A World Between the Seams
Far off there is a rustling of bushes, a creaking of old chains under the weight of children’s laughter. Even with headphones on, holding the world behind rubber barriers, eyes dart about trying to locate the natural sounds so close, but only locate ethereal empty spaces. It is this in between where The Orb lurks, occupying a vibrant new limbo with latest album COW / Chill Out, World!
First up, “Consider the Lillys” begins much the same as the first paragraph. Sampled sounds of swingsets are laid atop a bed of electronic thrumming, creating a lush universe for the listener to explore. Shortly into the song it evolves into a more standard beat, incorporating elements of old analog electronics and intertwining them with some sort of hammered stringed instrument. The result is an engaging but never frustrating track. It would be content to forever linger in the background but there is depth to it, should the listener attempt to look for it. The track eventually closes off after going through a strange calypso evolution as island strings and vocal samples pepper in alongside the ambient hums. The second song begins with a sort of interview where the interviewer asks the subject about “butterflies in the tummy” which, while strange, is an almost comforting and incredibly pleasant moment in the album. The track then proceeds to meander down springtime forest paths painted with pianos and electric thrums that beckon the listener into a dreamlike state where it will hold them close for the duration of the album. “Siren 33” is the first song that could be seen as possessing any sort of menace, however the low spaceship hum of the synthesizers transport the listener to the same forest as track two but only at a different time of day, the track is supremely effective at maintaining the album’s mantra of being satisfying both on the surface and at the depths; the closer one listens in the more they will notice.
There is no true turning point in the album, however if there were one it would be “4am Exhale” which is reminiscent of the sample rich tunes of The Avalanches, and flutters with a similar nostalgic air as the tracks of the aforementioned band. This track is the most immediately engaging on the album and does a phenomenal job of breaking up many of the more ambient tracks while not interrupting the flow of the album. Unfortunately, the next track does stumble on itself a bit, and comes across as a little too ambient and unfocused after the most engaging track on the album, and suffers as a result. Its overly repetitive main beat and clicking gear-like sounds are generally unmemorable and pass by quickly, barely noticeable. Fortunately the next track re-engages the listener with the same island strings that lingered at the back end of the first track, and serve as an enjoyable, if somewhat short, palate cleanser before moving into a more sample heavy portion of the album.
“7 Oaks” is the next major shift in the album, for much the same reasons as “4 AM Exhale” was. This song re-incorporates old style samples in the vein of The Avalanches, using them as a tool to create a soundtrack rather than as a method to create or pepper into a beat. “9 Elms” sounds like waking up on a train, the sounds of rushing wind filling the listener’s headphones and pleasant chimes lulling the listener back into the same dream that was present on the second track. The back half of the track is wildly different in that it incorporates a more standard drum beat and time signature, nearly turning it into an old school hip hop track before moving into the final song. The closer is much more ambient than any of the previous tracks and brings with it a Middle Eastern influence. Found sounds of birds flit from ear to ear as sirens blare across its center axis. The album closes with a smooth ambient hum, closing a satisfying symmetrical loop that will allow the listener to endlessly cycle through the tracks without them feeling overly repetitive.
COW / Chill Out, World! is a triumph of the ambient genre. Nearly every moment of the album begs to be explored time and time again. It implores then listener to play it either as a background track for work and daily tasks or as a task for in-depth listening. This album is a rarity even within the genre; far too often do ambient albums lack the necessary variance to remain engaging, and on the off chance that they do they will often be too forward and trend into the territory of distracting. COW / Chill Out, World! is a mandatory listen for anyone who needs a new soundtrack to their day, and should be treated with the greatest reverence and appreciation.
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