Orbital's Glastonbury 1994 Performance to Receive First Official Release

Orbital are to release the first official recording of their 1994 Glastonbury performance on September 25 via London Records. The set, originally broadcast by the BBC, has long circulated among fans but never received an authorized release. Audio engineer Mark Ayres restored and remastered the recording from the original desk tapes. The release will be available on yellow and blue double colour vinyl, double black vinyl, CD, and digitally, and includes the complete nine-track set performed by brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll.

Originally broadcast by the BBC to a generation discovering electronic music in real time, Orbital's Glastonbury '94 set became a watershed moment for both the band and UK dance culture. Just six years after the Second Summer of Love and at a time when rave culture was still viewed by many as a fringe movement, Orbital brought electronic music out of the clubs and onto one of the world's most prestigious festival stages. Their performance demonstrated that two musicians armed with synthesisers, sequencers and samplers could hold tens of thousands of people spellbound with the same emotional weight and intensity as any traditional live band.

Orbital's Phil Hartnoll says: 'All I remember is the energy from the crowd, this love…. oozing out, like it was vibrating from them. It was just an amazing feeling.'

Paul Hartnoll adds: 'At the time, you were either an indie kid or you were a raver, but they came and saw our set and the penny dropped. It made that connection between indie music and dance music.'

With their now-iconic head torches, relentless energy and cinematic arrangements, Paul and Phil Hartnoll challenged perceptions of what a live electronic performance could be. The set helped redefine Glastonbury's relationship with dance music, paving the way for generations of electronic artists to appear on the festival's biggest stages. More than three decades later, it remains one of the most celebrated and influential live performances in British electronic music history.

While the performance has circulated as a fan favourite online for decades, this official release features audio meticulously restored and remastered from the original desk tapes by Mark Ayres. With remarkable clarity and depth, the recording transports listeners back to that summer evening in 1994.

The complete performance will be available on September 25 across multiple physical formats: yellow & blue double colour vinyl, double black vinyl, CD and digitally on all platforms.

TRACKLISTING

1. Forever
2. Sad But True
3. Impact
4. Remind
5. Walk Now 8.00
6. Are We Here? (Part 1)
7. Are We Here? (Part 2)
8. Attached
9. Chime

Photo Credit: Steve Double

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