The Orb - Auntie Aubrey's Excursions Beyond The Call Of Duty Part 3 (The Orb Remix Project)

[purlieu]

It being decent is just about all we can expect at this point. Moonbuilding and COW have really strong moments, but I can't remember the last time there was anything truly excellent and groundbreaking from The Orb.

[NewSchoolScience]

Nothing they’ve done before or since approaches U.F.Orb IMHO. Sublime.

[Extralife]

3 hours ago, NewSchoolScience said:

Nothing they’ve done before or since approaches U.F.Orb IMHO. Sublime.

Except Orbus Terrarum. But yeah UF Orb is special.

[dr lopez]

first five (plus live 93) are untouchable. 

[apriorion]

Correct.

[purlieu]

Adventures, UFOrb, Live 93 and Terrarum are the main ones for me. Orblivion has some good tracks but I'm not as into that kind of breakbeat sound and it feels very cluttered in comparison to the earlier ones.

[BUNKUM]

I concur @purlieu, I might sneak Pomme Fritz in there too (and FFWD as it’s practically an Orb album)

[purlieu]

The last two tracks on Pomme Fritz are lovely, never massively taken by the rest. That said, it's only really an EP (the only reason it was released as a 'mini album' is because that ensured it would stay in print, as EPs and singles tended to only get one or two pressings before disappearing forever). 

[Extralife]

2 hours ago, purlieu said:

The last two tracks on Pomme Fritz are lovely, never massively taken by the rest. That said, it's only really an EP (the only reason it was released as a 'mini album' is because that ensured it would stay in print, as EPs and singles tended to only get one or two pressings before disappearing forever). 

You don’t like Meat and Veg? That’s a top 3 Orb track for me.

 

[zkom]

Funny how any discussion about the Orb releases always devolves into a discussion about which one of the 90s album was the best, lol. But yes, there was the rapid downhill starting from Cydonia. Speaking of which I should give it a listen. I haven't heard it in years. It isn't so bad that it's unlistenable.

 

[Friendly Stranger]

1 hour ago, zkom said:

Funny how any discussion about the Orb releases always devolves into a discussion about which one of the 90s album was the best, lol. But yes, there was the rapid downhill starting from Cydonia. Speaking of which I should give it a listen. I haven't heard it in years. It isn't so bad that it's unlistenable.

 

I like cydonia quite a bit. Post cydonia output, not so much! COW is pretty nice though.

[zkom]

16 minutes ago, Friendly Stranger said:

I like cydonia quite a bit. Post cydonia output, not so much! COW is pretty nice though.

There are some very good tracks now that I'm listening, like Hamlet of Kings. Turn It Down sounds like it's originally from Orblivion. And if I remember correctly Terminus was actually originally planned to be in the FFWD album, at least it features Robert Fripp. Very nice.

Most cringey are just the tracks with vocals, imo. It would be nice if there were instrumental versions available.

[purlieu]

Cydonia is almost there. It has the classic Orb production for a lot of it, big thick slabs of sound. In fact, the more downtempo, less breakbeaty vibe makes it feel closer to the earlier albums than Orblivion does in some ways. But there are just a few too many 'meh' tracks for it to quite work.

The original 2CD promo version, when it was intended to be more like Adventures in structure, is far better, although that loses a couple of points for the underwhelming early version of A Mile Long Lump of Lard. It really feels like one of those albums that was just overthought and overworked and lost some of the spark along the way.

Since then it's like Alex has been trying desperately to either do something totally new or recapture the classic Orb sound. A few tracks in the second half of The Dream are the closest he's come to the latter, while the former has mostly involved letting Thomas do most of the work.

[apriorion]

Speaking of Cydonia, I've always been meaning to ask: is that bit at the end of "terminus" where the woman is counting and that guy sounds disappointed at her shift away from "69" supposed to be a nod to BOC's "Aquarius"? 

[dr lopez]

Cydonia is definitely canon, last one on island and still pretty robust design, singles etc. bicycles and tricycles is where it gets pretty low. Okie dokie is great but different. Rest of the shit until moon building sucks

[purlieu]

That's a bit unfair on Baghdad Batteries, which I always felt was a more streamlined version of Okie Dokie with Alex actually audible. It's my second favourite Fehlmann Orb album (behind COW).

[Extralife]

Baghdad is actually my fav post Cydonia Orb.

[dr lopez]

true. was a bit unfair on BB. its pretty good