Bicycles & Tricycles The Orb Artist

For every reason there is to welcome {|the Orb|}'s return to the {|electronic|} arena, there's a reason to feel deflated by {|Bicycles & Tricycles|}. It's been three years since the lackluster {|Cydonia|}, plenty of time for {|Alex Patterson|} and hi... Read more

For every reason there is to welcome {|the Orb|}'s return to the {|electronic|} arena, there's a reason to feel deflated by {|Bicycles & Tricycles|}. It's been three years since the lackluster {|Cydonia|}, plenty of time for {|Alex Patterson|} and his revolving door of co-producers (most notably {|Thomas Fehlmann|}, who has received numerous successes with his solo jaunts) to lick their wounds. However, the long wait did nothing to help {|the Orb|} keep up with the tides of progression, and what you're left with feels like remnants of {|electronica|} days gone by. {|Patterson|} and company still do the genre that they helped to establish justice at times, with {|Gee Strings|} and {|Dilmun|} being the two prime examples. However, those two were previously issued on Germany's outstanding {|Kompakt|} imprint, and the remixes featured here do nothing to better either song. The beautiful melodies in {|Hell's Kitchen|} are diminished in effect, thanks to abrasive breakbeats and a totally unnecessary vocal sample. In many ways, it's an album with a paradox: one side being permanently entrenched in the U.K. scene of the early '90s and the other struggling to break free of its past toward a more progressive future (a glimpse of that can be found in the shuffle-heavy remix of {|From a Distance|}). It's not as captivating a listen as the output from their classic years (although diehards will welcome their return with open arms); and by using that barometer, {|Bicycles & Tricycles|} is a bit of a letdown, especially after a three-year absence. ~ Rob Theakston Less