The Orbital new album has a name, a date and a first single. Paul and Phil Hartnoll will release Other, their eleventh studio album, on March 19, 2027 via London Records, and they have previewed it with “Mother, Maiden & Crone”, a folklore inspired track featuring English actor Maxine Peake. A spring run of 18 UK, Irish and European dates comes with it, and the ticket presale opens this Wednesday, October 21.
Orbital New Album ‘Other’: What We Know
The duo announced Other on Thursday, October 15, and the single premiered the same day on BBC 6 Music. It is their first studio album since Optical Delusion in 2023. No tracklist has been published yet.
The concept is spelled out in the title and the sleeve: a single ticked box next to the word “Other”. The record deals with neurodiversity, identity and outsiders, and with the idea of living outside the categories society hands out. Musically, the brothers have described a wider palette than usual, with gothic folk, drum & bass, punk and ambient pieces sitting alongside their familiar electronic sound.
Both Hartnolls addressed the theme directly in the announcement, as reported by DJ Mag. “This album is for everyone that’s ever ticked that box, and anyone who’s ever felt they didn’t quite fit in,” said Paul Hartnoll, adding that “there’s something liberating about ticking a box that says you don’t fit in a box.” Phil Hartnoll kept it shorter: “We’re all individuals. Some of us are just a little more Other than others.”
Maxine Peake on ‘Mother, Maiden & Crone’
The lead single leans into witchcraft and English folklore. Peake, best known for television work such as Shameless and Silk, delivers a spoken, almost séance like vocal over gothic synth lines, and the track is out now on streaming services.
Casting an actor instead of a singer is a familiar Orbital move. Their 2025 single “Deepest” featured Tilda Swinton, and the band also teamed up with Kneecap on “Sayōnara”, which was later remixed by SHERELLE and Wallace. Peake fits the pattern: a recognisable British voice used for character and atmosphere rather than a pop hook.
Why Orbital Still Matter
Orbital formed in Sevenoaks, Kent at the end of the 1980s and took their name from the M25, the London orbital motorway that ravers drove around looking for parties. “Chime”, recorded at home on a modest setup, became a UK chart hit in 1990 and set the template for a career built on melody as much as the kick drum. Like another pair of British brothers we covered recently, Disclosure and the story of “Latch”, they proved that club music could cross over without losing its edge.
Their 1994 Glastonbury set is the one most often cited as the moment dance music earned a serious place at British rock festivals. This year that performance finally got an official release, Glastonbury 1994, which topped the UK Official Dance Albums Chart. The 2024 reissue of the Green Album did the same, and an expanded Brown Album with 23 rare tracks followed in 2025.
Industry Context: A Late Career Peak
The new record arrives on a run of momentum that few acts of their generation can match. Optical Delusion reached No. 6 on the UK Official Albums Chart in 2023, the duo’s first UK Top 10 album since 1999, and went to No. 1 on the dance albums chart. For London Records, which put out the restored Glastonbury set, Other is a chance to pair that archive work with brand new material.
The collaborations with Kneecap, Tilda Swinton and now Peake also show a band reaching well beyond the rave generation. A record about not fitting in, made by a band that has spent more than three decades doing exactly that, is a smart pitch for that audience.
The Other Tour: Dates and Tickets
The Other Tour opens on April 8, 2027 at Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre and closes on May 4 in Copenhagen. Key dates:
- April 8: Dublin, 3Olympia Theatre
- April 9 to 23: Limerick, Belfast, Northampton, Liverpool, Glasgow, Nottingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Frome, Birmingham and Bournemouth
- April 24: London, British Airways ARC
- April 29: Amsterdam, Gashouder
- April 30: Paris, Le Bataclan
- May 1: Brussels, Ancienne Belgique
- May 3: Berlin, Festsaal Kreuzberg
- May 4: Copenhagen, Store Vega
The presale starts at 10am on Wednesday, October 21, and general sale follows at 10am on Friday, October 23. Presale buyers can also order a 2LP plus CD tour edition with alternative artwork and an unticked “Other” box that Paul or Phil will tick by hand, available until 11:59pm UK time on October 22. No North American dates have been announced.
What Happens Next
Expect more singles and the full tracklist over the winter before the March 19 release. Until then, “Mother, Maiden & Crone” is the only window into the record. DJ Mag’s original report carries the full announcement, and for the bigger picture of where this music comes from, our feature on the roots of house music traces the line back to Chicago.
Orbital Other: FAQ
When is the new Orbital album out?
Other is released on March 19, 2027 via London Records. It is the duo’s eleventh studio album.
Who features on the first single?
English actor Maxine Peake features on “Mother, Maiden & Crone”, which is out now.
When do Orbital tour tickets go on sale?
The presale opens at 10am on Wednesday, October 21, with general sale at 10am on Friday, October 23.
Is Orbital touring the US in 2027?
Not so far. The Other Tour covers Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe from April 8 to May 4, 2027.
More than three decades after “Chime”, Orbital are still making records about the people on the edges of the dancefloor. Other looks like their most personal yet.
