The hugely influential electronic music duo Orbital – comprising of brothers Paul and Phil Hartnoll – have returned with a new single ‘Smiley’, out now on their own Orbital Recordings imprint of London Records. The track draws inspiration from the band’s own history at the forefront of Rave culture in the 1980s. The title refers to the smiley face symbol first trademarked by French journalist Franklin Loufrani in 1972, famously adopted as a symbol of Acid House.
The new single is taken from the new album 30 Something , which is available on double CD, quadruple LP boxset and digital formats. The track samples the infamous ‘A Trip Round Acid House’ edition of ‘World In Action’, the ITV documentary which introduced millions in Middle England to a burgeoning Acid House scene, that excited as many people as it appalled. It also includes an interview with a 20 year old Paul Hartnoll, describing how he was beaten up by police while attending a house party in Sevenoaks.
“We wanted to do something that represented where our heads are at now but wearing the clothes from back when we started,” said Paul about the new single. “So to chronicle thirty years of Orbital you’ve got this track that chronicles the very start of dance music in Sevenoaks. It’s our origin story.”
“And to make the very important point that, in civil rights terms, basically we all got beaten up by the police for having a party,” adds Phil. “Could never happen now, everyone would film it on their phones. Instant police brutality case.”
The video for ‘Smiley’ uses an amalgamation of different techniques to create a surreal re-interpretation of the sights and sounds of the era, with Director Luke Losey employing sock puppets, CGI, stock footage and specially filmed elements to great effect. See the video below.
Orbital play live at the following dates over the summer:
AUGUST
19th: Stowaway Festival – Stowe, Bucks
27th: Moovin Festival – Stockport
28th: Solfest – Cumbria
Photo: Kenny McCracken
