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U.F.Orb

 
Album Review: U.F.Orb
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U.F.Orb

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Similar Albums:

Double Fine Zone, Accelerator, Flying High, 76:14, Excursions in Ambience: Third Dimension, Selected Ambient Works 85-92, Microgravity, Every Man and Woman Is a Star, Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld, Chill Out
  • Artist: The Orb
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: 1992 03
  • Total Time: 73:55
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Electronica

Review

The commercial and artistic peak of the ambient-house movement, U.F.Orb strides past the debut with more periods of free-form ambience and less reliance on a standard 4/4 beat. From the opening "O.O.B.E." through the bass-heavy gait of "Blue Room" and "Towers of Dub," the flow is more natural and ranges farther than most would have expected. The bevy of contributors (including Steve Hillage, Jah Wobble, Youth, Thomas Fehlmann, and Slam) never threatens to overload the proceedings, though the minimalist sampling of Ultraworld is replaced by a production focus much more dense and busy, especially on the "rain forest on Saturn" ethno-ambience of "Close Encounters." Elsewhere, Paterson maintains his fascination with the earthy dub basslines of Mad Professor and Lee Perry, even while he's indulging in flights of fancy indebted to Sun Ra. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
O.O.B.E. Dr. Alex Paterson, Kris Weston, Thomas Fehlmann The Orb (12:51)
U.F.Orb Dr. Alex Paterson, Kris Weston The Orb (6:08)
Blue Room Steve Hillage, Miquette Giraudy, Jah Wobble, Dr. Alex Paterson, Kris Weston The Orb (17:34)
Towers of Dub Dr. Alex Paterson, Kris Weston, Thomas Fehlmann The Orb (15:00)
Close Encounters Dr. Alex Paterson, Kris Weston, Orde Meikle The Orb (10:27)
Majestic Youth, Dr. Alex Paterson, Kris Weston The Orb (11:06)
Sticky End Dr. Alex Paterson, Kris Weston The Orb (:49)

Credits

Steve Hillage (Guitar), Steve Hillage (Producer), The Orb (Producer), The Orb (Main Performer), Youth (Producer), Miquette Giraudy (?), Tom Green (Flute), Greg Hunter (Engineer), Greg Hunter (?), Jah Wobble (Bass), Jah Wobble (Programming), Victor Lewis-Smith (?), Dr. Alex Paterson (Producer), Dr. Alex Paterson (Engineer), Marney Pax (Harmonica), Marney Pax (?), Guy Pratt (Bass), Scruff (Assistant Engineer), Thrash (Producer), Thrash (Engineer), Thrash (?), Aisha (Vocals), Thomas Fehlmann (?), Stuart McMillan (?), Orde Meikle (?), LX (?)
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Wikipedia: U.F.Orb
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
U.F.Orb
Studio album by The Orb
Released March 1992 (1992-03)
October 1, 2007 (2007-10-01) (15th Anniversary Edition)
Recorded ?
Genre Ambient techno
Ambient house
Length 73:55
Label Big Life
Producer Orb, Steve Hillage, Youth
Professional reviews
The Orb chronology
The Orb's Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld
(1992)		 U.F.Orb
(1992)		 Live 93
(1993)

U.F.Orb is the second studio album by ambient house/techno group The Orb that reached #1 on the UK Album Chart. It featured an edited version of The Orb's single "Blue Room". Noted graphic design group The Designers Republic designed the cover art for the album.

Orb member Kris Weston integrated his technical and creative expertise with Alex Paterson's Eno-influenced ambience on U.F.Orb, creating "drum and bass rhythms" with "velvet keyboards" and "rippling synth lines".[2] U.F.Orb reached #1 on the UK Albums Chart to the shock of critics, who were surprised that fans had embraced what journalists considered to be progressive rock.[3] Heavily influenced by The Orb and U.F.Orb in particular, many trip-hop groups sprang up emulating The Orb's "chill-out blueprint".[4] U.F.Orb expresses The Orb's fascination with alien life with its bizarre sound samples and in the album's title itself.[5] The album's single, "Blue Room", is itself a reference to the supposed Blue Room of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which was heavily investigated as a possible UFO evidence holding room.[6]

One highlight of the album is "Blue Room", an near 17-minute piece, that features bass playing by Jah Wobble and guitar by coproducer Steve Hillage. The full version of the song is 40 minutes and was released as a single.

The initial UK vinyl release featured a limited edition which came in a sealed blue heavy PVC cover and featured two art prints and a bonus 12" of the soundtrack to the film The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld: Patterns and Textures.

On October 1, 2007 (2007-10-01), the album was reissued on two CDs as part of Universal Music's "Collector's Series". Although all the tracks are remastered, its release is to coincide with 15th anniversary of the album's release. The second CD includes remixes from the singles released around the period of the original album.
"Blue Room" (1992)
Clip from the single "Blue Room".
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Contents

Track listing

Original album

Side one

  1. "O.O.B.E." – 12:51
  2. "U.F.Orb" – 6:08

Side two

  1. "Blue Room" – 17:34

Side three

  1. "Towers of Dub" – 15:00

Side four

  1. "Close Encounters" – 10:27
  2. "Majestic" – 11:06
  3. "Sticky End" – 0:49

15th Anniversary Edition

CD: Universal / 5300703

Orbit One: U.F. Orb

  1. "O.O.B.E." – 12:51
  2. "U.F.Orb" – 6:08
  3. "Blue Room" – 17:34
  4. "Towers of Dub" – 15:00
  5. "Close Encounters" – 10:27
  6. "Majestic" – 11:06
  7. "Sticky End" – 0:49

Orbit Two: Remixes

  1. "O.O.B.E." (Andy Hughes Mix) - 11:58
  2. "Towers Of Dub" (Ambient Mix) - 10:14
  3. "Blue Room" (Ambient At Mark Angelos Mix) - 8:57
  4. "Close Encounters" (Ambient Mix 1) - 12:49
  5. "Majestic" (Mix 1) - 11:52
  6. "Assassin" (Chocolate Hills Of Bohol Mix) - 14:37

References

  1. ^ Svetkey, Benjamin (December 4, 1992). "u.f.orb: Music Review:Entertainment Weekly". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,312579,00.html. Retrieved August 23, 2009. 
  2. ^ Prendergast, Mark (2003). The Ambient Century: From Mahler to Moby-The Evolution of Sound in the Electronic Age. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. pp. 407–412. ISBN 1-58234-323-3. 
  3. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (1993-04-09). "Breakdown". The Guardian. 
  4. ^ Shapiro, Peter (1999). The Rough Guide to Drum 'n' Bass. Rough Guides. pp. 327–329. ISBN 1-85828-433-3. 
  5. ^ Holthouse, David (1997-04-30). "Eye of the Orb". Phoenix New Times. 
  6. ^ Sandall, Robert (1992-07-12). "Hippie dippie draw". The Times. 

External links


Preceded by
Back to Front by Lionel Richie		 UK number one album
July 18, 1992 – July 24, 1992		 Succeeded by
Greatest Hits: 1966-1992 by Neil Diamond
v • d • e
The Orb
Alex Paterson • Thomas Fehlmann
Jimmy Cauty • Kris Weston • Simon Phillips • Andy Hughes • John Roome
Main albums
Related articles
Youth • The KLF • Space • FFWD • Badorb.com • Transit Kings

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
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