orbital / albums

In the follow-up to the 2000 release Middle of Nowhere, brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll return to the dance floor again, but one wonders why. With Orbital's albums of the early to mid-'90s, the duo not only defined the dance-trance genre but shined on the cutting edge of it. This time out, it feels like an effort. Just like Middle of Nowhere, The Altogether takes too long to get going before it comes to an end. To be fair, the brothers should be commended for trying something new -- because that is, after all, the nature of electronica. The open-ended rise and fall of "Meltdown" and the club-friendly drive of "Last Thing" are reminiscent of past glories, but the absolute standout of the album is "Doctor?," a brilliant, flowing, and dangerous cover version of the original theme song to the BBC's Doctor Who. This track alone almost gives the album another star. Clearly, the Hartnolls want to explore, but this mostly cold album doesn't feature enough discoveries. David Gray, the British folk-rocker, shows up on the track "Illuminate" as a co-writer and vocalist, but somehow seems like a fish out of water. The gap is too far to bridge, and it gives the sense that the brothers in Orbital want to be something other than themselves. Undeniably, there is a very clean sound with this duo, but clean electronics at face value become little more than a technical exercise. Even in this respect, bands like Kraftwerk have had a better success rate. The Altogether's album artwork seems especially fitting: X-ray skeletons that glow with the hint of electricity, but have no actual meat on their bones. Orbital is either uninspired or saving up for something better next time. ~ Glenn Swan, All Music Guide