THE ORB Vinyl & CDs

Review: Dr. Alex Paterson's latest endeavour, Orboretum: The Orb Collection, is a limited-edition retrospective that spans the career of The Orb, charting their decades-long journey across a four-LP set. Beautifully packaged in an octagonal sleeve that unfolds into a massive flower, each disc is pressed in a unique colourigreen, lilac, orange, and blue, reflecting the four seasons that inspired the collection's structure. With tracks carefully selected by Paterson himself, the compilation delves into their storied output, mixing iconic cuts from Abolition of the Royal Familia and Prism with rarities and fresh takes on classics. This set isn't merely a nostalgic trip through The Orb's golden years, though, it's a "director's cut," as Paterson puts it, one that reframes their vast catalogue to reveal new pathways and connections between works that span decades. Discs A and B highlight their collaborations with Universal, while discs C and D turn the spotlight on their independent ventures with labels like Cooking Vinyl, Kompakt, and Liquid Sound Design. With sleeve notes by Kris Needs and each track handpicked by Paterson, Orboretum is a masterclass in electronic evolution, blending roots with recent highlights. For die-hard fans and newcomers alike, the four-LP set is an ode to the timeless, boundary-pushing ethos that has kept The Orb relevant for over 30 years. The collection is also available as a two-CD set with a 24-page booklet, ensuring everyone can find their own slice of ambient heaven.

Review: Orboretum: The Orb Collection is a comprehensive 2xCD set curated by Dr Alex Paterson, showcasing the evolution of The Orb's sound across three decades. This collection not only revisits classic tracks from their pioneering days but also highlights recent gems from Abolition Of The Royal Familia (2020) and Prism (2023), acclaimed as some of their finest work. This "director's cut" reimagines The Orb's extensive catalog, juxtaposing tracks from different eras to reveal a continuous thread in their music. Known for their ambient house and psychedelic influences, The Orb's work has consistently pushed boundaries, from their groundbreaking 1991 debut album to their latest releases. This collection serves as both a tribute to their past and a celebration of their ongoing innovation in electronic music.

Review: Electronic music kingpins The Orb present Prism, their stonking 18th studio album and their first for Cooking Vinyl. Chillout ambient, house, dub, krautrock, drum & bass and synthpop all collide into a javellining concoction, amounting to something of a tribute to the continuum of roots genres that have lent a strong hand in building up UK dance music over the years. With guest appearances from Youth, Gaudi, David Harrow and a host of others, it makes for a huge legacy LP. The Orb also plunge the depths of NASA's free sound library, getting at the cosmic aura that has accompanied dance music's existence from the jump.

Review: On 2013's History of The Future, Alex Paterson looked back at The Orb's most productive and critically acclaimed period, between the ever-changing band's formation in 1989 and the end of their 'major label adventure' at the tail end of the '90s. This second instalment - released ahead of a new album in the summer - brings the story bang up to date, gathering together Paterson and company's best productions since the turn of the millennium. For the most part, it's business as usual, with the former Killing Joke roadie and longtime production partner Thomas Fehlman joining the dots between sample-heavy downtempo grooves, dub, melodious techno and '90s style ambient house (the second disc, which focuses mostly on this style, is particularly enjoyable).

Review: Metallic Spheres In Colour is the remixed and reimagined version of the 2010 album Metallic Spheres, a collaboration between historic electronic duo The Orb and Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. Though the original LP was a psychdelic meeting of minds in ambience - resulting in the conjuration of an advanced, extrasensory life-form in sound known as the 'metallic spheres' - this remix version reflects Alex Paterson's latent desire to flesh out the original's more Orby contours, producing an "almost enitrely different album".