U.f.orb The Orb

The Orb virtually invented the electronic genre known as ambient house, resurrecting slower, more soulful rhythms and providing a soundtrack for early-morning ravers once the clubs closed their doors. Frontman Dr. Alex Paterson's formula was quite simple: he slowed down the rhythms of classic Chicago house and added synth work and effects inspired by '70s ambient pioneers Brian Eno and Tangerine Dream. To make the whole a bit more listenable - as opposed to danceable - obscure vocal samples were looped, usually providing a theme for tracks that lacked singing. The group popularized the genre by appearing on the British chart show Top of the Pops and hitting number one in the U.K. with the 1992 album U.F.Orb…

These tracks are from the split albums (with Träd, Gräs och Stenar and Kinski) for their Japan tour with Acid Mothers.

It's fair to say that the Orb never would have reached the British pop Top 40 without the influence and promotion of John Peel, who sponsored three sessions between 1989 and 1995. (There have also been two additional dates for other presenters.) Peel, a veteran of the late-'60s British music scene, appreciated the Orb's blend of futurism and folky traditionalism, seeing them not just as dance saviors but another dot in the line that connected pixilated popsters like T. Rex and the Incredible String Band (both of which Peel had been closely associated with). The Orb's first session was recorded in 1989, well before they had released an album, and it boosted the popularity of both the group and the ambient house phenomenon immeasurably…

This is the live recording at "19th Acid Mothers Temple Festival" in Nagoya 2020. Also it was Taigen Kawabe's first show to replace Wolf as bassist. The original CD was released by Acid Mothers Temple in 2021. (Limited to 300 hand-numbered copies.)

Even though they just launched Max Hazard, AMT actually already had its own label ever since 1998 simply called Acid Mothers Temple and they also released a new album recently: a split CD with US band Kinski. They already did a split together back in 2003 and Kinski and AMT leader Makoto Kawabata also recorded a track together in 2015 that was released on a split 7″ with Kikagaku Moyo. This new, untitled album, limited to 300 copies, contains five tracks from the US band and two from AMT, including yet another version of Blue Velvet Blues, that also appears on “How Was…”.

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. return with Sacred And Inviolable Phase Shift. One of the greatest Japanese psychedelic bands has a new studio album.

Prepare yourself for the powerful sounds emanating from the new Acid Mothers Temple The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. chapter! With a renewed and strong rhythm section featuring two young and extremely talented Japanese musicians Satoshima Nani on drums and Wolf, on bass and the one-of-a-kind vocalist Jyonson Tsu, the master guru Kawabata Makoto is clearly re-energized and totally in sync with his cosmos.