Tea in the Sahara
Kev: Critic & Podcaster
Here at Tea in the Sahara Towers, we like different…quite a bit… Sure mainstream heavy-hitting podcasts with endless budgets are ace, however, unique & niche findings like my latest review – Orbital offer listeners contrasting audio optics.
Welcome podcast fans to the tail end of August, and an indie podcast called Orbital – written, directed, and produced by Michael Shaun Sandy.
Orbital’s world Prosperity is cast upon the ashes of LA and is now full of futuristic trappings like gleaming glass skyscrapers and man-made islands – I like to think it looks like the Art Deco classic film Metropolis, but maybe that’s the eternal romantic in me. Like most futuristic sci-fi audio dramas the future is always a marvel with an ugly underbelly – this is exactly where we find our lead character, detective Shaun Tobias voiced by Michael Shaun Sandy. We follow crime fighter Shaun throughout Prosperity, and to try and depict his characterization Detective Tobias feels forged from bygone cop movies like 48 hrs, or possibly anything with Clint Eastwood in.
The plotline is light, sophisticated, and non-complex with Shaun weeding out bad guys whilst being assisted by his AI drone partner aptly named Beta (Erika Othen). This segues perfectly into the context of how this indie podcast was created. Chatting with Michael Shaun Sandy, Orbital’s lightbulb moment came whilst shooting drone photography for a pal over The Salton Sea on the borders of California & Mexico (as you do!)
For Michael, this was when the penny dropped – what if this drone could communicate and talk? And if said drone could talk, then surely a plotline involving a tech-hating cop would have sci-fi win-win written all over it – right?
For a maiden podcast, the audio & sound design within Orbital is an insane tapestry lending to the show’s super slick aesthetics. IMO, my only trivial objection is that some of the laser noises used within the show sounded a little B-movie gimmicky. If we are to discuss audio then I must highlight the awesome musical score used within Orbital that will be available in soundtrack form – which you have to admit is pretty cool?
For some folk having the podcast soundtrack readily available helps further connect the listener to their fav audio dramas – so kudos Joshua Abelson!
Now for my favorite elements from this podcast. As far as I was aware this podcast has the shortest runtime per episode for an audio drama averaging at about ten minutes – comments below podcast fans if I have my facts wrong here.
These quickfire pacey episodes offer you the ability to stack a season and blast through its entirety in under 45 minutes – which IMO gives the podcast a slightly turn page comic-book-style vibe.
Interestingly I also rather enjoyed the swearword masking which was adopted in Orbital. Rather than opting for the mainstream industrial language you might hear within audio dramas the guys simply concealed the swearing. Visualize a clean version of an explicit album, or Eminem playing on commercial radio – I salute this as a refreshingly genius idea that totally bucks tradition.
BIG question time then – is Orbital worth a listen?
I really admire what Shaun and his pirate nation of pals have done by creating Orbital off the back of such a simple concept. If you like stealthy sci-fi thrillers packed with autonomous drones, edginess, and an easy-to-follow plotline to boot – Orbital could be your jam. As a listener, you will either go a bundle on the short episode run time, or that format simply won’t be your cup of tea. And it’s as easy as that!
Orbital download and scores – 3.7/5
Your choice of podcast critic to follow is optional, so I am pleased that you took a punt on reading this indie review. If you’ve enjoyed my tone of writing get in touch for your own bespoke podcast review – tinthesahara@gmail.com
Cast & Crew
Orbital IMDB PAGE
Michael Shaun Sandy – creator, director, producer, and writer of Orbital
Michael Shaun Sandy – Detective Shaun Tobias
Vincent Chimato -actor & producer – Narrator
Joshua Abelson – actor & sound engineer – Coroner
Erika Othen – Beta
Ryan Alan Mitchell –Rustbucket
Bruna Bertossi – Lexxa
Adam Dormi – Dr. Richard Mendal
Scarlet Taylor – Rachel Anderson
Xander – Brian Thompson
Tea in the sahara 