Electronic group The Orb’s 10th studio album Metallic Spheres, which features Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, will be rereleased as Metallic Spheres In Colour. The ambient album has been remastered and remixed and will be available to purchase on September 29.
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Metallic Spheres was originally produced by Youth, who is the founder of the rock band Killing Joke. Youth also worked on the reimagining of the album and spoke about what to expect from Metallic Spheres In Colour in a press release.
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“The idea for Metallic Spheres In Colour was that Alex Paterson (founder of The Orb) could have done more on the first version, and he didn’t really have the opportunity because we had a philosophy of making the music like the Blade Runner soundtrack meets ‘Wish You Were Here,'” Youth said. “So, I asked him why don’t we remix it and make it like an Orb classic? And in doing that, it’s almost like a completely different album.”
Metallic Spheres was initially released in October 2010. The album originally came to be almost as a happy accident, when Gilmour arrived at a studio to record a benefit track for British Hacker Gary McKinnon, which was a cover of “Chicago/Change The World” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Youth was at the studio that day, as was The Orb, which consists of Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty.
Youth and The Orb remixed the track and invited Gilmour to perform more guitar solos at the former’s studio, The Dreaming Cave. Gilmour’s sessions were turned into two ambient suites, which later became Metallic Spheres.
The vinyl release of Metallic Spheres In Colour will feature a round side and a flat side. It will also be available on CD and to stream. The album is currently available for pre-order.
Gilmour is known as the lead guitarist and co-vocalist of Pink Floyd. Far Out Magazine recently discussed a 1983 interview between Gilmour and Sounds Guitar Heroes magazine, where Gilmour revealed the one song he regrets having a writing credit on. Gilmour revealed that “The Narrow Way” from the 1969 album Ummagumma is his biggest regret writing-wise.
“Well, we’d decided to make the damn album, and each of us to do a piece of music on our own… it was just desperation really, trying to think of something to do, to write by myself,” Gilmour told Sounds Guitar Heroes in the vintage interview. “I’d never written anything before, I just went into a studio and started waffling about, tacking bits and pieces together. I haven’t heard it in years. I’ve no idea what it’s like.”
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