Orbital Optical Delusion

As soon as I saw that Orbital were releasing another album I had to pre-order as soon as possible. That was last year (2022).

Cometh the day, the hour, 17th February 2023; cometh their 10th album! It dropped through my letter box - CD, and actually a day early! - so listening sessions were planned.

I scribbled some notes per tune in my journalistic fashion - ahem - that I have left as they are. Basic.

Ringa Ringa

Beautiful and haunting ghostly voice, layered on bouncy Orbital sounds that pull and stretch you.

Freddie's coming to get you!

Lured in 👏

Day One

Another featuring a different, but equally stunning haunting voice. This time obviously balanced with the actual tune stabs, giving a well rounded dark hitter! A void will suck you in.

Are You Alive

The vocal! Lush. No haunting in it, but with the mid-range it's thoroughly gripping. The break in the beat - attention deepen-er - then your back into the journey, as the voice gets an element of lost in it!

The track-changes take you away, left to right and down and up. Wicked!

Are You The Frequency

A 'new-older' start shouts yes! Becoming part of "the frequency" as the layers and pinching stabs bounce around one's head with more and more layering of sounds! Phew!

Detriot Techno, pianos, and then some!

The New Abnormal

Animalistic 'vocals' set this aside from a steady start before the 2nd half lines come in, then all together for a crescendo - worth the wait!

Home

'Orbital'ised' Detroit techno with yet another great vocal. Leads to next part of this tune with the beat bouncing with the bass, and the top lines. And an echo. It a modern, listening rave! Festival views in the minds eye! 1st and 3rd person!

Dirty Rat

A tune that with more listens only gets better and better. Rave punk, punk rave?! An involving yelling story. Politically stunning too.

Add the tonally increasing mid-range as the chorus? Genius. Have to go the end of the trip!

Requiem For The Pre-Apocalypse

There it is. Outer space. See into the galaxy and beyond, on a journey. The break-beats carrying one on in a mystical mission. 3-D. All around, planets, colour, changes, happiness.

What A Surprise

Instant twisted Orbital (like a remix of sorts) before another instant change to a dark step into future Oldskool breaks. No escaping this! Bouncing around a cube, slightly old computer game-esq. Full of surprise!

Moon Princess

Middle East, Egypt?! Travelling; in a (an airborne) cone between the 2 areas?! Cobras, magic carpets, rocketed out of the world looking back. So damn clever.

A brilliant album. Never in doubt let's be fair! Only Orbital can produce such unique, thought provoking music. Add to that elements of politics. That takes experience. I'm sure many won't agree with their stances. I couldn't give a shit about those who don't!

Then the supporting tour! I was lucky enough to see them recently in Newcastle for this tour. Last time I did see them here (I live near Newcastle) was 2012!

Unbelievable. What a night.

F1 Aerodynamics in Schools

Being a STEM Ambassador, I keep check with what STEM enrichment activities are planned that I feel I could support with my experience. I saw an “ F1 Aerodynamics ” related request and it tickled my buds somewhat! So I vested my interest via the formal portal/method to/with STEM and this was responded to. What was the challenge? It is a global competition given as per: “ The Competition - What's It All About? You are a Formula One™ team commissioned to design, construct and race the fastest Formula One Car of the Future, powered by compressed air cylinders. ” The first of the activities was in a middle school in Whitley Bay, to simply share my experience (having been an Aerodynamicist) with the Year 8 kids taking part in the F1 challenge. I enjoyed helping them with what they were doing at that part of their challenge. BBC! Wow. I would have loved to have had that opportunity at that age. Unbelievable! Showing my age, a bit?! (my middle school had a

MS blog October 2023

MS blog October 2023 25/9/23 This week of this, bad sleep, fatigue, affecting speech - #Dysphasia - and fatigue linked problems like forgetting to do certain things, eg. Download Toon ticket properly! Tired. 04/10/23 (Wednesday) Again bad sleeps, bad #fatigue. Here's the thing. More notable 'cognitive overthinking' in that I am not on the money. Yet, was fine for the #MS #Zoom on Monday night. And starting to unintentionally upset Catherine, and therefore me too. FB post: #Tysabri At time of writing, I am pretty bloody next-level-tired. Or feeling fatigued, in the #MS world. Those who know that; know. Yes, I AM saying that #MS #Fatigue IS different to ‘just’ being tired. Who am I to say that? Someone who has lived with the twat (#MultipleSclerosis) for maybe 26 years now. Maybe more. I don’t know. So, #Tysabri. Well I started with this amazing #DMD (disease modifying drug) over 13 years ago, and it “made me a new man”

Ocrevus

Ocrevus . Notes 1 The infusion was completed at 1pm, and I was asked to wait for 15 minutes after the cannula had been removed. I was told to take it easy for the rest of the day, that'd I'd be tired. Body not used to the new drug, nor my mind, given that I had been anxious about #Ocrevus day. Ok then, I'll accept a lazy day. Was planning a curry takeaway anyway! I am tired. A few nights of bad / poor sleep. Ocrevus. Notes 2 Second infusion (second half dose) done by 1ish. Then again asked to rest for the day. Yes, as per, I was tired. #Anxiety due to an earlier taxi booking (for 07:20), with the small alarm fear! And also a few wake-ups during the night. Usual, but! Prepared with laptop, phone (obviously), headphones, sarnie, bottle of water, and chargers in case. And a BBCi downloaded film. The same as my first unknown Ocrevus trip. Slower start than last infusion, but after the paracetamols and antihistamine, the weak steroid infusion did its thing for half an hour; wi

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