After the legendary electronic duo Orbital called it a day for a second time last year in 2014, Paul Hartnoll announced the beginning of a new project 8:58, and a self titled album, which was released last week on March 30. As well as bearing the bright, lively trademark Orbital sound, this standout track also features vocals from The Cure's Robert Smith and Lianne Hall. “I’ve always been interested in time,” says Hartnoll, “I’ve always had a thing for clocks, and for time as a powerful force — but also the way time oppresses you. It’s one of those things I keep coming back to. Orbital had stopped working properly.” Paul explains. “We’d had a great four years since getting back together in 2008, but it was time to move on.” “For me, 8:58 is a moment of choice,” Paul explains. “It’s almost 9 o’clock. Are you going to school? Are you going in to this job that you hate? Everybody faces that decision now and again. 8:58 am is when you’ve got to make up your mind.
Doing this music was an 8:58 moment for me too. Am I going to be truthful to myself? Do I keep battling on with Orbital or do I make a break and try something new? It was decision time.”“The album’s a development of where I was going with Orbital. Our last album ‘Wonky’ was designed to be played live. But I wanted to do something more collaborative, more of a film soundtrack or a concept album. There are plenty of beats,” he adds, “But I wanted to exercise my more compositional side too, and bring in a witchy, ‘Wicker Man’ aspect.”
