Orbital have announced they have split.
The dance duo – brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll – have stopped working together and decided to call time on their career for a second time after initially disbanding in 2004 before reforming in 2008.
Paul – who formed Orbital in 1989 with his sibling – said in a statement: "Orbital had stopped working properly. We had a great four years since getting back together in 2008, but it was time to move on."
Orbital’s last album was 2012’s ‘Wonky’ and the group got their name from Greater London’s orbital motorway, the M25, which played a key role in the early rave scene and acid house movement in the South East of England in the late 1980s.
Following the split, Phil is now going to release a solo album, entitled ‘8:58’, on February 16.
Speaking about the LP, Phil has revealed it is inspired by his fascination with time.
He said: "I’ve always had a thing for clocks and for time as a powerful force – but also the way it oppresses you.
"It’s one of those things I keep coming back to. For me, ‘8:58’ is a moment of choice. It’s almost 9 o’clock. Are you going to school? Are you going to this job you hate? Everybody faces that decision now and again – 8:58am is when you’ve got to make up your mind."
Orbital announce split
