Orbital – Chime / Deeper

Let me start by saying that the Oh' Zone Records edition was circulating long before the stated December 1989 release date on here, because I got hold of a copy from a while before December and so did a mate of mine. And the Test Pressings were around for even way longer than that. Right, that's out of the way, on with yet another nostalgic, shmaltzy, cheesy, long-winded, finger down the throat excursion...

Stating the obvious that Chime made an immediate impact as soon as it hit the airwaves and the dancefloors, clubs, small raves and big raves, warehouses and fields. But I wasn't as enamoured at that initial stage compared to many of my peers as I felt it was just way, way overplayed. I was more desperate as the next eager collector to grab myself a piece for collectors' sake and before it was sold out rather than sheer love of the track. To be honest, I used to enjoy Deeper on the flipside due to its trippy vibe at the time more than Chime. There were so many humdinger classics and anthems that Chime did have very stiff competition. Yes, it sounded great in and amongst all the DJs' repertoires for all the reasons most have already elaborated on throughout house music's 35+ year history.

But, if you can bear with me here and, fast forward a year or two further on from the Summer/Autumn of 1989 to sometime in 1991. Yes, it was still being played in some quarters, but kind of forgotten by myself moving further away from the 1988-1989 so-called Summer Of Love era and the tunes which made that specific period so tangible to many. My copies were packed away in the other room not being played anymore, nearly forgot about the tune.

Now, picture a rave named 'Trax' or 'Orange' rave at Camden Palace with Chris Paul, DJ Squirrel and a couple of guest DJs on an extended night (when the usual closing time was 2:30 or 3:00 AM), playing the usual mid 1991 fare of the times - early Belgian / Dutch Techno influenced UK Hardcore and straight up insane Belgian / Dutch Techno itself (which I loved and still love to be perfectly honest). This is where I cheat a little and comment on three tracks instead of just one. For whatever reason, in amongst the psychotic madness blaring out of every corner, the DJ decided to slowly start bringing in a bit more of a subtle atmosphere to proceedings, dropping deeper tracks, going back in time slightly. At this point the 'New Yorker' that had been wearing off nearly an hour earlier was reignited due to the fading in of Pierre's absolute classic acid track 'Dream Girl (Wet Dream)' being mixed in, then after several minutes, ever so feather-like, there was a hint of Orbital's Chime opening synths. That night, the DJ (goodness knows who it was of the aboe), held that mix of those tracks so damn tight I will never forget it. It was like a marriage made in heaven. I'm not generally a fan of obvious mashups. this was different though, a proper long remix. Kept that mix going for a very long time. The crowd erupted as Pierre's 303 tweetered alongside Chime's synth, acid and funky bass progression. You were practically swimming in that atmosphere. I don't think I've ever witnessed so many happy faces all in one space since to be honest. Of course, he followed on with one of my favourite early Detroit tracks 'The Dance', and boy did that drop in the mix with Chime. That track always dropped hard. But that time was very special. Those three tracks in sequence will be imprinted in my memory, as long as I've still got it, forever. Anyway, whatever the reason. The vibe of that night, everyone seemingly on the same buzz, the electric atmosphere and packed to the rafters, I have never thought of Chime as before that time. I now always think of the other tracks with it.

I've attempted doing that mix with those three tracks in that sequence over the years with mixed results. You have to be ready to cue and mix in Chime at one Dream Girl's breakdowns, approx in the middle when it changes up slightly.

Only 1000 copies released on the Oh'Zone label. Is that really right? :)

I've never seen this mentioned anywhere online, but surely I can't be the only person to notice that the 12" version on the FFRR release is different to the version on the Oh Zone release? They are both virtually exactly the same length but the arrangement is different.

Probably the best thing they ever did!
Remember, keep it simple!

Quality ! all those testubes and purple orms ;-)

I have a question about the sample used in 'Deeper' from a relaxation tape. The voice sounds like Bill Nighy's to me but can anyone confirm this or not?

Don't mean to brag, but I will anyway ! I got my copy of this 12" signed and drawn on by both Hartnoll brothers at a rave I played with them, Meat Beat Manifesto, Cabaret Voltaire and The Shamen in Edinburgh in '92(I think)and it still gets an occasional airing all these years later. Once a classic, always a classic !

Dont mean to brag, but I first heard this when Jazzy M played it off a tape (!) on his Jacking zone pirate radio show, LWR. He then went on to release it on his own oh!Zone label (probably (definitely) oh!Zones strongest ever release). 'Deeper' really did hypnotise me and both tunes were completely groundbreaking.

Dont mean to brag a 2nd time (!) but it turned out my mate new the brothers Hartnoll and got me a demo tape they'd done. It had a different mix of Chime overlayed with an old YTS advert and a much tougher mix of satan than the namby-pamby one they ended up releasing, along with other stuff, some never released.
What I'd do for that tape now...

I remember when I first heard this, Jeff Young’s Big Beat Show (BBC Radio 1) 5th Jan 1990, I've still got the tape! Where Jeff introduced it as “On oh zone records, outta of the vinyl zone on the west side of London, a track called chime, it goes on for about 10 minutes, can we get an edit, there's some good stuff at the end, were never going to get to the end”, then rings the ‘sacred’ bell, “we like that”.
How right he was!

An essential piece of vinyl!