Bicycles and Tricycles [Enhanced]

Amazon.com
Slabs of dub, slices of surrealism, and disembodied "found" voices make their appearance on the latest offering by ambient dub commandos The Orb. Bicycles & Tricycles offers little in the Orb oeuvre that wasn't stated back on Orblivion and it's not the seismic paradigm shift of "Little Fluffy Clouds," but that's not to say there isn't plenty left in that fertile cumulus to explore. There's the Augustus Pablo melodica and dub bass on "Towers 23," and "Abstractions" lifts Frippertronics, something The Orb has been doing for over a decade. Except for a rap by MC Soom T on "Aftermath," the Orb has abandoned the trip-hop vocals of Cydonia. Instead, Bicycles & Tricycles returns to the original Orb concept which isn't about songs, but lysergic landscapes. Industrial grinds propel you through one moment, only to be untethered into infinite space the next, before being snagged into synchronicity by a dub groove. This album has been available as an import for a while, but the Orb's founder and master controller Alex Patterson has re-sequenced and re-mixed the disc into one of what are probably infinite permutations of flow. --John Diliberto

Bicycles and Tricycles,The Orb,Sanctuary Records,Ambient Dub,Ambient House,Ambient Techno,Electronica,IDM,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

Bicycles and Tricycles [Enhanced]

Average customer rating:

Orb evolution
If you dont like it you dont get it.
The Orb vs lil' Bow Wow
The good and the bad
New Paths for Orb

Bicycles and Tricycles
The Orb
Manufacturer: Sanctuary Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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Okie Dokie It's the Orb on Kompakt
Cydonia
The Orb's Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld
Pomme Fritz
Orblivion

ASIN: B0002D2MPG
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Tracks:

ORB IS (SHOPPING REMIX)
AFTERMATH (FEAT MC SHOOM T)
LAND OF GREEN GINGER (REMIX)
HELL'S KITCHEN
GEE STRINGS
PRIME EVIL
ABASTRACTIONS (TRANCE PENNINE)
FROM A DISTANCE (BLAST MASTER V CORPRAL)
TOWER TWENTY THREE (SPUD V CREATURE)
KOMPANIA (GROOVED WARE MIX)
DILMUN

Amazon.com

Slabs of dub, slices of surrealism, and disembodied "found" voices make their appearance on the latest offering by ambient dub commandos The Orb. Bicycles & Tricycles offers little in the Orb oeuvre that wasn't stated back on Orblivion and it's not the seismic paradigm shift of "Little Fluffy Clouds," but that's not to say there isn't plenty left in that fertile cumulus to explore. There's the Augustus Pablo melodica and dub bass on "Towers 23," and "Abstractions" lifts Frippertronics, something The Orb has been doing for over a decade. Except for a rap by MC Soom T on "Aftermath," the Orb has abandoned the trip-hop vocals of Cydonia. Instead, Bicycles & Tricycles returns to the original Orb concept which isn't about songs, but lysergic landscapes. Industrial grinds propel you through one moment, only to be untethered into infinite space the next, before being snagged into synchronicity by a dub groove. This album has been available as an import for a while, but the Orb's founder and master controller Alex Patterson has re-sequenced and re-mixed the disc into one of what are probably infinite permutations of flow. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

Orb evolution .......2007-03-06

One expects great things from exceptional groups, so there is sense of anticipation to meet or exceed one's expectations on a new release. At the time, when this disc came out I was really looking forward to listening to their new music. I listened and was let down, really let down, listened again and was surprised at what I missed before. It has it's great moments, it is just not a cohesive great disc. The bar and standard may have been set too high but regardless I was still somewhat dissapointed. Take "Aftermath," the song has potential, has moments but never takes off to the heights of say "Puffy Little Clouds." Instead we are treated to hip-hopish urban sounds, a female on the mic who sounds like she just got off the plane from France or someplace, far removed from the psychedelia-electronica of signature Orb. There is hope on certain tracks that their vision hasn't been completely blurred for commercialization and that the experimental tripped-out beats are still there."Hell's Kitchen" and "The Land of Ginger Green" demonstrate the power of the Orb to maintain their original creativity and cutting edge staying power. The dub and ambient elements found on several tracks also give up that all is not lost. This disc is not as good as some of their old material but it is good nonetheless.If you like the Orb you may be somewhat disappointed but there is enough good material here to salvage the disc and hope for the future. Take a chance, the Orb always seems to, just not like before but artists always seem to evolve with or without their fans. I don't think they will win over any new fans with this disc, they will keep most of their old fans and just remain status quo, which is sad for fans, considering they were so out there and cutting edge. They may have evolved to their max.

If you dont like it you dont get it........2007-01-10

Paterson and crew deliver something special here. They hope you realize it but I dont think they really care if you dont.

The Orb vs lil' Bow Wow.......2004-12-21

The Orb was for me always intellectual music. I wonder if they tried to catch the U.S market this time. Probably they hit the mark, when I see some reviews here. One reviewer lines up this album with 'Orblivion', I can't follow this artistic thought. When it is for me a mental experience, sitting 2am in front of the computer with Orb's previous subliminar masterpieces in backround, this Bicycles output is rather used for listening it from a transistor while mixing cement in the open. 'The Orb' ends for me at 'Orblivion' and Patersons 'Voyage Into Paradise". This I call INCREDIBLE. Unfortunatly, Bicycles' degraded to mainstream radio music. But I'm waiting.

The good and the bad.......2004-11-18

It's so good to hear any Orb after so long. I think this CD is the logical step after the 'Bless You' compilation. Its obvious that Patterson still has his finger on the pulse of the underground-their time spent in the company of the Kompact roster has served them well. Some of the tracks sound a little dated which has more to do with getting the album out two years late than the songs-they just were beaten to the punch. And I agree with another reviewer- "Aftermath" is absolutely awful. The 'rap' is cringe-worthy. However,I disagree with those that don't like "From A Distance". I think the track is infectious and quite a bit of fun. There are some in-jokes on that one for Orb fans-they sample themselves and finally kill that damn rooster from 'Fluffy Clouds" at the end. Overall,I'd say it's good not great and I expect the next one will be amazing.

New Paths for Orb.......2004-11-18

I have been a fan of The Orb for quite some time, patiently waiting year upon year for albums that had been finished but not released. Any person will tell you that this can be frustrating at times, but if you enjoy a group enough you will put yourself through such tortures. This particular album had been finished for somewhere around two years before its release here, but I do not feel that the wait was all for naught.

Dr. Alex Paterson seems to be willing to head back towards the group's roots, cutting down on the number of radio-friendly tunes with vocals and more traditional song structure as was seen on this album's predecessor, Cydonia. I personally feel this album is much more true to the feel and tone of the Orb anthology.

There also seems to be a stronger emphasis on breakbeat patterns in this album when compared to releases in the past. I for one am a big fan of breakbeats and find them to work perfectly on this disc, especially on my favorite track Prime Evil. There is even a song that could be described as trip-hop, with rhyming laid over the beats. Most of the reviews have given this song a negative tone (Aftermath), but I think that is because there are not a large amount of Orb fans that really listen to hip-hop or anything of the sort. The song isn't that bad, people. It's just something The Orb has never done before. Not all songs fall under this description, but this is certainly a more beat-oriented Orb album than most. Especially when considering the more ambient works they have done (Orbvs Terrarvm, Pomme Fritz, etc).

Very very die hard Orb fans I'm sure will find something to complain about, it seems they always do. While it may not be their most original work, it certainly left me feeling content and has been listened to many times since it was purchased. To anyone that is looking at buying an album of The Orb, I highly recommend it. I used to be very critical of electronic music, blowing it off without really giving it a chance. The Orb changed all that for me. It was unlike anything I had ever heard before, the ultimate "gateway drug" music. Considering the man has a Doctorate in Sound Engineering, it is no surprise. Long Live The Orb!

Average customer rating:

Get Bicycles & Tricycles (Version 2)!!!
The good Doctor does it again
The Orb's Latest Phase (third of three)
You have got be kidding me!
Solid but Unspectacular release from the Orb

Bicycles & Tricycles
The Orb
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00008PT7G
Release Date: 2003-06-11

Tracks:

From A Distance
The Land Of Green Ginger
Hells Kitchen
Gee Strings
Prime Evil
Orb Is
Now Here (Bonus Track)
Abstractions
L.U.C.A.
Compania
Tower Twenty Three
Dilmun

Album Description

Japanese edition of the British electronica act's 2003 album features 12 tracks including one bonus track, 'Now Here'. V2. 2003.

Album Details

2004 Album from Dr. Alex Paterson's Longtime Ambient Electronica Collective. The Orb's Current Line-up is Alex Paterson, Simon Phillips (Prayer Box) and John Roome (Witchman), Are Joined on "Bicycles and Tricycles" by Collaborators Thomas Fehlmann (That Swiss Fella), Jimmy Cauty (Custerd, Klf), Fil (Autolump), Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto), Soom-t and Erik. The Japanese Edition Substitutes the Track "Now Here" for "Orb Is".

Customer Reviews:

Get Bicycles & Tricycles (Version 2)!!!.......2004-04-27

First off I liked (Version 1) cd but there's another version from (The Orb) for this cd and I think this will satisfy both fans of past Orb and fans of the new sometimes diffrent musical approaches from the God fathers of Ambient. Here's the Tracklisting for the new version 2 cd of Bicycles.1.Orb Is (Shoppng Version) totally diffrent than the japan import & many moons better, sweet beat.2.Aftermath (featuring MC Shoom T) yes it's a rap song and there's a 12inch floating about with somemore mixes, this song is ho-hum to me anyway but it has it moments.3.Land of Green Ginger (Remix) the same mix as the Japan Import, sounds like the Orb meets Kraftwerk, good stuff.4.Hell's Kitchen same mix as the Japan Import, I like the melody but the bass and drums need's to be cleaned up, I'm hoping for an Orb remix on this one in the future, to good of a song to waste with 1 cd mix.5.Gee Strings same mix as the Japan Import, very laid-back song that can upset alot of Orb fans beacuse of it's Filler feel.6.Prime Evil good Orb song with the spoken word samples and constant beat changes, like the Orblivion years.7.Abstractions (trance pennine express mix) totally diffrent than the Japan Import and more atmospheric beats that Orbies are looking for, nice mix.8.L.U.C.A. same as the Japan Import mix very Orb meets Witchman, hard break beat stuff, I like it.9.From A Distance (blast master vs.the corpral) this one is a million light years better than the Japan Import, if your lucky enough to get the 12inch single of (Masterblaster) by the Orb and JimiCauty(KLF) on Kompakt records than you know how vicious the beat is and Alex and Co. really smoked the hell out of this version, it needs to be longer though, I feel remixes coming on for this track, Hugh every growing Brain samples are on this mix too,Wow.10.Tower Twenty Three(Spud vs. Kreature mix) pretty much the same as the Japan Import but I swear the bass is more amplified and hard-hitting, if you like (Towers In Dub) then this will blow you away, very Jah Wobble/Bill Laswell bass heavy Bone Jarring dub stuff, also the mix seems alot cleaner to me aswell.11.Kompania(the grooved ware mix) this mix is all paterson & fehlman baby and pure Orb Ambient Other-Worldly Magic, I was hoping for more of this ambient vibe from the guys on this cd, when you hear this track you will know what I mean, very trippy and lovely backside of the moon stuff that the Orb is simply known and loved for,fantastic!12.(Dilmun) same as the Japan Import and it's a wonderful ambient closer.So you see the track order is alot diffrent and mixes are I feel alot more exploresome and quite frankly alot more Orb(No Boundries) if you will.Look on ebay for the advance promos of this cd and the (Aftermath) 12inch single right now, but if you want theoffical release stick to amazon. Hope this help's guys and happy hunting.Love,Life.Orb!!

The good Doctor does it again.......2004-03-27

First off don't pay any attention to those other schlub's that wine that this album doesn't sound like other Orb albums. What a shocker that Dr. Paterson and Mr. Fehlmann made some new music that sounds different than the music they have made in the past. I get very tired of people that complain when an artist goes in a new direction or puts a different style of song on an album. I wonder if all these people just sit in their basement and listen to old Kraftwerk albums because nothing sounds like Trans Europe Express. Why would someone that enjoys music be angry that we can now enjoy a perfect dance tune by The Orb, "From a Distance" is a ultimo solid dance track, and chances are anyone who likes The Orb, loved dance tunes similar to this one in the early 90's. I say embrace your roots, and stop being so elite-o. This album was yet another fine Orb album, which I will enjoy for years to come, and it was a fantastic purchase, well worth the cost.

The Orb's Latest Phase (third of three).......2004-01-09

I would say that, on a coarse-grained sort of analysis, there have been three main phases so far for the Orb, this latest album belonging to the third of those phases. The first phase began when the artists essentially invented (culling, of course, from earlier influences) ambient techno as it exists today in all of its annoyingly labeled and demarcated forms. In those olden days for electronic music--i.e., the early nineteen-ninties--repetitive beats were the norm, and the Orb came along and produced multiple, complex and "spaced-out" layers in their songs, creating (believe it or not) atmospheric techno, stuff that could actually be enjoyed outside of the dance-hall and appreciated as works of art in their own right.

Then came (my personal favorite of the group's changing style) the more experimental and complicated second phase, beginning with Pomme Fritz and ending with the (arguably) unmatched ambient masterpiece Orbvs Terrarvm. Losing the assistance of the former partner Thrash seemed to have a large effect on the group's commitment to less-beat-oriented-and-more-delicate-sound-dedicated approach, as the following LP Orblivion (the beginning what I call here the third phase) marked a return to oldOrb-style techno while keeping the mastery over complicated layering that was their trademark sound by the second phase, not to mention the amusing sampling that made for transitions between tracks. But by this stage, tracks became much shorter (losing the expected, Orb-esque exploration of a musical idea through fifteen minutes of odd samples and atmospheric synths) and by the time this phase reached Cydonia, Paterson et al. began trying on lyrics for size (not the best lyrical work in the world, but the music on its own more than made up for the lyrical slack; besides, there have been worse electronic acts whose attempts at lyrical work have failed far more miserably than in this album (see, e.g., FSOL's The Isness)).

Bicycles and Tricycles is an album that has much of the qualities unique to this latter phase, but it also has the feel that it is only a sort of first draft by the Orb's own set precedent. For one, the album lacks much of the complexity that is standard in almost all of their earlier works, with the exception of their first album. Tracks such as "Gee Strings" move on and on without much of the background randomness that is characteristic of similar pieces as "Asylum" or "Ghostdancing." Also, something about the mixing of the album just doesn't feel like a typical Orb album--the proportion of bass and treble is not right on a few tracks ("Prime Evil" seems this way to me, at least). Moreover, much like Cydonia, this album has less an organized, coherent theme as does the earthy, natural Terrarvm or the spacey, alien U.F.Orb. Instead, B&T has the feel of a collection of very separate, small articles the crew had been toying with for some time but had not developed into their own full form, and this leaves the listener with the sense of having been briefly introduced to some set of random thoughts rather than taken through a whole treatise, as was the usual effect of their previous work.

All of that aside, there are certainly tracks that make B&T a worthwhile collection. "The Land of Green Ginger" makes a reappearance (originally on the Back to Mine installment), this time with a slight make-over on the narration and a more island-style ending. "Hell's Kitchen" is very unlike any other Orb piece I am familiar with (with the possible exception of "Promis"), but is nevertheless an enjoyable track. The closing "Dilmuin" bears some similarity to the elegant, minimalist Speith piece "You Don't Fool Me," while the two-part "Orb is" & "Now here" (this latter on the Japanese release only) has a clear political theme, which is unusual for this particular group. All in all this album marks a good ending to the third phase for the Orb, and hopefully indicates a return to the beginning of the cycle (the sooner to the second phase, the better).

You have got be kidding me!.......2004-01-08

"From a Distance" may be the WORST song I have EVER heard. I am serious, this is barely an exaggeration. I had to play it again before I wrote this to ensure I am correct. It is making my ears bleed as I type. There are rumors the album is being remixed for the UK and US release. I am hoping this song is dropped because I actually like all the other songs I've heard from the album. Anyone who says this song is okay needs to have their song/album critiquing revoked.

One last note, "From a Distance" may go down as the worst song in history. BTW, the orb is by favorite 'band' I usually give alex the benefit of the doubt, but this is where I draw the line, nauseating.

Solid but Unspectacular release from the Orb.......2003-12-08

It was quite hard to imagine how excited when I got the Japanese version of this album complete with 'From A Distance Lyrics', but my excitement turned to mild disappointment on listen. For one is the change in style from spacey, ambient dub to 'plain' electronica. However this is not a bad record, it isnt a brilliant record, it has its moment of pure genius, it has its moments of failures.

From A Distance is the most commercial Orb track since Toxygene, and is very danceable although a bit silly. It has some furiously catchy hooks, but oddly reminded me of Faithless. Land of Green Ginger is the most ambient dub piece on the album, and a work of pure invention. Brilliant samples carry this track and is a signature Orb tune. It gets better with Hell's Kitchen a fantastic dance tune with outrageous melodies and sci-fi trumpets - which in this context a great thing! Gee strings is a very repetitive track, with samples getting quiter and then louder over and over again. Still good though.

Prime Evil is pretty much S A L T part 2, but a weird attempt at gothic dance, its ok I guess. Orb Is is pure electronica with trademark Orb samples. This is a nice interesting track. The rest of the album is filler and not worth mentioning bar some nice noises in Abstractions and the glorious finale Dilmun. This is pure classic, vintage Orb and stunningly beautiful to finish off the album with.

Tracks:

Orb Is [Shopping Version]
Aftermath - The Orb,
Land of Green Ginger [Remix]
Hell's Kitchen
Gee Strings
Prime Evil
Abstractions (Trance Pennine Express)
From a Distance [Blast Master v the Corpral]
Tower Twenty Three [Spud v Kreature Mix]
Rompania [Grooved Ware Mix]
Dilmun
Dilmun

Amazon.com

Best known as the prime originator of ambient house back in the early 90s, Alex Paterson has always managed to avoid stagnation. With Bicycles & Tricycles he extends his parameters even further. "From a Distance," featuring vocals from the Corporal and a sample of Grace Jones's "Slave to the Rhythm" pulses and stomps like an electro glitter band. The dark, dubby "Prime Evil," with its creepy laughter, dramatic climax, and a portentous, Lovecraftian narration courtesy of Neville Jason, has an impressive Italian horror-movie feel, while "Kompania" has you thinking of Pink Floyd jamming with a crazed campanologist in deep space.

It's impressively ambitious stuff. But there's also plenty of humor, stretching from the CD case, through to "The Land of Green Ginger," with its clattering percussion and cheerful whistling, where Jason somehow keeps a straight face in recounting a tale of wizards and enchantments. This is the way throughout, with Paterson veering between playfulness and serious intent. In this he has much in common with the psychedelic revolutionaries of the mid-60s. --Dominic Wills

Album Description

2003 release from the ambient house pioneers.

Album Details

Customer Reviews:

not perfect , but pretty great.......2004-06-29

I've only listened to this CD once so far, but it's definitely becoming one of my favorite Orb albums already.

The first half is a bit of a mixed bag - it starts out with Orb Is, which sounds like a tribute to the "ultraworld" style, and is pretty cool. Then there's Aftermath, with a rapper who sounds surprisingly young and not all that interesting. Things get better with The Land of Green Ginger, although it's not all that much better than the mix on the Back to Mine compilation. Hell's Kitchen, however, is pretty pleasant and groovy. Prime Evil is also cool, especially if you liked S.A.L.T. on Orblivion.

Things just get better in the second half though. Abstractions and LUCA are two of the coolest ambient with beats kind of tracks that the Orb has done. From a Distance amd Tower 23 aren't quite as good (or as long) as A Huge Ever Growing etc. and Towers of Dub, which they remix and imitate, but they're a lot of fun anyway. The album wraps up with a couple fresh, new, distorted ambient tracks.

Overall, this is good stuff, and while the Orb's last album might have ended with "Terminus," the Orb clearly didn't stop there. My only real gripe is that it's kinda short at only 63 minutes total. Would've been nice to have some tracks break the 10 minute mark, but hey, what's here is good.

The rapper ruins it.......2004-05-30

I've been into the Orb for quite sometime and have hunted down some of their more rare selections. I purchased the Japanese edition last fall and enjoyed it fairly well though the first track, 'From a Distance', is a bit too fluffy. I was passing through the UK and saw the recently released UK version with a different track sequence and mixes (one of those being a great rework of the previously mentioned 'fluffy' track). Track two, 'Aftermath', is horrid. Me Soon T sounds like an infant with a mouthful of something foul. Alex Patterson's production on that track is quite lackluster as well, so there's no hope but skipping to the next track. Fear not, The rest of the disc is fantastic. It is a shame that track two is such a digression from what is otherwise a five star album.

Rap Music:

Rap Music

rap music

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