IDM Mailing Archive

[astonished mode is active]

quoted 1 line was ~75% fast pumping techno: 20% Dub: 5% Noodling. The crowd really didn't

> was ~75% fast pumping techno: 20% Dub: 5% Noodling. The crowd really didn't

Techno? I don't know...

quoted 1 line seem to know what do do during the noodling. Midway through the show it

> seem to know what do do during the noodling. Midway through the show it

What were they supposed to do? I'm guessing that most just enjoyed the weirdness.

quoted 2 lines like it was based on Plateau, but much more hip hoppy. Anyone know what this

> like it was based on Plateau, but much more hip hoppy. Anyone know what this > was? I could recognize it. Then we were given some fairly recongizable

It was Plateau. Awesome version too! I really hope a boot (or something legit) is pressed from this tour.

quoted 1 line performances of orb standards. Little fluffy clouds sounded pretty much right

> performances of orb standards. Little fluffy clouds sounded pretty much right

quoted 1 line off the Aubrey mixes at times.

> off the Aubrey mixes at times.

Except the 400 other things that they were doing to the song. It was the best version I have ever heard, and the lights during this tune were enough to drive a person loony.

quoted 2 lines The atmosphere was wierd. It was reallly like more like a rave with a cameo

> The atmosphere was wierd. It was reallly like more like a rave with a cameo > than a show. A large number of people were just wandering the hall oblivious

I suppose they were too busy showing off their cheesy outfits.

quoted 2 lines For $20 I thought it was a pretty lame to send everyone home

> For $20 I thought it was a pretty lame to send everyone home > so early. Had I known what I was going to get for my $20 I probably would hav

quoted 1 line spent it on records.

> spent it on records.

Don't mean to be such an ass, but what more in a show do you want for $20. A band that plays more than 2 1/2 hours? A better light show? Better music? I just can't figure out your logic on this one... Sorry, MC - Mark B. Conklin (MC) = mbconkli@ilstu.edu = mconklin@mail.ice.net

On Mon, 12 Jun 1995, Mark Bowen wrote:

quoted 2 lines What i expect for $20 is to hear a band at their best. I expect the

> What i expect for $20 is to hear a band at their best. I expect the > event to go late, maybe an opener and sure perhaps some better visuals.

How can the visuals get any better? That show absolutely blew away the patterns and textures video. The music was also far better than that on Live 93. Now THAT was a disappointment.

quoted 9 lines 1)The orb simply did not play a very representative set. Did *anyone* who saw

> 1)The orb simply did not play a very representative set. Did *anyone* who saw > the show think they did? I've always liked them for their slow, beautiful > ambient stuff and on vinyl they rarely dissapoint. Their new single is smooth > and gentle. The band I saw played hard, aggressive and fast. I'm not saying > the music is bad. I'm just telling people what to expect. If you want to be > chilled like the orb so often can do, you are not going to get it on this tour. > 2)The visuals were boring. On the first tour it was multimedia with several > slide and film projectors running simultaneously on top of the lights and > smoke. Here it was pretty much stock effects and not much smoke at all.

My friends, including MC, were practically choking on all the smoke. Smoke doesn't make a concert anyway. If I go to a show, the last thing I want to happen is to be lulled to sleep by a bunch of really mellow, ambient stuff. I want to go nuts and listen to some really kickass dance music. In fact, I had said before the concert that I was concerned they would play way too much mellow stuff because the new album is just that. I miss the days of UFOrb and Adventures. The show was just the best because things would start really mellow and all of a sudden change into full-jam EXTREMELY HEAVY trance which rocked better than the Aphex Twin and Orbital shows I've seen. This concert proved to me that they are the absolute kings of dance music. After all, the good Dr. started as a DJ, didn't he? I really like the ambient stuff too, but the boom is where it's at, and I challenge anyone to present to me a better concert. Tell you what, do you REALLY want them to play exactly what's on the album? I think it's great when a band takes their music in a totally different direction during a concert. That is extremely difficult to do well. I heard a side of the Orb that I doubt anyone else has before and I would pay megabucks to see the show again or to get a really high-quality bootleg of the show. It rocked the house!

quoted 6 lines Techno? I don't know...

> >Techno? I don't know... > If you sit down and listen to everything the orb has done most of it > clocks in as slow dubby ambient. If you went to the show you probably wouldn't > even understand why they're called ambient at all. Don't like the word > "techno"? fine, call it what you will but it was fast and pumping which is not > the usual orb fare.

They've done a lot of dance music. How about the "Loving You" dance mixes, plus the mixes of little fluffy clouds, Earth (Gaia), Perpetual Dawn, O.O.B.E., the KISS ep, Blue Room, Assassin, Apollo XI-Peace in the Middle East and most of the remixes they've done for other bands? The heavy dance business is just another side of the band, not something foreign. You obviously don't know your Orb too well, now do you?

quoted 8 lines seem to know what do do during the noodling. Midway through the show it

> >> seem to know what do do during the noodling. Midway through the show it > > >What were they supposed to do? I'm guessing that most just enjoyed the > >weirdness. > were you at the show? most people around me looked downright confused > by the dropouts. People seemed to react like they would to a bad mix at a > dance party. People around me would stop paying attention as if it were over > rather than treating the ambient breaks as something to be heard.

quoted 3 lines It was Plateau. Awesome version too!

> >It was Plateau. Awesome version too! > Based on what, the preface with the starting sample off "Terr. Orbus"? > I went home and put the lp cut on. except for the sample its unrelated IMO.

Who cares if it's unrelated? Nothing pisses me off more than to hear a band that sounds exactly the same in concert as they do on their albums. What's the point of seeing such a band live? I like to hear something that is not only different, but really innovative, and what they played last Friday absolutely kicked the shit out of a lot of Aphex Twin's hard stuff. You've got to hand it to them for that. Just because they don't play all ambient live doesn't mean they haven't evolved. If you want really mellow stuff, watch the Patterns and Textures video with the Aubrey Mixes playing along. Only then do I think you'll be truly satisfied with the Orb live. Too bad you haven't seen the light.

quoted 10 lines performances of orb standards. Little fluffy clouds sounded pretty much

> >> performances of orb standards. Little fluffy clouds sounded pretty much > >>right off the Aubrey mixes at times. > > >Except the 400 other things that they were doing to the song. > Do you have the Aubrey remixes? There were some novel breakdowns and > perhaps some new noises over the top but you're really exaggerating about how > far removed the song was from the recording. when the crowd all cheers in > recognition you know its not too far removed. Upon further reflection I guess > its cruel to expect the orb to be able to keep coming up with novel mixes of a > song thats more than 5 years old and has been re-released numerous times.

I have an original copy of the Aubrey mixes and so does MC. You expect them to keep up along your lines. Everyone thinks going ambient means evolving. Evolving actually is exploring new sounds and moods using your own style. Using that definition, I give the Happy Happy Joy Tour an A+++. The Orb have the ability to go into various styles and just OWN them. Jack Dangers does the same thing. There are very few bands who can actually take a certain style of music and just create something totally cool in that genre. Most people come off just sounding lame. The Orb came into my realm (dance music) and really did something cool and innovative. Not bad for a 35 year old guy. Mistress of Happy Happy Joy