Orbital - Monsters Exist

[ftrgrphr]

orbital 'green album' was a gateway drug for me... their next outputs are up their with the best 90's electronica. lost track after 2000... but recent stuff has been alright. after reading over this threat - i'm def gonna check the new album. i always wish them all the best (good old god bless them brothers)

[Pirtek]

orbital 'green album' was a gateway drug for me... their next outputs are up their with the best 90's electronica. lost track after 2000... but recent stuff has been alright. after reading over this threat - i'm def gonna check the new album. i always wish them all the best (good old god bless them brothers)

lol!

[purlieu]

Main album... Hoo Hoo Ha Ha, PHUK, Tiny Foldable Cities and Vision OnE are all superb. Monsters Exist, The Raid, Buried Deep Within and There Will Come a Time I'm undecided on after first listen - they feel a bit underdeveloped (Buried Deep Within really needs to be longer and build to something bigger), but they might be growers. The End is Nigh is still shite.

 

Bonus disc is very, very good. A Long Way From Home is obviously just a little demo / sketch, but Kaijua, Dressing Up in Other People's Clothes and To Dream Again are among the strongest tracks in the whole set. I sort of get why they aren't on the main album, as they're probably more straightforward and obviously Orbital-esque than some of the moodier pieces that made it, but I'm really, really glad they got a proper release. There Will Come a Time works better without Brian bloody Cox all over it. And why anybody would want a trap remix of Tiny Foldable Cities is beyond me.

 

CD3 is a nice extra, great to have Kinetic 2017 and, especially, Copenhagen. The remix of To Dream Again is a bit pointless. Been after the Live Style mix of Where is it Going for a while, nice not to have to shell out for a flimsily packaged promo CDr for it.

 

In general... not as immediate as I was expecting, and if it was simply the main disc on its own I'd say the album is a bit underwhelming. As a 3CD set, it's really enjoyable though. Time will tell with some of those slower tracks, I reckon after several listens they'll start to make more sense to me. It's not going to sit alongside their first four albums, but I think it's easy company alongside The Middle of Nowhere, The Altogether and Wonky, and much better than Blue. 

[- unwatmm -]

[ fine ]

[Pirtek]

Sub Jarre Awfulness

I don't think so mate!

[Pirtek]

Main album... Hoo Hoo Ha Ha, PHUK, Tiny Foldable Cities and Vision OnE are all superb. Monsters Exist, The Raid, Buried Deep Within and There Will Come a Time I'm undecided on after first listen - they feel a bit underdeveloped (Buried Deep Within really needs to be longer and build to something bigger), but they might be growers. The End is Nigh is still shite.

 

Bonus disc is very, very good. A Long Way From Home is obviously just a little demo / sketch, but Kaijua, Dressing Up in Other People's Clothes and To Dream Again are among the strongest tracks in the whole set. I sort of get why they aren't on the main album, as they're probably more straightforward and obviously Orbital-esque than some of the moodier pieces that made it, but I'm really, really glad they got a proper release. There Will Come a Time works better without Brian bloody Cox all over it. And why anybody would want a trap remix of Tiny Foldable Cities is beyond me.

 

CD3 is a nice extra, great to have Kinetic 2017 and, especially, Copenhagen. The remix of To Dream Again is a bit pointless. Been after the Live Style mix of Where is it Going for a while, nice not to have to shell out for a flimsily packaged promo CDr for it.

 

In general... not as immediate as I was expecting, and if it was simply the main disc on its own I'd say the album is a bit underwhelming. As a 3CD set, it's really enjoyable though. Time will tell with some of those slower tracks, I reckon after several listens they'll start to make more sense to me. It's not going to sit alongside their first four albums, but I think it's easy company alongside The Middle of Nowhere, The Altogether and Wonky, and much better than Blue.

 

Once again, I pretty much agree with everything you've said. Though I'd put the Monsters Exist with the tracks you said are superb. And I've got used to the album version of Hoo Hoo Ha Ha now!

 

And yeah, not a touch on Brown, Sniv or Insides, but definitely near the top of the pile of the rest. With Blue snugly at the bottom.....

[Pirtek]

Steve "Loopz" Price's review:

 

When Monsters Exist was announced many months ago and before the marketing campaign went a little crazy, the album cover was slowly revealed and the Orbital community exploded. John Greenwood imagery sent everyone back to In Sides. They remembered his artwork from, in my opinion, the greatest album of all time. The epic long play that sent us all, on a journey of sound landscapes and film scores. People posted how this could be In Sides 2….

 

First, let me set the record straight – it is not. Also, let me also say, that is not a negative comment. Give me a minute…

 

First listens!. Albums should always take time to gel but there should always be something that hits you first time. “Monsters Exist” being the first track you should have heard, is now the fourth, maybe fifth track of the album you will know of. I avoided everything i could, just to hear the album in it’s entirety from start to finish and to have it fresh as it could be. Ok, so “P.H.U.K” and “Tiny Foldable Cities” was played live but they slowly morphed into the versions we know today. Even the album versions have their own feel and vibe to it.

 

“P.H.U.K” is already a live favourite, the studio version has all the confusion of sounds which carefully knit together to form the tune we all know. The builds, the breakdowns. Production wise, it’s a cracker and for once, does not remind me of anything else they have done. “Tiny Foldable Cities” also has an array of slightly experimental sounds, modulations, effects to keep even the more abstract loving, music heads interested. I remember hearing this and thinking, we may be moving on to a new Orbital sound phase. Very strong tracks but for me, they are the hump of the album, the interlude, those tracks that don’t fit well with the rest of the album.

 

Back to the start and where we should always begin on a journey. “Monsters Exist” is a theme and a big relief that this was not going to be just an upbeat dance album. Its not “dance” music, not the dance music we label as dance music anyway. It did feel like the start of many parts, the parts that are needed to complete a full picture. Not quite an introduction but with that same vibe. Tuneful, fairly mellow with another delightful palette of sounds.

 

“Hoo Hoo Ha Ha” really did take a few listens before i “got it”. It’s quite bizarre, very strange at the beginning and even more quirky as the main tune is introduced. It wouldn’t sound out of place, in some form of animated Roald Dahl story about a crazy 3 legged man blowing a distorted trumpet. What? You will see/hear what i mean. When it clicks, it’s a delight and again paints a picture. Maybe this was the inspiration for Mr Greenwood…

 

 

 

“This is the scary part of the film”….. Well that is the verdict of my five year old again. He is not wrong at all. “The Raid” delivers a dark menacing, soundtrack to the album, lots of samples and some cool haunting female murmuring vocals. Those samples….”I agree with you, I say what you do about the world. It’s poison!” and “a featureless, life despising mess, whose only message is that life is a prison“, should help sum up where we now are. The journey has hit a dark rock bottom depicted world.

 

We skip the hump and we move to “Buried Deep Within“. The start gives a false sense and moves the immediate sad soundtrack feel, to a computer game vibe. This is where it takes me anyway. Not too similar to the “Wipeout” style but possibly less of a race and more of an exploration of land, cities, mines, caverns, etc. Do i write Minecraft ? Maybe i should not, it’s not in the same style of C418 at all, as it has a lot more layers, definitely upbeat but still reminds me of something to compliment some unknown exploration. Very uplifting, positive and less doom and gloom. Maybe that hump did serve a purpose after all. It ends like most Plaid tracks do….suddenly. We all love Plaid – right!

 

When i first head “Vision OnE” and “The End is Nigh“, i realised we was heading towards a more positive vibe to the album. First comment, “Vision OnE” is nothing like Röyksopp track name sake, but i love both versions (what Röyksopp track? Go listen to it – it’s great). Where was i ? To begin with, it felt a little Egyptian then this positive soundtrack plods but yet, builds in a timely manner to an uplifting tune. Has a typical Orbital breakdown, then introduces warbling bass, analogue beeps, balance shifting sounds and wind swept echoing production. Yes, it’s all there, the world is no longer ending. Well not just yet…

 

Remember we need a track to hit you on first listen? For me this was “The End is Nigh“. This says it will either become the track that i will remember fondly but not really enjoy as much or it will last the fate of time. Pleased to report, that it is still very likeable and as a bonus, also the tune that my son loves to hear. “Orbital!” he shouts each time it comes on. I have brought him up well Vocals come from Ellie Wyatt and Phillipa Alexander, who also contributed to “The Raid” but this time they have a certain style that reminded me of “Windowlicker” by AFX. The sounds are again uplifting, tuneful and would be one of those, that you could give or play to an Orbital virgin. Yes, like Monsters, they do exist….

 

So the journey has reached it’s height and all is well. We might need to remind ourselves of reality and who better to do that, than D:Ream keyboardist Brian Cox. Oh he is also Professor of particle physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester.

 

“There Will Come A Time” just tells it how it is, “….there are few certainties in science, but one fact of which we can all be certain, is that one day, we will die“. I played this many times after taking in the whole album. For me, this is what i really enjoy from the two brothers. The music could be played on it’s own but the supporting narrative helps build the whole story, the meaning, the food for thought… I remember feeling slightly hypnotised by The Shamen and their semi-narrative output called “Re : Evolution” but i think Brian Cox injects thoughts that we can all relate and understand. “How long do you want the human race to survive?“. It builds steadily into a mass of lovable musical sounds before temporarily breaking down to a melancholic tune. It’s like the pause for a thought or a pause in a walk of the woods. It really is a great ending to an album.

 

So where did we end up. An album that was not In Sides but it certainly was a journey, rather than a collection of songs. It is slightly disappointing that most will have heard half the tracks in one guise or another and may not relate to that experience i got and always want from a complete album play. Sometimes it is just best not to go listen to every spoiler out there. After all you wouldn’t just skip and watch the middle of a film…right ? I think we have a solid album that will last over time and is deep enough to enlighten our thoughts….make us think a little.

 

It’s different to “Wonky”, in the same way “Snivilisation” was nothing like “Brown” and “In Sides” was nothing like “Snivilisation”. I am glad they have moved to this musical space. It’s certainly not a safe place to be, as they could just throw out dance tunes all day and not worry too much. This feels like music from their heart and there is still some music exploration for them to discover. I am looking forward to the next one….hopefully next year.

 

Oh one last thing, do Monsters Exist ? I hope so…

[Extralife]

Loving this. The Hoo Hoo song being a distorted Ronald Dahl cartoony experience is an apt comparison. Also really digging Vision One and of course PHUK. By the way, I’m hearing some slight improvements in the album version of that (and Tiny Foldable Cities) vs the singles. Am I crazy?

 

And I’m going to say it: I’m digging The End Is Nigh. Shit video....but I will say that it is ok to enjoy big dumb music like this at times.

 

 

On to the bonus discs...

[Pirtek]

I’m hearing some slight improvements in the album version of that (and Tiny Foldable Cities) vs the singles. Am I crazy?

Maybe not, because I thought the same (with Tiny Foldable Cities anyway)

[MDF]

Like others have said, I think its a good album especially with the 2nd CD included, Glad to have the instrumental version of There Will Come a Time. I know Orbital are known for their spoken word bits but this track is better without it, Brian Cox just doesnt have the right voice to create the full atmosphere (he always sounds like someone doing an impersonation of himself).

[purlieu]

He still sounds like he's presenting a TV programme rather than fronting a track. Also, he's on it way too much. A few snippets would have been much more listenable, but he rambles through the whole track with his really heavy-handed spiel. A shame, as the instrumental version shows it really is a bloody great epic track.

[purlieu]

Today's thinking... title track is still a tad disjointed. Every time it feels like it gets going, there's another breakdown. But I'm enjoying it more. 'The Raid' has really grown on me, liking that a lot. 'Buried Deep Within' still sounds like half a song, I really want a big climax. But everything that's there is good. 'The End is Nigh' still sounds like The Chainsmokers or someone. Horrible. Having the instrumental of 'There Will Come a Time' on CD2 means I'm basically just skipping the Brian Cox one now.

 

So it's definitely improving. Interested to see how this'll be in a week or two.

[Pirtek]

Today's thinking... title track is still a tad disjointed. Every time it feels like it gets going, there's another breakdown. But I'm enjoying it more. 'The Raid' has really grown on me, liking that a lot. 'Buried Deep Within' still sounds like half a song, I really want a big climax. But everything that's there is good. 'The End is Nigh' still sounds like The Chainsmokers or someone. Horrible. Having the instrumental of 'There Will Come a Time' on CD2 means I'm basically just skipping the Brian Cox one now.

 

So it's definitely improving. Interested to see how this'll be in a week or two.

Yeah, I'm loving it! I've replaced There Will Come a Time with the instrumental one on my player.

[Pirtek]

On the 3rd disc,the Where is it Going? (Live Style Mix) is different from the one released a few years ago.

[Extralife]

PHUK sounds incredible on this. Really enjoying it all though.

[Pirtek]

This album (including the bonus disc) will be on heavy rotation.

[purlieu]

On the 3rd disc,the Where is it Going? (Live Style Mix) is different from the one released a few years ago.

 

Oh bloody hell, they're taking cues from FSOL and throwing in unmarked alternative versions then.

 

God, PHUK and Tiny Foldable Cities are proper Orbital classics, aren't they? I think only Funny Break has come close this century otherwise.

[LC1]

Hello everyone,

 

I just joined to discuss the new Orbital album as I agree with a lot of what has been written in this thread so far. I'm glad I found this place and will write a detailed track by track review of the 2CD version tomorrow.

 

Meanwhile, could someone please enlighten me on the length of To Dream Again's Reoccurring Mix and in what way it differs from the original version (still waiting for my 3CD set)?

[Pirtek]

Hello everyone,

 

I just joined to discuss the new Orbital album as I agree with a lot of what has been written in this thread so far. I'm glad I found this place and will write a detailed track by track review of the 2CD version tomorrow.

 

Meanwhile, could someone please enlighten me on the length of To Dream Again's Reoccurring Mix and in what way it differs from the original version (still waiting for my 3CD set)?

Hi. I'm looking forward to your review!

 

Tbh, there's not much difference between the two.

And there's not much difference in length.

[Pirtek]

 

On the 3rd disc,the Where is it Going? (Live Style Mix) is different from the one released a few years ago.

Oh bloody hell, they're taking cues from FSOL and throwing in unmarked alternative versions then.

 

God, PHUK and Tiny Foldable Cities are proper Orbital classics, aren't they? I think only Funny Break has come close this century otherwise.

Yeah. I'm starting to really like the title track now! This album is much better than I thought it would be.

[Pirtek]

The very beginning of Monsters Exist sounds like a cross between Patchwork Guilt and Tunnel Vision.

[sexagon hun]

Buried Deep Within and The End is Nigh should have been on the bonus album, replaced by Dressing up in Others Peoples Clothes and To Dream Again.

I also prefer the instrumental There Will Come a Time.

Copenhagen I understand is over a year old, but it would have fit well on the LP..I'm glad they reformed (again) and hope they keep the music comin! Great stuff..

[LC1]

 

Hello everyone,

 

I just joined to discuss the new Orbital album as I agree with a lot of what has been written in this thread so far. I'm glad I found this place and will write a detailed track by track review of the 2CD version tomorrow.

 

Meanwhile, could someone please enlighten me on the length of To Dream Again's Reoccurring Mix and in what way it differs from the original version (still waiting for my 3CD set)?

Hi. I'm looking forward to your review!

 

Tbh, there's not much difference between the two.

And there's not much difference in length.

 

Thanks, now I understand what purlieu meant by "The remix of To Dream Again is a bit pointless."

 

I just spent two hours writing my review of the main album and when I posted it, I found myself signed out and the post didn't appear. I managed to restore some of the auto-saved content. So before I type the rest again (this time offline), here's the first part of the review (tracks 1 to 5):

 

Spoiler: Though you wouldn't think so because of my review of the first three tracks, I'm very pleased with the 3CD set overall.

 

Main album:

 

1. Monsters Exist

 

I have mixed feelings about this opener. The first half is great: the intro sounds dark and brooding and lives up to the track's title. The cut-up vocal sample that comes in at 1:07 reminds me of Snivilisation, specifically "Sad But True". But after the long build-up, I feel that the first breakdown comes way too soon at 1:39. And after the second build-up, the next breakdown kills the momentum again. What's worse, though, the melody of this breakdown (from 3:30 to 4:19) is ruined by the vocal sample being gratingly high-pitched. It doesn't get better with the cheesy percussion and the first appearance of the vocal contributions of Ellie Wyatt and Philipa Alexander. This ridiculous groaning and panting, which I find really grating, spoils three further tracks on the album. It's not too distracting here (that dubious honour goes to "The End Is Nigh" and "Kaiju") and I could sort of justify it by thinking of it as representing someone fighting off the titular monsters. The music after the second breakdown is great again, so I might do an edit that ditches the part from  3:30 to 4:35. So I totally agree with the following comment:

 

Today's thinking... title track is still a tad disjointed. Every time it feels like it gets going, there's another breakdown.

 

2. Hoo Hoo Ha Ha

 

I will say one thing. I think they've ruined the track Hoo Hoo Ha Ha. The Beat-Herder Mix was so much better :(

 

That's the first thing that came to my mind when I listened to the new version. Why mess with something that's perfect? The main melody is great and very catchy but the trumpet sound turns the whole track into a cheesy novelty song. In contrast, the main theme's sound in the 2015 version is classic Orbital and manages to come across as sophisticated and a bit of lighthearted fun simultaneously. The only good thing about the album version that is not on the original is the high-pitched background bit coming in at 0:20. This has been replaced with the superior Beat-Herder mix in my playlist.

 

3. The Raid

 

I'm very disappointed by this track. Not only has it the second grating appearance of the two groaners and panters, it is also a tuneless dirge with a bleakness that comes across as forced to my ears. I'm not keen on the muddy sounding drums either. It doesn't help that the voice samples are also annoying. I don't know the source but I dislike the way the man's voice sounds while shouting from 1:44 onwards. The whole intonation feels wrong with regard to the content. Also, the crowd chanting "Yeah!" in response to him shouting that the world is poison and sick feels more like them celebrating this kind of world than them "wanting to get out of it" like the man says. It's baffling because usually these kind of spoken word bits are spot on in Orbital tracks. Also, I love some darker Orbital once in a while, but it should be merged with some great melodies as well (as in "I Don't Know You People", "Beelzebeat" or "What Happens Next?"). The tune at 2:23 is not that great a melody to serve as a reward for having to endure this apocalyptic dullness of a track. It's the equivalent of Paul's cover of "A Forest" in terms of how it bores me.

 

4. P.H.U.K.

Finally, a great track ("Hoo Hoo Ha Ha" is great, too, but not in that version). I love everything about this. When comparing this to the 2017 live version, I'm glad that they decided to go with two breakdowns here. I love all the bouncy and bleepy other bits and the ending is a great climax. But above all, the marvellous breakdowns are what makes this an instant Orbital classic. The second one in particular (which is missing in the radio edit) with its rhythmic build-up brings me so much joy whenever I hear it. This is the definitive version for me. The P.H.U.K.U. version would be a nice but inferior variation if it didn't recycle the same spoken word bits from "The Raid" I so dislike.

 

5. Tiny Foldable Cities

 

I like the title a lot. The music is more layered than usual for later Orbital albums and harks back to their old style, which is a good thing. But something about it keeps me from enjoying it as much as classic Orbital tracks. I'm not entranced by the two introductory melodies which are more rhythmic than addictive tunes: the one at 1:19 is too repetitve for my liking. So I was a bit disappointed at first but it has grown on me. The production is superb and I really like all the bass-heavy rhythm bits. Also, the new melody at 2:06 is great and once the best melody of the bunch arrives at 2:36, the whole thing comes together quite beautifully.

[Pirtek]

Buried Deep Within and The End is Nigh should have been on the bonus album, replaced by Dressing up in Others Peoples Clothes and To Dream Again.

You're spot on with that! Dressing up in Others Peoples Clothes is brilliant (one of my favourites!) To Dream again would fit well too!

 

Swap There will come a time with the instrumental version and have A Long Way From Home as the closing track and you'll a even better album! :D

[Pirtek]

 

 

Hello everyone,

 

I just joined to discuss the new Orbital album as I agree with a lot of what has been written in this thread so far. I'm glad I found this place and will write a detailed track by track review of the 2CD version tomorrow.

 

Meanwhile, could someone please enlighten me on the length of To Dream Again's Reoccurring Mix and in what way it differs from the original version (still waiting for my 3CD set)?

Hi. I'm looking forward to your review!

 

Tbh, there's not much difference between the two.

And there's not much difference in length.

Thanks, now I understand what purlieu meant by "The remix of To Dream Again is a bit pointless."

 

I just spent two hours writing my review of the main album and when I posted it, I found myself signed out and the post didn't appear. I managed to restore some of the auto-saved content. So before I type the rest again (this time offline), here's the first part of the review (tracks 1 to 5):

 

Spoiler: Though you wouldn't think so because of my review of the first three tracks, I'm very pleased with the 3CD set overall.

 

Main album:

 

1. Monsters Exist

 

I have mixed feelings about this opener. The first half is great: the intro sounds dark and brooding and lives up to the track's title. The cut-up vocal sample that comes in at 1:07 reminds me of Snivilisation, specifically "Sad But True". But after the long build-up, I feel that the first breakdown comes way too soon at 1:39. And after the second build-up, the next breakdown kills the momentum again. What's worse, though, the melody of this breakdown (from 3:30 to 4:19) is ruined by the vocal sample being gratingly high-pitched. It doesn't get better with the cheesy percussion and the first appearance of the vocal contributions of Ellie Wyatt and Philipa Alexander. This ridiculous groaning and panting, which I find really grating, spoils three further tracks on the album. It's not too distracting here (that dubious honour goes to "The End Is Nigh" and "Kaiju") and I could sort of justify it by thinking of it as representing someone fighting off the titular monsters. The music after the second breakdown is great again, so I might do an edit that ditches the part from 3:30 to 4:35. So I totally agree with the following comment:

Today's thinking... title track is still a tad disjointed. Every time it feels like it gets going, there's another breakdown.

2. Hoo Hoo Ha Ha

I will say one thing. I think they've ruined the track Hoo Hoo Ha Ha. The Beat-Herder Mix was so much better :(

That's the first thing that came to my mind when I listened to the new version. Why mess with something that's perfect? The main melody is great and very catchy but the trumpet sound turns the whole track into a cheesy novelty song. In contrast, the main theme's sound in the 2015 version is classic Orbital and manages to come across as sophisticated and a bit of lighthearted fun simultaneously. The only good thing about the album version that is not on the original is the high-pitched background bit coming in at 0:20. This has been replaced with the superior Beat-Herder mix in my playlist.

 

3. The Raid

 

I'm very disappointed by this track. Not only has it the second grating appearance of the two groaners and panters, it is also a tuneless dirge with a bleakness that comes across as forced to my ears. I'm not keen on the muddy sounding drums either. It doesn't help that the voice samples are also annoying. I don't know the source but I dislike the way the man's voice sounds while shouting from 1:44 onwards. The whole intonation feels wrong with regard to the content. Also, the crowd chanting "Yeah!" in response to him shouting that the world is poison and sick feels more like them celebrating this kind of world than them "wanting to get out of it" like the man says. It's baffling because usually these kind of spoken word bits are spot on in Orbital tracks. Also, I love some darker Orbital once in a while, but it should be merged with some great melodies as well (as in "I Don't Know You People", "Beelzebeat" or "What Happens Next?"). The tune at 2:23 is not that great a melody to serve as a reward for having to endure this apocalyptic dullness of a track. It's the equivalent of Paul's cover of "A Forest" in terms of how it bores me.

 

4. P.H.U.K.

Finally, a great track ("Hoo Hoo Ha Ha" is great, too, but not in that version). I love everything about this. When comparing this to the 2017 live version, I'm glad that they decided to go with two breakdowns here. I love all the bouncy and bleepy other bits and the ending is a great climax. But above all, the marvellous breakdowns are what makes this an instant Orbital classic. The second one in particular (which is missing in the radio edit) with its rhythmic build-up brings me so much joy whenever I hear it. This is the definitive version for me. The P.H.U.K.U. version would be a nice but inferior variation if it didn't recycle the same spoken word bits from "The Raid" I so dislike.

 

5. Tiny Foldable Cities

 

I like the title a lot. The music is more layered than usual for later Orbital albums and harks back to their old style, which is a good thing. But something about it keeps me from enjoying it as much as classic Orbital tracks. I'm not entranced by the two introductory melodies which are more rhythmic than addictive tunes: the one at 1:19 is too repetitve for my liking. So I was a bit disappointed at first but it has grown on me. The production is superb and I really like all the bass-heavy rhythm bits. Also, the new melody at 2:06 is great and once the best melody of the bunch arrives at 2:36, the whole thing comes together quite beautifully.

Reading this as we speak. I'll comment on it when you post the rest :)