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Orbital - Wonky


mcbpete

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I really wasn't expecting to like 'Wonky'; the title doesn't promise much, I found their last two albums (especially the Blue album) very disappointing, and the tracks I had previewed from the new one didn't appeal in the least back when I heard them. But having just received and listened to the full album, I have to say I love it! It is such great driving music. Sure, it isn't as experimental or striking as some of their earlier stuff, and the melodies and harmonies are pretty simplistic - but the production is so full and punchy, the tracks are all so dancey (without ever getting too repetitive), the overall flow is brilliant, and I just love those bombastic Orbital synth sounds. It's such an exuberant album and it's so fun to listen to. For some reason, even the tracks I used to hate are somehow enjoyable in the context of the full release. After a bunch of disappointing albums from artists I usually like, it's so great to enjoy a comeback like this - and even though I'm very tired of electronic producers turning to cheese, the bounciness and occasional silliness of this one doesn't bother me! Maybe that's because it's so fat sounding and it really makes you want to move. Similar vibe to the Brown album... Give it chance, wary fans! :-) It's much better than their last two releases, at the very least.

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I really need to sort it out and get this album.

 

Orbital was the third gig I went to (1st Deep Purple, 2nd Sisters of Mercy, eclectic lol) when I was about 17 or 18. They were fantastic.

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This was my take on it on another forum (I'm one of the 'turned around sceptics') -

 

I finally got round to hearing this as it was only a couple of quid on Amazon last week. Not quite sure what happened but they seemed to preview, release singles for, and make videos for all the worst tracks on the album. Everything else they kept completely quiet about is really darn good, it's just that it's hidden amongst some really horrible junk (mainly the oh-jesus-no title track). Remove Beelzedub & Wonky (originally I would've also said New France but that's grown on me) and possibly Never (mainly because of its meandering nature) and you've got a pretty solid album.

I mean for me I still feel it's nowhere near the quality of their earlier works but yeah after a very hesitant purchase I was nicely surprised (well of the tracks I hadn't heard before anyway - eg Stringy Acid)

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Guest Aces

I mean for me I still feel it's nowhere near the quality of their earlier works but yeah after a very hesitant purchase I was nicely surprised (well of the tracks I hadn't heard before anyway - eg Stringy Acid)

 

Stringy Acid is probably my favourite track on there.

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So when did the turn-around occur? Seems like everyone hated this and now the consensus is it's good?

 

Yeah I don't understand it - I wasn't keen at all on the stuff I heard pre-release but the album's actually...pretty good. Not great mind - some of the synths are just too cheesy for me and the actual track 'wonky' is still awful, but there's some pretty good stuff going on in there and a couple of classic orbital melodies too.

 

I'd love to hear some half-decent remixers have a go on some of the tracks - orbital melodies + a more organic production sound would be an absolute win for me.

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Yeah, having got it now, I have to agree it's a lot better than I was expecting, but still nowhere near '90s Orbital standard. Some really good stuff (New France, Stringy Acid), a lot of reasonable tracks, and a couple of clunkers (Beelzedub and the vocals on Wonky, ugh).

 

I do still think it'd be a thousand times better with a much more dynamic production job though. Lots of space and more interesting drum sounds and stuff, like their '90s material. Parts of it still remind me of when my friends say 'hey I just made this track in Reason!' rather than the nice chunky analogue sound of their earlier stuff.

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Something I noticed and I don't think has been discussed - the only tracks Phil gets a writing credit for are Beelzedub and Wonky, the rest is just Paul (+ vocalists). Ignoring the fact that those are the two worst tracks so it's possibly a good thing, this is very strange. I wonder if this has always been the case but they decided to be honest about it since being back together, or whether a lot of this started out as Paul's solo stuff, or what...?

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So, a year on since it was released, how do people feel about this now?

 

Have to say most of it gradually got a lot better except for the truly cringe-worthy stuff like the title track.

 

Listening to 'Stringy Acid' now, (still my favourite track) it's pretty obvious this was some lost gem from their archives. It's so far from anything they've released for many, many years.

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Guest CraniumXII

Still pretty good, IMO. I liked everything I remember liking. Great production of course... and I'm still glad they're at it.

 

"Stringy Acid" is especially good.

 

Still had to cringe at the title track :S

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