I've been quiet for the past few weeks, what with all the doin's a-transpiring, but quite recently I've made a pledge to be a little more active and decided upon a project.
I've got shelves and shelves of killer records, each milestones in their own right, but haven't quite the time to draft an article for each one. So, for as long as it lasts, I'm going to feature an album (or small collections of albums) each day with a just few words about them.
Where better to begin than my questionably-healthy obsession with ambient house music?
There are a few key recordings in the world of ambient house. Records like The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld (featuring the hit, "Little Fluffy Clouds"), and the 40:00 "Blue Room" single - the longest single ever to reach the UK charts.
Another highlight from The Orb's catalog is Metallic Spheres - the glorious collaboration of The Orb, Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour and Killing Joke bassist Youth.
Excellently mastered, pressed on heavy audiophile-grade vinyl and in an ultra-glossy gatefold jacket with fold-out poster and download code for an exclusive alternate mix.
This record is a dream come true.
And you can't talk about The Orb without addressing Paterson's first recordings with the legendary KLF.
"3AM Eternal", "Justified & Ancient", and "Doctorin' the Tardis" are staple singles from The KLF. I'm holding out for a picture disc import of "America: What Time Is Love?" to complete The Stadium House Trilogy.
Space by Space is a 1990 ambient house concept album by Jimmy Cauty and Alex Paterson and was originally intended to be The Orb's debut album.
And last but certainly not least, also pictured about is Chill Out - the ultimate ambient house LP. It portrays a mythical night-time journey up the US Gulf Coast from Texas into Louisiana following a weekend rave.
I ordered a VG+ copy of the highly sought-after Chill Out from the UK on Discogs only to learn that it was destroyed at US Customs. The seller was so cool, he sent me his mint first press (pictured) at no additional charge.
"This is what the KLF is about."
And for KLF fans looking for exceptional rare material, I highly recommend The KLF: Recovered & Remastered KLF MINUS-SIX unofficial album. "This Is Not What Space Is About" is a monumental unofficial rework of Space, transforming it into an epic drone album.
Each copy was personalized with the owners name and I was lucky to secure a copy for my library. Check it out!