The Orb - The Dream

Finally released in the US! Includes the Japanese bonus track, 'Let the Music Set You Free'. The Orb, the electronica outfit that virtually invented the genre known as "ambient house" returns with a new album marking a long-awaited reunion between eternal mainstay Dr Alex Paterson & lifelong friend and original sonic conspirator Youth ("Little Fluffy Clouds," Killing Joke). Dream was created without pressure from record companies or the studio. As with previous albums, the basic Orb nucleus is joined by guest singers and players, including System 7's Steve Hillage (Gong), who goes back to the earliest recordings, Battersea toaster-singer Eric Walker aka "The Corporal" and vocalists Aki Omori [Japanese singer who appeared on 2001's "Cydonia"], singer Andy Caine from the W.A.U.! days, and renowned soulstress Juliet Roberts. Album Description

it's a beautiful day for listening to The Orb

This review is written for people who know and love The Orb and who have either recently purchased this album or are about to purchase it...

I was extremely excited after reading the AMG review of this album, that it was a "return to their true form." I had heard Veja De a couple of times, and saw its video on youtube and really liked it. I got the album as soon as it was available here in the US, and listened to the whole thing and was initially disappointed. There was some "WTF" going on in my mind during some of the tracks. I really thought it to be pretty mediocre. The first few listens, I was left feeling, like, "hmmm. Oh well, whatever..."

But I kept popping it in every now and then..

It takes some listening to, before the beauty of this album really kicks in. Listen to it, listen to it, listen to it. It's great. Buy it and just listen to it at least once a week for two or three months, and it'll prove it worthiness. I do not think that it comes close to being their best, yet. But, it is definitely, The Orb. And better than I thought after the first few listens. It's a beautiful Orb album with all of The Orb accouterments. And because it's The Orb, it becomes very enjoyable. So listen, listen, listen, so that it will become enjoyable. Long live The Orb! November 7, 2008

Not groundbreaking, but fun!

The Orb, in my opinion, is still the most important band to come out of the 'electronica' or whatever you want to call it, movement. This new cd is definitely a step back for them, ie, a return to their early days instead of exploring new directions, but that's ok, it's all big beats, weird samples, lots of dub influences, etc. It's an incredibly fun record to listen to, and you will not be disppointed by it. Groundbreaking, no, not this Orb album. But a great listen, definitely. Kudos to Alex and his current compatriots for a great disc! Hope there is a US tour!!! September 8, 2008

dubwise surprise

I had no idea Alex P. and crew had a new one out, and I grabbed this on a whim based on the beautiful art work and the fact this is the Orb we're talking about here. As with a good many Orb releases (and there are many), this one is a long player and like a good meal, took a while to digest. After the somewhat boring Kompakt release (unless you like the sparser, minimal techno sound), I wasn't sure what to expect. It really sunk in after about three listens and now I find myself going back to certain tracks over and over again. One of them, the stand out in my opinion, is track six, called "the truth is...", which is one of the most moving, gorgeous vocal tracks the orb has ever crafted since Cydonia's "Once More". "Mother Nature" is a biting, dance-friendly soca-dub track, reminiscent of material from The Bug. The whole album stays together well despite varying styles, with powerful, grooving dub-basslines as the glue. Things close out with some sparser, more subtle ambient material, somewhat reminiscent of work from The Black Dog's recent "Silenced" release.

Unlike some people, I've never been put off by the vocals used in the more song-oriented material, and despite what some people are saying, I'm not hearing anything resembling your typical, run-of-the mill radio r n b diva. The Orb have always been like a big musical sponge, sopping up sounds from everywhere and anywhere and ringing them all out into something new and imaginative, influencing others along the way. You have to respect Alex P. and the gang for experimenting while staying true to the Orb's roots and succeeding. July 31, 2008

still dreaming

After the radical re-invention of Okey Dokey, it comes as something of a surprise that The Orb would re-visit their early years. At the same time, they attempted this before on Cydonia, with lesser results. Being 15 tracks on one disc, this is clearly not a return to the spacious dream-like drift of Ultraworld or U.F.Orb. Instead it's a distillation of that sound into the pop realm. Not that anything here will race up the charts; neither is it a redux of the dance-oriented Orblivion. This is basically another go at Cydonia, done better this time.

I didn't like Cydonia, but this album works much better. I'd rather give it 3.5 stars, but I can't bring myself to knock it down to 3, so I've selected 4 instead. While I'm disappointed to find The Orb repeating themselves, at least they chose their best era to revisit. July 21, 2008

Best album of the year

I'm thrilled about "The Dream"! I had heard it was a return to the old Orb we all loved so much, but wasn't expecting it to be as good as it is! It hasn't left my car CD player in over a week!

I've followed the Orb religiously since I discovered them in 1993 (my first listen was the then just released "Live Orb 93"). I'm an old school electronic music fiend, having been raised on Brian Eno, Cluster, Kraftwerk, etc. The Orb is one of the truly great electronic artists of all time, and I've loved almost everything they've done. The only low points for me were "Pomme Fritz" and "Cydonia" (although some of the tracks are killer). My top favourites in the Orb oeuvre are "U.F.Orb" and "Orblivion."

"The Dream" is now on that top favourite shelf. Cohesive and flowing from start to finish, this album is chock full of strong dub grooves, voice samples and trippy soundscapes which is the essence of The Orb's signature sound. There's not a weak track anywhere in sight. Absolutely their best album since 1997's "Orblivion", I highly recommend "The Dream." July 18, 2008

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