British electronic duo Orbital will mark the end of its fifteen-year career with The Blue Album, to be released by ATO Records on September 21st.
"We've finished all our live gigs now," says Phil Hartnoll from his England home. "And it's really unfortunate because I'd love to [tour] America because we've done it for so many years in the past. That's the biggest regret that we didn't have a chance to say goodbye."
Together Hartnoll and his brother Paul raised the profile of techno music with their innovative recordings. The Blue Album borrows from influences that span the band's career. "The way we wrote it is a bit like the way you write your first album when you haven't got a record deal," Hartnoll explains. "With Orbital you just end up going in the studio, starting on something and see where it takes you."
The album's title reflects its protean sound. "Blue is a positive color," Hartnoll says, "but it's attached to sadness, which seemed fitting. It's a relaxing color as well." Appropriately, the album ranges from the frenetic, acid-house influenced "Acid Pants," which features vocals from the Sparks, to the ethereal, expansive textures of "One Perfect Sunrise," with guest vocals from Lisa Gerrard.
Though Orbital will split following the album's release, the brothers will continue to pursue music independently. "I don't feel like I've written the best track I'm ever [going to write]," Hartnoll says, "so I'm being driven by the music."
The Blue Album track listing:
Transient
Pants
T unnel Vision
Lost
You Lot
Bath Time
Acid Pants
Easy Serv
One Perfect Sunrise