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‘We were the bridge between indie and dance’: Glastonbury icons Orbital on 30 years of breaking barriers

In conversation with the Guardian at the festival, Paul and Phil Hartnoll recalled their culture-changing sets of the 90s – and whether they killed off Top of the Pops

But 30 years ago, when Orbital played their first-ever Pyramid stage set, thereby inching the “indie kids” towards techno, it represented a landmark moment for the festival and for British music culture. Brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll were reflecting on how the festival has changed – and their own part in shifting it from a traditionally rockist event to the more accommodating one today – while in conversation with the Guardian’s chief pop music critic Alexis Petridis on Saturday morning. Photograph: Alecsandra Dragoi/The GuardianThey began making visuals for their shows, inspired by prog-rock acts such as Pink Floyd: “If we’re going to be on stage, we have to have something behind us.” They made their early videos by filming an oscilloscope, true to their DIY ethos and diverse sources.

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