Orbital “Halcyon + On + On”
The birth of our underground brand Factory 93 not only brought on an adrenaline rush reminiscent of the renegade warehouse era of raving—on which Insomniac was founded—but it also had us thinking back to all the people, places and parties that made this whole operation possible. With that came a burning desire to crack open our collection and dust off the classic records we couldn’t live without. Through our From the Crates series, we’re breaking out seminal and obscure cuts alike, imparting some knowledge in the process.
The legendary UK electronic act Orbital has been tough to leave behind for the sometimes-contentious brothers who make it happen. Phil and Paul Hartnoll have split up the project twice over the years since forming it in 1989, but they have recently returned with new music and the hope of a ninth studio album.
“Orbital is too big a thing for us to leave behind,” Paul recently told The Guardian, to the relief of fans worldwide. “We’ve a tempestuous relationship, not because we don’t love the music, but because we do. Sometimes, it’s been impossible to carry on. But we’ve sorted it out now. And this time, we’re going to keep it.”
One of the duo’s most iconic and influential tracks that has remained a vital and historic part of the dance music landscape is essentially an extended remix: Clocking in at 9.5 minutes, “Halcyon and On and On” (1993) from the album Orbital 2, continues the vibe of “Halcyon” (1992), which features vocal samples of singer Kirsty Hawkshaw from the British dance hit “It’s a Fine Day,” as well as riffs from Yes, Bobby Byrd, and Imperial Brothers. The woozy beauty of both songs is meant to be a tribute to their mother’s addiction to the once-popular prescription tranquilizer Halcion.
“We all had this crazy adolescence because my dad was working really hard and was rarely at home while our mum was freaking out on Halcion,” Phil told the now-defunct magazine Select in a 1994 interview. “[My brother’s] way of dealing with it was locking himself in his room and getting really studious. Whereas I was trying to deal with the emotional housework downstairs. Don’t get me wrong, mum was always very loving and caring. But they prescribed her this drug and she just kept on doubling the dose.”
Ever wondered what taking powerful doses of a madly addictive central nervous system depressant might feel like? Press play. The enduring, glassy optimism of “Halcyon and On and On” beautifully captures the allure and haze of addiction and is an ideal choice for the last scene of Mean Girls (2004), when the evil high school beauties release their cruel grip on their classmates in pursuit of a kinder, gentler approach. The song is also memorably featured in ‘90s flicks Hackers and Mortal Kombat. It was simply too emotive and beautiful to be confined to dancefloors.
