Orbus Terrarum (stylized as Orbvs Terrarvm) is a studio album by English electronic music group the Orb that was released on 20 March 1995 by Island Records. Member Kris Weston had begun work on the album before leaving the group. After he left, German producer Thomas Fehlmann joined as a full-time studio member, and the group, now consisting of Alex Paterson, Andy Hughes, and Fehlmann, completed the album. Unlike their previous efforts, Orbus Terrarum features more "earthbound", "organic" sounds in contrast to the psychedelic, science fiction-themed music they had previously written.[7][8]

Orbus Terrarum
Studio album by
Released20 March 1995
Genre
Length79:18
LabelIsland
Producer
The Orb chronology
Pomme Fritz
(1994)
Orbus Terrarum
(1995)
Orblivion
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyA[2]
The Guardian[3]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[4]
Rolling Stone[5]
Spin7/10[6]

According to Paterson, Orbus Terrarum suffered "a good kicking" at the hands of the British music press.[9] The Times described it as "generic ambient music"[10] and The Guardian said it was a low point for Paterson's creativity.[11][12] Rolling Stone gave the album a more positive reception: naming it their album of the month, and citing its symphonic flow coupled with the Orb's "uniquely British wit".[5] The record reached number 20 on the UK Albums Chart.[13]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Valley"Alex Paterson, Kris Weston, Simon Phillips, Tom Green7:35
2."Plateau"Paterson, Weston, Thomas Fehlmann13:14
3."Oxbow Lakes"Paterson, Weston, Fehlmann7:28
4."Montagne d'Or (Der Gute Berg)"Paterson, Andy Hughes, B. J. Cole, Weston, Nick Burton, Fehlmann10:40
5."White River Junction"Paterson, Weston, Fehlmann9:36
6."Occidental"Paterson, Hughes, Kris Needs, Weston, Burton, Phillips, Fehlmann13:55
7."Slug Dub"Paterson, Weston, Paul Ferguson, Fehlmann17:19
Total length:79:16
Remix disc
No.TitleLength
1."Plateau (All Hands on Deck Mix – 2AM)"15:45
2."Slug Dub (Dumpy Dub)"12:29
3."Valley (Mix 3 Dubby)"10:54
4."White River Junction (Zoom Vinegar Mix)"13:05
5."Oxbow Lakes (Andy's Space Mix)"8:45
6."Peace Pudding (Occidental)"13:31
Total length:74:41

References

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  1. ^ Bush, John. "Orbus Terrarum – The Orb". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  2. ^ Svetkey, Benjamin (14 April 1995). "Orbvs Terrarvm". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  3. ^ Smith, Andrew (24 March 1995). "The Orb: Orbus Terrarum (Island)". The Guardian.
  4. ^ Warren, Bruce (28 May 1995). "The Orb: Orbus Terrarum (Island) / Aphex Twin: ...I Care Because You Do (Sire)". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  5. ^ a b Wiederhorn, Jon (20 April 1995). "The Orb: Orbus Terrarum". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  6. ^ Miller, Paul (July 1995). "Orb: Orbvs Terrarvm". Spin. Vol. 11, no. 4. p. 77. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  7. ^ Doerschuck, Robert (June 1995). "Inside the Ambient Techno Ultraworld". Keyboard Magazine.
  8. ^ Gill, Andy (31 March 1995). "Oh, the Pity and Terra of It All". The Independent. p. 31.
  9. ^ "Alex Paterson Interview". Future N Music. October 1998.
  10. ^ Sinclair, David (24 March 1995). "Pop on Friday". The Times. p. 1.
  11. ^ Simpson, Dave (19 January 2001). "The Friday Interview". The Guardian. p. 6.
  12. ^ Wiederhorn, Jon (19 March 1997). "The Orb: Orblivion". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 30 June 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  13. ^ "The Orb". Everyhit.com. Archived from the original on 19 March 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2006.
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