The Brown Album reissue will be released with 23 additional tracks – rarities and previously unreleased material from the Brown Album period. The album has been cut at half speed, to ensure maximum audio fidelity. It will be available in a host of special physical formats, with the vinyl box set featuring a special hardback book containing unseen photos, a slipmat, a track-by-track by Phil and Paul Hartnoll themselves, and interviews and essays on the making of the album by esteemed music journalist Andrew Harrison. Also included are rare mixes from Underworld, CJ Bolland and Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia.
Released in 1993, the Brown Album defied expectations and had a significant genre and cultural impact – showcasing the duo’s scope and ambition. It was also met with widespread critical acclaim upon release, with NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS (NME) awarding it 9/10 in their review, and it was chosen as one of MIXMAG’s best albums of all time. The album staked out a creative space far beyond the reductive world of by-numbers rave bangers, and featured experimental elements inspired by avant-garde composer Steve Reich and nods to their squat-punk roots. Tracks like “Satan” resonated with the “crusty rave” scene, finding a welcoming audience at Megadog nights. The album’s blend of diverse influences and its rejection of conventional norms helped to solidify Orbital’s reputation as innovative artists, expanding the horizons of electronic music beyond local DJ nights.
Another standout track, “Halcyon + On + On,” became an instant classic, known for its ethereal atmosphere and haunting vocal sample from Opus III’s “It’s a Fine Day.” The track’s dreamy progression and uplifting yet melancholic tone made it a staple in film soundtracks and DJ sets, embodying the emotional depth electronic music could achieve. The album also includes “Impact (The Earth Is Burning)” – another defining moment, and “Lush 3-1” and “Lush 3-2.”
With the Brown Album, brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll created a unique listening experience, developed from live performances, moving their sound on from their debut, Green Album released two years prior. It explores wider ranges of sounds than previously heard from the duo as they had evolved from the M25 to an international touring act – from ambient textures to hard-hitting techno, didgeridoo, and sampling an Australian pedestrian light. It was created at the Strongroom Studio in London’s Shoreditch – a Brill building of rave and a true hub of creativity influencing the album’s direction. The album encapsulates the energy of early 90s rave culture and draws inspiration from diverse sources such as Mutoid Waste parties and the emerging jungle scene of the time.
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