Paul Hartnoll of electronic dance duo Orbital takes off his head torches for a chat with TIM HUGHES about swapping festival fields for intimate venues

FOR an act which made its name playing to tens of thousands of arm-waving ravers at the very biggest festivals, the prospect of playing a venue as intimate as Oxford’s O2 Academy might be seen as something of a step down.

But for dance duo Orbital nothing could be further from the truth.

“These kind of venues are always the best!” says an excited Paul Hartnoll, who with his brother Phil, make up one of the biggest, and most enduring, live electronic dance outfits in the world.

“With festivals you are preaching to the unconverted. People are there anyway and some are seeing you for the first time. But with gigs people have to make the effort to come along.

“They are more intimate, the sound is tighter and more powerful and it is a more visual show. I prefer small rooms to big stadiums. There’s always a massive party atmosphere.”

It is 22 years since Paul and Phil first got dance music-lovers moving with the epic Chime – a jangling, wall-trembling club anthem recorded on their dad’s tape recorder.

The tune went on to reach the Top 20 and was to become a fixture at this summer’s London Olympic and Paralympic Games – which they helped open alongside Stephen Hawking, in front of a packed stadium and many millions more watching on TV.

Taking their name from the M25 Orbital raves, which were the foundation of the dance music scene, they went on to score club hits with the majestic Halcyon, The Box, Satan, and The Saint – composed for the soundtrack of the movie. They also scored the track Beached for the Leonardo DiCaprio film The Beach and, being avid sci-fi fans, have written tunes around Star Trek and Doctor Who samples.

A phenomenal live act, they are regular festival headliners, particularly at Glastonbury, where the sight of the brothers bent over banks of electronic equipment in their trademark twin head torches has been a perennial crowd-pleaser.

“The lights are purely practical,” says Paul. “We couldn’t see a damn thing when we were playing, but had a DJ mate who used these torches designed for plumbers to fix U-bends under sinks. They seemed like a good idea so we bought seven pairs. Now I can’t play without them; we would be like Batman and Robin without their cloaks.

“At gigs we even see people wearing them in the crowd, which is quite funny.”

With seven albums – three of them top 10 hits – and 13 top 40 singles, Orbital seemed unstoppable. Then, in 2004, they decided to call it a day and they broke up. Well, kind of.

After four years apart, during which they worked on their own projects (Paul released a solo album under his own name, and Phil formed another electronic duo, Long Range, with artist and producer Nick Smith), they reformed with a gig at The Big Chill, a compilation album, and a return to Glastonbury - where they were joined on stage by Doctor Who himself, Matt Smith.

“It was a relief when we stopped,” says Paul. “I thought it was stale, not working and had run its course. But I’m a creative person and can’t stop. I had missed playing live and saw an opportunity to start up again. We thought headlining The Big Chill would be a laugh and managed to spin it out into two years of playing gigs. Then we thought we’d better write an album – so we did.”

The record, Wonky, released earlier this year, has been acclaimed as one of their best yet.

“That time off gave me some perspective and helped me understand what we do,” he says. “Consequently, we are able to tap into that.”

More than two decades since they began – enthused by the anarchic energy of acid house, is he nostalgic for those Orbital raves, when hundreds of like-minded people, in bandanas and smiley T-shirts, would descend on fields in the Home Counties for a night of partying?

“No – they were rubbish!” he laughs. “I only went to one and it was terrible. There was some great DIY stuff going on back in the day, though – and there still is if you are young and crazy enough.”

And what is his favourite tune? “Halcyon,” he answers. “I’ve been playing it for 22 years and every time I hear it I am in the zone – I don’t even think about the audience. We always set out to stir emotions; if music doesn’t do that it’s pointless.”

He adds: “Instrumental tracks are pieces of art you stamp your own meaning onto - even if it is something the artist never intended. It’s like an abstract painting, and you can make up what you see fit.”

Their gig at the O2 Academy next Thursday is part of a European tour which has taken them everywhere from Scandinavia to Belfast – where they performed their uplifting eponymous anthem to the city to an ecstatic audience.

“The crowds have been great,” says Paul. “And we are looking forward to Oxford. It’s going to be a real Christmas party... perhaps we’ll even wear Santa suits, or even come as Rudolph – but with head torches, of course!

“Sorry it took 22 years for us to arrive.Though I suppose it’s better late than never.”

  • Orbital play the O2 Academy Oxford next Thursday. Tickets are £27 incl booking fee from ticketweb.co.uk