Scratching the Circle

The Orb should be well known to all. The group was riginally formed by Jimmy Cauty (of The KLF) & Alex Paterson in 1988 as a project to explore their fondness for ambient music, Dub, soundscapes, & science fiction. They became pioneers of the early-90s "ambient house" genre. Over the years Alex has been the only consistent member, whose other notables have included Thrash (Kim Weston) & Thomas Fehlmann. Closely associated with the Orb & at many times a guiding voice isYouth (a.k.a. Martin Glover). He co-owned the label WAU! Mr. Modo Recordings along with Alex. 

 

The Orb's electro-ambient house first meets Lee 'Scratch' Perry's ethereal, cosmic Dub in 2012s Orbserver in the Star House. This coming together of two disparate stylings works so well primarily because of the balance the Orb are able to strike between their own unique minimal house sound & adapting to accommodate Lee's Dub roots.

The Orb were prepared with a few base tracks & a bare-bones idea when they walked into the studio before meeting Lee for the first time back in 2004. But Perry had his own creative ideas.The Orbsters quickly found the limited number of tracks they had previously laid down to be insufficient to record all the ideas Lee inspired.

They proceeded to craft the rest of the record there in the studio in the truest form of collaboration. The Observer sits in the Star House & calls it out like he sees it,

This collaboration between The Orb & Lee 'Scratch' Perry take many twists & turns. The original release really works as Perry's unique voice melds perfectly with the tracks. It is not ambient Orb, but Dub Orb. 

 

The Orb featuring Lee 'Scratch' Perry - The Observer in the Star House,
The End Records TE289-2, 2012.
all decryption codes in comments

Ball of Fire    
H.O.O.    
Man in the Moon    
Soulman    
Golden Clouds    
Hold Me Upsetter    
Go Down Evil    
Thirsty    
Police & Thieves    
Ashes    
Congo

 

 

More Tales offers up six new tracks & five addition instrumental versions.

 

The Orb featuring Lee Scratch Perry - More Tales from the Observatory,
Cooking Vinyl COOKCD587, 2013.

Fussball
Africa
Tight Interlude
Making Love in Dub
No Ice Age
Don't Rush I
Fussball (Instrumental)
Africa (instrumental)
Making Love in Dub (instrumental)
No Ice Age (instrumental)
Don't Rush I (instrumental)

 

 

 

 

This next offering is the instrumental incarnation of the ambient noodlers The Orb & reggae producer Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Orbserver in the Star House with instrumental versions of the original eleven track with an additional 12 tracks of remixes of "Golden Clouds", "Soulman", & "Ball of Fire".

 

 

The Orb featuring Lee Scratch Perry - Observing the Star House in Dub, The End Records, 2013.

Ball Of Fire (instrumental)    
H. O. O. (instrumental)    
Man in the Moon (instrumental)    
Soulman (instrumental)    
Golden Clouds (instrumental)    
Hold Me Upsetter (instrumental)    
Go Down Evil (instrumental)    
Thirsty (instrumental)    
Police & Thieves (instrumental)    
Ashes (instrumental)    
Congo (instrumental)    
Golden Clouds (Youth Gigantic Dreadnaught Dub mix)
Golden Clouds (Oicho remix)
Golden Clouds (Blue Space White Cloud 81Neutronz remix)
Golden Clouds (Youth Nous Sommes Tous en Situation Irreguliere ambient mix)
Soulman (Villod remix)
Soulman (reshaped by Pole)
Soulman (Gaudi remix)
Ball of Fire (Deadbeat Nyah Version)
Ball of Fire (Deadbeat Nyah Dub)
Ball of Fire (Dabrye remix)
Ball of Fire (Mad Professor 'I Need Balls' Version)
Ball of Fire (Mad Professor Dub mix)

Enjoy,
NØ