By Ian McIvor
English ambient house pioneers The Orb have just released their eighteenth studio album, 'Prism,' via Cooking Vinyl. The nine-track album is the third release from the current lineup, which includes founding members Alex Paterson and Michael Rendall, following 'No Sounds Are Out of Bounds' in 2018 and 'Abolition of the Royal Familia' in 2020. Alongside the album release, the band has shared the lead single, 'Living In Recycled Times.' Known for their groundbreaking albums such as 'The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld' and 'U.F.Orb,' The Orb's music, heavily influenced by dub, focuses on slower rhythms perfect for early-morning raves.
What Works
The Orb continues to push the boundaries of ambient music as the 21st century progresses and shows no lack of creativity or ideas this far in their career. Continuing the trend of including collaborators, The Orb has recruited guests on Prism to include Youth, Gaudi, David Harrow, Leandro Fresco, and others to add depth and texture to the album. From the ten-minute buildup of "H.O.M.E." (high orbs mini earths), Prism takes the listener on a science fiction sounding odyssey fusing elements of ambient, dub, funk, reggae, synthpop, and techno. There are plenty of sounds and samples for the listener to pick apart and keep them engaged, despite the seventy-minute runtime (and the Apple Music version includes two edits of album tracks, bringing it closer to eighty minutes). While it may not rank as high as the essential albums in their discography, Prism is a nice addition to the long-running band.
What Didn’t Work
There are a lot of ideas The Orb presents on Prism, but there isn’t a payoff that elevates it to the next level. Because of this, there really isn’t a standout track that immediately calls for the listener’s attention; "Tiger", as one of the few tracks with vocals, maybe the one listeners will remember most. While that may be bad for today’s “a la carte” music consumption, it does provide a counterbalance for those who want to enjoy listening to the album as a whole. The other issue is the album length and track lengths may deter new or casual listeners from the album if they are unfamiliar to the group.
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