Acclaimed producer Phil Hartnoll is best known for his work as one half of intrpeid techno duo Orbital.

Now Brighton-based and with Orbital no longer, he has moved on not just geographically but musically, too.

In conjunction with Nick Smith, also Brighton-based, Phil's new creative project, Long Range, delivers a "bigger, tougher sound" than before, transporting listeners to a more acoustic, atmospheric and cinematic realm.

"I have not consciously tried to do something which sounds really different to Orbital," says Phil.

"The Long Range project is just an extension of what I have always done as a part of Orbital.

"The difference being I am no longer working with my brother but a couple of mates and this has really mixed up the flavour of my music.

"When I play it to people, they say they can hear elements of what I would usually produce."

Nick, an artist and Orbital fan whose recording career for dance labels Dragonfly and Atomic Records has led to adverts for Nike and Lexus and major film credits with Ridley Scott, says, "Anyone used to clubbing and DJs will find something to dance to." He is hard-pressed, however, to pigeonhole the sound.

"Long Range spans all genres within electronic music and it's very exciting to have so much freedom to move around. It is impossible to label us we don't sound like anyone else.

"Phil and I do our thing on computers alongside vocalists, violinists, live drums and electric guitar. It is all our own stuff. Sonically, it is a bit of a journey, really."

Gathering momentum, Long Range are launching a low-key version of their live show tonight, before heading north for the Big Chill festival this weekend.

Joining Nick and Phil on stage will be six musicians, including Will White of the Propellerheads on drums, Kelly Malone on vocals, Sarah Tunnel on violin and James Day on keyboards.

"Tracks shift from quiet chill-out to something more uptempo verging on rock," says Phil. "And a bit of everything in between."

While adding the finishing touches to their eponymous debut, Long Range have found time to remix Clearlake's Neon for Domino Records and have just completed a remix for the new Upper Room single.

They also joined forces with writers Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club) and Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting) for a oneoff collaboration at the Corn Exchange in May during the Brighton Festival.

The event proved a little too graphic for the faint-hearted and 12 people passed out. But there is not much chance of that happening tonight, says Nick."I think if it had been just us playing that night and people had fainted wewould have been worried.

For the record, some of Chuck Palahniuk's stories are pretty graphic and he is famous for having people faint at his readings.

"The whole thing was completely blown out of proportion," he adds, "and it certainly wasn't set up or deliberate as some people were suggesting."

xenia.gregoriadis@theargus.co.uk