Orbital - Orbital 2 (Blue Album)

Orbital 2 is commonly referred to as the 'Blue Album' due to the solid blue color of its album cover artwork. The minimalistic design was a stark contrast to their debut album, which featured a similarly styled but differently colored cover. Fans and critics adopted the nickname to easily differentiate it from the band's other self-titled works.

Orbital 2 was released on May 24, 1993, during the peak of the early 90s electronic music explosion. It arrived just as the UK rave scene was transitioning into mainstream festival culture. The 1993 release is widely considered the breakthrough moment for brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll.

The most famous track on the Blue Album is undoubtedly 'Halcyon + On + On,' a pioneering ambient techno masterpiece. The track famously features backward vocal samples from Kirsty Hawkshaw and was dedicated to the Hartnoll brothers' mother. It remains a staple of 90s chill-out rooms and movie soundtracks.

Yes, the album launched the massive hit single 'Lush,' which was released in two distinct parts on the album as 'Lush 3-1' and 'Lush 3-2.' These high-energy, melodic tracks became anthems of the 1993 rave scene. Another notable single from the record was the breakbeat-driven track 'Satan.'