Archive for the ‘The Orb’ Category

Acid House Live From Tokyo

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014

In case you were worrying that all of the posts this month would be nothing but weird Japanese shit, don’t worry. I have plenty of weird British, American, Canadian, German and who the fuck knows what else shit for you all to enjoy too.

The Orb
Asylum (Andy Weatherall Blood Sugar Mix 1)
Asylum (Andrea Parker’s Bezirkskrankenhams Mix)
Asylum (Kris & Dave’s You Are Evil – But I Like You- Remix by Kris Needs & Henry Cullen)
Asylum (Thomas Fehlmann’s Mix)
Four Orb remixes = 30+ minutes of music. They’re all also drastically different from each other. I dig all of them, but my favorite is this radically-named “You Are Evil” mix because, yo, that shit sounds evil. It’s like someone took an ambient house track and dragged it through Aphex Twin’s basement or something. Brutally great stuff.

808 State
Olympic [Live In Tokyo, 29 June 1993]
10 x 10 [Live In Tokyo, 29 June 1993]
These are from the Tokyo edition of the brand new Zang Tuum Tumb compilation The Organisation of Pop. The album was released in three different regions, USA, UK and Japan, and each got an exclusive version with exclusive cuts. I really can’t tell you how different they all are because I haven’t gone through the hassle of comparing them all track by track, but from what I’ve gleamed, the Japan version wins in terms of exclusives, with awesome live cuts like these being a big reason why. I was shocked to hear how much “10 x 10” works as a live cut. It’s just amazing.

If I can find the time and find it worthy, I might write up a full review on this in a week or so. I have to work past something I’m writing about Emerson Lake & Palmer first.

You heard me.

Electronic Music about Clouds and Math

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

Off to Ohio for the weekend. Need to fill my brain with great electronic music if I want to keep sane, or at the very least – gleefully insane.

The Orb
Aftermath (Bus Mix)
From A Distance (Hybrid Mix)
Once More… (Mark’s Slide Mix)
Little Fluffy Clouds (Danny Tenaglia’s Detour Mix)
The Orb’s Adventures Beyond The Underworld turned 20 last year. Feel old, ravers?

I have a lot of 12″ singles by The Orb. Nearly all of them are torn to shit and have been played to death. While that’s a brilliant testament to the longevity and massive popularity of the group, it makes recording the 12″ singles annoying as hell. I have two 12″ singles for “Once More…” but the Mark’s Slide Mix is the only one on either that was playable.  Figures that the the remix to “Aftermath,” one of my least favorite Orb tracks, would be in near-mint condition.

But whatever, you’re really here for the “Little Fluffy Clouds” mix. Download it, it’s quite good.

BT
Fibonacci Sequence
I feel that electronic music is the only type of music that can dedicate an entire song to a mathematical pattern. On second thought, no, I’m totally sure progressive rock can do that to. Shit, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mars Volta one day decide to an entire album dedicated to the Golden Ratio.

I love this record. Not only because it’s a wonderfully bizarre song that works as a great into to my jogging mix, but because I snagged it off of a single-sided vinyl, which I can use to calibrate my turntable’s anti-skate. No idea what I’m talking about? You will when I drop my guide to recording vinyl next week!

I Ran Out of Ways to Combine the names Orb and Orbital

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

I will stop posting combinations of Orb/William Orbit/Orbital when I stop finding Orb/William Orbit/Orbital singles.

The Orb
Blue Room
Blue Room (Radio 7)
Blue Room (Excerpt 605)
Towers of Dub (Mad Professor Remix)
That first version of “Blue Room” is indeed the full uncut version. For those of you who may not know, that means it’s 39 minutes and 58 seconds long.

The Orb made a 39 minute and 58 second long song because that was the longest a song could be in the UK ans still count as a single. I wonder how long a song can be on iTunes and still count as a single? Since I often see 10 or even eight minutes songs on iTunes limited to “album only” purchases, I’m going to assume it’s a lot less than 40 minutes.

I posted these tracks long ago, after I found them on another blog. However, that blog was only hosting 192 kbps versions. These rips, taken from my recently acquired 2CD Blue Room single that I found at Amoeba, are encoded at 256 kbps; which is why the uncut version is 73.2 MB big. Don’t be a dick and download it repeatedly. Unlike most MP3 blogs, I actually pay for bandwidth.

Orbital
Funny Break (One Is Enough) (Layo & Bushwacka! Up Remix)
Funny Break (One Is Enough) (Layo & Bushwacka! Down Remix)
What’s so funny about it?

Okay, so I’ve listened to these two remixes about twenty times now. I love both of them, but I oddly have absolutely nothing to say about them. If you like them I suggest you check out Bushwacka’s remixes of Depeche Mode’s “Dream On.” They both feature great basslines.

More 90s/early 00s electronic music next post, which may be tomorrow! Or it may be next week. Who knows, I sure as hell don’t.

Eight YouTube Concert Videos where you can See the Back of my Head – music by David Bowie and The Orb

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

Presented in chronological order.

 

Lollapalooza 2008 – Octopus Project

Far right side with the towel on my head. I was rocking out with a fever at the time and didn’t know it, this was the year Lollapalooza almost killed me.

 

Lollapalooza 2010 – Foxy Shazam

About one second in, with the stupid looking red bandanna on (hey, it beats a sunburned scalp). Blink and you’ll miss me.

 

Lollapalooza 2010 – Band of Skulls

On the right side for pretty much the entirety of the video.

 

Ultra 2011 – Hybrid

Okay, this one is easy. I’m so prominent here that the video should be titled “Footage of the back of a guy’s head with some Hybrid in the background.”

 

Outside Lands 2011 – The Joy Formidable

In this one I’m a little harder to pick out, but you can see me. Right side, taking a lot of pictures.

 

Outside Lands 2011 – Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah

Center-right, quietly enjoying myself while saving energy for Big Audio Dynamite.

 

Outside Lands 2011 – Big Audio Dynamite

We’ve already covered this one. I’m front and center, rocking out like a mofo.

 

Outside Lands 2011 – tUnE-yArDs

Once again, right in the front and almost ruining this poor person’s video. Sorry! I can’t help being a giant!

Ah memories. Anyways, it’s time for a reeeeeeeeeeemiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiix!

Sorry.

David Bowie
Dead Man Walking (House Mix)
Dead Man Walking (This One’s Not Dead Yet Mix)
When I was in high school I used to hang out at a grease pit called Rudy’s Hot Dogs. They had a jukebox where you could play five songs for a buck. My friend Bryan would always walk in with two bucks. He would put the first buck in right when we sat down and play “Dead Man Walking” five times. By the time the fifth play was winding down we would be ready to head out. Then, as we were leaving he would put the second buck in, and do a fiver of Hanson’s “Mmmbop.”

My friend Bryan is kind of a dick.

These mixes are from a CD single. Unlike most of the “Dead Man Walking” remixes from the time, they weren’t on the recent 2CD re-issue of Earthling. Both are pretty good. The “House Mix” is a little too house for me (I know, what did I expect?) but I’m really digging the second one, it’s much more low-key.

The Orb
Toxygene [Fila Brazillia Mix]
Toxygene [Toxic Genes Mix]
Toxygene (Kris Needs Up for a Fortnight Mix)
Delta MKII (Dal Vivo a Roma)
Rose Tinted
When engaging in record buying sprees, I know I have to take a time out when I start buying multiple versions of the same single just for different remixes/B-sides, which was the case with the single(s) for The Orb’s “Toxygene.” I bought both the 12″ vinyl single as well as the CD-single import. What’s worse, I bought them both at the same store, at the same time. Sometimes I think I have OCRD (Obsessive Compulsive Remix Disorder). I treat remixes like Pokemon, I gotta get ’em all. In case you were wondering, “Rose Tinted,” and the first two remixes are from the CD-single, while the “Kris Needs Up for a Fortnight Mix” and the mix of “Delta MKII” are from the 12″.

“Toxygene” is a groovy tune. The original version (not included here since you can get it easily online) is a classic example of The Orb’s blissfully mellow ambient house style. while the “Fila Brazillia Mix” and the “Toxic Genes Mix” were obviously made for club play and are less ambient and more house. They both get pretty intense and fast-paced in parts, but both pale in comparison to the The “Kris Needs Up for a Fortnight” mix, which is 10 minutes of old-school acid house. Crank that shit and piss off your roommate, that’s what I’m doing right now. The remix of “Delta MKII” is crazy, with some odd industrial-type sounds thrown in, and some creepy random vocal samples will disturb the hell out of you.

On the other end of the spectrum is “Rose Tinted,” a great ambient B-side that should go on your “it’s just starting to kick in” playlist. Trippy shit.

Viruses, Audio Editing, Big Asses and the new Ministry Sucks

Monday, October 18th, 2010

First, some reviews. I haven’t linked to my reviews in a while and that has gotten me complaints (from my mom). So here we go.

Ministry – Every Day Is Halloween: Worst album of the millennium so far.

David Bowie – Station to Station Deluxe Edition: The best re-issue ever. Also, the best sounding vinyl record I have ever heard. And in case you can’t tell, that’s really saying something.

The Orb featuring David Gilmour - Metallic Spheres: Duuuuuuuuuude. Get it now.

Marnie Stern – s/t: Good follow-up to her amazing sophomore record.

Skunk Anansie – Wonderlustre: Shocker. I liked it. “Talk Too Much” is a beautiful and absolutely heart-wrenching song.

Oh, and good news! If you click on my wonderfully ugly logo you can go to the main page now! Thank anonymous Lost Turntable fan person for that!

Okay, now for some geeky shit. If you are not technically inclined you might want to skip down to the tunes.

My computer got a virus (that laid dire straits to my environments) on Friday. Don’t worry, my music was safe (I back that shit up) but I lost all my programs, media tools and shit like that. I was able to re-install my Creative Labs program that I use to record my vinyl, but as of right now I do not have a copy of the program I use to edit/restore my recordings, which is Sony Sound Forge Audio Studio. I might not be able to get another copy of that because of the arcane way that Sony handles online orders. If that’s the case, I will not be purchasing another copy of it, because..well..fuck them.

So right now I’m looking into recording/restoration software, preferably software that costs less than a hundred bucks. Now I know what all of you geeks are thinking, “Hey asshole, why don’t you just use Audacity? It’s awesome and free!”

Well, you’re half right. While Audacity is a great free program that is really handy for simple editing/recording, it leaves a lot to be desired. Its interface is clunky as hell, and navigating a sound file to remove/repair audio imperfections is a royal pain in the ass. Maybe someday Audacity will be great, but it sure isn’t now. So if anyone has any recommendations that are not Audacity please leave them in the comment section or shoot me an email.

Now to get really geeky. I’m thinking about partioning my hard drive and installing Linux. I need to use Windows for work, but I would like my primary OS to be something that is open source and less prone to viruses. I’ve been doing a bit of research and found Ubuntu Studio, which sounds pretty awesome. Its a version of the Ubuntu operating system with a bunch of high-end A/V software built-in. Anyone out there have any experience with it? Is it worth giving a shot? Or should I just stick with regular Ubuntu? Or maybe another Linux variant all together? Any input would be appreciated!

But enough of that geeky shit for now, here’s some hip-hop.

The Beastie Boys
Alive at Youch’s House
Alive (Remix by Evidence for the Dilated Peoples)

Any word on Yauch’s health yet? I got nothing else to say about the Beasties other than that I miss them and I want MCA to kick cancer’s ass so we can all hear The Hot Sauce Committee. These are from a white label 12”.

LL Cool J
Big Ole Butt (12” Remix)
This song is…horrible, but in all the best ways. And it’s not just horrible because it’s about LL ditching his girl for a girl with a bigger ass (and then ditching that girl for another girl with an even bigger ass), it’s horrible for lines like “you look like tastier than a nice and hot pizza” and “I went to Red Lobster for shrimp and steak/Around the time when the waitress are on their lunch break.” I would call it misogynist if it wasn’t just so fucking stupid. Still, I can’t help but love it, in all its ass-happy glory. This is from a 12” single that was sadly not shaped like a big ass.

De La Soul
Itzsoweezee (Hot) (De La Sould Remix)
Stakes Is High (Remix)

“Itzsoweezee” totally makes me want to smoke some weed. Which is quite a task considering I’ve never smoked weed in my entire life. “Stakes Is High” is good too, but not nearly as groovy. Both of these are from a 12”.

Perpetual Blog

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Tonight’s post is made of win, full of epic, all that shit.

The Orb
Perpetual Dawn (Solar Flare Extended Mix)
Perpetual Dawn (Ultrabass II)
Perpetual Dawn (Ultrabass I)
Perpetual Dawn (Solar Youth Mix)
Star 6 & 7 8 9 (Phase II)

“Perpetual Dawn” is probably my least favorite track off of The Orb’s Adventure’s Beyond The Ultraworld. And before you ask, yes it’s because of the random “blahblabblah” vocals. It has ALWAYS bugged me it always will. However, it’s still an awesome tune and since some of these remixes downplay that little bit of vocal retardation, it’s a bit easier for me to get behind them than the original version. To the best of my knowledge the only one of these that you can go out and buy is the “Ultrabass II” mix, which is on the deluxe version of the aforementioned album. However, that version never came out in the states, so I’m gonna make an exception to my rule that I rarely go by anyways and post it. And if you like The Orb click here. Blue Room.

Kraftwerk
Robotnik (Kling Klang Extended Mix)
Robotronik (Kling Klang Mix)

Funny and totally random story. I used to be way into the Sonic games as a kid (I grew out of them after part three, which was good timing considering how much ass they are now). The Americanized name of the villain in that game is Dr. Robotnik, pronounced “Robot-Nik” I, in my infinite stupidity, pronounced it “Robo-tink” which sounds like some fucked up robotic sex toy. These two versions of “The Robots” are remixes of the version that is on their 1991 album The Mix, which was itself a remix. It’s confusing. Don’t think about it. Just listen to the German techno and be happy.

Saint Eitenne
Who Do You Think You Are (Strobelights & Platform Shoes Mix)
Who Do You Think You Are (Saturday Night Fever Dub)
Who Do You Think You Are (Nu Solution Mix)
Who Do You Think You Are (Tilt Dub)
Who Do You Think You Are (Quex-Rd)

I totally forgot I had these. Not only that, I totally forgot buying this 12” single, recording it, tagging the MP3s and adding them to my iTunes collection. I wasn’t even on drugs or drinking (I think) when I did all of that either. The only reason I found these tracks is because I recently bought more Saint Eitenne. I’m used to finding weird shit when I clean my room (old socks, a Spin magazine from 1999, my copy of Purple Rain on vinyl) but the fact that I can lose shit on my computer is a whole other level of disorganization that I’m almost a little bit proud of.

Oh, and these are good remixes, enjoy.

Tripping on Ambient House…and ice.

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Did all of you have a wonderful Christmastime? Did you contract a case of the flu that required an ambulance ride to an Akron area hospital? Well then you had a better Christmas break than I did you bastards.

And today I fell on the ice and hurt my back. 2009 can’t fucking end soon enough. My New Year’s celebrations will consist of me, my comfy new couch and my Kraftwerk box set. Screw parties. Trans Europe Express makes the pain go away.

The Orb
Blue Room
Blue Room – Radio 7
Blue Room – Excerpt 605
Towers of Dub (Mad Professor Remix)

The single mix of “Blue Room” is a beautiful thing. It almost makes me wish I had some painkillers on hand (actually, that has more to do with the previously mentioned fall on the ice). It’s also epic; clocking in at 39 minutes and 58 seconds long. I’ve actually listened to this sucker all the way through multiple times today, and that alone proves that I spend too much time in front of the computer listening to music.

“Towers of Dub” may not be the best song of all time but fuck me sideways if it doesn’t have one of the grooviest basslines ever laid to wax. This mix has its ups and downs, but it end is pretty damned good.

In the interest of honest I will admit that I swiped these tracks from another blog, Everything On My iPod. However, my links are directly to the files on my server, and not to their Rapidshare account, that would be rude.

Pete Shelley
On Your Own (New York Mix)
Please forgive me…but I cannot endure it any longer

“On Your Own” is a good track, I’m not denying that, but the real attention grabber here is the B-side. “Please Forgive Me…” is a bizarre seven-and-a-half minute instrumental of drums and synths that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Deep Forest record if it wasn’t so damn ominous and awesome. Actually, it sounds like some perfect combination of Deep Forest, Tangerine Dream and Vangelis‘ score to Blade Runner. If you think it’s boring give it time, it peaks around the 5:20 mark. It’s good, and when I listen to it I am shocked that it wasn’t in the score to Megaforce or something.

Rammstein
Stripped
Yes, this is a cover of Depeche Mode’s Stripped by German industrial perverts Rammstein, and yes, it sounds exactly how you would expect it to. In fact, the version you just know imagined in your head is probably spot on. So yeah, it’s kinda dumb. It’s also kinda fun so enjoy. This is from a Depeche Mode tribute CD.