According to legend, Cydonia was an ancient city on Mars. Various evidence of this fabled land supposedly exists; the most famous example is the eerie Martian “face,” which satellites have photographed while in orbit. There is a huge faction of die-hard believers in Cydonia, who say that it is incontrovertible proof that we are not alone in the universe.
“Cydonia” is an apt title for the sixth studio album by a leading force in ambient electronic music, the Orb. Long known for epic, chilled-out albums of relaxing beats and otherworldly sounds, it seems only natural for these guys to embrace the Cydonia legend.
The Orb has gone through a lot of line-up changes throughout the years, but this time around it consists mostly of mainstay Dr. Alex Paterson and frequent collaborator Thomas Fehlmann. “Cydonia” is the first we’ve heard from the Orb since 1997’s excellent “Orblivion.” Has anything changed?
Well, the answer is yes and no. Perhaps the most immediately shocking thing about “Cydonia” is the presence of female vocals. Previous Orb albums have been heavy on sampled spoken voices and the like, but there has never before been an actual Orb “song,” with lyrics. “Cydonia” features a whopping four vocal tracks.
As a longtime Orb listener, I must admit that I was initially taken aback by the seemingly uninvited presence of a singer. However, this new facet of the Orb quickly grew on me, and I realized that the songs were in fact beautiful pieces of work that fit comfortably into the Orb canon.
New sounds for the Orb pop up elsewhere on “Cydonia.” The track “Thursday’s Keeper,” a drum ‘n’ bass-inspired noisefest, is without a doubt the most uptempo track that the Orb has ever released.
Fans of the old Orb sound should take heart, though. There’s plenty to love about “Cydonia.” Past Orb albums were famous for including long, dubby instrumentals that completely enveloped the listener (and by the way, if you haven’t heard the 17-minute long “Slug Dub” from 1995, you’re missing out). “Cydonia” does not disappoint in this department.
“Promis” is a mesmerizing piece of work, seamlessly blending together a skittering hip-hop beat with a string section that sounds like it could have been lifted from any number of late ’70s disco records. Even better is “Ghostdancing,” a downright eerie track featuring vocals from Nina Walsh. Building slowly upon a dub loop, “Ghostdancing” is simply hypnotizing, and it seems to go on forever.
The Orb is also well known for its trademark humor. In the past, the group has been known to stick absurd samples into the most serious of songs, which sets it apart from most of the straight-faced “serious artists” who seemingly control the electronic music genre. “Cydonia” is perhaps the least “funny” of Orb albums, but that doesn’t mean that it is humor-free. The track “Egnable” is two minutes of some confused-sounding announcer simultaneously advertising foreign-language tapes and mattress pads over a background of circus music. It simply has to be heard to be believed. And how seriously can you take a song called “A Mile Long Lump of Lard”?
“Cydonia” is a great album and a worthy addition to the Orb catalog. I would venture to say that it is the Orb’s most accessible album to date. For my money, it doesn’t top 1995’s “Orbus Terrarum,” but that’s a lofty goal. So go out and grab “Cydonia,” turn the lights down low and prepare for lift-off.