Issue 97

We're starting 2023 with the magnificent Orbital on the cover of Electronic Sound and we have an exclusive green vinyl seven-inch featuring a special remix of the band's 'Belfast' to accompany the magazine. 

The new Orbital album, 'Optical Delusion', comes out next month. Only their 10th album in 30 years, it's another great release from Phil and Paul Hartnoll, jam-packed with bangers, sparklers, cosmic dreamscapes and eccentric abstractions, alongside collaborations with everyone from Sleadford Mods to Mediæval Bæbes. As you'd expect, the Hartnoll brothers speak at length about the record in our centrepiece interview, reflecting on the chaotic and often surreal global events of recent times that inspired the tracks, but they also muse on the enduring influence of rave culture on their music and discuss the reasons behind their infamous spats. It's a hugely entertaining read.

We have a bumper supporting cast this month too, including Benge, Gigi Masin, d'Voxx, Alexander Robotnick, Stephen "Tin Tin" Duffy, Decius, 2ManyDJs and Mogwai man Stuart Braithwaite. We should also mention our review of Ryuichi Sakamoto's wonderful '12' album and our report on Sakamoto's solo piano recital in Tokyo last month, which was livestreamed across the internet. Sadly, given he is battling late-stage cancer, the revered Yellow Magic Orchestra co-founder has said that this is likely to have been his last public appearance. Clearly determined, however, he turned in an exhilarating performance. He is truly an inspiration to us all. 

We've a glorious green vinyl Orbital seven-inch to accompany this month's magazine, with a David Holmes remix of the band's timeless 'Belfast' across the two sides of the record. Phil and Paul Hartnoll came up with the title after they had played a memorable early live show in the Northern Irish capital, with the spine-tingling track first appearing on Orbital's 'III' EP in 1991. David Holmes, who was then a fledgling Belfast DJ, had a crucial role in the original release, so he was an obvious choice when the brothers were thinking about a remixer. “David was very busy, but there was no way I was going to let him not do it,” says Paul. “And his remix is brilliant.”

As with all of our music releases, this record is strictly limited and only available to readers of Electronic Sound, so be sure you get your copy straight away.