Orbital Exudes Techno Talent

In the current electronic climate, the DJ reigns supreme. Live instrumentation acts such as the Prodigy and Underworld have relinquished superstar status to Paul Oakenfold, Sasha and Digweed, and Christopher Lawrence.

Still, somebody has to create the songs for the DJs to showcase. And few live acts do that more skillfully than the Orbital, even after more than a decade of crafting those beats on synthesizers and computers.

As they proved in an inspired, nearly two-hour show at the Palace (relocated from the larger Palladium) on Thursday, brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll remain the inventive figures that helped redefine the electronic movement in the ‘90s. The core of the set covered material from the various points in the duo’s career.

Flowing with a DJ’s seamless transitions from lush ambient grooves to expansive synth hooks to bouncy techno beats that kept the adoring fans in a state of constant motion, the brothers mixed it up expertly. The music did stop on occasion, but never as to disrupt the natural momentum of the set.

Equally crucial to the success of the show was the balance of audio and visuals that provided a nice contrast to many of the recent rave spectacles to take place locally.

Rather than hiding behind the visuals, the Hartnolls stayed squarely in the front of the stage, using the multicolored lights and slide shows to augment their enthusiastic showmanship.