Sedibus ‘The Heavens’ album – Alex Paterson of the Orb in collaboration with Andy Falconer Out Now via Orbscure Recordings

LISTEN HERE WATCH ‘UNKNOWABLE’ HERE ‘Babble on an' Ting: Alex Paterson's Incredible Journey Beyond the Ultraworld with The Orb’ Biography Out Now via Omnibus Press

Out now, Sedibus ‘The Heavens’ (Alex Paterson of the Orb in in collaboration with original Orb member Andy Falconer) is the first release on Orbscure Recordings – a new vehicle for Paterson’s impressive quantity of output in different groups, which runs parallel to his continued music within The Orb. An original deep space mission, ‘The Heavens’ imbues 30 years of experience, skill and insight. In addition, ‘Babble on an' Ting: Alex Paterson's Incredible Journey Beyond the Ultraworld with The Orb’ (Omnibus Press) is the first full account of Paterson’s life story written by close friend and music journalist Kris Needs, documenting his life from childhood through to The Orb's activities and new label.

Orbscure Recordings

Always keen to collaborate, ever prolific, and with his creativity as flowing as ever, Alex Paterson’s Orbscure Recordings, set up under the Cooking Vinyl umbrella at the suggestion of label head Rob Collins, is an outlet for new music from Paterson and artists from around the world. “The name is a play on the Obscure label Eno set up on Editions EG in the 1970s. Orbs Cure. Clever parrot-Orbscure! Orbscure! Orbs Cure for all ills. Orbs Cure made 2 chill,” states Alex.

Having helmed the Orb collective for over 30 years, releasing music on other people’s labels in partnership with various label managers/A&Rs, Alex now finds himself in the driving seat, coordinating an even wider group of talent. Picking up from his past experience as an A&R for the legendary EG Records, there is already a raft of new releases in the pipeline with three albums set for release this year. The label will feature artists from Uganda, Kenya, Argentina, Japan and America with further collaborative projects to follow.

Sedibus ‘The Heavens’

The first release on Orbscure Recordings, Sedibus ‘The Heavens’ (released 28th May), is an astonishing collaboration between Alex and original Orb member Andy Falconer who engineered/co-wrote the ambient sides of the ‘Ultraworld’ album back in 1991. 30 years have passed since that seminal release when the two were last in the studio together.

Alex and Andy’s paths crossed once again in 2017 at Youth’s Space Mountain festival in southern Spain, where both were playing separately before deciding to work together again. The album became a long distance work with audio files, ideas and inspirations flying back and forth between England and Germany via email, telephone and the airwaves of WNBC radio. Mixed by Andy in Germany, the album made its final journey across the channel for mastering and compiling in England under Alex’s guiding hand. “Organic in feel and clearly referencing our shared roots, ‘The Heavens’ is an immersive journey of ambient electronica which not only references a source, but the distance travelled from that point of origin to something new,” says Andy.

From the euphonious soundscapes of ‘Afterlife Aftershave’ and the pulsating textures of ‘TOI 1338b, to the irresistible beats and bombastic piano of ‘Unknowable’ and immersive deep ambiance of ‘Papillions’, ‘The Heavens’ sets the benchmark for an exciting new future for Orbscure Recordings.

Babble on an' Ting: Alex Paterson's Incredible Journey Beyond the Ultraworld with The Orb

‘Babble on an' Ting: Alex Paterson's Incredible Journey Beyond the Ultraworld with The Orb’ (published 28th May on Omnibus Press), written by close friend and music journalist Kris Needs, reveals Alex’s traumatic Battersea childhood, boarding school abuse, punk's liberating impact resulting in roadying for Killing Joke, DJing, first recordings with the KLF’s Jimmy Cauty, The Orb and new record label. “I decided to do a book now as I have reached one full human cycle 60. Also, to tell my side of stories and to set the record straight on planet Orb,” says Alex. “Working with Kris was seriously brilliant fun. We have been friends and allies for decades now. He’s a beautiful man with a deep knowledge of all things secret and actually lived through some of the stories together.”

First-hand interviews include those with Youth, Andrew Weatherall, Primal Scream, Jah Wobble, Jimmy Cauty and a parade of other friends, collaborators and starship mechanics. For more info, contact debra@greatnorthernpr.co.uk

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