.
Artist Biography
by John Bush
The Orb
virtually invented the electronic genre known as ambient house,
resurrecting slower, more soulful rhythms and providing a soundtrack for
early-morning ravers once the clubs closed their doors. Frontman
Dr. Alex Paterson's
formula was quite simple: he slowed down the rhythms of classic Chicago
house and added synth work and effects inspired by '70s ambient
pioneers
Brian Eno and
Tangerine Dream.
To make the whole a bit more listenable -- as opposed to danceable --
obscure vocal samples were looped, usually providing a theme for tracks
that lacked singing. The group popularized the genre by appearing on the
British chart show Top of the Pops and hitting number one in the U.K.
with the 1992 album
U.F.Orb.
The Orb
managed to remain signed to Island Records throughout the '90s, even as
they were releasing some of their most challenging work (
Pomme Fritz,
Orbus Terrarum). During the 2000s, the group became affiliated with German techno label Kompakt, home to solo recordings by
Orb member
Thomas Fehlmann;
Okie Dokie It's the Orb on Kompakt,
one of the group's most straightforward techno releases, appeared in
2005. The 2010s brought high-profile collaborations with two major
influences:
David Gilmour (
Pink Floyd) and
Lee "Scratch" Perry.
The Orb returned to Kompakt for 2015's hip-hop-influenced
Moonbuilding 2703 AD and 2016's ambient release
COW / Chill Out, World! These were followed by 2018's eclectic, vocal-heavy
No Sounds Are Out of Bounds.
Tracklist
| 1 |
A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Centre Of The Ultraworld (Loving You) |
20:15
|
| 2 |
Back Side Of The Moon (Tranquility Lunar Orbit) |
11:25
|
| 3 |
Into The Fourth Dimension (Essenes In Starlight) |
10:59 |
