The Orb - Orblivion (Album Review)

[@thehitherto5348]

Fun fact: This has become an album I associate with school. It was the first album I listened to when getting into college, and now, 15+ years later, I'm a teacher myself and always give it a spin before welcoming new students. "Asylum" is a personal favorite.

[@JazzApe]

This was my intro to the orb. Picked it up newly released as a sophomore in HS back in 97. Though it's my personal favorite, due to nostalgia and memories formed to this album. I admit it's not exactly their strongest and most consistent in showing.

[@Expressionistix]

Same here but it was my first year in college. My entry was having exhausted exploring the entire Tangerine Dream catalog and wanted to look at new artists at that time.

[@PetersPianoShoppe]

I adore the opening four-song suite. Having said that, I’m with you on Toxygene. I have never, ever tired of it. And I do think much of the flavor of this record has hints of dna of Orbvs Terrarvm.

[@soundinaroom3021]

I would say this is the one to try if you never heard the Orb before. Great album

[@thefinkie6459]

This was originally my favourite Orb album, but as time goes on, it has rather lost its appeal for me, while other projects like Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld began standing out more. There are still a LOT of tracks on here that I love: Toxygene, Pi, S.A.L.T., Passing Of Time and the hidden track Eros are my favourites... but other parts of the album do tend to get a little forgettable, partly due to the less structured nature of both the tracks and the album as a whole. Overall, though, this is an important point in the band's career, the last album to retain the very 90s spacey vibes but combining it with a more danceable, catchy, rhythmic sound.

[@davidhunter2824]

This album made me an orb fan. When I first heard this album, my initial thoughts were this: what the heck is this? However, after listening to this album a few times, Orblivion grew on me a lot and quickly became a personal favorite. The first half of the album sounds very quarky and bubbly with tracks like Delta MKII, Ubiquitly Asylum, Bedouin (a personal favorite track), then Molten Love (another interesting odd yet cool track). The next half of the album is where things start getting dark and mysterious starting with S.A.L.T. In the background of S.A.L.T., there is a guy talking about the apocalypse and even mentioning events from the book of revelations of the bible. Very interesting listening to S.A.L.T. Secrets is also very cool. This track has an interesting beat line which crosses a line between drum and bass and obscurity. In conclusion, this album is what got me hooked to listen to the Orb. I still go back and listen to this album today every once in a while🤘

[@AndrewGivens]

The reference to the influence of drum& bass's syncopated patterns is an interesting one. Good observation. Timewise, it makes enormous sense. I remember feeling, when I listened to this album brand-new in 97, how fresh and modern and contemporary it sounded, whilst still having that Orby edge of 'avant-garde-retro'. I think the influences of the then-current developments in dance music culture must have been laying there all along.

[@mikebailey783]

One of the first albums I bought, right about the time it came out in fact, and nearly wore out the tape (yep, didn't even have a CD player at this point!). I would just drift away into the dense and tangled layers. Toxygene is still one of my all-time favourite tracks generally, and sits right behind Little Fluffy Clouds as #2 in my top Orb tunes!

[@realmcorp]

Their most cohesive album in my view. Not my favourite but it really does flow seamlessly from start to end. The more concise structuring (7 ten-plus-minute tracks replaced with 12 shorter tracks) worked really well here... And I also admire how the Orb redefined their distinctive sound in the context of 1997 and Big Beat and drum and bass and so on, while still sounding enough like themselves. Because of all the samples and trippy effects, I can't think of another album that sounds similar. The melody of Ubiquity is just lovely (shame other tracks don't quite live up to that), and without this album I wouldn't have seen Naked... a dark film but a good one.

[@bugglebegger143]

the beat that drops halfway through "ubiquity" is one of the best beats ever made

[@audiovideo-w6o]

Great review, I still need to listen to this one. Toxygene is bonkers! Have your thoughts on Orbus Terrarum changed at all, for better or for worse?

[@TheWonkyAngle]

nah. pretty much stand by everything I said in that video

[@audiovideo-w6o]

@@TheWonkyAngle Hell yeah, based

[@thecosmicduck]

S.A.L.T. is incredible. That's the song I want to be listening to just before the asteroid strikes, and then Toxygene as I'm running through the rubble

[@Retade23]

Molten Love is the track that made me seriously fall in love with this album and get interested in electronic music when I was a kid. It really is gorgeous.

[@RobertLombardi04]

This Orb album is great. I don’t know if I would consider this one to be among their best albums. However, I love how they were trying something different in that they were going for more traditional track lengths instead of going for making very long tracks again.

[@a_silly_birb]

rain and hail. cans of beans. bread without butter. fried eggs, boiled eggs, poached eggs. peanut butter sandwiches. An invisible chicken in every pot.

[@bugglebegger143]

The Orb were so ahead of the curve on this record, it's incredible. The more I think about it, and re-listen to it... the whole thing is absolute sheer genius. It's literally shockingly brilliant, and kind of humbling as a musician. I consider myself pretty good at music and I can't quite comprehend how they came up with this and executed it at this level. There are geniuses involved on this, and it doesn't really make sense. I will say that this "form" of electronica fits my aesthetic tastes more than that of Autechre/AFX. And personally, I actually think it's more sophisticated in many ways than the aesthetic of The Tuss, for instance. You could really write an entire thesis on this concept explaining the aesthetic of Orb and trying to demonstrate the sophistication therein, but I don't have time for that. I would go so far as to say The Orb are potentially the best electronic group ever, or at least equal to Kraftwerk and Chemical Brothers/Prodigy.

[@kklak]

Great review! Personally I love the opening tracks, Ubiquity to Molten Love is the strongest stretch of tracks for me. Toxygene and Secrets are also excellent. Just wondering, have you listened to the tracks on the bonus disc on Spotify? A lot of them are longer and more ambient takes on Orblivion's tracks, closer to the style of Orbus Terrarum - including a chilled-out version of Secrets and a version of Molten Love that runs to twelve minutes (!!)

[@thefinkie6459]

The remix of Bedouin is magnificent.

[@matthewellis7002]

Ubiquity is my favorite from here, as well as Bedouin .... however the Shieks Film Mix of Bedouin (the one found on Orbscure Trax, not the one on disc 2 of the deluxe version of Orblivion) I like even more than this album version ...

[@halcyon_ytps6356]

The Orb behind the scenes is a wild fucking ride.

[@TheWonkyAngle]

also a headache lmao

[@ofacefan]

I'm incredibly biased to this album having seen them perform it at club carbon in NYC in 97 when it was released and it was mind bending experience. The beats, ambaint flow and dark synth with spatial movement of sound is like nothing else.

[@ceb7088]

Underrated orb album. Messy but not bad

[@bugglebegger143]

you're right about "Molten Love." I had been listening to this album for 10 years before I realized how genius that track is and its the best track on the album but I didn't feel that way as a kid. after getting into electronic music as an adult i went back to it and realized it's 10/10. I don't agree though about the first 4 tracks. it's my favorite Orb album because it was my first probably, but I think it's kind of underappreciated. "Delta MK II" is a masterpiece and so is "Ubiquity." 3 and 4 are good but not great. people who trash this album are complete fools, if anything it's the ultimate culmination of their pop songwriting and the trippy electronica they pioneered. it's one of the best albums of the 90s. you have to compare it against The Prodigy or Chemical Brothers more so than the purely drug oriented ambient works they did (which are also incredible, but I think overrated when compared to this which always gets the raw deal in comparison). also, as for the hidden tracks thing, as a kid I can promise it was mindblowing when you'd discover these easter eggs on albums. it just makes me respect them more - chem bros did the same thing at the end of Surredner. I'll never forget where and when i was the time i heard it, for real.

[@a_silly_birb]

I like this album but I don't love it. It has some of my favorite stuff like Secrets, Ubiquity and Toxygene. I'm not sure how many people think this, but I actually like Ubiquity even more than the one and only Toxygene depending on my mood. Also, the timing at 9:29 lol

[@Tyler-u8z2m]

Have you touched on the Auntie Aubrey pair of pairs?

[@nat2r]

Did you ever listen to the Venetian Snares & Daniel Lanois Collab?

[@coollifeawesomeyay]

are you ever going to do an LFO or Digitalism discography review?

[@StanleyLikesCyan]

I also have mixed feelings about this album, but I 100% prefer the first half to the second half. Ubiquity is my personal favourite. It's got such an interesting melody and percussion that I have to regard it as one of my favourite Orb songs of all time. Also is it just me or does Secrets sound like it was made with the Dolby sound intro?

[@Noggo1]

No Pomme Fritz review?

[@TheWonkyAngle]

that's going in the odds and ends

[@Noggo1]

@@TheWonkyAngle Hmm I consider it a full fledged album but still interested to hear you speak about it. It’s like The Orb’s “Ummagumma”

[@matthewellis7002]

@@Noggo1 true ... it is categorized as an official "studio (mini) album". mini though it is ... I can understand why and how Wonky puts it into the odds & ends ....

[@dsmyify]

This album was seen as a return to form for The Orb. Pomme Fritz, especially, and Orbus Terrarum weren't that well received, everyone just wanted another fluffy clouds. A lot of hang on fluffy cloud fans moved on to other bands. When Orblivion was released those that didn't move on really liked it... it was well received, an album with plenty of orbness. It's one of my favourites.

[@jonny9365]

Alr Tommy Mate?

[@callumpolaa.k.adjvinylrise2543]

The Wonky Angle's worst nightmare: david guetta

[@callumpolaa.k.adjvinylrise2543]

@@a_silly_birb yo reviewing a new david guetta album he's gonna quit trust XD

[@fliptheflunk]

wocky slush

[@brendawg207]

wonky slush

[@fliptheflunk]

wocky angle