Snivilisation
Orbital
1994
Album Summary
Snivilisation is the third studio album by British electronic music duo Orbital, released on 23 August 1994 by FFRR Records. The album peaked at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart, and had sold over 80,000 copies in the United Kingdom by April 1996.
Wikipedia1994 was an amazing year. At a Halloween party that year, I hooked up with a beautiful Asian woman dressed as a cat (she could have been any nationality now that I think about it, and was dressed as an Asian cat - anything was possible in '94). I was dressed up as The Joker. Jack Nicholson's Joker in Tim Burton's Batman to be precise. She and I left the party to go to her place and fool around. Before things got too deep, she paused and said, "Now go into the bathroom and take off your makeup. I want to see what the real Joker looks like." We'd been making out a while, and she had some of my Joker makeup on her face so it was hard for me to take her seriously. I told her this was my true appearance. Apparently, I was quite protective of my secret identity back in those days. We all were. I went down on her as the Joker instead. That's who I am. I'm a giver. That's as far as we got. Joker Brand Products didn't include Joker Brand Condoms in '94. If they existed, they'd surely be purple and shaped like a smiley face. I still think about that little minx a lot. We probably could have built a wonderful life together. 1994 was also the year Jackie Kennedy, Kurt Cobain, and Nicole Brown Simpson died. It was the year when the baseball strike cancelled the World Series, and this album was released. So it wasn't all hooking up with Saucy Asian Felines, even though it felt like it was. I also met my future wife a week after that Halloween party. We were married for 9 years until she divorced my ass, but have two wonderful children together who continue to amaze, inspire and fill me with joy everyday. What I'm saying is a lot of good things came out of 1994, but this album certainly wasn't one of them. Thankfully it wasn't on my radar in '94. In fact, I didn't have to suffer listening to any of this until today. But life's funny like that. Maybe I went to that Halloween party because there was no World Series. If the Joker had more than one night with that Asian Cat Lady, I would have never met my (first) wife, would never have experienced the joy of my children. Which reminds me: on our first date, my wife and I went to the movies. I wanted to see Pulp Fiction, but went the safe route and chose Forest Gump. And I bet if we saw Pulp Fiction that night, we'd still be married. That Asian Cat Lady would have LOVED Pulp Fiction as much as I still do. Maybe if this album was playing at her apartment after that Halloween party, I would have gladly washed off my Joker makeup. Maybe we would have had unprotected sex. Anything to drown out this album.
Although Orbital's music is classified as "techno" there can be no doubt the brothers' skills transcend that poppy genre and this album is their finest work. It is a concept album so you must listen to it from beginning to end and every track (with one exception) is excellent. The album comes to a climax on "Are We Here?". Perhaps what is most commendable about Orbital is their ability to build a beat in the abscence of a central boom-boom beat that is so common in electronic music. If you listen closely, the beat is actually built by layering the loops carefully so as to build a rhythm that dances around where the beat would be.
The bleeps where very bleepy and the bloops where just as bloopy. Not something I would of seeked out but glad I gave it a listen.
Mysterious secrets of the rave. Minimalism, experimentalism, and classic techno collide. Conceptually rich, diverse and epic.
Acid, experimental, eerie sounds and so modern that I sometimes forget that this is more the 25 years old.
I so wish that this kind of stuff was breaking when I turned 18. Trap and Dubstep will always have a special place but this is so much more interesting and mind blowing. Totally out of control soundscape that transports you to a different universe via an aural blackhole. This record is the 50m high solid gold gate that leads to the other astral dimensions we've been seeking since the beginning of time.
Excellent background music, but not much that drives it into the foreground for me.
Orbital! I didn't realize they'd made this album. THANK YOU TO THIS LIST for enlightening me. Ever since Halcyon+on+on, I've been a fan. Easy 5 stars.
I seldom listen to electronic music so I am woefully unfamiliar with this genre and the artists who practice in it. Nice to get more intros into the form through this project. This is a really good album. I've moved beyond old prejudices I held before; the ones that had me declare "I prefer music made with REAL instruments" in some misguided torch-bearing for 'authentic' music or some such made-up nonsense standard. I am very grateful to be far more open to music made by, well, anything. I'll experience it how I experience it, or at least I do my best to program my mind to receive and perceive all art through that process. This album has some excellent music in it and I enjoyed the experience of listening to it. At times, it was a little too frenetic for me, but I understand this band was into the rave thing and that kind of music is probably right for that scene. (I'll bet that sentence comes across as unhip and square as I am in real life ;-) I am very early in learning music, mostly as a guitarist but also a little voice and piano as well as music theory through my various studies. Honestly, this album has piqued my interest in this genre, so I won't be surprised if I add it my course of studies.
Packed with personality and filled with surprising twists and turns. Great beats with music that kept me guessing. Those overlapping piano loops in “Kein Trink Wasser” are beautiful. Highlights: “Sad but True,” “Crash and Carry,” “Kein Trink Wasser,” “Attached”
Nice house/dance vibes with Snivilisation, great to chill out to or have in the background whilst working/studying. Best: Science Friction Worst: Are We Here?
Is it a dance fest, am I playing Sims, or is this a happy hardcore party? Definitely a bit too crazy for me to listen to during work.
Listening to this record is like having to watch your 6 year old brother after he just got done snorting pixie sticks and there’s no sign of his sugar high ever wearing off. Overly busy, grating electronica. Zero chill. It’s maddening.
Exactly what my brain needed on a stressful Wednesday morning. Orbital are at their best when they're doing more chilled-out stuff.
Amazingly groundbreaking IDM from the 90's. Still sounds fresh and new.
I’ve listened to orbital before and loved them so seeing this album come up got me excited and it was a really good listen! All tracks I really enjoyed.
A peculiar album, even the repetitiveness of the album doesn't make it boring, it makes you follow a kinda dream. It's just so interesting to hear but I don't think it's and album to hear everyday or every moment
Wow, amazing album. One of the Best things that happened in 1994. I have never heard about this band until 1001. Thank you!
Pretty good beats to relax to.I was doing other stuff while I was listening.Perfect for that.
It’s a bit over reliant on the vocal samples when I think they’re not necessary, but the sound of this thing is great. Not too busy, but very energizing.
i liked this a lot more now than i did back in like '96 when i first heard it. it's held up very well.
Not their best but a great album nonetheless. I love Orbital’s pioneering dance sound. These feel like classical compositions in depth and heft and really elevate the genre. Probably 3.5 stars for me for this particular album but I’m rounding to 4 in case this is the only Orbital album on the list!
It's Orbital, and if you're in the mood for Orbital, you'll like this album. It's a time period for me: Orb, Orbital, other electronica/acid house music
Definitely eclectic but I liked it a lot! Thought about going with 5 but there really aren't any lyrics so it's not stimulating in that way. Really good musicality!
La pasé muy bien, parece soundtrack de película experimental con algo de ciencia ficción y me siento comprometido con eso. El sonido como de lluvia/agua de "Forever" me sacó de onda al principio. Otras canciones que me gustaron mucho: "Sad But True", "Philosophy by Numbers" y "Kein Trink Wasser". 8.5/10
Sí me gustó bastante, un poco lo tuve que poner de fondo. Pero sí está chida su vibra ecléctica de all things EDM
While it might be my favorite album from Orbital, this is still a great ambient-ish techno release to check out. Favorites: Sad But True, Science Friction, Are We Here?
I’ve listened to songs by Orbital in the past, but this was my first time hearing a full album. I really enjoyed this album. The music is interesting and has that 90s electronic music sound with a lot of cool samples. Great music to listen to while working! My favorite songs: Forever, Crash and Carry, Kein Trink Wasser, Are We Here?
Snivilisation is perhaps one of their most ambitious works, ranging from house to hard rock, using the voice in the subtlest of ways and integrating samples in almost mimetic ways. It is also their most "physical" album, which is a testament to the duo's greatness. (7/10) FT: Forever, Kein Trink Wasser
Kunnon hyvä, ei merkkiäkään kämyydestä joka liittyy yleensä sekä ysäriin että reivimusaan. Etenkin tykkäsin alkupuoliskosta. Jatkoon.
Excelente possibilidade de audição de eletrônico com muitas camadas de batidas e melodias.
Enjoyed this in 94 and still liked it all very much today. Quite Krafwerkian with the layered sounds and (mostly) absence of big beats a la Fat Boy Slim and Chemical Brothers. Still absolutely love Kein Trink Wasser.
Listened to Orbital back in the day. This is like comfort food to me. A headphone ride to say the least. It all flows quite smoothly except "Quality Seconds." The way the vocal samples are used is a quaint reminder of the time period in which this came out, but I think they add to the rhythm and body of the songs.
Another techno album out of madchester that I oddly like. Likely because it addition to being techno has electronic ambient elements and therefore seems more like a musical journey you go on instead of just being all smashed on pills
Not Orbital's best album, but a corker nonetheless. Stand out track for me was Are We Here
Trance usually bores me but I vibed with it today. A couple annoying clunkers but made for good morning commute background.
Not their best album. Probably not in their top 3. Still very good though.
This was fun, definitely music for being on drugs. I like how the tracks had multiple themes that intertwined and overlayed each other instead of just relying on one riff played over and over forever. Quality electronica.
Crazy funky electric beats, something that had to grow on me to really enjoy Never could listen to these songs individually tho
Compared to the previous Orbital album, this one has a little more variation with less club music. The club music is still the highlight and very well done.
Like a dank funky version of a Mr Scruff record. I loved every second of this goofy time
I had never heard of this and was prepared to hate it based on the title. I thought for sure it was going to be some jokey, snide, statement about how, well, civilization is sniveling. And maybe it is but that kind of thing always feels pretentious and annoying to me. So I was happily surprised to find that it's a fun, cool, 90s techno album. I like it! I don't know where the title came from, but it's not an overpowering theme in the music itself. This was fun. I should listen to more 90s techno.
Initial 3, minor interest in the genre. Later after reading positive reviews and a couple more listens- 4 stars. There is a lot of different going on both in each track, and across tracks.
I liked this a lot. High quality electronic shit from the 90s. Mixing and shit has the same texture and feel of Dummy by Portishead. Added something from this album to a playlist I’m working on. Not 5 stars, but a solid listen.
Another great proof of concept. I like techno overall but had never hear of these guys. 1001 Albums led me to discover another great time decoration. Art decorates space and Music decorates time....
Another artist I had heard of, but never heard. It was surprisingly enjoyable considering my usual tastes, great for a chilled evening. Currently sitting at artist #1207
I liked that way more than I thought I would. For ambient techno, it never quite hits that "oh just kill me" level of repetitive noise. It's interesting, complex, compelling, and really incredible GSD background music. Seriously, I was so productive with this in my ears. Well done, Orbital. You get an extra star for helping me work.
Good background music if I'm at work. If I'm trying to read something, then no.
Este disco está interesante. Desafortunadamente la página de Wikipedia no dice mucho sobre cómo fue producido, pero me da curiosidad saber si todo fue mezclado “en vivo” o ya utilizaron computadoras para hacerlo. Si fue lo segundo, debieron ser equipos relativamente sofisticados para la época. Musicalmente me agradó, pero tampoco me fascinó. Los sampleos están muy bien hechos y la música está padre, pero algunas canciones duran demasiado y se vuelven tediosas. Aún así, queda padre como música de fondo y con gusto lo volvería a escuchar.
The first couple songs were hard to get into. It defitely picks up though and helped motivate me to clean my kitchen. I listened to a lot of this type of music in the mid-late 90s - so it's enjoyable. Bits and pieces sound too much of the 90s, a bit stale. But overall I liked this.
Last couple of tracks drag a bit long, but overall good electronic groove.
I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Some of the songs actually annoyed me, but I feel hesitant to blame the music, maybe I was in a bad mood. I lieu of giving it another listen, I'll just give three stars instead.
solid early techo album. Didn't blow me away and was less clubby than I was expecting.
I'm having a very hard time rating this. It isn't bad, it just all blends together. For this type of music, I don't think I'm equipped to judge.