The Box

Starting out as one of the innumerable acid-house rave acts of the late 1980s, techno-dance pioneers Orbital eventually embraced a more ambitious sensibility, incorporating a revolutionary punk-rock spirit into their basic aesthetic, and allowing their music to evolve into a more immediate, visceral proposition, as proven admirably in their many high-octane, energetic live performances at key events like Glastonbury, Woodstock '94 and Tribal Gathering. This radical sonic innovation also resulted in a host of critically lauded, artistically accomplished albums, and a clutch of acclaimed singles that scored high on the European charts. Check out one of Orbital's most musically consummate singles, the gloriously moody, epically orchestral 'The Box', which bristles with skittish breakbeats, menacing synth swoops and overlaid with an insistent spy flick-inspired harpsichord riff. It also receives an similarly elaborate video-clip treatment, starring Tilda Swinton as a jumpy yet curious extraterrestrial exploring the humdrum of daily urban life in a desolate, sprawling metropolis, incognito and in a slow-motion manner.