From start to finish, the making of an album can be a long slog but in the case of ambient duo The Orb’s 16th release, COW / Chill Out, World!, this process lasted just six months. Playing up to 300 gigs in the past few years, it has brought Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann together as a musical unit, allowing the pair to trust their instincts and enjoy unscripted creativity. The parts which make up the sum of the album are rhythmic pulses and loops; field recordings during their many tours where downtime and sound-checks became opportunities for spontaneous laptop productivity. Dubbed a ‘protest album in reverse’, the duo explains the album is a friendly suggestion for people to sit back and chill out before continuing to act destructively. Take heed, and immerse yourself in one of their shows.
Fri 25 Nov, Manchester Academy, Moss Ln E, Manchester M14 4PX, Tel: 0161 232 1639, 7.30pm, £20, www.seetickets.com
- Words:
- Edwina Chan
- Published on:
- Thu 24 Nov 2016
