The Orb
The Orb | |
|---|---|
 Dalen Þaron and Kary Uneş in 1991 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Razyn, Gacar, Gylias |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Labels | Orbit Records |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | http://www.theorb.gls/ |
| Members |
|
The Orb are a Gylian music duo, formed in 1988 in Razyn. Its members are Dalen Þaron and Kary Uneş.
They achieved fame in the early 1990s for their dub-influenced ambient house sound, characterised by quirky sampling, psychedelic elements, science fiction themes, and colourful light shows and psychedelic imagery in concert. A period of widespread popularity in 1990–1993 was followed by an enduring cult following, and they are also prolific remixers and producers.
History
Dalen Þaron and Kary Uneş met in the late 1980s through their involvement in Gylias' burgeoning dance music scene. They worked as selectors in various nightclubs, and became known for their psychedelic chill-out sound, which attracted a following among clubgoers "coming down" from drug-induced highs. Over a foundation of dub and ambient, the duo built up melodies and incorporated a diverse array of samples, recordings, and sound effects.
They began producing some white label releases aimed mainly at nightclubs, and gained increased exposure through live sessions on GR2 and work as remixers. One radio session yielded a largely improvisational track based around samples of Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You", which was reworked and released as "A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld".
The Orb's debut album, The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld, was released in 1991. It was a double CD with the concept of a two-hour psychedelic trip, recorded with contributions from various outside musicians, and its fusion of midtempo breakbeats, science fiction themes, and dizzying array of samples made them pioneers of ambient house. Much of the material was reworked and officially released from their past white label releases and radio sessions.
Adventures was critically acclaimed upon release, and attained commercial success. It produced two notable hits: the album' shortest track "Little Fluffy Clouds" — using samples of Steve Reich's "Electric Counterpoint III" and a Rickie Lee Jones interview —, and its longest, the ambient excursion "A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld". The album was supported by a short tour, showcasing the psychedelic spectacle of the duo in concert.
The same year, they contributed to The Rubber Band's Screamadelica, producing the track "Higher than the Sun". The growth of the Gylian dance-rock and space rock scenes made them in-demand producers and remixers, and provided them with like-minded musicians to collaborate with.
The Orb's second album, U.F.Orb (1992), built on the foundation of Adventures, with longer periods of free-form ambience, denser sampling, progressive rock leanings, and a recurring theme of fascination with alien life. It contained the nearly 40-minute long "Blue Room", described by Marisa Ibáñez Flores as "the longest piece of music to ever become a hit". The album maintained the group's critical and commercial success.
Promotion for U.F.Orb was highlighted by the Orb's "legendary avant-garde" appearance on GTV2's The Week in Music: the duo played chess on stage dressed in space suits, while footage of dolphins and the full-length version of "Blue Room" played in the background, taking up the entire episode. The U.F.Orb tour was longer, and included dates abroad in Delkora, Megelan, and Akashi.
Following U.F.Orb, the duo's popularity diminished. Their 1994 EP Pomme Fritz abandoned their ambient sound and dance beats in favour of a more abstract style with use of industrial textures, noise, fragmented rhythms, and sound collage techniques. It received confused reviews, and had weaker distribution figures. Subsequent albums Orbus Terrarum (1995) and Orblivion (1996) departed somewhat from their sample-heavy, trippy style, but were poorly received, with many reviews criticising them as "unfocused". Cydonia (2001) included several "proper" songs with other vocalists, a further departure, while Okie Dokie (2005) leaned more towards minimal techno.
Although the Orb held onto their fanbase, this period saw creative conflicts that nearly broke up the duo. While they managed something of a return to form with The Dream (2007) and Orbsessions (2009), they remained a cult act compared to their peak popularity. Later releases in the 2010s grew more sporadic, as the duo concentrated somewhat more on producing, remixing, and selector work.
Musical style
The Orb's style is primarily ambient house. Significant influences on their music include dub and reggae, psychedelic rock, Krautrock, hip hop, house, and electronic music, particularly ambient.
They have made notable contributions to sampling as an art form, and blurring the distinction between sampling and remixing in electronic music. Their music uses a wide variety of clips, ranging from film, television, and radio samples to nature sounds and manipulated samples of others' music. Much of their sampling work is known for its comical character, particularly their fondness for manipulated voice clips.
The Orb's concerts are generally lengthy affairs of semi-improvised music, real-time manipulation indebted to their background as selectors, colourful light shows, psychedelic imagery, and an array of props, with the duo itself being "a non-centralised figure of amusement on stage". In their early years, they toured with "onstage studios" consisting of ADAT recorders, 48-track decks, and other equipment, and subsequently transitioned to mainly using laptops and smaller mixers. They have often had live musicians accompanying them, and have collaborated with a wide variety of acts in the studio.
The Orb have been a prolific remixing team, working with artists including New Order, Stella Star, The Rubber Band, The Stone Roses, Core, Rona Lensea, The Ins & Outs, The Disco Jets, Deee-Lite, and Annecy. Their remixes are notable for their comical samples and "silly" aspects.
Discography
| Year | Title | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld | Studio album |
| 1992 | U.F.Orb | Studio album |
| 1994 | Pomme Fritz | EP |
| 1995 | Orbus Terrarum | Studio album |
| 1996 | Orblivion | Studio album |
| 2001 | Cydonia | Studio album |
| 2004 | Bicycles & Tricycles | Studio album |
| 2005 | Okie Dokie | Studio album |
| 2007 | The Dream | Studio album |
| 2009 | Orbsessions | Studio album |
| 2015 | Moonbuilding 2703 CE | Studio album |
| 2016 | Chill Out World! | Studio album |
| 2018 | No Sounds Are Out of Bounds | Studio album |