The Orb

The Orb formed in London in 1988, when Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty began splicing dub basslines, tape loops of birdsong, and stray samples into something no dance floor of the era had a name for. Their 1991 debut, The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld, and its chart-topping 1992 follow-up, U.F.Orb, effectively invented British ambient house and turned the chill-out room from an afterthought into a destination. Paterson has remained the outfit's constant through three decades of shifting lineups, now steering the project alongside producer Michael Rendall, with past collaborators including Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour and dub pioneer Lee "Scratch" Perry. The catalogue runs past twenty studio albums, built from vast, layered soundscapes that treat the studio itself as an instrument. Still touring and recording, the pair released their latest album, Buddhist Hipsters, in October 2025.