by Ben Hogwood

No history of ambient electronic music could call itself complete without referring to The Orb. Spearheaded by Dr. Alex Paterson but including a wide range of collaborators over the last 35 years, The Orb have proved time and time again that kicking back into spacey music, with healthy influences from dub, hip hop, house and techno, works a treat every time. They have moved with the times, too, subtly shifting their style between albums without losing their identity.

My first encounter with their music was in the mid-1990s, a late-night listen to the second album U.F.Orb that proved pivotal. As the opening track, O.O.B.E., made itself known, a kind of aural bliss was achieved there and then, weird yet completely homely – and ever so British!

Published post no.2,995 – Tuesday 25 August 2026