The Orb Featuring David Gilmour - Metallic Spheres

Metallic Spheres is the tenth studio album by English ambient house duo The Orb featuring guitarist David Gilmour, released in October 2010 via Columbia Records.

The Orb currently consists of co-founding member Alex Paterson and long time producer Thomas Fehlmann.  Alex Paterson began his music career in the early 1980s as a roadie for the post-punk rock band Killing Joke. After leaving the band in 1986, Paterson met future KLF member Jimmy Cauty and the duo began DJ-ing and producing music together under the name The Orb. Paterson and Cauty's first release was a 1988 acid house anthem track, “Tripping on Sunshine“ and throughout 1989 the duo, along with Youth (Martin Glover), developed a music production style that incorporated ambient music with a diverse array of samples and recordings.  Only then did the press label their music 'ambient house' after abstaining from comment during their foundation years.  The line up continued to change over the next 20 years, and develop with Andy Falconer, Kris "Thrash" Weston, Steve Hillage,  Andy Hughes, Simon Phillips and Nick Burton joining for varying periods.

On this 2010 album, The Orb teamed up with legendary progressive rock guitarist David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) and Youth (Killing Joke) to write and record this album. The album was produced by Youth and recorded in 2009 at “The Dreaming Cave” in Wandsworth, England.

The Orb 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.

Metallic Spheres is designed to be listened to in two parts; the “Metallic Side” and “Spheres Side”.  Each track, or side, consists of five movements. The album uniquely utilizes David Gilmour's discernable electric guitar and lap steel guitar, Alex Paterson's sound manipulation, keyboards and turntables, and Youth's bass guitar and keyboards.

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."

Check out the tracks:  “Metallic Side”; “Spheres Side” and “David Gilmour Feature”.

This double album 2LP record set is on black vinyl at 45 RPM housed in a gatefold sleeve with 36”x12” double sided poster, and download code, pressed in the US.