Are you sad or melancholic about ‘going out of the orbital‘?
I think its great that we have decided to do some final gigs so that we can go out on a high and not just lamely walked away. I just cant wait to play and I’m going to really enjoy myself and love every moment.

Why did you choose the colour  “blue” for the last album?
It was just an idea we had that we wanted to go back to the bold colours that we used for the first two albums, blue just came about that we liked the colour and we felt it reflected the mood of the album.

Will it be really the ‘last’ one?
It will be. We will continue to make music separately I’m sure. I’m really into breaks at the moment from Djing a lot and I think I will make that type of music. Paul wants to get into film scores and once we’ve finished these gigs he’ll have the time and space to commit to that.

Where do u put this album in your discography? How much you like it?
I think it has some flavours of all 6 previous albums and that’s why I like it. I think in spirit it is the same as the first two.

And which tracks you like most?
I love "You Lot" as we used a sample of the actor Christopher Eccleston from TV drama ‘the second coming’ who we both love. Its just such a great speech and fits really well into the track.

Including all your discography, which job/work/album/track is the best for you?
Ohh I always change my mind. I suppose "Chime" made the most difference to our career as that kicked it all off, I never understood how it became so popular as I could never dance to it but I’ve had enough practice now!

Is it really true that you finished some of the tracks in the bath (bath time), and while travelling in the van…?
Paul came up with the tune of Bath Time and yes it came to him while whistling in the bath. It had been with him for  a while and he always whistling it to himself on the tour bus but he had a eureka moment in the bath when he finally realised that he was whistling this track and went and started working on it.

In the Blue Album, fans will find lost of musical / melodic flashbacks from your recent works. Was it something that you have planned before or really wanted to happen for a ’good bye’ album?
Not really because we had all these ideas before we realised it was going to be the last album. We just felt that all these ideas needed to be finished because we liked them. We weren’t sure whether wee would have an ep or something but in the end an album was born. But when you listen to it there are flavours of all our previous work on there.

Is there a possibillity that you do other more gigs than the ones which were anounced?
We’ll just so these summer shows and that will be it.

If not, what will you do after the last 5 gigs around the world and the last Peel Session?
Well I’m going to continue Djing and I’m loving that at the moment, I’m just really enthusiastic again about finding new music that I can play out.

Will Hartnolls really be seperated physically and mentally?(i mean are you gonna start to see each other less for example?)
We live in the same town so we will see each other quite a lot but I guess we wont be spending hours in a studio together every day and being on a tour bus. But we’re still brothers so we will of course see each other a lot.

What are your prospective solo career plans? What are you planning to do in the near future? (very near i guess?)
Well we’re both just really concentrating on these last gigs and the album but after that I want to continue making music and so does Paul. He will get into writing film scores and I hopefully will continue with my Djing and making my own music as well.

Are you ambitious about your solo careers becoming more popular than Orbital. Is it possible?
I haven’t really thought that far ahead. I think what I will do on my own may be different to Orbital, I’m really into breaks and I am getting inspired by artists like the plump djs and there is so much to learn from all the new technology that is coming out, I’m just excited about getting into that.

Will u get new nicknames or will you use your real names on your future productions and/or collobrations?
I have no idea yet.

And where will you stay in the elecronic music fauna?(For example will we likely to see Octane like soundtack works or Transient like symphonic excerpts?)
I hope we will try our hands to lots of different styles. I think Orbital has always had tinges of soundtrack influences, In Sides is very cinematic, but I think we will always have our electronic base.

Like the ‘One Perfect Sunrise’, are you planning to do more video clips for the last album?
We’re not sure yet, we haven’t planned anything but we’ll have to see.

Do you agree that Orbital is the Pioneer of Visualization and one of the most innovative electronic bands in the electronic scene?
I hope that our live shows have been enjoyable for the fans. We always spend a lot of time concentrating on the lighting and the visual aspects of the gigs over the years and I hope that has added to the live Orbital experience.

Can you give us some clues for your last live acts. Will you play your old songs and will it be something retrospective and chronological. (Will we hear chime, satan, and halycon on on for example?)
Well let's just say we will be playing a party set... A best of Orbital live tracks.


Interview: Christopher Çolak
23 June 2004