The Orb
Musical groupWikipedia
17
MENTIONS
6
EPISODES
6
PODCASTS
Search complete. 17 mentions across 6 episodes found for "The Orb".
Sep 25, 2026
Jason BarnardHOST
I've got the great pleasure to welcome Martin Youth Glover here on the Strange Brew today to discuss his new project, Relics of Tree Worship in Dub.
Jason BarnardHOST
But of course, you'll be familiar with Youth's material, collaborating with the likes of Killing Joke, The Orb, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd and much more.
Jason BarnardHOST
And of course, we'll be covering all that today.
Jason BarnardHOST
So let's hear my chat with Youth.
12 MINS LATER
Martin GloverGUEST
Didn't make the cut, but I spent a whole week working with her and I was like peering into the future, really.
Martin GloverGUEST
Yeah, it was hugely influential music.
Martin GloverGUEST
And very soon after that, I managed to be able to buy my own sampler and little computer, Atari computer, and start composing and making beats at home, which led to The Orb and KLF and the Wow Mr. Modo label, all those records we did, I did on that technology.
Martin GloverGUEST
which then led to Acid House and Fluffy Clouds and all that.
NeilHOST
That's cool.
LukeHOST
Um, I saw you're touring with the orb later this year too.
LukeHOST
Um, yeah.
LukeHOST
Amazing.
Nick CameronHOST
the name of the record but actually no that's silly it is um orbs you ever heard of them
Duncan EvansHOST
orbs not the orb is it the orb there is the orb they're an electronic british duo electronic music yeah
Nick CameronHOST
yeah yeah i'm sorry it is the orb thank you duncan they're
Duncan EvansHOST
cool yeah i like them
Nick CameronHOST
you know they did an album david gilmore
David EastaughHOST
Yes.
David EastaughHOST
Did you, I mean, was it London Records then who started to sort of become intrigued in the band? I mean, this was kind of quite an interesting period during the sort of mid to late 80s, wasn't there? There was a definite sort of technology had changed so much in that time and then you started getting an awful lot more bands like A Guy Called Gerald and The Orb and 808 State and...
David EastaughHOST
a lot more electronic sound.
David EastaughHOST
So you must have been thinking, God, was every month you just going down to the electronic shop sort of instruments to find a new piece of kit? Yeah.
Noelle MidnightHOST
oh that's the wrong
Yael MidnightHOST
uh the album the orbs adventures beyond the ultra world from the band the orb
Noelle MidnightHOST
yeah tell me about this one because i heard part of it for sure
Yael MidnightHOST
Yeah, I don't remember how much of this you've heard or not.
Yael MidnightHOST
Actually, I'm not sure that that one did.
Yael MidnightHOST
Oh, really? That's just one that we wanted to listen to for a long time anyway.
Yael MidnightHOST
Bonobo came up, Tycho came up, and The Orb came up.
Yael MidnightHOST
And so I listened to those bands and a couple others, and I have found that ambient music in general is something that I generally really like, but...
GabeHOST
Another useful way to look at it is that Massive Attack drew inspiration from the expansive concept albums of the 70s for ways to tie all their disparate influences into one package.
GabeHOST
And not just Pink Floyd, like The Orb as we discussed on our last bonus episode, but also funk and jazz artists like Herbie Hancock and the cinematic soul of Isaac Hayes especially.
GabeHOST
Speaking of The Orb though, Blue Lines obviously came out the same year as Adventures Beyond the Ultra World, 1991.
GabeHOST
And a lot of our conversation about the context of that record applies here.
GabeHOST
Just like The Orb, Massive Attack wanted to elevate dance music for more serious headphone listening.
GabeHOST
As Daddy G explained, quote, what we were trying to do was create dance music for the head rather than the feet.
GabeHOST
So, if adventures can be thought of as the maybe start of the IDM revolution for rave, it might be fair to say the Blue Lines applied those IDM aesthetics to hip-hop, a genre that was still very dance-oriented back in 1991.
GabeHOST
I also think critic Simon Reynolds is onto something when he compares what The Orb were doing with what Massive Attack were doing by noting that the rave scene revolved around ecstasy, whereas the burgeoning trip-hop scene revolved around marijuana.