Cydonia (album)

Last updated

Cydonia
Orb-Cydonia.jpg
Studio album by
The Orb
Released27 February 2001
Recorded1998
Genre
Length68:38
Label
Producer
The Orb chronology
Orblivion
(1997)		Cydonia
(2001)		 Bicycles & Tricycles
(2004)

Cydonia is the fifth studio album by English electronic music duo the Orb. It was released on 27 February 2001 in the United Kingdom by Island Records and in the United States by MCA Records. Members Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann, along with usual collaborators Andy Hughes, Nick Burton, and Simon Phillips, wrote and produced the album for a planned 1999 release. [1] Featured on the album are Robert Fripp, John Roome, and Fil Le Gonidec, who had previously only worked with the Orb in live performances.

Contents

Production

Unlike previous Orb albums, Cydonia featured several 'proper' songs with vocals, which critics felt did not sound similar to Orb songs. [2] Singers Nina Walsh and Aki Omori appeared on two tracks each on Cydonia, providing vocals and co-writing lyrics with Paterson, who felt that this new direction for the Orb was more similar to the experimental work of Orbus Terrarum, rather than the poppish techno of Orblivion. [3]

The Orb produced two CDs worth of material for the album and eventually cut it down for the final release. However, to the displeasure of Paterson, large portions of both CDs were leaked through Napster. [4] As Island Records was trapped in major-label-restructuring limbo because of its recent merger between the MCA and PolyGram families that created Universal Music Group, Cydonia was not released until 2001. [4] [5] "It's a strange situation," Paterson noted at the time, "I'm getting more contact out of my pet terrapins than I am out of my record company." [6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 64/100 [7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Alternative Press Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Dotmusic 6/10 [10]
Muzik Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [11]
NOW Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
NME 3/10 [13]
Pitchfork 6.1/10 [14]
Release Magazine 6/10 [15]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"Ghostdancing" (2001)
Clip from "Ghostdancing" of the trip hop and drum and bass influenced Cydonia.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Upon release, critics noted that Cydonia merged pop, trance, and ambient-dub, which they felt to be a conglomeration of bland vocals and uninventive ambience. [5] [18] NME harshly described it as "a stillborn relic, flawed throughout by chronically stunted ambitions" and describing its only appropriate audience to be "old ravers" seeking nostalgia. [19] With the album came the single "Once More" featuring remixes from Bedrock and Mark Pritchard. Paterson believed that "Centuries", another vocal piece from Cydonia, was also worth releasing as a single, but Island chose to wait and see how successful the album was before making a final decision. [4] Not only did the album receive poor reviews, but the Orb was frequently regarded by the UK press as past the peak years of the creative years, being an "ambient dinosaur" out of place in the current dance music environment. [18] [20] After the release of Cydonia, Hughes left the group, becoming "another acrimonious departure from The Orb". [21]

Track listing

Pre-release version

  1. "Once More" – 4:42
  2. "Promis" – 5:27
  3. "Ghostdancing" – 7:29
  4. "Turn It Down" – 8:44
  5. "Mile Long Lump of Lard" - 8:28
  6. "Ralf" - 7:40
  7. "Freely Wheely" - 7:22
  8. "Yungle" - 10:34
  9. "Terminus" - 10:58

UK edition

  1. "Once More" – 4:17
  2. "Promis" – 5:27
  3. "Ghostdancing" – 7:29
  4. "Turn It Down" – 8:38
  5. "Egnable" – 1:59
  6. "Firestar" – 0:46
  7. "A Mile Long Lump of Lard" – 6:21
  8. "Centuries" – 4:22
  9. "Plum Island" – 5:22
  10. "Hamlet of Kings" – 7:56
  11. "1.1.1" – 0:36
  12. "EDM" – 4:12
  13. "Thursday's Keeper" – 4:09
  14. "Terminus" – 11:16 (w/ Robert Fripp)

Remastered and Expanded edition – 2008

CD1

  1. "Once More" – 4:17
  2. "Promis" – 5:27
  3. "Ghostdancing" – 7:29
  4. "Turn It Down" – 8:38
  5. "Egnable" – 1:59
  6. "Firestar" – 0:46
  7. "A Mile Long Lump of Lard" – 6:21
  8. "Centuries" – 4:22
  9. "Plum Island" – 5:22
  10. "Hamlet of Kings" – 7:56
  11. "1.1.1" – 0:36
  12. "EDM" – 4:12
  13. "Thursday's Keeper" – 4:09
  14. "Terminus" – 11:16 (w/ Robert Fripp)

CD2

  1. "Centuries (Eurofen Mix)" – 4:42
  2. "Ghostdancing (Version)" – 6:45
  3. "Hamlet of Kings (Version)" – 7:58
  4. "Firestar (Version)" – 1:14
  5. "Centuries (Wine, Woman & King Mix)" – 4:01
  6. "Once More (Scourge of the Earth Mix)" – 4:53
  7. "Plum Island (Flat Mix)" – 5:21
  8. "Promis (Version)" – 5:46
  9. "Once More (Bedrock Edit 2)" – 8:04
  10. "Turn It Down (Long Version)" – 9:03
  11. "Terminus (Andy's Mix)" – 11:07

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Crimson</span> English progressive rock band

King Crimson were an English-based progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London. Led by guitarist Robert Fripp, they drew inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, blues, industrial, electronic, experimental music and new wave. They exerted a strong influence on the early 1970s progressive rock movement, including on contemporaries such as Yes and Genesis, and continue to inspire subsequent generations of artists across multiple genres. The band has earned a large cult following, especially in the 21st century.

Ambient house is a downtempo subgenre of house music that first emerged in the late 1980s, combining elements of acid house and ambient music. The genre developed in chill-out rooms and specialist clubs as part of the UK's dance music scene. It was most prominently pioneered by the Orb and the KLF, along with artists such as Global Communication, Irresistible Force, Youth, and 808 State. The term was used vaguely, and eventually fell out of favor as more specific subgenres were recognized.

<i>Islands</i> (King Crimson album) 1971 studio album by King Crimson

Islands is the fourth studio album by English band King Crimson, released in 3 December 1971 on the record label Island. Islands is the only studio album to feature the 1971–1972 touring line-up of Robert Fripp, Mel Collins, Boz Burrell and Ian Wallace. This would be the last album before an entirely new group would record the trilogy of Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black and Red between 1973 and 1974. This is also the last album to feature the lyrics of co-founding member Peter Sinfield.

<i>Discipline</i> (King Crimson album) 1981 studio album by King Crimson

Discipline is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on 2 October 1981 by E.G. Records in the United Kingdom and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States.

<i>Red</i> (King Crimson album) 1974 studio album by King Crimson

Red is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson, released on 1 October 1974 on Island Records in the United Kingdom and Atlantic Records in North America and Japan. The album was recorded at Olympic Studios in London in July and August 1974, and produced by the band themselves.

<i>Frame by Frame: The Essential King Crimson</i> 1991 box set by King Crimson

Frame by Frame: The Essential King Crimson is a 4-CD box set by the band King Crimson, released in 1991.

Kristian "Kris" Weston is a British electronic musician, record producer and remixer best known for his work as a member of the Orb. Around the beginning of his career, he worked with Andrew Weatherall on remixes of Meat Beat Manifesto, remixed for Primal Scream, Saint Etienne, U2 and others. He was still a teen when working on the first few albums by the Orb.

<i>The Orbs Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld</i> 1991 studio album by The Orb

The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld is the debut studio album by English electronic music group the Orb, released as a double album on 2 April 1991 by Big Life. It is a segued, progressive and psychedelic trip which draws from various genres and incorporates a huge number of samples and sound effects. Much of the album was recorded after founding member Jimmy Cauty left the group, leaving Alex Paterson as the central member, with additional contributions by Kris Weston, Andy Falconer and several others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Fluffy Clouds</span> 1990 single by the Orb

"Little Fluffy Clouds" is a single released by the British ambient house group the Orb. It was originally released in November 1990 on the record label Big Life and peaked at number 87 on the UK Singles Chart. The Orb also included it on their 1991 double album The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld. "Little Fluffy Clouds" was re-released several times with different B-sides, with its 1993 re-release reaching number 10 in the UK.

Giles, Giles and Fripp were an English rock group, formed in Bournemouth, Dorset in August 1967. It featured brothers Michael Giles on drums and vocals and Peter Giles on bass guitar and vocals, and Robert Fripp on guitar. The band's music showed an eclectic mix of pop, psychedelic rock, folk, jazz, and classical influences. The group eventually evolved into pioneering progressive rock band King Crimson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Paterson</span> English musician (born 1959)

Alex Paterson is an English musician and co-founder of ambient house group the Orb, in which he has worked since its inception.

<i>Bicycles & Tricycles</i> 2004 studio album by The Orb

Bicycles & Tricycles is the sixth studio album by English electronic music group the Orb, released on 3 May 2004 by Cooking Vinyl. It brought together the group's style of the early 1990s with current electronic music, with its most prevalent influences being drum and bass and trip hop.

<i>Orblivion</i> 1997 studio album by The Orb

Orblivion is the fourth studio album by English electronic music group the Orb, released on 24 February 1997 by Island Records. With the album, the group, reunited with Andy Hughes and Steve Hillage, returned to their spacy sounds typical of U.F.Orb (1992). Though Orblivion was recorded in May 1996, it was not released until almost a year later, due to Island Records' desire to promote it as a follow-up to U2's Pop.

<i>Orbus Terrarum</i> 1995 studio album by the Orb

Orbus Terrarum is a studio album by English electronic music group the Orb that was released on 20 March 1995 by Island Records. Member Kris Weston had begun work on the album before leaving the group. After he left, German producer Thomas Fehlmann joined as a full-time studio member, and the group, now consisting of Alex Paterson, Andy Hughes, and Fehlmann, completed the album. Unlike their previous efforts, Orbus Terrarum features more "earthbound", "organic" sounds in contrast to the psychedelic, science fiction-themed music they had previously written.

<i>Pomme Fritz</i> 1994 studio album by The Orb

Pomme Fritz is a mini-album by the British electronic music group The Orb. It was released on 13 June 1994 through Island Records. Produced to sustain the group during a period of mismanagement, it was their first album with German producer Thomas Fehlmann.

<i>Okie Dokie Its The Orb on Kompakt</i> 2005 studio album by the Orb

Okie Dokie It's the Orb on Kompakt is the seventh studio album by English electronic music group the Orb, released on 8 November 2005 by Kompakt. It features new material in addition to new versions of their previous Kompakt releases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toxygene</span> 1997 single by the Orb

"Toxygene" is a single by electronic music artist the Orb. It was released in 1997 as the first single from the album Orblivion. The song was originally commissioned as a remix of Jean-Michel Jarre's "Oxygène 8" from Oxygène 7–13. However, the Orb "obliterated it" and reassembled only a few fragments for their remix, much to the chagrin of Jarre, who reportedly "threw a fit and refused to release it". The Orb released the track themselves under the name "Toxygene", which further irritated Jarre, to whom Paterson retorted "The French are always five years behind us, anyway." In statements made after the release of "Toxygene", Jarre denied the reports: "It's not that I didn't like it, but I wanted the first wave of remixes to be linked to Oxygene's theme and textures." The release was accompanied by a music video directed by Ben Stokes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Orb</span> European electronic music group

The Orb are an English electronic music group founded in 1988 by Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty. Known for their psychedelic sound, the Orb developed a cult following among clubbers "coming down" from drug-induced highs. Their influential 1991 debut album The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld pioneered the UK's nascent ambient house movement, while its UK chart-topping follow-up U.F.Orb represented the group's commercial peak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Orb discography</span>

The discography of European electronic music group the Orb includes seventeen studio albums, one live album, six compilation albums, four remix albums, four mix albums, two video albums, ten extended plays, fifteen singles and twenty-two music videos. Founded by Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty in 1988, the group's first release was the extended play Kiss EP, issued in May 1989. The single "A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld", which marked the group's first foray into the ambient house genre, was released in October 1989 on Adam Morris and Martin Glover's record label WAU! Mr. Modo Recordings. It was later re-issued by Big Life and peaked at number 78 in the United Kingdom despite sample clearance issues. Following Cauty's departure from the group, the Orb signed a long-term recording contract with Big Life and released their debut studio album The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld in April 1991. It peaked at number 29 in the United Kingdom and has since been recognized as a seminal album of the ambient house genre. "Little Fluffy Clouds" and "Perpetual Dawn" were released as singles from the album.

<i>Live at the Orpheum</i> 2015 live album by King Crimson

Live at the Orpheum is a live album by the band King Crimson, released by Discipline Global Mobile records in 2015. The album was recorded on 30 September and 1 October at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, California on the band's The Elements of King Crimson US tour of 2014.

References

  1. ↑ Bush, John. "The Orb Biography". Allmusic . Retrieved 9 October 2006.
  2. ↑ Cowen, Andrew (19 March 2001). "What goes around comes around". Birmingham Post . p. 13.
  3. ↑ Demby, Eric (27 February 2001). "Orb Back From Orblivion With New LP, Cydonia". VH1. Archived from the original on 20 April 2004.
  4. 1 2 3 O'Neal, Sean (19 April 2001). "Q and A: Alex Paterson". Philadelphia City Paper. Archived from the original on 8 December 2005. Retrieved 6 January 2007.
  5. 1 2 Bush, John. "Cydonia Review". Allmusic . Retrieved 10 October 2006.
  6. ↑ Q , May 2001
  7. ↑ "Cydonia by The Orb" – via www.metacritic.com.
  8. ↑ Allmusic review
  9. ↑ Alternative Press (6/01, p.78) - 3 out of 5 - "...Mellow dancefloor electronica laced with some inspired rhythms and catchy melodies..."
  10. ↑ Dien-Johns, Rebecca (26 February 2001). "THE ORB - CYDONIA". Dotmusic . Archived from the original on 21 December 2002. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  11. ↑ Muzik (2/01, p.51) - 5 out of 5 - "...His most cohesive work to date...they manage to sound like no one elese when they put their minds to it..."
  12. ↑ Galloway, Matt (6 March 2001). "THE ORB". NOW . Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  13. ↑ "Orb : Cydonia". NME . Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  14. ↑ "The Orb: Cydonia". Pitchfork.
  15. ↑ "The Orb: Cydonia - Release Music Magazine review". www.releasemagazine.net.
  16. ↑ "Rolling Stone review". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
  17. ↑ Uncut (2/01, p.89) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Floating along on its own soft dynamic, CYDONIA retrenches itself in the dub style of yore..."
  18. 1 2 Walker, Richard (4 March 2001). "A dance pioneer who's just going round in circles". Sunday Herald . p. 10.
  19. ↑ Pattison, Louis (2001). "Orb : Cydonia". New Musical Express . Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2006.
  20. ↑ Smith, Aidan (16 February 2001). "A master of the ballistic". The Scotsman . p. 10.
  21. ↑ Simpson, Dave (19 January 2001). "The Friday Interview". The Guardian . p. 6.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.