Orbital - Monsters Exist

  On 8/30/2018 at 12:16 AM, Extralife said:

Actually every other track previewed has been very good.

Well, every other track had been... okay. But I still wonder if we’d be saying that if Orbital’s name weren’t attached to the tracks.

Edited August 30, 2018 by Jamesqdot

This new track is just terrible

I have to admit, I'm struggling with it.

  On 8/30/2018 at 3:32 AM, Jamesqdot said:

 

Well, every other track had been... okay. But I still wonder if we’d be saying that if Orbital’s name weren’t attached to the tracks.

 

To be honest, if the other two had been released by someone else I'd be angry that they were ripping off Orbital so blatantly. 

 

Basically at this point, they're at their best when they're putting out very clearly Orbital-sounding bangers, like those first two tracks. They have a way with superb melodies, and can put together tracks that are hugely fun with great energy. They're not innovating, but they're just incredibly good at what they do. 

  On 8/30/2018 at 1:17 PM, purlieu said:

 

  On 8/30/2018 at 3:32 AM, Jamesqdot said:

 

Well, every other track had been... okay. But I still wonder if we’d be saying that if Orbital’s name weren’t attached to the tracks.

 

To be honest, if the other two had been released by someone else I'd be angry that they were ripping off Orbital so blatantly. 

 

Basically at this point, they're at their best when they're putting out very clearly Orbital-sounding bangers, like those first two tracks. They have a way with superb melodies, and can put together tracks that are hugely fun with great energy. They're not innovating, but they're just incredibly good at what they do. 

 

 

 

Don't get me wrong, I don't really expect them to innovate. In fact in some ways I'd almost rather they didn't, just so we can have more of that good old Orbital sound.

 

But when they try and ape modern sounds like this, it just fails miserably.

 

I agree about the first two tracks. They're better. For me, they've still yet to top Copenhagen with their most recent output, though.

  On 8/30/2018 at 5:12 PM, Jamesqdot said:

I don't really expect them to innovate. In fact in some ways I'd almost rather they didn't, just so we can have more of that good old Orbital sound.

 

But when they try and ape modern sounds like this, it just fails miserably.

Yep yep yep. See for instance with the last album when this very bad thing happened

 

 

Orbital is definitely at their best when you can hear their analogue synths clonking around though lo-fi outboard equipment.

That was a very bad thing indeed. See, even there, if you just took that one minute from 2:20 to 3:20, dumped everything else and extended it, you'd possibly have something great.

Agreed again - Our Orbital chi is definitely in sync here !

Wonky was changed at the last minute to include vocals, which is a shame as I enjoy the backing track a lot, especially those sinister clonking pads.

Oh really - Do you know if there's a vocal-less demo version floating about anywhere ?

  On 8/30/2018 at 8:42 PM, mcbpete said:

Oh really - Do you know if there's a vocal-less demo version floating about anywhere ?

I've got the original non-vocal demo. I'll pm it you tomorrow ;)

That's very kind - Thank you :)

No worries :)

I feel like Orbital's last good album was the Altogether, everything after that just lacks the emotion and drive. Kind of similar to how I perceive Plaid. Plaid had Tekkonkinkreet in 2006 which had "White's Dream" which was classic awesome Plaid then almost nothing after. And yeah Bola too. Bola had Gnayse which was amazing and then a huge dropoff after. So not expecting much but we'll see

  On 8/30/2018 at 10:35 PM, coax said:

Bola had Gnayse which was amazing and then a huge dropoff after.

Oddly lopping the last two tracks (Kappafects and Maghellen) off DEG makes the album sooo much better and actually seems to make the structure work properly by ending with the Pelomen Vapour trilogy

  On 8/30/2018 at 11:01 PM, mcbpete said:

 

  On 8/30/2018 at 10:35 PM, coax said:

Bola had Gnayse which was amazing and then a huge dropoff after.

Oddly lopping the last two tracks (Kappafects and Maghellen) off DEG makes the album sooo much better and actually seems to make the structure work properly by ending with the Pelomen Vapour trilogy

 

 

Hmm I'll have to give that a go.

Here's an interview with some insight into the new album:

 

https://www.musicradar.com/news/orbital-the-real-joy-for-me-is-that-ive-got-my-brother-back-that-feels-pretty-sweet

  On 8/30/2018 at 10:35 PM, coax said:

I feel like Orbital's last good album was the Altogether, everything after that just lacks the emotion and drive. Kind of similar to how I perceive Plaid. Plaid had Tekkonkinkreet in 2006 which had "White's Dream" which was classic awesome Plaid then almost nothing after. And yeah Bola too. Bola had Gnayse which was amazing and then a huge dropoff after. So not expecting much but we'll see

 

I think Wonky has some genuinely brilliant stuff on it - 'One Big Moment', 'Stringy Acid' and 'New France' are up there among my Orbital favourites - and is overall leagues ahead of Blue Album, which is really poor. It's still a step below their '90s material - stuff like 'Straight Sun' and 'Never' is pretty generic - but I think there's definitely some emotion and drive in there.

  On 8/31/2018 at 12:44 PM, purlieu said:

 

  On 8/30/2018 at 10:35 PM, coax said:

I feel like Orbital's last good album was the Altogether, everything after that just lacks the emotion and drive. Kind of similar to how I perceive Plaid. Plaid had Tekkonkinkreet in 2006 which had "White's Dream" which was classic awesome Plaid then almost nothing after. And yeah Bola too. Bola had Gnayse which was amazing and then a huge dropoff after. So not expecting much but we'll see

I think Wonky has some genuinely brilliant stuff on it - 'One Big Moment', 'Stringy Acid' and 'New France' are up there among my Orbital favourites - and is overall leagues ahead of Blue Album, which is really poor. It's still a step below their '90s material - stuff like 'Straight Sun' and 'Never' is pretty generic - but I think there's definitely some emotion and drive in there.

I completely agree with you.

The Don’t Stop Me twelve is the last classically Orbital thing they’ve done. If only they release more of that type of stuff.

  On 8/31/2018 at 12:44 PM, purlieu said:

 

  On 8/30/2018 at 10:35 PM, coax said:

I feel like Orbital's last good album was the Altogether, everything after that just lacks the emotion and drive. Kind of similar to how I perceive Plaid. Plaid had Tekkonkinkreet in 2006 which had "White's Dream" which was classic awesome Plaid then almost nothing after. And yeah Bola too. Bola had Gnayse which was amazing and then a huge dropoff after. So not expecting much but we'll see

 

I think Wonky has some genuinely brilliant stuff on it - 'One Big Moment', 'Stringy Acid' and 'New France' are up there among my Orbital favourites - and is overall leagues ahead of Blue Album, which is really poor. It's still a step below their '90s material - stuff like 'Straight Sun' and 'Never' is pretty generic - but I think there's definitely some emotion and drive in there.

 

 

Apparently I didn't listen close enough when it came out, I just checked it out and yes, you are right. Wonky is a lot better than I remembered it to be. Some good buildups, chords etc... Very strange feeling for me personally but whatever. Good, more excited for the new album then

  On 8/31/2018 at 8:45 PM, Jamesqdot said:

The Don’t Stop Me twelve is the last classically Orbital thing they’ve done. If only they release more of that type of stuff.

 

Yeah, both sides of that are exceptionally good. Being a CD kinda person I forked out £20 for the CD promo of that. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsters_Exist

 

Ok, so the main album is actually their shortest record yet. Lots of 4 / 5 minute tracks in there. Glad to be getting the 2CD version, which runs closer in length to their '90s albums.

I ordered the 3 disc exclusive from hmv. 3rd disc has Kinetic, Copenhagen and a couple of others.

What's the point in them doing a Pledge site if they're going to give even better exclusive versions to other stores. I had absolutely no idea that 3CD version existed. Now I'm going to have to try and cancel my Pledge order.