skrillex & Boys Noize BANGER called “Fine Day Anthem” • There’s some more important/better electronic albums I’d rather see on this list • If Parker blind-rates this above a 2 then I will give myself $20
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while or something -Connor L
A mesmeric journey to early 90s melancholic optimism.
This album makes me feel like I am in a grimey night club. I can see how this was innovative for the time and changed the game for trance music. It still mostly holds up. I loved the seamless transitions between songs, and it made it feel like a DJ's set. The intro and outro, however were the definite low points. Best Songs: Impact (The Earth Is Burning, Halcyon and On and On Worst Songs: Time Becomes, Planet of the Shapes, Input Out
How the fuck are there MULTIPLE Orbital albums on this list but only ONE Daft Punk album??????
Electronic, psychedelic, intense
Prob best listened to on mind altering drugs
Did not like this album. I only liked one song, “Halcyon and On and On”. The songs sounded the same and they just dragged on. I’m sure it sounded new and exciting when it first came out but there are so many other electronic albums that are better.
1. time becomez - 0 2. planet of the zhapez - 1.5 3. luzh 3.1 - 1.5 4. luzh 3.2 - 1.5 5. impact - 1 6. remind - 1.5 7 uualk nouu - 1 8.monday - 1.5 9. halcyon - 2 10. input out - 0
3.5
most of this is pretty forgettable 90's electronica except for Halcyon and On and On which holds a special place in my heart for appearing on the Mortal Kombat movie soundtrack (at the end when they're celebrating before Shao Khan shows up) and the forever classic Hackers.
That was definitely 90s electronic music. No doubt in my mind
Listened Before? N I wish I could use an eye roll emoji on here. Apparently the person who made this list LOVES electronic music. We have a tiny representation of several genres (country, blues, soul to name a few) and 9632 British electronic albums. This stuff isn't awesome. All the songs are 9+ minutes long. Halcyon was pleasant to listen to because of the female vocalist. That's all I can say. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Halcyon and On and On
C'était bien, mais ce n'est pas quelque chose qui m'a tant accroché. Je vais lui donner que c'est très bien fait pour de l'électronique qui date de 1993. Mais c'est un tantinet trop mou à mon goût. Il y a trop le son typique de l'electro des années 90s qui ne me plait pas tant. Mais généralement je pense que ça valait la peine d'être écouté. 6/10
What the fuck, do I like techno now?
If I ever need to listen to techno, please let it be the likes of Orbital. This would probably receive an extra star if played in the right place, at the right time.
Aside from Worf’s inclusion in the beginning, a big “no”.
More shit
Not for me
No
Easy car listening. Background ambient. Monday is the start of good gettings. Halycon on and on, of course is amazing.
This was pretty much a less good aphex twin. It had a couple of tracks like halcyon and maybe the lush tracks I’d throw on an ambient playlist but the intro and outros were so insanely stupid and bad I would never really listen to it from start to finish again. In other news, I relistened to power in numbers by Jurassic 5 and while what’s golden is still a banger I’m not sure I’d still give it a 5. I think I’ve listened to enough old school hip hop that’s been better so it didn’t quite hold up on relisten. It’s still a strong 4 overall though
Just plain boring and extremely repetitive. Seems to be a common trend among these "top albums". If I was fucked up on acid, I would probably enjoy it, but Im pretty sure I would enjoy 99% of all things in the world, so thats not a high accolade. The songs are too long, they dont progress and evolve the idea, its just really fucking boring.
Reminds me of the matrix, or people dancing around a dimly lit floor wearing baggy clothes and spiked hair. I feel like this album may have influenced certain genres based on the quality of songs and when it came out.
It was a lot of the same noises over and over again on each track. I didn't like anything about it.
Pretty much what I expected. Repetetive electronic and/or sample loops. They were amongst the first to do this and have a lot to answer for. It is possible to make electronic music, without it being mind numbingly dull, but Orbital fail completely in this regrard.
78 recommendations ago, I heard Orbital for the first time. I liked most of the previous album. Orbital 2 has a similar challenge. I like most of the music. There is a quantity of repetition in a few tracks that pulls me out of the listening experience. Like the last album, the electronic music sounds rooted in a past period, but still good. There wasn't as much spoken word to overlook in these recordings compared to the previous album, which helps earn a better rating than last time. I could listen to Orbital again. Rounding up to 4 stars.
Ravey goodness. Holds up well.
Impactless.
Offensively boring. I don't understand how anyone can like this type of music.
early electronic. reminds me a bit of Kraftwerk.
Dull, repetitive, derivative.
Better than the previous Orbital album we've had, still not really my thing though, it's just too repetitive to listen to the whole way through. Halcyon was the best of the bunch, and I actually quite enjoyed it - even after 8 tracks - which is notable, but the rest of the album not really for me. 2/5.
I know this was innovative when it was released. And it makes great background music or chill music or study music. But honestly, I find this whole genre kind of boring.
mid glitches.
i may even tap my little toe a bit to this one
One of the best electronica albums of all time! It creates a sound world of its own, totally different to anything that Orbital ever released. It is complex, danceable, hypnotic, yet warm and ambient in its sounds.
Very Boyz Noize. Good for coding.
As a star trek fan, I loved the bizarre choice to open this album with a sample of Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf from The Next Generation explaining a mobius strip. As a fan of interesting music, my enthusiasm dipped after the first 20 seconds and didn't pick back up again - I will acknowledge I'm not a big fan of this type of minimalist semi industrial electronica to begin with though. I think if I had this on in the background while doing things I may have jived more with it, but in this case active listening just got aggravated as it went on. This sort of thing just doesn't stimulate me. Even with a track like Impact (The Earth is Burning) or Halcyon and On and On where a lot more things are happening, it still didn't really justify the length of those tracks. I imagine this is what some of you feel listening to some of these jazz albums we've had. And if that's the case I think you're more than generous. This is my first 1. It may have merit for others but I genuinely didnt enjoy the vast majority of my listening experience. That ending is excruciating.
Idk.
A long, boring and repetitive record. Maybe ok in a dance club, but horrible to actually listen to. Had to stop -- it was giving me a headache
Another electronic music album that did not make me feel anything. I honestly don’t know who this is for I had it on in the background and totally forgot about it until the verbal track at the end. That sucked too.
A waste of time. It was built from boring, unimaginative, hackneyed panels. They didn't even manage to make a citizen's puff.
Meh. Rating: 2.5
Techno globalement très pénible. Peut être Halcyon and on and on dans un trip assez new age nature et découverte tetris effect. Le reste est juste casse tête et très dispensable.
1.5/5 super repetitive and not interesting
4.75
Wow, not good
C'Est tellement weird, Combien d'album de ce type pourrait être sur la liste ? pourquoi celui-ci ? J'ai aimé, car ca concentre et c'Est vraiment facile a ecouté. Je n'ai pouratnt aucun souvenri aujourd'hui de l'Album... 3
I do like some Orbital, and generally I’m a fan of techno/EDM. But this album doesn’t do much for me.
Enjoyed this one.
Very good, some great beats, lively
Weird
Just not really my jam.
Electronic music. I could produce this album in an hour with Ableton Live.
This is pretty difficult to rate for me, because on its surface, it’s just an average repetitive electronic record, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fucking boring. This teeters between the 1 and 2 star score but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt that it can sometimes sound less boring.
Pretentious rubbish that thinks it's clever. I clearly haven't taken enough drugs to appreciate dance music.
Orbital (also known as Orbital 2 or the Brown Album because it's officially untitled) is the second album by English electronic music duo Orbital. This techno/dance album contains more atmospheric music than rave music - common on their first album. The album has a spacey dance vibe with creative moments that are brought about with simple electronic sounds melded into music. A listener will likely hear new things on repeated listenings. The duo of Orbital were ahead of their time with this techno ensemble. I loved this unique electronic album and think it's a great album from the early golden age of EDM. I felt nostalgia for a time period I was barely alive for and definitely never listened to any music like this back then. I think most people would enjoy this album, even if they never give it another listen.
Very not into electronic, so i didn't like it.
I enjoyed this one, deserves more exploration
Vituttaa, että jatkossa spotifyn suosittelualgoritmi ottaa tän levyn huomioon mun musamaussa.
Ois voinut olla Trainspottingin soundtrackilla, ja se on vain hyvä asia.
Tää oli hyvä! Tuo mieleen 80-luvun lopun ja 90-luvun alun Amiga-pelit, good times.
Interesting. Enjoyed the listen. Fairly complex. Def dig the looping and polyrhythms.
Leuk voor in een achtbaan. Ik miste nu de achtbaan
An enjoyable and creative techno album. The sampling on this album is relatively sparse but used in an effective way and the group does a good job affecting various moods and atmospheres through their innovative (for the time) use of different beats and rhythms.
Good background music for work.
ok
Hard to appreciate. Very relaxing to listen to, but didn't really feel anything listening to it. Didn't dislike it, but will probably never listen again.
i liked this more than some of the other electronic music albums on the 1001 list, but it's still not my first pick. i assume the music is much better when played at an illegal 90s rave with a copious amount of party drugs, so the sober experience was middling. i appreciate this album's existence and what it sets out to do, but i wouldn't put it on my top 1001 albums list or anything like that. favorites: halcyon and on and on
I can’t. It’s more than I can’t stand
What are we even doing?
A retro calming journey, you can see why it was a pioneering album
Not into techno music so this is a no for me.
I’m not a huge electronica fan, this album was okay, there’s a few songs I wouldn’t mind listening to while working or otherwise distracted.
There are some pleasant sounds here, but this is not for me. Almost every track ends with me thinking "Is this still going?" and then looking and seeing that I'm halfway through the song.
Not my usual bag at all. However, as much as it can sometimes fade into musical wallpaper, there's something insistent, verging on the hypnotic, about this album. Quite a minimalist sound palette, but each element is layered up to create interesting textures. Probably won't listen again, but happy to have taken the trip.
Definitely not my thing, but I was listening to it in my car and thought I should try cranking the volume in order to get (presumably) closer to the feel of hearing it in a club environment. It was crazy! People just started walking up to my car and shoving drugs into the tailpipe and grinding up against the side mirrors. I hit the locks real fast and turned it down immediately. Actually, it was way more enjoyable played loudly but still not my thing. I kinda liked the opening track (?) and parts of "Remind" and "Halcyon and On and On," but at the end of the day I'd rather just listen to that Kraftwerk record again.
I remember this at the time. Good, sensible techno. As always, overlong and repetitive, but really interesting catchy melodies/hooks. Lucky to see some of their set at Glastonbury 1995.
I thought this album was surprisingly cool. A lot of the early to mid 90s electronica stuff doesn't age super well, especially the techno. This album is a lot more varied, and consequently has a much more modern feel than a lot of its contemporaries. Despite the complexity baked into the album, it still works great as a dance album too. This is definitely an album that I'm going to come back to 4/5
I hate to say it, but it's actually just nothing special. It's layered, yes, but that doesn't mean that all the layers are good. It certainly wasn't the benchmark in Techno or 'the first time people made techno into art' as some people used to claim. That was much earlier, this was the first time it became a bit more known to a wider audience.
Not a hater but this honestly just hasn’t aged well. Even the best track, Halcyon On & On, suffers because of it. Unfortunate!
Helt chill men idk kändes inte essential... ba jättedated techno
I hated the other Orbital album on the list but quite liked this one. It still sounds a bit amater, dated and very cringe in places, but the chilled techno vibe brings back happy memories of nights at the Custard Factory in Birmingham in the mid 2000s. Good times. These days it provides good accompaniment to packing up the car roof box ahead of a family holiday to the Isle of Wight. Even better times. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Planet of the Shapes Date listened: 14/07/23
Trance techno… For sure there are groovy moments, that would work fine at late night disco Dance floor. Only as a listening album, its getting monotonous after a short while. Not for me.. prefer music with people playing instruments anyway
Great album.
Really great early techno album. Had a lot of elements that would absolutely be used in later techno music, especially in the 90s
Much much better than Snivilization. I didn't like all of it, but for the most part it was able to take my attention and balance the line between fun and smart. Just squeaks out a fourth star.
Good stuff, but a little too in the background for my tastes here. The other album they did was about the same, so it is a shame to not see any real difference.
Just don't get it.
This is the second Orbital album that I have gotten in a short span of time. The music is ok, nothing I would regularly listen to, but decent enough.
Electro Techno
Decent electriconic
There were some elements that I would like other bands to use and incorporate in their actual good music. I found this to be quite irritating. I don't think I was able to listen to one song in its entirety.
BL: haven’t heard of Orbital but will listen AL: this is my favourite EDM album I’ve listened to, the ambient and jungle 90s movement produced some really good stuff. FT: “Lush 3-2”, “Walk Now…”, “Monday” 4/5
It's like Depeche mode had a weird little incest baby with jazz on acid. I dont think I like it very much
Really cool electronic album! It does feel like it’s from the 90’s but in a classic way. Felt like driving late at night.
This was a quirky one. Starts and ends with some bizarre looping vocal pieces, and while I don't feel the need to return to those they were pretty cool and memorable. The middle, the meat of this album, is some solid electro-dance stuff. Music that could play in a '90s club or also score a '90s movie. This was an enjoyable ride. Favorite tracks: Lush 3-1, Monday, Halcyon and On and On. Album art: Can't really tell what I'm looking at here, if anything. Is it an atom? Is that a sketch of some organs? No idea. Having the tracks listed on the cover is kind of cool. As far as color is concerned, there's not much going on here, but it's a good cover. 3.5/5
Not for me
Pense que iba a proponer mas sobre la mesa, pero se queda en lo corto. Incluso diria que es demasiado de epoca y que muere en su tiempo, un seguro y rigido 5/10.
A classic of Electronica, Orbital 2 contains some of their best work including HALCYON+ON+ON. Besides the obligatory beats and samples (the first song samples Worf from Star Trek TNG, current at the time), Orbital 2 includes the type of driving rhythms more associated with EDM. A pioneer in 90s electronic music, Orbital helped create the template for modern Electronica in large part with this album.
I’m noticing a trend with 90’s Electronic albums. The album covers are terrible, the albums themselves are always too long, they’re boring. I listened to the entire thing and I don’t think I am any better for having done so. 2 stars
The only time this rose above the level of background music is when it went for the plinky, annoying synth leads. Suffice to say I was not a fan
Greatness
leuk, achtergrond maar lang
sheeesh opgeslagen heerlijk werk album
This is the first album on my list that I did not feel compelled to completely listen to. I'm guessing this is one of the first industrial/techno digital sampled albums, judging by its age. I'll bet it was highly influential at the time, but now it just sounds like the rejected tracks from the first Matrix soundtrack.
Very hypnotic early dance. Loops that wiggle round in unexpected ways and keep you more involved than the 6-10 minute runtimes for each track should.
Reminded me of the mid-90s and the short-lived obsession with techno music.
Good enough but didn’t grab me.
Herregud
Eh was ok but not great it sounded like someone got ahold of a tape recorder and like re-recording it out of phase.
Pretty sure this album was the inspiration for the jellyfish jam from SpongeBob--that's not meant to be a compliment either. I couldn't finish a single song. Started skipping songs after a few seconds after Lush 3-2 and stopped entirely after Remind. Not worth the headache today
Apparently I liked this quite a bit more than Snivilisation. Or maybe it was just the perfect soundtrack for a brisk lunchtime walk on a sunny spring day.
Did I really need to listen to another album of electronic music, especially from a repeat artist, before I die? I think not. Did I enjoy it, nonetheless? Yes, I did.
I can't tell one song from the next but that's ok. I was engaged and entertained throughout.
I loved it - a fantastic sound kaleidoscope! Couldn’t be happier floating away on a river of techno.
I did not like this
It's fine background music I guess
Good atmospheric jams
Honestly, after I found the intro annoying, I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Being released in 1993, I feel like you can hear the influence a record like this has on the late 90s/early 00s, in terms of the dark, bass-heavy music these guys were putting out. Favorite tracks: "Halcyon and On and On", "Walk Now..."
No hits but alright.
Some interesting parts but overall quite long and uninteresting
The album starts with Worf talking about a time loop, and in one ear it's a certain speed while it's slightly faster in the other, so that it eventually loops around and catches the first one. Wow, congrats on your successful extra credit assignment in sound engineering class, but don't subject the rest of us to it. That's no way to treat a Son of Mogh. The only thing worse than a repetitive electronica album is a repetitive electronica album made by people who think they're being clever. Best track: The sweet, sweet silence at the end
This album is an influential techno album that features primarily a four on the floor beat and is made for dancing. As such, you definitely lose something by listening to it in a vacuum. The music itself is pleasant enough and easily fades into the background. I never found the album grating, though the first and final tracks were overindulgent.
I loved it. Caroline, not so much.
The repetitive sample tracks on this are a little annoying, and please tell me I'm not the only one who thought I was having problems with my headphones to start with? But the central sonic voyage of "Orbital 2" is mind-blowing, and I prefer it to the overrated "Insides."
Boring
This is identical to the last electronic album, which was also awful.
It’s interesting I suppose but it makes me feel nothing
Dull, not for me
really spacey halcyon on and on is actually a really cool track 3.5
where time becomes a loop. not actually a bad album considering it doesn't have any of the big ones on it. i've seen oribital at one of their many 'last gig ever' things, i'm sure they'll be retiring for years to come.
Murdering your wife isn't as much fun as this record makes out. From the first note it bangs on about just murdering your wife when you next see her. Every song finding a new way of getting the message across and really drilling it into you. Murder your wife. Murder your wife. FINE! I'LL MURDER MY WIFE!
Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop Where time becomes a loop
Sort of makes one miss the days of doing drugs. And also sort of makes one want to go to the gym, like a high-energy spin class. "Halcyon and On and On" the best bit for being a bit chiller and less urgent than rest of cuts (says one who misses drugs and is feeling a bit too lazy to go to gym anyway) and "Input Out" is def narcotics-required.
I was familiar with "Halcyon and On and On" before this, although I don't remember why. Probably on a compilation album I had back in the day. "Lush 3-2" wasn't bad, and "Remind" sounds so much like late-'90s/early-'00s trance that it must have influenced those later artists. Other than those tracks, the album underwhelmed, but it seems safe to say it was influential, so I'll round up from 2.5.
Very good electronic music
Why, just fucking why? What is wrong with Dimery that he gets off on electronica so much. 99.99% of electronica is just absolute shit. And the 0.01% that is worth listening to he just doesn't include on the list. Somebody with actual good music taste needs to remake this book. I think the only way I'd enjoy this is if I was on molly or a shit ton of coke at a club while also being like 10 drinks deep. Or in other words, I would need to be a literal monster to enjoy this absolute steaming pile of shit. What a waste of 65 minutes of my life.
Nonsense background music.
Well, that first track really set the tone in an unfortunate way. "You know what we should do? Annoy the shit out of anyone who listens our album right away. That'll show them for spending money on our garbage." Simply calling this repetitive is almost insultingly reductive. It's not JUST repetitive. It's also mostly bad. And they only repeated the bad parts. Why are these tracks so long?! There's nothing actually HAPPENING in these tracks that justifies their insane length. It's just noise. Mind-numbingly repetitive noise.
Creaking with age but the force is strong with this one
Buena musica de fondo
Pretty good. I wish songs weren't so long. I wish they explored the ideas they introduce more
This is a neat little experimental electronic album. Some of the sounds they are getting are pretty impressive for 1993. The first track was very reminiscent of "Come Out To Show Them" There is a 9-minute track, but I didn't hate it throughout. I would describe this mostly as a 90's movie hacking/computer wiz scene music. This would definitely be in something like The Matrix Yet another 3/5 Though on principle I should be giving it a 2/5 because it has multiple 9+ minute tracks.
these chaps have revolutionized british music by almost entirely removing the vocals. this is Good Music, especially for background listening.
Not for me, I found it pretty boring and repetitive. Not something I’d listen to again.
Ok
This really feels like the 90s as the New Wave and Electronic developed into EDM. I'd give this a 3.5 if available. Not amazing but a cornerstone of music to come.
Not for me
Interesting electronic music that is probably better than most of the electronic music the author(s) force upon this list, but is there really room for so much content from a genre that all sounds the same? If that's the case, pull one album to stand and represent and skip the rest - this one could be that representative. 3/5.
Bad, but enough decent moments to make it a 2 instead of a 1 (but it was close) Wasn't there another bad album by Orbital on this list? This mostly crap genre tends to blur together.
I really only get down with the trancy dancy in live, late night environments, so listening to this in bed on an iPad surely won’t have the same effect. But overall I enjoyed it, especially Halcyon and On and On which seems to be their most popular song by far.
Some grown up beats. Seems pretty far ahead of it’s time considering this is from 1993.
It's a 2 star album by Halcyon On and On gets it an extra star.
An album clearly dedicated to people who seek to spend their entire night in a rave, probably with the aid of drugs. As for the music, the repetitive drone is rather uninspiring (given that I'm not in a rave and I'm not under the influence).
Taiten tehty levy, tyylipuhdas lajinsa edustaja. Jättää toki vähän kylmäksi
Vaikka tunnustan tämän hyvät puolet, en innostu lainkaan. Kaltaiseni kuulija tarvitsisi jonkinlaista... ömm... koukkua.
Dit was behoorlijk goed nog eigenlijk!
Dit heb na 2 nummers gehoord. Ik heb niet zoveel met dit soort elektronische muziek
Nee, dit was toch eigenlijk niet heel boeiend.
Erg plezierig.
A little annoying. Not great techno. Too high pitch!
LOVE IT
When I heard the first song, I thought the album was going to be pretentious garbage. Turns out that it was just generic loops. There are some decent concepts here, but most of it is overlong. I agree with another reviewer that stated that it sounds like someone's first day with FL studio.
Second offering from this band encountered through this list and I just don't get it. I was never a techno guy which obviously doesn't help but even adjusting for that this just does not strike me as necessary, let alone essential. Mostly too bland for 2 stars but I would aggressively avoid listening again.
ah, the 90’s. electronic dance music was one of the trends, with the likes of bands like the prodigy and orgy. while i do like disco, this type of music seems to be some sort of modernized take on it that i just couldn’t get into.
I did not enjoy this.
This is really not my jam. I was familiar with one song thanks to CKY2K but other than that, meh.
Did not enjoy this one. 2/5
I enjoyed many artists during the Rave / Acid house scene of the early 90s, but I was never fussed on Orbital, neither then, or now. This is a strange album, more like someone recorded an Acid dj mix on a club night and you really needed to be trippin to get the best out of this, because some of it is just like spaced out repeat lyric from the guy glazed out at the bogs. The only saving grace of the album are a couple if tracks which are just OK.
That's the one I know!
All a bit samey but listenable
Got a bit tired of this album, some of it was OK, not their best in my opinion.
Absolute trash. Nothing but noise and repetitive droning. Literally the title track just repeats "time becomes a loop" over and over for like two minutes and most other songs include extremely repetitive vocalizations and/or beats. Honestly starting to question the sanity and musical tastes of whoever wrote the book these recommendations come from. The only good thing about listening to this album is that I've been able to teach YouTube Music to avoid trash like it by thumbing down every track.
Definitely influential and definitely not worth listening to. Way too slow.
On the whole I found this an unremarkable listen. Other than Impact, which is a memorable and creative track, I found the remainder of Orbital 2 to be dull and repetitive. Not for me
Every Night when I go to bed, I play brown noise to help me fall asleep. After the 3rd song, I just switched to my brown noise playlist. This album is shit.
this was not good.
bof
There's better Orbital albums for me
not my thing
Solid, enjoyable techno album. A little repetitive for my taste, but well done. Fave Songs: Halcyon + On + On, Lush 3-1, Remind, Lush 3-2, Impact (The Earth Is Burning), Walk Now...
pretty cool but also pretty backgroundy, i bet it’s pretty fkn wkd when you’re really high in a giant club or something
Has it's moments but not enough... 2.5
thoroughly enjoyed this one. chill little electronic alvum
Cover art, band name, album title, I'm optimistic, seems like a record I'll really enjoy. That said, I'm really not digging this first track. Oof the static on the second track isn't warming me up. I like the bird like sounds at the beginning of Lush 3-1, that track gets off to a promising start. But overall I'm finding the music a little too energetic to be mesmerizing but too repetitive to be enjoyable when given my full attention. The songs seem to end not when they finish their idea but when they get bored. Halcyon and On and On was nice enough but any positive vibes were smashed by the ridiculous outro. 2.5
Seeing this pop up on my recommendation today pleased me. I love lots of electronic music. Many of my top songs are similar in style. William Orbit Strange Cargo 3 being one of my favourite. I've heard some orbital stuff before and liked it (halcyon etc). But this sounds like I feared it might. I teach KS1 kids in primary school how to use an app called remixlive, to understand the concept of adding loops, creating digital files, saving and sharing them. The problem is, most of the kids don't add any variety to their songs, they'll record several minutes of the same repetitive beats and I'll have to listen to it and tell them how they should've varied it more. That's what this album sounds like. Only it's much longer. I could only imagine enjoying this if I was in a coma, or comatose, which I think is how most people (who rave about it [pun intended]) listen to it anyway.
Not to my tastes
Nope
I started to play this album and forgot I was listening to something since it's like staying 1 hour in an airport. After 4 or 5 albums here with this kind of electronic music and/or ambient songs, I think I got what the thing with these songs is: Somehow, they are almost transgressive, but they are highly dependent on some kind of deep knowledge of music history and musical structure that it's virtually impossible for regular people to really GET it. All in all, still, I'm not too fond of it. "Halcyon + ON + ON" is the only song that almost looks like real music here.
It may be influential and/or groundbreaking for its time, but it's not for me.
Cold, emotionless, metallic, and repetitive. I guess all those things are intentional, but that's also what makes it not my thing. 2 stars.
It's not terrible but definitely not great. The music slowly dissolves into background noise and it sounds like someone playing around with an EDM pack for Ableton or some other music software. It's from 1993 so I guess it's somewhat impressive when comparing the capabilities from then to now but it hasn't aged well. It's also very repetitive. I can't really give it a 1 as it's a bit too harsh.
Long, sure enough, and repetitive to boot. But Orbital produce an album that's impossible to take in as anything but a piece, and that piece is compelling. Alright, Halcyon stands on its own, but that's an all-time track, even better than the album it sits in. I'm not sure whether phased or continuous listening is best for Orbital 2, because the recording is clearly phased but self-contrasting.
Fun but dated
Not something I had heard before or would normally listen to. But I listened all the way through and enjoyed it.
I like Halcyon and On and On but I’m not sure how this is relevant in the whole scheme of albums to listen to. It’s just a long collection of sounds scapes and clips.
Interesting album and some really cool music. Often dips into being a little to sonically “Interesting” to be enjoyable and can just feel like a bit of a an assault on the ol ears and brain. I was asked to turn it off as it was stressing out my housemate
I enjoyed this a lot. Some weird wobbly bits but generally really solid. Don't get the global reviews slagging it off at all. Halcyon and On and On is a genuinely beautiful track.
This is a genre I like and I think would be brilliant on the dancefloor but in my house there is just too much similarity between tracks for me to gain interest. The drum tracks are especially unimaginative. Its a bit boring as a listening experience.
Um eletrônico bem legal, cheio de elementos diferentes e alguns vocais melódicos.
Cool electronica style. More compelling than most I have heard of this genre.
No nope and no
I dislike music like this heavily.
These are some beeps and boops for sure
This shit slaps. I loved it. I think it may because I listened to it while working, but this is perfect background working music.
Three Words: what. the. fuck.
Might not be a fan of older edm based off my experience with this and Ronis album. It may have done something for the genera so I'll give it 2
Early 90s British dance/electronica with sitars and didgeridoos and shit. Woo fun. I swear this list was made by a bunch of 50-something Brits who came of age listening to this garbage.
Did not age well
I guess everything has a place and this is 90s Techno. I like them but only to a certain point.
Gar nicht meins.
\"That's not music. That's EDM.\"
Some good beats buried in there (Lush 3-1 is a bop) but everything is waaaayyy too repetitive and long.
It ranged from kinda dull to annoying.
This music just does not interest me
Yeah, not my thing.
Seemed fine, but I really don't know how to judge these albums. They all sound pretty much the same to me.
One thing I hate about house music is how repetitive it is. I’ll hand it to Orbital, they at least try to spice songs up. If the album were about 40 mins, I would have liked it more. Considering the long album length, it gets a bit tiring to listen to.
I played this on my stereo and couldn't hear anything, so I listened to it on my earphones instead. Sad to say but I would've had a better opinion of this album if I COULDN'T hear anything. Repetitive noises that drone on and on for 10 minutes does not make for good music, I'm afraid.
Correct
Perhaps valuable in its own right, but not my thing and very odd.
Couldn't get through it. Electronica is not my taste.
Best Song: Halcyon On and On. The use of the female vocals as another instrument works really well here. Worst Song: Time Becomes. I get that it's more of an album intro than a song, but it is such an awful repetition that it makes you not want to see what else the album has to offer. Overall: A halfway decent electronic album that goes in heavy on repetition. This works, mostly, during the instrumental tracks, but I've never heard electronica that handles verbal content so poorly. Anything with someone speaking words is almost unlistenable, and yet Halcyon On and On works very well. Go figure.