The concept-driven album is their first for Kompakt since 2005.
The Orb have announced full details of their return to Kompakt, an album which sees the duo of founding member Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann creating ambient music around a typically outlandish concept.
“Moonbuilding 2703 AD is inspired by this place called Earth and the idea that in the future mankind discovers its root element in the ancient rocks on solar moons,” says Paterson of the album in a press release, “which are based on musical harmonies, that despite being imprinted a billion lights years ago, are set to the same tempo as the Orb.”
The album is comprised of just four tracks, though each is described as a “mini epic” in their own right. More unexpectedly, the deluxe vinyl version of the album features a bonus tribute to J Dilla called ‘Dilla’s Moon Quake’.
The album will be available on vinyl, deluxe vinyl, CD and digital formats on June 22, and follows a cassette of a rare 1992 cassette from the project’s early incarnation, and last year’s retrospective release History Of The Future Part 2. The duo will also be going on tour across the year in support of the album – dates for that can be found below.
Tracklist:
1. God’s Mirrorball
2. Moonscapes 2703 BC
3. Lunar Caves
4. Moonbuilding 2703 AD
Dilla’s Moon Quake [deluxe vinyl only]
Moon Quake (Slice of Silver) [deluxe vinyl and deluxe download only]
Moon Quake 6 [deluxe download only]
Tour dates:
April 29 – El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles
April 30 – Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
May 2 – Further Future Festival, Nevada
May 3 – Rialto Theatre, Tucson
May 5 – Animas City Theatre, Durango
May 7 – Belly Up, Aspen
May 8 – Gothic Theatre, Englewood
May 9 – etown, Boulder
May 15 – Eurorock Festival, Neerpelt
May 16 – Nuits Sonores, Lyon
June 19 – Barcelona, Sonar (Kompakt night at Nitsa)
July 4 – Unit, Tokyo
July 5 – Studio Partita, Osaka
July 18 – Melt Festival, Leipzig
July 25 – Secret Garden Party (DJ set), Abbots Ripton
July 26 – Secret Garden Party (DJ set), Abbots Ripton
+ More dates TBA
