The Orb

The subgenres of acid house and ambient electronica have produced sonic wallpaper by the yard, but few artists as creative or compelling as The Orb. The duo of Alex Paterson and Youth, two Englishmen on the ground floor of late-’70s punk, meld found voices and electronic melodies into a symphony of sampling and gentle dance beats.

The Dream is aptly named: The tracks flow in and out of images and sounds much like a dream in the final hour before waking. The music takes in echoes of East India, snatches of hip-hop, Kraftwerk-like electro pop, American soul and Jamaican toasting. The Orb’s mastery of mixing and their sonic imagination help pull a world of sound into an organic whole.