The Orb’s debut double album, Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld, virtually created the ambient house genre when it was released in 1991. Designed by founder “Dr” Alex Paterson, with musicians including Jimmy Cauty of the KLF to give ravers a sound to “chill out” to after a long night’s dancing, it remains a masterpiece of ambient effects, British humour and dub, with an echo of the conceptual ambition of Pink Floyd.
Paterson has collaborated with a wide range of musicians since then, recently including reggae legend Lee “Scratch” Perry and Ghanian drum troupe Kakatsitsi, but he has performed live essentially as a DJ, dropping samples of early classics over more contemporary dance beats or playing remixes. At the start of a 25th anniversary tour in Brighton it was a shame he had little more than this to offer a sold-out crowd.
It may be too much to expect Paterson to attempt the epic reach of his defining moments a quarter of a century later, but he did not use his legacy in an inventive fashion or build past glories into anything more than a decent house night for ageing clubbers. His recordings may remain interesting, but this was disappointing.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here