Monday's Long Song

Is it too soon to be doing this? 

I watched the Proclamation ceremony on Saturday morning where the Privy Council (a Medieval body which advises the sovereign) met to formally announce the accession of Charles to the throne, making him King Charles III. It struck me watching at home that this outdated show of pomp and ceremony, is designed specifically to show those watching (us) that the monarchy (them) is a seamless inevitability which cannot be questioned and that we should know our place. No sooner has the old Queen died than the new King is signed in. The uniforms, costumes, parade of former Prime Ministers, throne, list of articles regarding the Scottish Protestant church, documents to be signed and arcane rigmarole is a form of control, reminding all of us where the power lies. It goes without saying this is a profoundly undemocratic- antidemocratic even- system, the eldest child of the sovereign immediately replacing the deceased. These gun salutes, heralds, marching soldiers, references to Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal and arcane conventions are no way for a 21st century nation to behave and this country needs to have a proper conversation about becoming a modern, grown up democracy where positions of political influence (including the head of state) are chosen by voters and not by accident of birth. I appreciate that many will not agree. 

Orbital's second album (known as Orbital II or the brown album) came out in May 1993, eighteen months after their debut (Orbital I or the yellow album) which was a wide eyed record, filled the optimism of the new decade, Chime and Belfast somehow reflecting the collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of apartheid and release of Nelson Mandela, the popular revolt against the Poll Tax and subsequent fall of Thatcher, several summers of love and a sense that things might actually be getting better. The second album is a bit tougher, more techno oriented, pushing on and finding new ways to sound better. The two stand out tracks- Impact (The Earth Is Burning)  and Halycon + On + On -alternately want to wake the world up to climate catastrophe and allow the listener to dance away, tranced out and hypnotised. On Monday they build a classic Orbital track, seven minutes of loops and thumping drums, dancing synth toplines, a repetitive euphoria. 

Monday