The Orb - Orboretum (4LP + 7”)

https://orb.tmstor.es/?lf=a5a126f1aa78d1aae1a13868e9fff883&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabPKt_ObncD3fJTwpOnLGqp8sUnUHoi2A0FtNLuSvPOprjTLRVrXRwDTVw_aem_kQeC6EulOmUpdJcfVwEOag

So UFOff but with a second CD of tracks that even long-term Orb fans like myself struggle to listen to  ('cept the Fehlmann ones)

From that preview it doesn't sound like any of the tracks have been re-mastered to hide the fact they've just been drag-and-dropped from Alex's music folder either (most noticeable during the transition from Aftermath with crazy lots of top end -> Little Fluffy Clouds sounding like a muffled pillow in comparison!)

Eh....give me an Orbus Terrarum repress already!!

i feel like if i bought this i’d have to completely change my lifestyle. persian rugs, robes, a manbun. 

…thinking it over

I cannot get over the artwork, it's like a car crash I can't look away from

I remember when The Orb were good.

Psydub album cover, ludicrous price tag on the vinyl version, a scattering of new mixes amidst stuff that's been released numerous times - even Alex admits it's less than a decade since their last best of in the press release - and the presence of material from some of their worst albums. Not gonna bother.

the orb maintain being the funniest fuckers. like.. this is such a joke of a release.

  On 9/5/2024 at 3:51 PM, purlieu said:

Psydub album cover, ludicrous price tag on the vinyl version, a scattering of new mixes amidst stuff that's been released numerous times - even Alex admits it's less than a decade since their last best of in the press release - and the presence of material from some of their worst albums. Not gonna bother.

Agreed. I looked through the track listing and on more than one occasion, I was like wtf? Really? 

Nothing from Chill Out, World! but it's fine because 'From a Distance' is on there.

  On 11/28/2024 at 1:30 AM, purlieu said:

Nothing from Chill Out, World! but it's fine because 'From a Distance' is on there.

Back when I saw the news on this and checked the track list I was also wondering that does someone actually like that track? Like is there some the Orb fan who actually listens to From A Distance repeatedly? It's the one Orb track I skip 100% of the time.

  On 11/28/2024 at 9:20 PM, zkom said:

Back when I saw the news on this and checked the track list I was also wondering that does someone actually like that track? Like is there some the Orb fan who actually listens to From A Distance repeatedly? It's the one Orb track I skip 100% of the time.

The vocals I can give or take but the rest is classic bouncy castle flailing Fehlmann

  On 11/29/2024 at 12:46 AM, mcbpete said:

The vocals I can give or take but the rest is classic bouncy castle flailing Fehlmann

Well, the vocals are really grating with whatever the hell is that super annoying vocoder. But personally it's the whole track starting from the rooster crow in the beginning, melodies, sounds and everything. And I like a lot of cheesy stuff but this track just rubs me exactly the wrong way for some reason. To me it sounds like someone was trying to make the most annoying piece of music on purpose, lol.

Think they're meant to be a throwback or homage to the first album - with the rooster being at 00.03 here

and the majority of the melody and background arp from this

It's up there with DDD and whatever those reggae songs on Prism were for my least favourite Orb tracks. Butchering of Adventures-era material, hideous melody and vocals.

  On 11/29/2024 at 10:52 AM, mcbpete said:

Think they're meant to be a throwback or homage to the first album - with the rooster being at 00.03 here

and the majority of the melody and background arp from this

 

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Yeah, after I wrote that I started to think that wasn't there a rooster also on Little Fluffy Clouds. But the rooster is way more abrasive on From A Distance. It's louder and higher pitch and just jump scares the ever living fuck out of me, especially if I had the left the volume high. Anyway, the whole track just doesn't sit with me But interesting to know it doesn't annoy other people to such an extent it does me, lol.

  On 11/29/2024 at 2:43 PM, purlieu said:

It's up there with DDD and whatever those reggae songs on Prism were for my least favourite Orb tracks. Butchering of Adventures-era material, hideous melody and vocals.

DDD is quite meh, but at least I can listen to it. I'm pretty sure I've finished From A Distance only once..

An interesting thing is that even the albums I consider pretty bad have some tracks that I like, like Dilmun from Bicycles and Tricycles and the Dream has Orbisonia. Maybe I should just make my own "best of.." compilation.

  On 11/29/2024 at 3:31 PM, zkom said:

like Dilmun from Bicycles and Tricycles

Absolute delight of a track, that and its neighbour on the album Kompania are the definite highlights of an otherwise very strangely paced/styled album

RE: From a distance, I notice there's two very different versions out there

The top result when searching on Youtube (never heard it before and it's very very bad!):

The version I know it as:

  On 11/29/2024 at 3:44 PM, mcbpete said:

Absolute delight of a track, that and its neighbour on the album Kompania are the definite highlights of an otherwise very strangely paced/styled album

RE: From a distance, I notice there's two very different versions out there

The top result when searching on Youtube (never heard it before and it's very very bad!):

The version I know it as:

 

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Yeah, I was talking about the first version

Which raised the question what the hell version of Bicycles and Tricycles I have because after Googling I realized normally the album contains the second version.. And it turns out I have the Japanese version which starts with the 12" Z Mix. Why in the fuck do I have the Japanese version? It was 22 years ago so I have no clue. lol

Edit: 22 years without realizing I have the significantly different Japanese version of this album

Oh, I know the regular Blast Master version and still think it's abysmal.

Ah well, at least this one isn't on it, unlike the last compilation they did

I don’t know about you guys with the downfall of Orb since I enjoyed a few tracks here and there in the 10’s but I feel like Orb on Kompakt is underrated 

can you repeat the word rolo