Orbital, the British electronic/dance duo of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll , recently released “Wonky“, their first new album in 7 years. And while the overall music is excellent and a welcome return to form, I can’t help but get even more excited about their new cover designs.
Orbital has always had one of the “cleanest” sounds in all of electronica, with each drum kick, sweeping synth pad, and tingly keyboard stab fitting perfectly together. This cover design and subsequent single design for “New France” shows their penchant for clean design as well…but with an element of organic motion. Using an “O” (yes, last seen on their 90’s “Middle of Nowhere” album cover) returns, but with a wonderful color spectrum that suggests some unseen energy rippling through it.
Does that make it “Wonky?” Not entirely…but it does make it an incredibly elegant graphic design.