David Gilmour & The Orb - Metallic Spheres Website

[Keith Jordan]

As you no doubt know, David Gilmour put some guitars down on The Orb's latest offering Metallic Spheres album. There is a website for it now below where you can listen to some of the sounds from the album.

Personally, I didn't make it to the end of Cult of Youth (Ambient Mix) as it started giving me a headache. Let me know how you get on!!

http://www.metallicspheres.com/


Here is some info...

The Orb, the visionary UK 'ambient/house' collective, came to collaborate with David Gilmour after working together on a version of Graham Nash's Chicago for a charity project. Youth (aka Martin Glover), a frequent Orb accomplice, was invited to create a remix, and he and Alex Paterson, as The Orb, were so energized by the task that they continued working until it was an album-length entity. Having asked Gilmour to bring his guitars to Youth's studio in South London to prolong and enrich their new creation, the trio worked up a sonic mixture in a range of styles. Thus, the Metallic Spheres project was born.

Metallic Spheres is designed to be heard in two parts – 'Metallic Side' (24'48"), and 'Spheres Side' (25'09"). Each track, or side, consists of five movements. The album uniquely utilizes David Gilmour's electric guitar and lap steel guitar, Alex Paterson's sound manipulation, keyboards and turntables, and Youth's bass guitar and keyboards. The album will be available in three formats: standard and 2-disc deluxe versions on CD; digital download; and 180-gram vinyl. The deluxe 2-CD version includes an extra disc, featuring the new 3D60™ process, which allows a 360-degree sound experience on stereo tracks without any special equipment. Please see below for more details.

Longtime Orb collaborator Simon Ghahary has created artwork, continuing and expanding on The Orb's spatial art style.

Additionally, special laser light shows created specifically for the release of Metallic Spheres will be shown to the public in early October in New York and Los Angeles. More details to follow.

The Orb's Alex Paterson says: "It's a collision that's been waiting to happen with Pink Floyd/David Gilmour and The Orb orbiting many of the same planets".

The Orb, built around mainstay Alex Paterson, formed in London in 1989 during the birth of the rave movement. Initially founded on a mutual love of Brian Eno and German electronics, The Orb at present operates with a flexible line-up of collaborators that includes producer/multi-instrumentalist Youth, well-known for his work with Paul McCartney as The Fireman, as well as his production (Crowded House, Dido) and remixes (U2, Marilyn Manson).

David Gilmour is the legendary singer, guitarist and songwriter with Pink Floyd, whose most recent solo album On An Island charted at No. 1 in the UK and Europe, and No.6 in the USA.

The album will also be available selectively as a 'Deluxe' edition: a 2-CD version including an extra CD featuring a different mix, in the 3D60™ process, which allows a 360-degree sound experience on stereo tracks without any special equipment.

[my breakfast.]

I was worried the whole thing would just be Dave's transatlantic wobbly stratocaster soloing over a bunch of bland ambient music....

The music I heard on that website (in appallingly low bitrate as well) sounds pretty bland. Sort of like the music you get on property shows on the TV.

The video on that website is the best bit really... I hate websites that automatically play music at you. To me that is rude and a clear way of trying to snare you into the product.

[Meandthem]

Me - I like it!
A bit moody, very ambient, but once you set your mind to it, you'll orbit (not in the sense "fasten your seatbelt" - but I guess you get the drift!)

Come to think of it, some parts of it reminds me of "Obscured by Clouds"
- in obscured, ambient ways...