- Audio CD (23 Jun 2008)
- Number of Discs: 2
- Format: Box set, Original recording remastered
- Label: Commercial Marketing
- ASIN: B001A2AWFA
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Vinyl | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 122,405 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Back in the mid 1990s, the release of a new Orb album would have been something of an event. By 2001, most people had probably forgotten that they still existed (their last album was released in 1997). Some music critics even questioned the band's relevance in the 21st century. In an age of sophisticated chill-out tastes, could the Orb still cut it? From the evidence on Cydonia, the answer is a resounding yes. Three years in the making, the album sees main man Alex Paterson fusing rolling dub basslines and classic Orb ambience with crisp breaks, shimmering synths and off-kilter electronics. There are spacious vocal numbers (singers Aki and Nina Walsh sound remarkably like Bjork), short, dub-house instrumentals and spooky, other-worldly drum and bass pieces. It's like rave-era ambient house given a 21st century makeover. It's hardly revolutionary, but that's not the point. As far as space-age chill-out music goes, the Orb are still in a class of their own.--Matt Anniss
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The harsh dressing-down this received from reviewers at the time was horribly undeserved. This is perhaps the greatest example of ambient dub in the world today.
This album is more consistent and memorable than Orbilivion, and carries more ballast than all of its predeccessors, yet it still remains too ice-cool to be commercial.
After lots of trouble, The Orb released this 2 years late, and hence failed to capitalise on the success of Orblivion.
However, aside this- they released "Once More" in 2001, with mechanical melodies and some really odd vocals. Fortunately the track is a real grower and is well worth relistening to, just to discover the intricate nature of its production. This is also the lead track on this album, wonferully titled "Cydonia".
It's follower, "Promis" is an utterly superb drum n'bass track, with lashings of the odd but effective sounds you come to know and love.
"Ghostdancing" is a slightly less effective track, which meanders rather than thrusts but is still a stock album track with nice moments.
Tracks like Egnable also highlights the consistent failure to take temselves seriously, and is a humorous romp with an excellent sample.
Album highlights among the many are "A Mile Long Lump Of Lard", which is a mutating industrial epic, the blissfully relaxed "Centuries", proving that vocals and a beat do not mean a lack of ambience, "Hamlet Of Kings", a classic orb ambient dub track, and the finale- "Terminus", which is quite honestly so fantastic it would fit on "The Orbs adventures beyond the ultraworld"
This album is more consistent and memorable than Orbilivion, and carries more ballast than all of its predeccessors, yet it still remains too ice-cool to be commercial.
After lots of trouble, The Orb released this 2 years late, and hence failed to capitalise on the success of Orblivion.
However, aside this- they released "Once More" in 2001, with mechanical melodies and some really odd vocals. Fortunately the track is a real grower and is well worth relistening to, just to discover the intricate nature of its production. This is also the lead track on this album, wonferully titled "Cydonia".
It's follower, "Promis" is an utterly superb drum n'bass track, with lashings of the odd but effective sounds you come to know and love.
"Ghostdancing" is a slightly less effective track, which meanders rather than thrusts but is still a stock album track with nice moments.
Tracks like Egnable also highlights the consistent failure to take temselves seriously, and is a humorous romp with an excellent sample.
Album highlights among the many are "A Mile Long Lump Of Lard", which is a mutating industrial epic, the blissfully relaxed "Centuries", proving that vocals and a beat do not mean a lack of ambience, "Hamlet Of Kings", a classic orb ambient dub track, and the finale- "Terminus", which is quite honestly so fantastic it would fit on "The Orbs adventures beyond the ultraworld"
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you liked it the first time around then this reissue is a must. The second disc includes some wildly different interpretations, plus the Scourge of The Earth (Caulty) remix of Once More, which I think only appeared on vinyl originally. Disc 2 almost works as an album in its own right, but Disc 1 is still the real business (apart from the silly Egnable, but you can program that out if you wish).
Not always classic Orb, and includes first real foray into vocal tracks (guest vocalists), but more varied than Orblivion and far more accessible than Pomme Fritz. They followed with the dreamy Bicycles and then the dub-tastic Dream, so the Orb are still very much around. However this is a solid album and the reissue is well mastered. One slight gripe, the original photographic artwork (and front cover type) is slightly soft-focus now, almost like a case of bad copying (?!), which detracts very slightly from an otherwise strong package and extended liner notes.
Not always classic Orb, and includes first real foray into vocal tracks (guest vocalists), but more varied than Orblivion and far more accessible than Pomme Fritz. They followed with the dreamy Bicycles and then the dub-tastic Dream, so the Orb are still very much around. However this is a solid album and the reissue is well mastered. One slight gripe, the original photographic artwork (and front cover type) is slightly soft-focus now, almost like a case of bad copying (?!), which detracts very slightly from an otherwise strong package and extended liner notes.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
There's a real duality in this CD. In my opinion the tracks are either very good or very bad, with nothing in between. In fact some of the dropped tracks like Ralf are better then many included on the release version. Why drop Ralf then? Well I guess this happens all the time with bands and lables agreeing on a final track list.
Don't let me put you off though. As I've said there are some stunning examples of Orb at their best, Terminus for example is a beautiful piece of music and I'd buy the CD just for that as it'll never in a million years be released as a single. Now true orb fans just have to put up with people saying, "Oh I like lead singers voice".
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Just Magical!
As with most Orb stuff, I don't take to all the tracks very easily, as some are obviously filler, or good willed experiments gone wrong. Read more
Published on 24 Mar 2007 by R. L. Peacock
This album continues to grow inside my brain
A year ago I was a strictly jazz and classics guy. When my wife started out on the clubbing scene and started bringing home this thumping techno music my immediate reaction was... Read more
Published on 26 Feb 2003 by John Ferngrove
Incredible sounds and a great new direction
Having finally got hold of a copy of "Cydonia" from London (as it hasn't been released out here yet), my expectations were, naturally, riding high, to say the least. Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2001
Not old Orb, but who wants the cutting edge to sound old?
Ok, I'm exaggerating, this isn't cutting edge, and they probably won't ever be again, thats how these things work, they've made their mark, fine. Read more
Published on 12 Mar 2001 by Mr. Ro Johns
An outstanding release, despite a few stinkers
I was surprised when I first put in the Cydonia disc and heard what sounded like the recent Madonna/William Orbit outings. Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2001
evolution, not revolution.
If you're not an Orb fan, there's nothing new here that will convert you. For me, the orb's best albums are still Orb's Adventures Beyond The Underworld, and U.F.Orb. Read more
Published on 6 Mar 2001
Almost a return to the glory days
The new album by the orb, is a mixture of new sounds and echoes of past glories. The first three songs are classic Orb, and up there with any of their old material. Read more
Published on 27 Feb 2001
Back To Their Best
I was quite sceptical about this album, due to the fact that it received some shockingly bad reviews, well, in my view, this is nearly up their with the Orb's first two albums,... Read more
Published on 27 Feb 2001
About time too!
So Island finally see fit to release this Album. In something like it's 5th incarnation, the latest version sees 14 tracks. Read more
Published on 10 Feb 2001
Final album from the Orb proves nobody does it better
Ok, Ok, I know this album isn't available to buy here on Amazon.co.uk or out there on the highstreet, but there are a lucky few of us out there who have been lucky enough to hear... Read more
Published on 27 Nov 2000
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