Album Review: The Orb, Moonbuilding 2703 AD
The Orb’s most recent offering Moonbuilding 2703 AD pioneers through circuitries of electronic music to stimulate and rewire the brain. The album is a wonderfully composed sample of life and all that is encompassed by it.
‘God’s Mirrorball’, encompassed by audio of a voice recording which speaks of Ancient Sumerian Mythology, is a confrontational piece that brings up questions in regards to one’s existence. Throughout the track the rhythm varies occasionally mirroring the rhythm of one’s heartbeat. The harmonious tone and resonance created by using sustained synths and coupling them with varying rhythms is placed beside an audio track which subconsciously forces you to confront our own developed system of beliefs and values. Casting glimpses to other tracks listed on this album, ‘God’s Mirrorball’ is perhaps a bird’s eye view of our society, removed, or even a compilation of the observations of a higher deity, a witness to the entirety of mankind’s past, present, and future.
‘Moons Scapes 2703 BC’ is an introspective track, journeying into society and man’s place within it. The song builds upon a steady beat which replicates the sound of an electrocardiograph machine as if leaving snippets of consciousness for one to awaken to. Releasing flourishes of sustained synth, ‘Moonscapes 2703 BC’ hits the ground running with familiarity in tone, structure and tempo.
‘Lunar Caves’, a short exploration of the ethereal, is representative of the hidden and unknown. Sampling an audio track similar to one used in ‘God’s Mirrorball’ this track is minimalistic, beat-driven and encompassed by synths which highlight the ideologies presented at the start of the track. ‘Lunar Caves’ references the moon landing conspiracy theory asking listeners to question their own truths in regards to their existence and their knowledge of their world.
The final and title track of the album ‘Moonbuilding 2703 AD’ is a compilation of societies past, present and predicted. Audio samples are indistinguishable quickly blending into the rhythm of the track becoming background noise, disguised and unnoticed. That said, it is a refreshing change from the overall tone portrayed throughout the album. Somewhat grungy, lo-fi and composed of urban sound samples, this track is an inviting look at things. To me ‘Moonbuilding 2703 AD’ sounds homemade, as if a hip-hop track assembled on someone’s basement PC making it a track which is approachable instead of confronting. Amongst the drone of suburbia and perfectly laid out rhythm sessions, ‘Moonbuilding 2703 AD’ has the tendency of falling into a state of repetition however subtle intricacies reveal a subliminal rise to euphoria.
Overall, Moonbuilding 2703 AD reveals deeply embedded connections between man’s existence and his place amongst the galaxy, with many ideas to be discovered upon further listen.
Words by Addy Fong.
