- Madrid's Orbe label describes itself as "a trip without beginning or end." Orbe, the man behind it, lives up to the promise on his debut for Eric Cloutier's Palinoia. Balancing techno's otherworldly hypnotism with the cushioning suppleness of house, this is music for the dance floor's deepest nether hours, when the body can barely keep moving and the mind is far away. A relatively fresh face in Spanish techno, Orbe gauges the mood expertly, delivering four elegant arrangements.
"Device's Generation" and "Laser's Worldwar" are Jeff Mills panoramas with a seductive sway, their star canopies of dissonant synths streaked by passing comets of melody, chord and percussion. A pad line that slides drunkenly in pitch makes "Upper Stage" more playful, while looped voices that hover just out of focus add more intrigue. The music's soft side surfaces on "Cosmic Creed," where tuneful keys and purls of bright melody replace atonal synth lines. The drums also have more kinesis, thanks to bouncy hi-hats and the occasional claps. Subtle touches give this music its twilit drama.
TracklistA1 Device's Generation
A2 Upper Stage
B1 Laser's Worldwar
B2 Cosmic Creed