the orb: alpine

Pioneers The Orb (Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann) followed their acclaimed 2015 album Moonbuilding 2703 AD with a contribution to Pop Ambient 2016, the joyously meandering cut "Alpine Dawn." But this track was only one piece of a psychedelic puzzle, and the full Alpine trilogy now gets the attention it deserves. Spiritually and texturally akin to "Alpine Dawn," "Alpine Morning" starts off with actual cowbells and looping synth pads before changing lanes several times and introducing a relaxed downbeat flavor mid-track. Centerpiece "Alpine Evening" comes comfortably grounded in a heavy-duty rhythm section reminiscent of classic Kompakt stomp.