pk
drink flounce rinse repeat
(permission from the missus to post on this one, seeing as it's my specialist area)
Seen Orbital and Underworld countless times over the past decade, all over the country, and there's no question about it... though they're both superb in their own way, Underworld clinch it by a country mile.
Anyone who actually programs the machines used in dance music, specifically the 808 909 and 303 variety, knows full well that Orbital's trademark sound can be achieved in under 15 minutes if you know what you're doing.
It's still rocks, but it's easy, they're not wavering far from the preset sounds in most cases.
Underworld create layers and layers that are intrinsically hard to replicate - the hi-hat patterns are way more complex, for example, and Emerson's production skills only serve to highlight just how basic those of the Hartnoll brothers are.
Sure, the lyrics are not to everyone's taste - but I still cringe when I hear that nasal Aussie accent on the Orbital tune "Are We Here?"
The highlight of my Orbital experience was New Years Eve 1998 I believe, Alexandra Palace, when they played Chime using the Big Ben samples for the first time.
The lowlight was the Eclipse festival in Plympton when they were just trudging out the same old set as they'd been doing for 4 years in a row, with the stupid little torchlight glasses... yawn...
Seen them since and they've not improved one iota - basically they never really advanced their sound since Snivilisation - and even that they didn't delve into too far when playing live.
Underworld, on the other hand, are more than just a band, they're an experience, and love or loath the lyrical delivery you cannot deny the energy of the man, sliding around up there like James Brown on E, and never in all the times I've seen them has he delivered anything less than 100 percent.
I've been with die hard rock fans who hate techno (for it is techno) and they've been converted by the sheer performance.
Plus, I've actually walked away from a live Orbital performance I was so bored, watching the same old plodding bleeps and beats - something I'd never even considered during an Underworld gig.
So - my expert opinion is - both are legendary but Underworld clinch it on the strength of their diversity and their live presence - even without Emerson.
Plus they use guitar occasionally, to great effect, whereas the Hartnolls rarely emerge from their racks (oh, and if you've ever seen what Orbital do on stage you'd realise they don't actually use any of the flashy gear they stick on stage, just switching mix tracks in and out and making it look complicated - at least Underworld don't piss about with any of that fake showboating, two Apple laptops and a single mixing desk)
And Underworld are still going in spite of losing their chief programmer, whilst Orbital (finally) called it a day, the lightweights...
You can say whay you like - but I know I'm right and so do you, secretly - the proof may be in the accusation of "stadium rockers" - Underworld can claim to have played far larger crowds all over the world than Orbital ever did.... and there's a reason for that.
See you all at the Christmas bash, where I will be likely playing Rez/Cowgirl (the live version) and probably won't bother with the clearly inferior Orbital.
pk
Oh and whilst I'm here I might as well have a bit of a rant for old times sake - ha ha Gary Glitter is probably going to get shot, I'm very pleased to have read that, let's hope more child raping nonces get the bullet out there, also good to see they're finally getting rid of all the surplus and intimidating dealers in Brixton, and finally, Americans who think they can justify dropping napalm on children in Fallujah deserve more of their dumb troops in body bags being flown home, and I expect to see plenty more of them now the CIA has been caught flying torture missions like the cowards they are.... they're losing this war just like Vietnam and in the meantime China is ready to destroy the already weakened US economy... have some of that Mears, pbman, and all the rest of the crack-head Coulter lovers.
It's all good.
Seen Orbital and Underworld countless times over the past decade, all over the country, and there's no question about it... though they're both superb in their own way, Underworld clinch it by a country mile.
Anyone who actually programs the machines used in dance music, specifically the 808 909 and 303 variety, knows full well that Orbital's trademark sound can be achieved in under 15 minutes if you know what you're doing.
It's still rocks, but it's easy, they're not wavering far from the preset sounds in most cases.
Underworld create layers and layers that are intrinsically hard to replicate - the hi-hat patterns are way more complex, for example, and Emerson's production skills only serve to highlight just how basic those of the Hartnoll brothers are.
Sure, the lyrics are not to everyone's taste - but I still cringe when I hear that nasal Aussie accent on the Orbital tune "Are We Here?"
The highlight of my Orbital experience was New Years Eve 1998 I believe, Alexandra Palace, when they played Chime using the Big Ben samples for the first time.
The lowlight was the Eclipse festival in Plympton when they were just trudging out the same old set as they'd been doing for 4 years in a row, with the stupid little torchlight glasses... yawn...
Seen them since and they've not improved one iota - basically they never really advanced their sound since Snivilisation - and even that they didn't delve into too far when playing live.
Underworld, on the other hand, are more than just a band, they're an experience, and love or loath the lyrical delivery you cannot deny the energy of the man, sliding around up there like James Brown on E, and never in all the times I've seen them has he delivered anything less than 100 percent.
I've been with die hard rock fans who hate techno (for it is techno) and they've been converted by the sheer performance.
Plus, I've actually walked away from a live Orbital performance I was so bored, watching the same old plodding bleeps and beats - something I'd never even considered during an Underworld gig.
So - my expert opinion is - both are legendary but Underworld clinch it on the strength of their diversity and their live presence - even without Emerson.
Plus they use guitar occasionally, to great effect, whereas the Hartnolls rarely emerge from their racks (oh, and if you've ever seen what Orbital do on stage you'd realise they don't actually use any of the flashy gear they stick on stage, just switching mix tracks in and out and making it look complicated - at least Underworld don't piss about with any of that fake showboating, two Apple laptops and a single mixing desk)
And Underworld are still going in spite of losing their chief programmer, whilst Orbital (finally) called it a day, the lightweights...
You can say whay you like - but I know I'm right and so do you, secretly - the proof may be in the accusation of "stadium rockers" - Underworld can claim to have played far larger crowds all over the world than Orbital ever did.... and there's a reason for that.
See you all at the Christmas bash, where I will be likely playing Rez/Cowgirl (the live version) and probably won't bother with the clearly inferior Orbital.
pk
Oh and whilst I'm here I might as well have a bit of a rant for old times sake - ha ha Gary Glitter is probably going to get shot, I'm very pleased to have read that, let's hope more child raping nonces get the bullet out there, also good to see they're finally getting rid of all the surplus and intimidating dealers in Brixton, and finally, Americans who think they can justify dropping napalm on children in Fallujah deserve more of their dumb troops in body bags being flown home, and I expect to see plenty more of them now the CIA has been caught flying torture missions like the cowards they are.... they're losing this war just like Vietnam and in the meantime China is ready to destroy the already weakened US economy... have some of that Mears, pbman, and all the rest of the crack-head Coulter lovers.
It's all good.
