Electronic Sound July 2015 (Regular Edition) | Page 18

ALBUM REVIEWS

more contemporary feel emerges here
and there. Perhaps there’s a new-found
confidence in, say, the acid bent of
‘Moonscapes 2703 AD’, which comes as
a pleasant surprise, albeit one that’s still
safely contained within the tried and
tested formula. The same goes for the
subtle marimba-like exotica of ‘Lunar
Caves’, which at nine minutes is the
shortest track of this four-piece set.

THE ORB

Moonbuilding 2703 AD
KOMPAKT

The Orb return to Kompakt for
another ambient and psychedelic
aural labyrinth
More than 25 years down the
(Transcentral) line from their ‘Adventures
Beyond The Ultraworld’ debut, complete
with the unforgettable ‘Little Fluffy
Clouds’, The Orb float on with their 13th
studio album sounding, well, a lot like
The Orb, but also a touch sharper than
they have for a good while.
Working without their old mate Youth
this time, ‘Moonbuilding 2703 AD’ finds
Orb mainstay Alex Paterson and his
long-time collaborator Thomas Fehlman
returning to the German Kompakt label
and thankfully leaving behind any weak
dubsteppy efforts to “get down wi dem
yout’”. Instead, at least for the most part,
the pair concentrate on a more genuinely
ambient and psychedelic voyage to the
stars.
Many of the familiar themes are present
– the sampled ‘Hitchhikers Guide’-esque
RP voices, squiggly shortwave radio
interference, dub-paced depth-charge
bass, chugging locomotive beats and
blissed-out sonic curlicues – though as
the record progresses something of a

So, yes, there’s nothing here to frighten
the horses. Mid-tempo, as ever, is as
lively as it gets; a pace that will suit
today’s post-club lava-lampers and
sofa-bound inner space explorers just as
well as it did for those of yore. That said
though, there may also be something
too cloyingly nostalgic about several
sequences, even for old hands, the
funked-up Café Del Mar lounge feel of
the title track in particular.
The more dub and prog-inclined devotees
of what Youth generally brings to the
ultraworld party – especially those who
enjoyed the batty hook-ups with Lee
“Scratch” Perry on 2012’s ‘The Orbserver
In The Star House’ and the subsequent

‘More Tales From The Orbservatory’
– may find themselves yearning for
something a little more stoned in tone.
The same can probably be said for
anyone surprised by the stellar turn Pink
Floyd’s David Gilmour put in on 2010’s
‘Metallic Spheres’, which inevitably
piqued greater interest than pretty much
anything since ‘Adventures Beyond…’ and
which no doubt introduced The Orb to a
different audience.
‘Moonbuilding 2703 AD’ also comes as
a deluxe vinyl version and if you go the
extra mile and purchase this, you’re
unlikely to feel short-changed by your
additional outlay. In fact, you may well
find yourself appreciating the braver
bonus tracks more than anything in the
core set. ‘Moon Quake 6’ delightfully
samples Demis Roussos’ ‘Forever And
Ever’, while ‘Dilla’s Moon Quake’ deftly
introduces deconstructed hip hop beats
along with edgy jazz elements. Both
tracks hopefully point the way forward to
a more experimental follow-up.
CARL GRIFFIN