Released
1998

Label
World Domination
Recordings

Reviewed by
Michael C. Lund

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Last Edit/Update
21 May, 2000

Orbitronik

ORBITRONIK

         
Track Listing

1. Orbitronik
2. Freedom Machine 2000
3. The Hills
4. Get Carter
5. Monster Minute
6. Orbisexxxual
7. Naked Solution
8. Elephant Eats Boy
9. Orbitronik Manifesto
10. Cosmik Dilemma
11. My Computer My Stereo
12. The Watchman
13. Holding The Wheel (777)
14. Star Song
15. --

          Orbitronik is a new collaborative project between longstanding American experimental musicians Brian Ladd (Psyclones) and Scott Gibbons (Lilith). The two musicians have apparently never met each other in person; instead they have carried on an extensive correspondence of tapes that has gradually taken shape into the present self-titled CD. Very little in the past musical exploits of either artist really prepares for the material on Orbitronik, yet, neither is known to repeat himself, aiming at all times at uniqueness and originality of expression; and Orbitronik is exactly that. The fifteen tracks included on the CD are excellent dance-oriented electronica, which skips and jumps across the past 25-30 years of technologically generated music -- borrows a little here, and a little there, and arrives at a very fluid and dynamic end result.
          Driving forward almost every single track on the CD are rhythms and percussion of every shade and variety: funky, tribal, electronic, ethnic; sometimes deep and bassy, at other times clear and tinny; now dynamic and accelerated, soon slow and dragging. Often a track will feature several layers of beats in constant states of flux, sparking off in new directions at every turn and break. But, Orbitronik does much more than just program rhythms. The duo seems to take a very special delight in exploring the frequencies, textures and timbres of sound attainable with synthesizers and samplers, and, in a sense, listening to Orbitronik from beginning to end becomes akin to leafing through an encyclopedia of computerized sound. Here is everything from the bleeping of early 80s synths and metallic tonalities, on to purposely distorted and decayed sound manipulations, and rich, saturated sheets of atmospherics. There are, of course, also the more eccentric inclusions of a chopped up clarinet solo, treated wind instruments, as well as the comforting crackle of an old vinyl record. Orbitronik has above all created an album that is a delightful and entertaining listen. The sheer musical versality and wealth of sounds constantly offer something new for the listener to focus on, and it is all carried out with a sense of humor that is very refreshing -- "Elephant Eats Boy" and "My Computer My Stereo" being prime examples; the former taking a light-hearted musical stand in favor of conspiracy theory, the latter sending Kraftwerk a thought or two in so many vocoded words.
          Orbitronik has been released by World Domination, one of the leading purveyors of intelligent and unconventional rhythmic and electronic music in the universe. It is a CD that is bound to set some dance floors on fire, and make a few people nod and smile at its musical references and tongue-in-cheek attitude.