Back in the day when I was but a new kid on the Pitchfork block, I actually asked to review Orbital's In Sides. No pay, no free music, just a desire to review what I then thought was a truly impressive electronic album packed full with a rarely- seen creativity and personality.

The Middle of Nowhere begs many of the same descriptors. As electro moves from puberty into adulthood, we now have the luxury of choosing from artists that have presented us with whole careers of numerous full- length releases, drenched in personal style. Orbital is just such a group. Brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll have managed to maintain a fairly unique sound through their releases, yet continue to garner critical acclaim in a genre that despises sounds that are "so yesterday." It's staying power like this that elevates Orbital from the one- release new- sound blush to low- key mini- icons. Rather than throw their hat in with whatever the passing style is, Phil and Paul have crafted another densely textured album that moves through numerous new influences without sacrificing their overreaching style.

Orbital have been busy, y'see. It's been three years since In Sides, their last release. But rather than taking a balloon ride around the world or experimenting with sensory deprivation, they've been writing and producing scores for films (most notably, "The Saint" and their collaboration with Michael Kamen for "Event Horizon"). And it shows. The atmosphere on The Middle of Nowhere would best be classified as claustrophobic and heavy, and it's not a far cry to imagine claustrophobic and heavy things happening on screen to this music. Like Ted Kazynski making mailbombs.

The Middle of Nowhere is no In Sides, however. Where In Sides generally leans toward softer, brighter synth tones, The Middle of Nowhere focuses on heavy, dominating bass beats. Still, common motifs remain; shimmering, polyrhythmic beats, dynamic breakdowns and tempo shifts make numerous appearances. Sure, it sounds like techno from 1995, but only because these guys helped define what techno sounded like in 1995.

-James P. Wisdom