Trust me #65
Tonight In Belfast - Orbital, David Holmes and Mike Garry
I originally wrote about Belfast back in April 2021, but it has been nice to write about it again following the release of a new version involving David Holmes and the poet Mike Garry..
Belfast is one of the most blissful and sublime electronic songs that I am aware of. Warm synths, bubbling synths, funky cool beats (never overpowering) and a sample of soprano Emily Van Evera performing O Euchari are all blended together to create something truly magical.
And, oh, what about those heavenly chords that have helped thousands of dancers and ravers put their hands in the air over the years?! Swoon!
The layers of the song are utterly gorgeous and the way things slow down to sheer bliss towards the end is like ecstasy on record. Belfast is spine tinglingly incredible. It gives me all the feels.
David Holmes booked Orbital to play the Art College in Belfast after falling for their debut single Chime. The Hartnoll brothers left a demo tape of a new song which they subsequently named Belfast after enjoying themselves so much in the city.
Many years later, Orbital invited their old friend David Holmes to remix Belfast for their hits/compilation album 30 Something to mark 3 decades since their debut single.
Holmes treats it with the tender love and care you would imagine, stretching it out to 12-minutes, allowing even more time to get lost in the synths, grooves and beats. I get tingles and rushes listening to this.
Is it just me, or do I hear Holmes hinting at Joy Divisions's Atmosphere at times? I can imagine this being mixed in perfectly.
Belfast is still inspiring and now the song has taken on another direction after DJ Helen suggested to the poet Mike Garry (who previously came to my attention with his poem An Ode to Anthony H Wilson) that his poem Tonight would sit perfectly over Holmes remix.
Top suggestion! It fits like a glove!
Garry's Mancunian soul pours out over the top of Holmes and the Hartnoll brothers electronic magic, coming in just after 2-minutes with the opening verse.
Tonight, I just wanna paint pictures of you
Write poems and songs and novels, all about you
I wanna hold you up so high, you're gonna need a space suit
Mike (and DJ Helen) know when to let the music take hold, letting everything go at 3 minutes 45 seconds into sheer bliss before beats kick back in. Then when Garry comes back in a minute late, he sounds as lost in the music as I have been many, many times.
And we can build new mountains for us to climb is my favourite line. Garry sounds beautifully loved up (he originally wrote the poem to read at his wedding)
Tonight, you're gonna need a space suit
I wanna hold you up so high, you're gonna need a space suit
What a romantic genius! What a brilliant collaboration.
Enjoy!
Tonight In Belfast (official video)
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