Snivilisation

I love the album art and title for this thing but ultimately felt like it was an alright IDM album with some great moments. The end of the first track made my kidneys hurt 6/10

Days after writing that I wish I had not listened to jazz music while working, I receive an album that I found really suited my job working in the email mines. This bangs from end to end. No skips, no notes other than some of the tracks on this album sound like you are drunk playing the sims with an infomercial on in the background. That's not a bad thing. Highlights: I Wish I Had Duck Feet, Kein Trink Wasser, Quality Seconds

Vage edm, niet helemaal mijn ding

Cool

This was just okay. Second half was far better than the first half, esp Quality Seconds, which was a highlight for me.

This isn't really my kind of electronic music. It's a bit too clean, too bleep-bloopy. I want more reverb and lfo warbles. That said, it is at least creative and well produced. 2.5/5

Kind of just electronic sounds to me. Never got into the vibe

That’s a long album. I really liked it, showing my age but it’s the same reason i love any jean michel jarre album. Just put it on and let it do it’s thing while you get on and do your thing.

first electronic album on the list. shoutout Forever: it's okay. it sounds like the background music for an old flash game or something. I Wish I Had Duck Feet: loving these very squishy liquid-y noises at the beginning. cool but it feels like an interlude that doesn't build to anything *Sad But True: starting to click about a minute and a half in. this is funky, lots of cool rhythms overlapping. the section in the middle with vocals is whatever but it brought me back at the end. *Crash and Carry: percussion driving this one forward. realizing that I don't really know how to talk about electronic music since I'm not super familiar with it... I liked this one though Science Friction: hypnotic. it feels like all the different parts are looping but somehow nothing ever overlaps in the same way. Philosophy by Numbers: cursed super mario level. not hitting for me Kein Trink Wasser: decent background music. super impressive if he's actually playing that piano part and it isn't just a synth or something Quality Seconds: hello??? this walked so Machine Girl could run Are We Here: 15.5 minute song, locking in. lots of cool ideas, percussion is a highlight again. idk, it has a lot of time to do something really impressive but it doesn't do that much Attached: 12.5 minute song...re-locking in... this one has a more spacey psychedelic feel to it, reminds me a bit of Tipper. again, doesn't really go anywhere. __ SCORE: 6/10 ADDED TO PLAYLIST: Sad But True, Crash and Carry

Sounded like the soundtrack to a PS1 game in all the right ways. Really enjoyed it.

It made me remember the groove of music from the 90's and 2k. This band took part in the OST Motal Kombat.

Len Houmous always used to say that only ‘Gypsies, Tramps And Thieves’ listen to Orbital. It’s actually why Cher wrote her famous song in response to it. 1.2 10/10 Attached

I had low expectations of this album, I'm not quite sure why. I think it's because I thought Orbital were more of a dance band. This, mostly quite laid back electronica was quite a bit better than I expected and, while it didn't blow me away, I did enjoy it.

exceeded my expectations quite a bit. i quite enjoyed it. the beepin and a'boopin were good to work to

This was a really interesting album. It reminded me of 'Entroducing...'. The first maybe three tracks were really good but I felt from there it just dragged on. Not bad at all though.

I am a big fan of electronic music so I am obviously biased to that extent. However, I was not all enthusiastic about this album because I felt bored of it in the beginning. It was only during the last two tracks that I really started to dig it's vibe and enjoyed it insurmountably. It is surprising for me because two tracks were very long, I believe at 12 minutes long and I am not a big fan of listening for more 10 minutes for a song. But due to it being a solid EDM track, I really did like it.

Pleasant enough bleeps and bloops

Nice and innovative sound at the time, but always similar

3 Stars (8/15)

Love the album name. Was good.

Techno isn’t really my thing, but even so I could tell there was some interesting stuff happening here.

Sometimes just o.k. in term of background-music but also some annoying pieces. Plus way too long! Nonetheless I worked thru but nothing that pleases me! 1,5

this feels like both a better version of lofi and the exact music Electronica was ment to be. I don't get Electronica. I am very open and honest with myself that music with no lyrics rarely appeals to me. This one did. This is exactly what I imagine city beats to be. A lyricless album will only go that far in my ranking but this one went.

You can hear the bones of what Orbital would become. Flashes of brilliance, echoes of Aphex Twin and hints of the transcendence they’d later master.

I keep thinking 'this is not the album by X I would reach for'

Really enjoyed this. Orbital seems to really make some sounds that work for me.

Techno as deviant exploration. In this vein, I tend to side more with Aphex Twin. Some of the tracks on here are real bangers: "Sad but True", "Are We Here?" etc. But I sadly find the tone of the synths too clean by half, and too sharp. What can begin as quite a song, gets overridden by melodies that come straight from a moog, but without the backing crunchiness that the 70's musicians added. That being said, many, many of my favorite bands would not be here without Orbital.

I don't know enough about beeps and boops; this is completely lost on me.

This sounds really outdated. There are better 90s electronics recordings than this.

A couple of decent tracks.

Grok users listen to this sort of trash

Not for me

I was into the first song but then they decided to spam stupid vocal samples

I'm surprised this is the Orbital album given to listen to over the Brown Album, but this album is great, Orbital are geniuses, and I'm just going to listen to a bunch of 90s acid house stuff for the rest of the week.

I was listening to Philosophy by Numbers and had to take off my headphones as I thought I could hear somebody vacuuming upstairs, alas it was just the music. I think that about sums it up

no raga proprio non mi piace questo

This was a breath of fresh air. Something actually different. Unfortunately they lost me after the first track. Favorite songs: Forever, Kein Trink Wasser

I was really enjoying the music on this album and then the last 3 tracks really derailed it for me whereby it became a bit samey, long and dare I say boring. Such a shame as the first 3/4 was pretty good I thought

90s electronica. Good vibes.

Nice background noise not too 1001

It’s unique but it’s all over the shop.

The songs in this album were pretty long, especially the last two. Overall, pretty meh album, nothing really exciting and very repetitive stuff. I want to say that if you've listened to one of the songs, you've listened to them all, but they are slightly different, although the main idea remains. I am not a huge fan, nor am I a middle-sized fan, so I am rating this album pretty poorly, but I do understand that there are people who would enjoy the repetitiveness of it.

I just think that this isn’t meant for album listening really. It’s meant to be played in a set at a venue where everyone is off their rocker anyways so don’t mind that it’s not much more than a simple beat. But that meant that it wasn’t exactly a fun listen for me.

not for me

Why the fuck did we need 2 albums by this completely unheard of band? Hard pass.

How it’s made

Cool old techno album, wasn't crazy good but ok

A quite nice listen, it doesn’t sound 30 years old. I did get a bit bored of it towards the end. Nice background music at work or on a walk.

File under: Leads into a good Spotify playlist for listening to at work.

Orbital 2 and especially "Halcyon and On and On" felt like my little secret in the early 90s (clearly it was a worldwide hit, but try explaining that to an early teenage kid who stumbled onto it in a used CD bin.) It's dated now but still manages to give me the chills at the right moment. I'm not sure I ever listened to Snivilisation and I went in hoping to find more of that. Sadly, this feels like a lot of the bones of Orbital 1 & 2 without any of the lushness. I'm interested in why they zagged that direction, and I guess I'm impressed that they didn't just milk Halcyon for the rest of their career, but I didn't care for this.

I liked it

Background music

Snivilisation is a dense, intricate electronic album that clearly aims to push boundaries, but it just didn’t click with me. The production is layered and clever, full of shifting rhythms and textures that show real technical skill, but as a listening experience it felt more like an intellectual exercise than something I could connect with emotionally. Tracks stretch out and evolve slowly, which can be immersive if you’re in the right headspace, but for me it mostly felt distant and difficult to grab onto. There are moments where you can hear why Orbital are so respected, with flashes of melody or atmosphere that briefly pull you in, but they’re surrounded by long stretches that didn’t hold my interest. It’s clear this album has a lot of thought and craft behind it, but it’s just not my thing. Sometimes even well-made music doesn’t land, and this was one of those cases.

EDM that's a little to far for my ears.

It’s pretty good background music while I’m working or doing other things. As a whole it’s not bad but none of the songs stand out to me.

1. Forever - 6 Some of the sound effects aren't enjoyable but the overall beat and sound is solid. Decent techno track. 2. Are We Here? - 8 Brilliant track. Really great beat, really good sound, really fun listen. Quintessential techno. 3. I Wish I Had Duck Feet - 5 Bit of an odd track. Not as strong as the previous two but not unenjoyable. 4. Sad But True - 9 Brilliant techo. Awesome beat, awesome sounds, and a really great track to move to. Superb. 5. Crash and Carry - 8 Another great techno track. Really good beat and sound that makes this a great track to listen to. 6. Quality Seconds - 6 It's not bad but it almost borders on hardcore EDM which I'm not a fan of. Reminds me slightly of a track you'd find on a UT2004 clan made custom fragging arena map. 7. Philosophy By Numbers - 8 Some more good sounds. It comes and goes on just how enjoyable the track is and it's certainly a lot odder than Sad But True or Crash and Carry but it's still very good. 8. Kein Trink Wasser - 4 Way to instrumentally over-repetitive and the song goes on for so long it's a real struggle to get through its entirety. It's not the worst techno track but it's not anywhere close to the quality elsewhere on the album. 9. Science Fiction - 6 Solid techno track. Decent beat with good instrumentals. Not the best thing on the album but a decent track overall. 10. Attached - 8 Solid techno trach with great builds, digression, and then more builds. Solid track to end the album on. Average Rating: 6.80 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 3.40 Rounded Down: 3 Stars

This was terrible. I did not need to hear this before I died.

Video game music

If you're tired of cat lo-fi or smooth jazz playing penguins, this is decent background music.

Rating: 4/10 Nah.

Decent! Not my scene at all but i thought it was imaginative and kept me interested

Like it 3/5

This is #day413 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… it's time to close out another artist, as this is my second album by Orbital. Snivilisation is further proof that this just isn't my kind of electronics. So, despite their impact, the band hasn't clicked with me. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day414.

Sounds like every other Brit pop 80’s band

Klangteppich mit endlosen Wiederholungen

I like it. Think there are definitely some stand out moments like piano in the "kein weiser" song. The songs can drag on a little bit and some of its annoying aspects reveal itself like the squeeky vocals and not great mixing i think in some of the songs. Still i think a lot of these woes are tempered with overall nice production with a pulsating and dynamic rhythm i think. I'd want to listen to it again to see whether it holds up or not. Would do 3.5 if i can but will leave it at 3 stars for now.

When two of the longer, more prominent songs on Snivilisation are tacked on at the end, one has to assume that Orbital were not lacking in confidence; if anything, the duo's hold on the electronic music scene was getting stronger while they were veering off towards more far-flung places. Whether made for illicit raves that their country was cracking down on or for the more individualistic listener with the Walkman in hand (or streaming service in this day and age), Orbital's grey album is well worth the hour plus long acquainting. Favorites: Forever, Sad but True, Science Friction, Philosophy by Numbers, Kein Trink Wasser, Are We Here?, Attached.

Niks aparte disco

Pretty cool - realized that this artist did one of the main songs on the Hackers ost

Huh? This is kinda trash.

4/5

Underworld but more ambient

WHAT GARBAGE! Nothing in my likes tells anyone that I would want to listen to this.

I've never considered myself a fan of EDM, but this is pretty good. The layering of sounds and the placement and repetition of soundbites put some meat on those electronic bones.

3.5 probably!

Boring

Not for me

Total crap

Pleasant electronica

Nice electronic album. Liked the sound a little better than Architecture and Morality. Some moments were a bit goofy, though (Philosophy by Numbers, for instance)

Electronic sample heavy jams. Meandering.

Not terrible music but definitely not my taste

The constant dialogue clips are often distracting from the music- should try this one again.

Nie mój typ, nudny i monotonny, nadawałby się jako muzyka w windzie. Po piątym kawałku odpuściłem.

Ma jakąś wartość muzyczną, ale całokształt jest dosyć nieprzyjemny, w dużej mierze przez "wokal"

"Snivilisation" feels like a pioneering effort in electronic music. Some tracks have a timeless quality that could easily be remade with modern EDM sounds and effects, though the beeps and bops do feel a bit dated now. It’s definitely a hit or miss album, for an electronic lover like me, tracks like "Are We Here?" really resonate, while others, like "Quality Sounds," just don’t hit the mark.

Oh goody, another long bloated electronic album. This one was frustrating, because there were some moments where the songs showed potential. Like, the rhythm would be there and the song would bop for a minute. But it never lasts and it’s back to sheer tedium. And what kind of sick fuck put the two longest songs at the fucking end? It’s not bad you already bored me, but now I got to beg for this to end? Hard pass. Favorite track: Kein Trink Wasser Other hits: Quality Seconds (yes, the short one), Crash and Carry, Philosophy by Numbers

I’m aware of this band. Never listened to a record by them before. This is a LONG one which means the CD era was in full swing. First track is nice. I would prefer this at a club. This album drones a lot. Good for a dance club. Track 7 - Leon Tink Wasser is the first track that didn’t sound the same. Track 8 was great too. Maybe this album should have been split in two? Also digging track 9. I wonder if this album was split by mood for club DJs?

Electronic music is often held to a higher standard than other forms of music. This is as it should be. If you are making music that doesn't require you to write any lyrics or have any talent with instruments, then what you make better be incredibly inventive and impossible to ignore. This album is not that. It winds up coming across as totally generic and unforgettable, basically indistinguishable from a hundred other albums just like it. I didn't hate it, but I was bored by it.

first track is called forever bc that's how long it seems to go on. nice bleeps and bloops

I used to work for a certain infamous car maker with a big ego ceo. Some of this album removed me of corporate enforced event music. Bleh

Ganska tråkigt

Planant.

Brilliant.

Orbital could use a better editorial process, cause this thing is interminably long. 10 songs at an average of 7 1/2 minutes a song ain't the flex they think it might be, especially when its bargain basement beeps and boops.

Started listening to this right before I went to bed and now I’m too pumped up to sleep

I, of course, know who Orbital is, and I've heard some of their songs, but I don't think I've ever listened to a full album by them, and I really loved this one. It's not perfect, but it's very chill, relaxing, but still fun and interesting like a lot of electronica and EDM at the time. I definitely will be listening to this one and some of their other stuff in the future!

Enthusiastic but not fully formed. Traces of the glorious In Sides (why isn't that the selection?) here and there.

This was not made for me. 2/ 5

Cool ambient, pretty nice listen, probably two long but still, 3 stars

0.5

1.5

God says "This album sucks" (4.3) ★★

Too repetitive, too long, too boring. 2.5 stars

I thought this started off all right, but it really went on for too long and was too repetetive for my tastes. The first track was probably my favorite. Some more tracks with vocals definitely would've been welcome here. 2 stars.

2.5

Can’t say I clicked with this album too well. In fact an hour long appointment with the dentist to replace a filling with a crown probably made for a better listening experience. At least that was only an hour. This starts off sounding like interminable menu music for some crappy futuristic video games but then I Wish I Had Duck Feet happens and the supremely irritating extended babbling vocal samples start piling up. Dance diva Alison Goldfrapp makes an appearance on two of the songs but really the song material is too dank and repetitive for her lustrous silken pipes to save them. Philosophy By Numbers is a particularly toxic low point and seems like the duo challenged themselves to find the world’s worst chord sequence then try to make a jam out of it. It’s not really a jam but more like lumbering radioactive green mould. This album has the 1994 anti-raver Criminal Justice Bill hanging over it like a sullen grey cloud so it’s definitely more agitative and political and with fewer trancy euphoric moments than their last effort Orbital 2 (The Brown Album). Really though, the 1994 Bill should have been to bring Orbital to justice for the crime of this mightily disappointing follow-up. 2 stars because there are occasionally some ok clubby beats but also a lot of clanging claptrap polluting it as well.

Not an everyday album for me. Nice beats

Electronic music never really resonated much with me. I never really “got” it. That being said, I thought it was cool how tracks got increasingly more intense/up tempo as the album progressed. It was relatively enjoyable to listen to, but ultimately not really my thing.

Not bad but not something I’ll add into my regular rotation. Some parts were annoying or went on for too long.

This is exactly what you hope to find in such a list. Never heard of them, and it's really good, always interesting and (mostly) still feels kind of fresh. Some songs are better than others, for example Are we here ? starts interesting but drops mid way through, I wish I had duck feet is just bad, but there is a couple of bangers, (give me a club pogo on quality second anyday) and some nice ambient-y music. It's varied, trippy and the scope is perfect, there is little to really dislike here.

Decent background music but it didn't blow me. Also, the album title leaves a lot to be desired.

Pretty ambient. Not bad for background you talk over.

Pretty nice vibes, bit too long though.

Inoffensive electronic music

If hell is real, then this is on the jukebox there. Unless you are a club DJ and need to know what backing music you have to work with, who would ever choose to listen to this? When would they listen to this outside of a dance club or rave? 1001 albums to listen to before you die and this was picked? Seriously? I would rather listen to an instructional video on vacuum repair. Awful.

I liked this better that the other Orbital album I’ve listened to on this list so far. Having said that, the first half of the album is better than the second half. 3 stars.

Pas trop mon style. J’y fais pas attention

This was interesting.

Not really my genre. Enjoyed parts of it but often found the songs just too long and repetitive. Probably wouldn’t listen again but I did like it more than I initially thought I would. Fav song: Science Friction - this one and Kein Trink Wasser have bits in the melody that remind me of the soundtrack to sci-fi podcast Wolf 359 which is probably why I liked them. Least fav: Forever

Think I will find whoever the critic was that allowed this into the 1001 and lock them in a box for an hour and fifteen minutes so they lose the time that this album took from me. Fucking shit. Sounded like either generic club music in a movie scene, Nintendo’s walking music and the kind of samples that come preloaded on a web DJ site. Will not be listening again Specific rating - 0.3 Fav song- sad but true Least fav- are we here

The end of the first song made me feel there were bugs in my ears. They named themselves after the M25, think this album really captures that vibe- annoying! While its not the worst techno album we've had I still wouldn't listen to it again. Favourite song: I Wish I Had Duck Feet Least: Crash and Carry

I am Outrageous, I am Contagious! background noise wise its fine, probably very technically impressive for its time and pioneering but now this sound is easily done by a 14 year old with his cracked fl studio copy

Is this Yello? Anyway, great for your average lounge bar, not so great while questing for music you have to hear before you die.

Doesn't excite me in any way but better than The Shamen

Too rooted in techno for me to really enjoy. I did like the Philosophy vs Technology bantz in one of the songs. Interesting to hear Alison Goldfrapp.pop up on a couple of numbers too.

Enjoyed it, but overly long even on a long drive, and just too electronic for me these days

Some of this is great - some goes way too discordant for me.

Why God?

Maybe 4

Groupe inconnu. L'album présente une musique d'ambiance assez réussie. J'ai apprécié le chant de Alison Goldfrapp dans 'Are We Here?' et 'Sad But True'. Par contre l'album est bien trop long, et ... certains morceaux aussi ! Mais il est suffisamment varié pour que j'aille jusqu'au bout. Il est même possible que je le ré-écoute en fond sonore. =>3/5

Very good. The second quarter is weak compared to the rest of the album but it's full of character overall. Forever, Sad But True, Kein Trink Wasser and Are You Here? are all immense

Some electronic, not the kind I'd listen to for the entire album. But it actually grew on me

Dreamy electronic beats that kept me going on my work day. Could imagine listening to this album while on an epic drive to the country or the coast soaking in the gorgeous landscapes.

Thought this was super lovely tbh!! Had a great time vibing to it, especially the middle section

i loveeeeeee techno !!! this album was so fun

A bit too experimental, but enjoyable…

Not my thing. I liked the shorter tracks on the album but it was just too long with not enough happening to keep my interest.

Ambient Techno distressingky failing to be either.

Damn, all the beep-boops and glu-glus were really impressive. If you were to send this album back in time all the music would suddenly disappear

Insane how this album came AFTER Orbital 2 yet sounds like a teenager's first time using FL Studio

Nope

Felt like torture to listen to. not my usual style

Orbital, we meet again. Didn't like this one so much, maybe it was my circumstances i.e. not being in a former factory turned nightclub...

There's been better electronic on this list. It just wasn't engaging.

Hmm. Did I like this? Kinda? I didn't hate it. 2.6 rounding up?

I don't know that I need 75 minutes of this, but there are parts I find charming and interesting - "Kein Trink Wasser" is a highlight, and I think I hear the genesis of Korn's "Got the Life" in "Are We Here?". I do sort of question who this is for - it purports to be dance music but much of it doesn't really feel like it (at least not to my ear). It's been good "writing an appellate brief on Saturday" music, I suppose. Maybe it will reward me more on multiple listens.

Just wonderfull, and not even their best work.

Background music. It would suit a club atmosphere well, but really doesn’t fit anywhere else.

No reason for this album to be so long.

Never heard of them but I was really vibin.

Not as bad as the last Orbital album I got. This one was decently listenable

Not my genre at all. Nothing to appeal from this, except how great it was when Skunk called out the Stormzy Glasto headlines for saying he was the first black artist to play the pyramid stage

Sometimes I forget how dated this list is. I'd be curious to see if this one stood the test of time if this list were made today. Anyway, it was fine for background music as I worked today. But, I wondered at one point if I accidentally had "repeat track" on. I hadn't.

Very eh but I didn’t absolutely loathe. Not sure what type of mood I’d need to be in to enjoy this

Not for me but appreciate they were pioneers in something that has got much better since this.

Sometimes interesting

God, this is so good. Why did I ignore this group?

wtf did I just listen to lsd trip

Sometimes it sounds a bit like Philip Glass, but mostly it's just restless music

Buenazo

i didn't expect to like it but it somehow relieved my anxiety

Beeps And boops man. Beeps and boops.

There were a few tracks on this I really liked, but overall the Orbital doesn't do too much for me. They're a group I enjoy listening to single songs occasionally, but rarely ever a full album at once. 3.4/5

Decent album. I liked it but it also sorta just passed me by. I feel indifferent but positive about it. 3/5

Orbital have two entries in the 1001 - this album and the immediately preceding, much heralded Orbital 2 (Brown Album). If it were me compiling the 1001, I'd have personally made a stronger case for the following In Sides to feature over this one. However, Snivilisation is still a very enjoyable and thoroughly interesting ambient techno sprawler at 75 minutes in length, although it is a much less digestible and accessible release owing to its stronger sense of eclecticism and complexity. It tends to be the somewhat overshadowed middle child, perhaps also not helped by being released in 1994, which was a particularly strong year for electronic music. You had Aphex Twin / Caustic Window, Autechre, The Future Sound of London, Global Communication, Massive Attack, Oval, Portishead, The Prodigy, Underworld et al. releasing some of their very best material that year, the majority of those leaning into friendlier takes on ambient, IDM, techno, trip hop and other stylings which were making waves at the time. You could leave me on a desert island with nothing to listen to but a curation of 1994 electronic albums for a month, this included, and I'd be quite content with that, although this one would probably be one of the last from that crop that I'd be actively reaching for. I've found myself slipping into an electro-rabbit hole over these last few months, making some amazing discoveries along the way, although Orbital are an act I've always been familiar with and have had an appreciation of, owing to my Dad's tastes.

Another hour and a quarter of noise and samples.

Decent background music but not my bag

I'm not a fan of electronic music but this band was pretty good. Constant great rhythms with changes in tone and melody.

The songs were too repetitive

enjoyable random noises

Shit is kinda weird but groovy af.

5/5 - Space pop, computer music - Definitely gets into Trance territory - Clever modulations; they do groove - The record captures, as the group name suggests, the atomic or the aeronautic. - This is a good ambient record for your stacks if you like Aphex.

I would have never considered playing this. Glad I did! Far more dynamic than I expected, and the music keeps on giving? Really nice. I really like it, until the last two tracks. They're too much, for me.

Okay.

You ever play Lumines? This is like if Lumines music was boring.

A little nerve wracking

boring ://

I enjoyed it, another good album for background music

interesting experimental electronic music

Oh joy, yet another 90s british electronic album \s Nothing redeeming about this, why is this here. 1*

Not my favorite album I've ever listened to, but it's also not my preferred genre of music even a little bit. I can absolutely appreciate the complexity of the production and I am sure that within its circle, it's a phenomenal album. For me, it all sounds a bit same-y and I didn't overly enjoy it. I'm happy to add it to my repertoire, but I don't see myself going back to it often.

On Snivilisation, Orbital channel to past as well as the future. There's clearly Kraftwork influence in the driving repetitive rhythms that simulates the feeling of steady movement and the charming melodies, but Orbital also predicts Vaporwave by means of the commercial samples and liminal drones that linger behind the beats. I was ready to rate this a 3 because one of my criteria is how the album makes me feel while listening to it, however, I caught myself dancing with my cat for more than a few songs, so I think it gets a 4 by default. There's some inspired stuff here. It's not as ambitious as other albums on the list, but what Orbital does, they do well. Not to mention: 1994? Orbital were making future music.

Correcto

This was bad. But sadly not the worst thing I've heard here so far I did actually really like the piano song! And a few others were catchy. But this album really overstayed its welcome. Songs that were decent for 2 mins but instead became insufferable after 9 1.5 but will round up 2 ⭐️

𝘚𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 is a strong ambient-techno record that showcases Orbital at a moment of creative expansion. Rich in textures, layered synths, and moody atmospheres, the album blends rave-era energy with a more reflective, almost cinematic edge. It’s immersive and forward-thinking, and when it works, it’s genuinely transportive. That said, it’s also overlong. At 75 minutes, the album begins to drift — its impact diluted by material that could’ve easily been trimmed. A tighter 60-minute version might’ve elevated it from good to great. Still, there’s no denying its place in the evolution of electronic music. 𝘚𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 remains a thoughtful, genre-blurring release from one of the UK’s most important electronic acts.

Techno albums not being dreadfully long and boring challenge (IMPOSSIBLE)

some interesting, some funky tunes!

a few circumstances of compromised receptiveness to the outside world are making it extra hard for me to form thoughts ab stuff i have very little language for in the first place but i still had a v good time. ig my main observation is just how unexpected the sources of some of the rhythmic power are, theres always a lil bit more shape than just a regular drumbeat. theres a quirky and vaguely dark edge to the whole record, which reading about it does come in that moment in history where the uk was attempting to legislate rave culture out of existence. theres impish rebellion, a bit of fearfulness, and a lot of beauty ofc

Used to be futuristic, still is in parts. 3.35

Reminiscent of Public Service Broadcasting to me, but leans more towards the techno/DnB end of it. An alright album but felt a bit odd for my liking, and wasn't particularly interesting for me.

lol, no. 1/5

This was ok. Chill techno is what Im calling it.

I find neither beauty nor emotional pull (of even the slightest magnitude) here. Just audio output from computer programming organized around banal rhythmic patterns. It leaves me cold and numb. Oh humanity where art though?

Lively beats and addictive ear worms

Jag gjorde det! Jag tog mig igenom det. Herregud vilken resa. Nästan att jämföra med nattåget mellan Nordmakedonien och Serbien. Nej, det är är verkligen inte musik som är skapad för mig. Jag känner det ganska direkt, men första låten får mig att tro att det ändå skulle kunna bli en helt okej upplevelse. Lite småmysiga ljud som studsar runt, även om det redan här blir repetitivt. När tredje låten spelas håller jag på att bli galen. Jag befinner mig genast på ett smutsigt och trångt rave, med en massa folk som jag inte känner och en känsla av att jag utan tvekan har blivit drogad. Det ska den verkligen ha skivan, den förmedlar en sinnesstämning på ett ganska bra sätt. Men jag vill fan inte vara där. I låten "Philosophy by Numbers" mår jag som sämst. Jag var på riktigt nära att behöva skrika högt när dom där rösterna upprepade 'technology' och 'philosophy'. Lite av en mardröm att återbesöka det nu när jag skulle hitta vad det var dom tjatade om. Att det här följde Blonde on Blonde kan inte ha hjälpt Snivilisation, men kan inte tänka mig att jag hade kunnat ge den något annat betyg oavsett scenario. Bäst: "Forever"

Not my cup of tea but cool nonetheless

I enjoyed this album, but no tracks blew me away

1.3

nope. not a must listen

Might be my favorite Orbital album. Its incredibly chill. Even the album cover looks chill. Favorite track: Sad But True 3.5/5

20/07/2025 This music isn't really my thing and the long songs just seemed to drag.

So normally I dislike electronica, but this one works for me. I put it on while building some kitchen cabinets and I kept bopping to it. Weird, but it think because they mix in actual sounds and other music it works. It's not all beeps and boops to me.

Orbital 2 is an all-timer for me, but I could never get into this one.

beep boop i am a robot p.s. quality seconds is a banger i can’t even lie

Better than expected

Top comment was a fun read Such a vibe when cooking so squeezes out the 4 Agree about Quality Seconds

as with almost all electronic dance music albums on this list, it is meant to be played at a club not on Spotify and a 1h album is defiantly not something that won't get repetitive immediately. a bit too odd to be background music when working. I can appriciate the dub techno element and 2 step groove but even for me who like electronic music(maybe not as much 90s) this is a bit of a deep cut.

Like the 90s themselves, that was quite a ride.

Cracking album; genre defining.

Pretty good I guess electronic music’s not really my thing

Meh

No one is dancing to this ass

I enjoyed the repetitive-ness of the songs with no lyrics, it helped me to focus on my work tasks for today. Several songs remind me of video game background music.

The makers of this album would love to see how far this genre of music has come, but that means it started from this place which is not as good... 4/10

First album, Goofy goebbers

Bliep blap bloop, this album's stuck in a loop. It's the kind of album that works well as background music while I'm going through some work. And that is what I did, sometimes I did not even know the next track began. For me, it is also just some buildups that edge you for a few minutes, keeping the same rhythm going before finally hitting you with some beats. And I do like that, sometimes...

At first I rolled my eyes at yet another British 90s obscure techno album, but I actually found myself bopping along quite a bit on this one. Definitely sounds way ahead of its time. Would definitely turn it on again as some background beats.

aw shit here we go again, another obscure uk electronic album

meh

Meh

Okay at first but tracks with any kind of spoken word get extremely repetitive and overlong without much variation to keep it interesting.

It’s an hour and a half of bizarre on hold music (except for Quality Seconds which was just weird in the mix of the rest of the songs) and bad techno. It’s just… nothing. I don’t know why it’s on the list but I don’t want to hear it again.

Tecno tranquilo, melódico, pero sin llegar a ser puramente dance comercial ni nada que se le parezca, sino más bien ambiental (de hecho, según leo, este estilo se conoce como ambient techno). Melodías etéreas y alguna que otra voz suelta, ya sea cantada o hablada, por sí sola o sobre una percusión simple de drum and bass. Una mezcla diversa y muy rica conceptualmente que hace que escuchar este álbum sea una experiencia hipnótica. No será mi estilo de música favorito, pero dentro de su estilo es un álbum excelente.

A couple of songs is fine but became too much repetitive music.

Good overall.

Some interesting songs but not really my vibe. I didn't like quality seconds. I can see the merit in are we here as a conceptual idea and "art" but it isn't good music.

Not big on electronic music

I liked it. Never heard of this before. I thought it was good

I liked it, goes a little long and has some dated moments, but some really good jams and textures.

Especially enjoyed the krautrocky "Kein Trink Wasser," but it's all enjoyable. Upbeat and lighthearted, not trying to be something it's not - looking at other 90's UK dance music that pushes way too hard into soul territory like The KLF or 808 State. The synths sound like synths, in fact the artificiality of the synths are celebrated rather than downplayed. The production emphasizes that idea as well, lots of pleasant trippiness in the effects, nice big low end. Thought it was going to be too long, but it really kept my interest the whole way through. Tons of variety rhythmically and sonically. Little surprises pop up, like the song "Quality Seconds." Some confidently executed interesting experimental work.

Some relatively solid background music mixed with some truly annoying tracks. Hovering around 1.5 but the last half hour was a chore so I’m giving it a 1.

Not for me

Techno gives me anxiety I guess

Offensively tedious. 2.

I love Orbital, but I have never really been all that into this album.

Lovely

Similar vibes to Aphex twin, very lowkey, nice ambient vibes with odd samples

Some interesting stuff. Can see their influence. Repetitive overall but what are you gonna do. That's the genre.

This was a pretty cool album. I put this on while gaming and it was a good vibe. Lots of unique beats and sounds and some occasional vocals to keep things varied and interesting. Some techno gets boring after a while but I was engaged the entire listen. Standouts were "Sad but True," "Crash and Carry" "Kien Trink Wasser" A solid 4/5, just the right amount of weird and techy/spacy sounding crap. A couple songs were a bit long and grating, keeping this from a 5, but I liked most of it a lot!

I wish I could go to a rave in the uk in the 90s

Never let it be said that I can't handle a long song. But these just got boring. It was more or less just what I expected, but so many others have done it better. Sorry, can only be a 1

Track one started so promisingly and I thought I might just enjoy this album. But no, it descended into everything I expected. Endless ambient loops on repeat, with just a few little spikes of something different.

I expected this to be as good as their first two albums, but it wasn't. Good for a chillout in the living room when doing something else, but not the listening experience of earlier material

Oof. This stuff is just painful for me. I saw Sad but True and was really hoping for something based off Metallica. It wasn't. Sad but true. Much like this album. 1

2.5 Seriously, these guys made it on this list TWICE? And as if to spite me for making fun of the kidneys on their previous album cover, they went ahead and straight-up put a phallus on this one (please tell me you all see this too and that I’m not just having a weird Freudian moment). Anyway, I actually thought this was better than their poop album, but more so because it’s inoffensive rather than it is really any good. It seems that Orbital went in more of an ambient direction this time around than they did a club-oriented one, and while they certainly didn’t do anything wondrous with that, it does offer the smallest hint of a vibe at times. Like, the opener, Forever, had me feeling like I was sitting at the main menu of a 2000s racing game - for a second there, it was like I was a ten-year old kid again. That’s really the most positive thing I can say about this album though - the rest of this is just unremarkable, uninteresting techno. Are We Here? Idk, I’m pretty checked out. Fortunately, nothing here is grating except for Quality Seconds, which they thankfully kept to under 90 of (though none of which were quality), but overall, this is the kind of thing I found myself forgetting I was listening to while working and I’ll likely have entirely forgotten about in a week’s time.

I enjoyed listening but this falls into the common grouping of 'why is this required listening?' I didn't dislike it but don't know why I'd miss anything not hearing this. Largely background music. Hearing these guys were on the Mortal Kombat movie soundtrack makes sense.

There were these demo like videos of 3D animation in the early 2000s that had music like this. A well composed version of this type of music. I just not a must listen.

I like Orbital, but this album was strictly average

It was fine. Good music to focus to but not really my vibe

The first track, Forever, is great. Very reminiscent of a late-era Pink Floyd or Kraftwerk instrumental. The synth rhythms are consistent but also broken and alien, very space-rock-esque. In contrast, the second track (I Wish I Had Duck Feet) is just standard percussion with a strange radio announcement monologue laid on top. Not exactly groundbreaking stuff, nor is it particularly enjoyable. The rest of the album is similarly spotty. Sad but True is a track laden with alien sounds and fun harmonies. Blue notes and diminished chords abound. Then Crash and Carry, with very little harmony or melody to speak of, ends up being five minutes of uncomfortable noise that varies only minimally for its duration. Philosophy by Numbers is like a better version of Radiohead's Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors, with some melodic synth lines mixed in. And I'm a staunch defender of Pulk. So this strange alternate take was oddly nostalgic for me. Kein Trink Wasser is such a violent outlier from the rest of the album, with its jaunty ragtime-esque piano lines and low backing strings, that I can't help but like it – even if it does diverge from that feel into less distinctive, moodier synths after a few minutes. The album drops the ball with the horrendously bland Quality Seconds (truly the lowest-quality 85 seconds of the album), but fortunately follows that with two solid prog-rock tracks that last for a combined 28 minutes. 3/5 Key tracks: Forever, Sad but True, Kein Trink Wasser

Something different so I enjoyed it as background tunes. Nailed the electronic vibes

new favorite album

Another album that just feels like noise.

It was ok for what it was.

This one’s a bit of a synth safari. Bleepy, bloopy, spacey, strange. I wouldn’t normally reach for this stuff, but I actually liked the long stretches of mood. Not much groove, but plenty of groove-adjacent ambiance. Trippy little audio diorama. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Forever - Sad but True - Kein Trink Wasser

Sorry, I just don't get this kind of electronica. It doesn't really go anywhere or do anything interesting; I find it really hard to figure out what I'm supposed to be listening for in it. Probably I'd like it more if I were the type of girl to go to raves, but instead I'm the type of girl to sit in her room and listen to homework assigned by the 1001 Albums Generator.

This one is very beep and boopy. I like most of the tracks. There’s plenty of variety on this one Fav tracks - Forever - Sad but true - Crash and carry on - Science Friction - Are we here? Worst track - I Wish I Had Duck Feet

Whatever of an album.

Prima om bij te werken, verder niet heel spannend.

techno direto ao ponto: gostamos

techno minimalista do mais pica hein, curti bastante. tranquilim, sem muita quebradeira. vou usar pra trabaiar!!

Solid

Regarding the other electronic albums on this list, this one actually felt more meaningful. It involved more complex layers to the mix.

Beats were ok, sounds like a good soundtrack to a video game. Didn't mind but won't seek it out either.

Shite

Banger after banger after banger

Matrix cave scene vibes But a bit more nineties club less end of the world

Not a bad album, but I feel like it's on here because it's a more complete album than Orbital 2 (despite Halycon + on + on being one of the best songs around) so as a "you must hear it before you die" it gets ranked higher and these guys deserve the credit. So yeah, album wise? It's fine. But it doesn't have any real bangers and suffers from what music like this always suffers from in a greatest albums thunderdome: it lacks the force to really blow you away simply because of what and how it is. All that bloviating out of the way, great tunes. One of those groups that doesn't piss me off that the songs are fifteen fucking minutes long because they have a really great sense of how to do the variations on a theme thing. Simultaneously want to ding it and laud it for its relative variety.

I love the Metroid Prime Soundtrack.

Bought this on CD when first release and have regularly listened since. An awesome album. I cannot believe its over 30 years old ....

Snivilisation I really liked Orbital 2, and initially I didn’t enjoy this as much, finding the first half in particular a little too uniform, and with too much of a twinge of shirtless male dancers in headdresses and goggles banging mad max style oil drums with spanners on Top of The Pops. However, in the back half there’s a bit more variation and texture, eg the piano on Kein Trink Wasser, and the feel of Philosophy By Numbers and Are We Here? And on further listens the whole thing grew on me a lot, especially as I just let it run on repeat while I was working. And I started to really like the sampled voice on Philosophy by Numbers, it had a 90s fly on the wall doc/information phone line vibe that was pleasingly nostalgic. I don’t think it has quite the same sense of minimalist flow as Orbital 2 though, it feels a little more disjointed between the 1st half and 2nd halves, it doesn’t quite have the feel of musical movement across it’s runtime, but it still is a great electronic album that I’ll definitely come back to, making it a solid 4. 🛢️🛢️🛢️🛢️ Playlist submission: Are We Here?

I was won over by the nascent ambient dance of Orbital 2. This one seems an evolution of sorts, a bit more social commentary included, less hardcore beats and even more ambience. At times it even veers into what your raver may call softer territory with the likes of 'Attached' which has all the melodic signposts of Lemon Jelly. There seems much less of a focus on the club scene, and more on building a mood at home perhaps with a special cigarette. It's the come down album after the rave of Orbital 2.

It is hard to assess what this really is to me it sounds a lot like an album of video game menu music in an album. It is not offensive to the ears but it seems almost deliberately not very engaging.

Really big fan of the sounds on the opener, as they sound like a precursor to the sounds of the Xbox 360 menu. For that to be done in the mid 90’s is impressive. Fantastic transition into the second song as well, early on I had high hopes for this record. “Cash & Carry” has the markings of an early techno track with its 5 to the floor kick and repetitive, echoey synth loops. “Science Fiction” was an awesome instrumental, nothing more to say than it was a good beat. I’m a big fan of the piano layering and melody of “Kein Trink Wasser”. This song had such a sweet sense of forward momentum, especially when the strings kicked in subtly. “Quality Seconds” was the obvious lowlight that stuck out like a sore thumb - too noisy for no reason. But that’s ok, “Are We Here?” Was a great return to form, nice little breakbeat, continues to explore the idea of human population and purpose through some simple samples. The second half of this song is my favorite on the album, they go back to using some vocal vowel sampling and blissful synth sounds a la “Halcyon & On & On” to great effect. Whatever divine powers go through Orbital to make such serene songs, they found it again on this track. I think Snivilisation is functionally good if you want to throw something electronic on from the 90’s that is calm, easy on the ears, but sometimes dancey. Not trailblazing or monumental, but holds up on its own. I’d personally rate it a bit higher, I like this stuff a lot, but recognize that none of this is super duper amazingly groundbreaking, especially as it follows up an album that did pretty much everything this one does in a better, heavier-hitting way. STRONG 3, I’ll listen again!

Høres ut som jeg spiller en platformer

Pleasant electronic, good for getting pumped up potentially

Nice aural textures, but even in headphones, still couldn’t engage me.

Not a big Electronica fan but I really enjoyed this. It was diverse, had some good beats and even a thrashy song ("Quality Seconds") I also enjoyed the songs with a female vocalist. Made me want to listen to more of them

This is that beep boop beep music. Only track I actually stopped and thought, 'this is cool', was philosophy by numbers. For the rest, might as well have been listening to white noise. I guess I prefer more ambient electronic stuff and less ravey. But to be fair to Orbital, my living room at 9 AM is neither the time nor place for this kinda music

They did well when choosing their band name, because the music sounds exactly like I expected it would based on their name. Decent background music to have on while working.

Definitely glad I heard this album as it is filled with moods and emotions.

Electronica - not bad, just not good.

became background noise, it's decent enough but equally not sure if dead me would have been that upset if he hadn't listened to it

Hyvää tunnelmallista elektronista musiikkia. Vähän menee sinne taustamusiikki kategoriaan, kun kappaleet on kummiskin aika itseään toistavia. Mutta meni kyllä levy mieluisasti läpi. Parhaat: Forever, Kein Trink Wasser, Are We Here?, Attached

Amazing sounds, funky beats

I have a Casio keyboard and a talented 5 5 year old. I think we could match this stuff.

Pretty cool I didn’t like most of the vocal samples but a lot of the tracks were pretty cool. A higher-than-average 3

Title: #0041: The Snivilization Finds Peace Picture this: you’re entering a world unknown. Where are you? Who are you? Where are we going? Snivilization. And as you move through this album you realize that it’s not just an album it’s an entire world built by sounds, and textures. Orbital really took me to a place I couldn’t have imagined on my own. The intro track “Forever” introduces you to a seemingly mysterious society welcoming you, asking questions. Almost as if you’re entering a portal of some sort. Orbital uses these speech recordings and loops them throughout the album. Once I learned that this album was created during the UK Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, which gave broad powers to shut down unlicensed raves; which is the culture Orbital emerged from. This album seems to explore the questions of this Act — what kind of society are we building? Who controls it? — and as these speeches loop through each track you feel a story being told without fully understanding exactly where it’s taking you. Orbital takes you through a lush array of electronic arrangements takes you to a world seemingly underwater as you move through it with duck feet, bubbles surround you, glissandos, it feels ethereal. I find myself exploring through each track as a segment to the story. Each track seems to connect to one another too. Without unpacking every single track in this album, the vocals of Allison Goldfrapp that get sprinkled into tracks like “Sad But True” and “Are we Here?” Adds an enchanted element to the tracks especially after tracks like “Crash and Carry” and “Quality Seconds” are weaved with tension. I truly enjoyed the experience this album gave me. It was full of world building, adventure and even tension at some points. Some tracks gave you the feeling you were running away from something or fighting against something. By the end of the album it almost seems as if peace surrounds you, as if the conflict was resolved and the world of Snivilization lives to see another day. The arrangement of all the tracks blend a sort of catch and release feeling. And maybe in the bigger picture of it all, it’s almost a romantic satire of what we hope our society to be. Rating: [5/5] – [Tattoo it to my soul] Standout Tracks: • “Kein Trink Wasser”, “Are We Here?”, “Attached”

Classic 3rd album which takes a sharp turn from their 2nd (also on this list). There are several spellbinding tracks on this: the jazzy opener Forever, the moody Sad But True featuring Alison Goldfrapp, who also features on the album centrepiece, the incredible 15 minute Are We Here? The grandest thing they did, until the next album. There are a couple of tracks on it I don’t like but I felt that 4 was too low so I’m giving it top marks.

Pretty cool Techno album with a wide variety of sounds. I'm not a dance music expert by any means, but variety is not something I associate with the genre, so it's greatly appreciated here. Yes, it is pretty long, but for this type of music that's exactly what is needed. Otherwise, how could you dance to it if the songs were always ending? Not that this is a big frenetic dance album either, this is more a chillout kind of dance album. I liked it. Key tracks: Forever Philosophy by Numbers Kein Trink Wasser

very chill, love it

Standout Songs: Crash and Carry Kein Trink Wasser Not the worst of the ‘electronica’ type stuff but still not good, sorry.

75 minutes and the first course still hasn’t arrived.

Can’t believe this is our second orbital album. This avoided a one by a couple of songs being fine (kein trink wasser). But a lot of it was just horrendous noise

Nothing like the annoying dumpster fire off Orbital II. While repetitive at times and a bit long, it wasn't overly annoying and had some decent parts I actually enjoyed. 3/5

Nope,electronic noise

Electronic music has a low ceiling for me. This has brief moments of good music surrounded by a bunch of annoying crap. And as an album is it LONG. On the border of 1 and 2 stars, dropping to 1 because of the stupid title.

2.5 stars. 90's techno. Probably better suited for being on drugs at a rave than just sitting at home hanging out. Better electronic music out there than this. Track titles more interesting than the beats themselves.

didn’t do much for me