Still keeping us guessing

HOT on the heels of their critically acclaimed album, No Sounds Are Out Of Bounds, longstanding electronic titans The Orb are coming to Newcastle on their UK tour. In celebration of 30 fun-filled years, the show will feature an anniversary greatest hits set highlighting the best of The Orb, alongside debuting tracks from the new album.

The Orb has a rotating cast of members helmed by Alex Paterson. 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. Always exploring the outer reaches of sound, over the years The Orb’s humour-tinged output has encompassed ambience, electronica, house, techno, dub, global sounds and, in recent years, hip hop and minimalist composition. They’ve released 17 albums plus EPs, singles, compilations and live recordings, influencing countless other musicians along the way.

No Sounds is an ensemble piece, featuring a large cast of big names, cult heroes, rising talent and fresh newcomers. Alex Paterson, Thomas Fehlmann, Youth, Roger Eno, Hollie Cook and Guy Pratt take star turns, as does bassist Jah Wobble, who returns to the fold following bassbin-bullying anthem Blue Room.

“I wanted to try something with more musicians and more voices, more contributors essentially - similar to the conditions our first album Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld were recorded in”, explains Alex. “Thomas and I made two streamlined, techno-style albums for Kompakt which I love, but this time I wanted to bring in other elements that will keep people guessing."

* The Orb, Riverside, Newcastle, October 13. W: riversidenewcastle.co.uk