Orbital’s 10th studio album Optical Delusion, out on February 17, is the latest in a burst of renewed post-pandemic creativity for two brothers who’ve stayed at the top of their game longer than anyone from the post-1988 Class of Acid House. It’s their first new LP since 2018’s Monster’s Exist and the newest release to follow their thirtieth anniversary package 30 Something from earlier this year, and the Hartnoll brothers have never sounded more galvanized.
The first two singles have already exploded on the scene, promising this to be a must-listen entry in the band’s storied discography. The lead single “Dirty Rat,” a blistering techno-punk track with Sleaford Mods, and the latest single “Ringa Ringa (The Old Pandemic Folk Song)” featuring The Mediaeval Baebes has swiftly garnered media praise, with WNYC’s New Sounds stating that “Thirty years on, the British acid house duo Orbital is still making club-ready dance music with a message.” and electronic music bible Resident Advisor raves about their rave: “The track is a brief reminder of Orbital’s gifts. Tracing back to the duo’s roots, this is proper rave music that claims laser beams of crestfallen synths and shuffling breakbeats as its pulse. Fluttering atop this driving beat are the haunting melodies of music ensemble The Mediaeval Baebes, whose vocals are swept up in a sedated haze, teetering the line of mystifying gloom and luminous beauty.”
Orbital Optical Delusion – Track List:
01 Ringa Ringa (The Old Pandemic Folk Song) (feat. The Mediaeval Baebes)
02 Day One (feat. Dina Ipavic)
03 Are You Alive? (feat. Penelope Isles)
04 You Are The Frequency (feat. The Little Pest)
05 The New Abnormal
06 Home (feat. Anna B Savage)
07 Dirty Rat – With Sleaford Mods
08 Requiem For The Pre Apocalypse
09 What A Surprise (feat. The Little Pest)
10 Moon Princess (feat. Coppe)
Release Date: February 17, 2023
Pre-order here
