| Refreshing and reinventing the predominantly two-man set up, as Alex Paterson did on the prior two albums (Moonbuilding 2703 AD and COW / Chill Out World!) with Thomas Fehlmann, the new album No Sounds… is intentionally an ensemble piece, featuring a large cast of big names, cult heroes, rising talent and fresh newcomers with includes such seminal heavy-hitting musicians as Youth, Roger Eno, Hollie Cook, Guy Pratt and heroic bassist Jah Wobble, who returns to the fold following the bassbin-bullying anthem “Blue Room”.
Additional supporting roles come from Gaudi, Roney FM and Michael Rendall, plus vocalists Brother Culture, Mary Pearce, Emma Gillespie, Rianna, and Andy Cain – who’s best known for voicing Mark Ernestus and Moritz Von Oswald’s deep house gems “I’m Your Brother” and “A New Day”.
Heralded as a triumphant return to form, No Sounds… has been heralded by the media including Clash Magazine (“No Sounds Are Out Of Bounds’ jovial attitude towards its own self-existence makes for an endearing listen that’ll no doubt flourish over time”), All Music Guide (“the tracks range from some of the Orb’s poppiest, most accessible songs yet to lengthy ambient dub epics, all peppered with the group’s trademark offbeat, humorous samples”), and Q (“…re-establishes them as sculptors of heavy-but-humourous CD-length aural odysseys”).
Really, The Orb should need no introduction by now, but in essence they’re a rotating cast of members with Paterson at the helm that began in 1988 and still thrives to this day. They were there since UK acid house day one, providing a unique ambient take on the musical milieu and soon rising to chart-topping, huge-venue-headlining prominence. They’ve released 17 albums plus EPs, singles, compilations and live recordings, influencing countless other musicians along the way. |
