Orbital, the dance duo who lit up countless festivals with their torch-strapped glasses, have announced their split after 25 years performing together.
In a press release announcing his new solo album, Paul Hartnoll, one half of the duo along with his brother Phil, said that “Orbital had stopped working properly. We had a great four years since getting back together in 2008, but it was time to move on.”
The duo previously split in 2004, releasing the Blue Album as their supposed final statement. But they returned in 2009 for a series of 20th-anniversary shows, and recorded a further album, Wonky, in 2012.
They originally formed in 1989, with debut track Chime proving an instant hit amongst the nascent rave generation with its insistent strings and chords; a self-titled album followed in 1991, full of tracks which took the insidious squelch of acid house and bulked it to anthemic proportions. The formula proved successful, and they crossed over to the mainstream alongside fellow 90s dance stars like Leftfield and the Chemical Brothers, with three further albums reaching the top five.
More recently, they performed at the 2012 Paralympics opening ceremony, and were joined by Matt Smith, the then Doctor Who, onstage at Glastonbury 2010 to perform a version of the show’s theme.
“We’ve had our ups and downs, and it’s not always been easy, but I’ve loved my time with Orbital,” Paul said in a further statement on Orbital’s website. “It was particularly nice to get such a lovely reception when we got back together a few years ago ... But nothing lasts forever and it’s time to stop.”
Paul is set to release his solo album, 8.58, and has recently composed the soundtrack to BBC drama Peaky Blinders in collaboration with PJ Harvey and superproducer Flood. Phil meanwhile will focus on his DJ career.
