The Middle of Nowhere is the fifth album released by Orbital. It was released in 1999, where it peaked at #4 and spent 7 weeks in the UK albums chart.
| The Middle of Nowhere | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 5 April 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 1997–1998 | |||
| Genre | Techno, house, ambient techno | |||
| Length | 63:59 | |||
| Label | FFRR London/Sire Records (US) | |||
| Producer | Orbital | |||
| Orbital chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Middle of Nowhere | ||||
| ||||
Album edit
The track "Know Where to Run" was featured in the PlayStation game Wipeout 3.
Orbital came up with the name "Style" for track 8 because of the frequent use of the Stylophone in the track.
While released on 5 April 1999, it was finished much earlier, and unspecified problems led to the record label delaying its release for nearly 6 months.[1]
Samples edit
- A small section from John Baker's "New Worlds", which also featured in John Craven's Newsround, was sampled for "Spare Parts Express".
- The track "Spare Parts Express" contains a sample from the movie Carnival of Souls containing the line "Why can't anybody hear me?"
- The vocal samples in "I Don't Know You People" are taken from the film The Legend of Hell House.
- The vocal sample in "Style" ("Now I'm aching for you") is taken from "O L'amour" by Dollar.
Reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[3] |
| The Guardian | [4] |
| The Independent | [5] |
| Melody Maker |  [6] |
| Muzik | [7] |
| NME | 8/10[8] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10[9] |
| Rolling Stone | [10] |
| Spin | 7/10[11] |
John Bush of AllMusic noted that "even considering the lack of real progression in sound, Middle of Nowhere reflects the pair once again making all the right moves and not slowing down a bit," giving the album four stars out of five.[2] Mark Bautz's review for Entertainment Weekly concluded that ravers should take note, as the album, "which has the goods to become this summer's feel-good record...will soon be everywhere," giving the album the grade of B+.[3] NME gave the album the score of 8/10 and concluded that "this, if you want it, is therapy. As the boundaries of the future and the beyond are slowly mapped and planned, it's the confines of the skull the Hartnoll brothers are delicately probing here. It might take you a while, but you'll get there in the end. The middle of nowhere is always closer than you think."[8]
Rolling Stone gave the album three and a half stars out of five, saying the "songs meld into each other as they would during a DJ set, female vocalists moan in and out of the mix, and syncopated rhythms dance the funky robot. You'll do the same."[10] Almost Cool rated the album 7.5/10, telling readers that "if you've listened to much Orbital at all, the disc will probably sound familiar to you the first time you listen to it. It's not to say that it isn't innovative or interesting, but there's a quality about it like you haven't seen a good friend in awhile and they're just telling you some new stories. If there's ever an electronic music hall-of-fame, these guys had better get in there in a dang hurry,"[1] while Spin Magazine noted how "in the high-turnover world of dance culture, Orbital...[craft] tunes that sing in your heart."[11] Perhaps the most praise came from Melody Maker, who awarded the album four and a half stars, telling readers the album is "their best yet."[6]
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Paul Hartnoll & Phil Hartnoll unless stated
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Additional performers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Way Out →" | Paul 88, Phil Hartnoll, Barbara Cohen, Paul Robb | Brother Sun Sister Moon | 8:00 |
| 2. | "Spare Parts Express" | 10:07 | ||
| 3. | "Know Where to Run" | 9:42 | ||
| 4. | "I Don't Know You People" | 7:47 | ||
| 5. | "Otoño" | Hartnoll, Hartnoll, Natasha Jones, Sharon Lewis | Pooka | 5:48 |
| 6. | "Nothing Left 1" | Alison Goldfrapp | 7:49 | |
| 7. | "Nothing Left 2" | Alison Goldfrapp | 8:21 | |
| 8. | "Style" | 6:24 |
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[12] | Silver | 60,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ a b "Orbital - Middle Of Nowhere - almost cool music review". Archived from the original on 25 February 2006.
- ^ a b Bush, John. "The Middle of Nowhere – Orbital". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ a b Bautz, Mark (26 July 1999). "The Middle of Nowhere". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ^ Bennun, David (9 April 1999). "Out of this world". The Guardian.
- ^ Perry, Tim (10 June 1999). "Pop: Album Reviews". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Orbital: The Middle of Nowhere". Melody Maker. 3 April 1999. p. 37.
- ^ Willmott, Ben (May 1999). "Orbital: The Middle of Nowhere (Internal/London)". Muzik. No. 48. p. 82.
- ^ a b Segal, Victoria (30 March 1999). "Orbital – The Middle Of Nowhere". NME. Archived from the original on 12 October 2000. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ^ Wisdom, James P. "Orbital: The Middle of Nowhere". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 10 October 2000. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ^ a b Walters, Barry (10 June 1999). "Orbital: The Middle Of Nowhere". Rolling Stone. No. 814. ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ^ a b Reynolds, Simon (July 1999). "Orbital: The Middle of Nowhere". Spin. Vol. 15, no. 7. pp. 128–30. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ^ "British album certifications – Orbital – The Middle Of Nowhere". British Phonographic Industry. 16 April 1999. Retrieved 11 February 2022.