Jim Pinckney encounters an impressive set of space bound sounds from The Orb.
The unlikely alliance between the impertinent, gently hooligan-esque Londoner Alex Patterson, and the precise and meticulous Swiss-German techno and electronica producer, Thomas Fehlmann, as the mainstays of The Orb, has been ongoing for over two decades, though far too often in recent years the end results have been underwhelming. Most recently collaborations with Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, and long time associate and former Crowded House producer Youth, or reggae’s once legendary Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, have failed to fully fire, with sporadic moments of inspiration hidden amongst screeds of seemingly unedited jamming and noodling. With just four tracks on Moonbuilding 2703 AD, three of them clocking in at over 13 minutes, some staying power and persistence is required. However there’s a spirit and purpose on these new recordings that has felt like its been missing in recent times.
Songs Played: God’s Mirrorball, Moon Scrapes 2703 BC, Lunar Caves, Moonbuilding 2703 AD
