The Tale Behind Orbital and Their Track ‘Belfast’
Words: Dray Morgan
Belfast is one of the most iconic ambient club tunes that has ever existed. Those chilling vocals paired with the repetitive high-pitched notes, bore into your brain and create a strange sense of zen. Ahead of the pair headlining Beyond The Pale on 21 June, we wanted to delve into how such a pioneering track came to be named ‘Belfast’
Hitting The Charts Harry Potter Style
Paul and Phill Hartnoll record the track ‘Chime’ on their father’s four tape recorder in a converted cupboard under the stairs. The duo released the track in late December and became a rave anthem. The single peaked at No.17 on the charts which earned them a performance on top of the pops. The duo refused to mime and wore anti-poll tax t-shirts which resulted in them not being invited back for 6 years. The track apparently cost less than £1 to make.
Orbital Chime Top Of The Pops
Orbital Touch Down in Belfast
Renowned Belfast-born DJ David Holmes sees the duo’s performance and invites them to Belfast to play their ‘Space Base 4’ night at the art college. The ongoing troubles made Belfast a risky area for artists, with many refusing to play in the city. Orbital couldn’t refuse.
Photos taken at Sugar Sweet in Belfast
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Chime is Played in Belfast
Orbital played their track ‘Chime’ in Belfast and received such a shockingly positive reply, garnering their first encore ever and leaving a lasting impact on the artists and crowd.
The David Holmes Tape
David Holmes asked if the group had any demo tapes. Paul and Phil gave him the demo to the then-unnamed ‘Belfast’ and he spent an entire day driving around the city listening to the song on repeat. They called up the brothers and told them how obsessed they were with the song.
