The Orb method of recording involved piling into a studio with an arsenal of toys and refreshments, then seeing what erupted using a mixing desk and decks as extra instruments. The disparate merry pranksters who cavorted under Alex Paterson’s inflatable sheep over the years produced a vast body of work, picking highlights from hours of kitchen-sink mayhem, with never enough room for the whole lot. This second dip into the archives, released on the label which launched Killing Joke (for whom Paterson once roadied) features the doctor collaborating with Youth, Andy Hughes, Hans- Joachim Roedelius, vin100 and current co-pilot Thomas Fehlmann: 11 tracks over an hour and a quarter (on CD and doublevinyl) which dart with unabandoned glee between Earth’s core awakenings, cavernous dub, other-worldly symphonies and even Gone With The Wind-like, one long, extradimensional dream sequence.
These hallucinogenic deep space transmissions, alien pulsings and sonic lunacy defy earthly description. It sounds like nobody but The Orb, but even those used to their aural anarchy (attitude-wise they were pure punk) will go mad for previouslyunheard transcendental gems such as It’s A Small World, The Giant Bolster and Ralph’s Cupboard. An incredible journey indeed, making 2000 light years from home seem like a trip to the shops.
