Orbital
ListenChime — Top of the Pops · 1990
Orbital — “Chime,” Top of the Pops, broadcast 22 March 1990. London Records upload.
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1989 · Oh’Zone Records
Chime / Deeper
Paul Hartnoll recorded “Chime” at home while his friends waited to go to the pub. Released by Jazzy M’s Oh’Zone label in 1989, it carried Orbital from a small home setup into the first wave of British rave records. [1] [2]
| Accession | OMMA-0124 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Orbital |
| Release | 1989 · United Kingdom |
| Label | Oh’Zone Records · ZONE 001 |
| Format | 12-inch vinyl single · 45 rpm |
| Issue | Original independent issue |
| Runouts | A: ZONE 1 A1 LYN 24849 DAMONT AA: ZONE 1 B1 LYN 24850 DAMONT |
| Recorded grade | VG+ · sleeve VG+ |
Release history and significance
Hartnoll’s workspace was an office under the stairs at his parents’ home in Sevenoaks. After a burglary, insurance money helped buy an Akai sampler; sounds from his father’s records became material for new melodies. One evening after work at a pizza restaurant, he tried recording six parts through his four-track machine while friends grew impatient to leave. [2]
Jazzy M, who had encouraged Hartnoll and passed him records to learn from, issued “Chime” on Oh’Zone. This first pressing couples the long version with the full fifteen-minute “Deeper,” before the FFRR editions brought the music to a wider audience. The brothers’ March 1990 Top of the Pops appearance, included below, captures the moment this home-made dance music reached national television. [1] [2] [3]
The FFRR release reached No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart in March 1990. [4]
Market context
As of 13 September 2026, Discogs reported sales of this Oh’Zone pressing between US$20.27 and US$67.57, with a median of US$39.86. The most recent recorded sale was dated 3 August 2026. [1]
Physical Description
Black vinyl with Oh’Zone labels, housed in a black die-cut sleeve. An inlay accompanies the record.
Condition
The seller graded the record and sleeve VG+, noting light storage marks, and the inlay EX. The labels are clean.
Provenance
Acquired through eBay from recordgirl77 on 20 June 2026. The seller said she had bought it from a local DJ in Wales who had a record-company connection and received promotional records.
Sources
- Discogs, Orbital — Chime / Deeper, release 120718. Original independent pressing, long track versions, runouts and reported sales statistics.
- Mat Smith, Orbital “Chime,” Electronic Sound. Paul Hartnoll’s first-person account of recording the track, 13 April 2017.
- London Records, Orbital — Chime (Top of the Pops 1990). Official upload of the 22 March 1990 television appearance.
- Official Charts, Chime by Orbital. No. 17 peak and 1990 UK chart run.
Catalogue text reviewed 13 September 2026.