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CD 01
Jon Hopkins – Second Sense
This is an artist that John Benedict from Kobalt manages. I only found this out when the license was being cleared. Easily one of my favourites.
Ben Onono – Tatouage Bleu
The title means ‘Blue Tattoo’. The spoken part is by somebody of whom I have only ever been able to ascertain the name ‘Chet’. Ben Onono was born in Cardiff but raised in West Africa.
Gavin Friday – Angel
When I was in Dublin, producing U2, Bono said one day, there’s a guy coming over to the studio later who has ‘immaculate pop sensibilities’. It was Gavin and he was a delight to have regularly dropping by. I first heard this song on the soundtrack album to the film ‘Romeo and Juliet’, which I think is the best soundtrack album of its kind. I didn’t realise that it was by Gavin ‘til a lot later.
William Orbit – G155
This track was part of the ‘Hello Waveforms’ album but only ever released as a ‘bonus’ track on iTunes and on a promotional 7”.
Blank & Jones – Desire (Ambient Mix)
This reminds me of driving along the old stone-walled roads of Ibiza with a car full of friends, on the way to a beach at sunset.
Laurie Mayer – Flung (Variation)
This track always makes me think of a movie in my mind. It is from Laurie Mayer’s dark and beautiful album ‘Black Lining’. www.lauriemayer.com
Skye – Love Show
Skye had been the singer in the band Morcheeba. I was sent a demo of this song by Nick (‘The Captain’) Stewart. I never had the time to take it further but played the track in my iTunes a lot because I liked it so much. This is that version. I often ‘selectively filter’ lyrics to music, but I always pay attention to this one. I like that the bass guitar plays such a prominent role in the piece…And I always look forward to the killer middle 8 at 2:14.
Robbie Williams – Stand Your Ground
When I was about to do some work with Robbie, I played through a lot of his albums. At the end of ‘I’ve Been Expecting You’, several minutes after the last listed song had finished, this came out of the speakers. I mentioned it to Rob and he just shrugged. I personally think that it’s a gem and well worth listening to. I’d like to
thank his manager (and my good friend) David Enthoven for helping to get it cleared for this compilation.
John Barry – Wednesday’s Child
From the 1966 spy thriller ‘The Quiller Memorandum’.
Great to hear something in triple time. John Barry (most famous for his original James Bond themes) conducted the musicians himself on this original recording.
Dusted – Always Remember To Respect Your Mother (Part 1)
I can totally stand behind that. This was sung by the then 12 year old Alan Young and the spoken voice is from the actor, the late Michael N. Harbour.
All Saints – Black Coffee
We recorded the vocals at several studios in LA. A total re-arrangement of the original song, I played the instruments at my house in Mandeville Canyon in the Hollywood Hills. Steve Sidelnyk, who I have worked with many times, played the drums. I was always very happy with the jangley quality of my guitars on this one. Especially the one that first comes in on the right, half way through the first chorus. And Shaznay and Mel’s voices with beautiful harmonies, I can listen to over and over.
Bass-o-Matic – Fascinating Rhythm
I started Bass-o-matic twenty years ago, originally for pirate radio in London which was then going through a creative heyday, even though totally illegal at the time and subject to rooftop chases with armfuls of home-made broadcasting equipment, trying not to let it get confiscated by Home Office officials. This is a reworking (just for this compilation) of the ‘Soul Odyssey’ mix. This song was the first time that I’d ever been in the top ten chart. Vocal: Sharon Musgrave, solo piano is by Dean Ross. By the time this record is out I will put a raw multi-track up on my blog. www.williamorbit.com
William Orbit – Where Do You Go (Instrumental)
I wrote this one with Beth Orton, although her vocals are not on this particular version. The strings are by the Electra Strings.
Little Dragon – Twice
This song had that beautiful video with the cut-out stick puppet shadows.
William Orbit – Sea Green
From the album ‘Hello Waveforms’. About the deep ocean, where the light is just a memory of green in the depths. And when carried on a warm current nearer to the surface, shifting beams of light are glimpsed.
CD 02
Boozoo Bajou – Yoruba Road
I bought this from the shop at Bambuddha Grove, the restaurant and tantric theme park just outside Santa Eulalia in Ibiza that was built over the years out of bamboo by expat John Moon.
Crazy – P Cruising
Wah wah clavinet, what more can I say? And the track doesn’t fit into any genre that I’ve heard of. Apart from the genre of filmatically groovtastic.
Freestylers – So Fine
The Freestylers have been going for years with tracks that are not particularly of the moment but timeless and compelling. “Whatever ‘tis, it’s gotta be funky. Ok, I’m going to count it… one… two … … and It’s got a big clapping back beat and lots of slidey wiggliness. That works for me. Plus it’s got that ‘thrilla’ moment.
School Of Seven Bells – Chain
Another song, like the Skye Edwards song on disc 1 that has a bass guitar very much involved in the chordal development. At least I think that it’s a bass guitar, it might be a guitar tuned very low. If I’m wrong I feel sure that you’ll tweet me to put me right! I actually found this track when I was surfing idly around Myspace.
Couture Feat. Rachelle – Afterglow (Trafik Edit)
This song feels like someone going in and out of a dreamy haze. I love the way that the key change emerges from the muffled distant eq at 2:37. That could be a difficult change to pull off without it seeming gratuitous.
Stereo MCs – Sofisticated
From Nottingham, England, a city that I know well. I like the way that after a few listens, you become aware of all these instrumental flourishes and extra-melodic treats.
Eddie Harris – It’s All Right Now
The late Eddie Harris from Chicago had three sides to his musical career: Beebop saxophonist, with a smooth and mellow tone; totally tight and smoking hot session saxophonist on such dates as the Bill Cosby Show in the 60s; and true pioneer of the electric octave sax, played with toe-tingling funkiness. I made a point of collecting everything that he ever released on vinyl. It took a couple of years and was a huge amount of discs as he was incredibly prolific during his lifetime and recorded for many different labels. I will post a full list on the blog and maybe some clips. Harris also wrote music theory books which I collect. “c’mon we’all get together and put some hands in it” (miss out the first one).
Amadou & Mariam – Sabali (Paul Epworth Mix)
I was on a plane to Las Vegas and the person sitting next to me was en route to a Poker tournament. We got talking and he said that he could only play in long games if he had music playing on his iPod. I asked what kind of thing and he showed me a pretty cool playlist including Amadou and Mariam, who I wasn’t aware of at the time. I checked them out later and it seemed as if the whole world knew about them. I was enraptured by this music that no matter how poignant, makes me feel happy. Amadou Bagayoko sings on most tracks but many are sung by Mariam Doumbia, as on this one which is remixed by Paul Epworth. They are both blind and met at a school for the blind in Mali. Amadou’s guitars make me think of sunshine. I highly recommend further listening.
Baby Bash Feat. Frankie J – Suga Suga
My goddaughter used to play this constantly. It’s not the first time that young Clara has introduced me to great tracks. And thank you Tamla Motown for the permission to use it. The singer is Frankie J from Mexico
Eric Krasno & Neal Evans – Miss Leslie (Instrumental)
I was in an antiquarian bookshop in Venice, California, when this came on the hi-fi. I forgot all about my book browsing and went
straight over to the cashier to find out what he was playing, and bought it as soon as I could. The title refers to a ‘Leslie Cabinet’, a rotating loudspeaker assembly in the heart of a Hammond organ that gives the sound its swirliness. I would love to be jamming with this band!
Chromeo – Woman Friend
More vocoda, hot damn, yeh! When I first heard this I thought that it was contemporaneous to the Roger Troutman and the Zapp Band era. But no, it’s two guys from Monreal, Canada; P-Thugg (Patrick Gemayel) and Dave 1 (David Macklovitch). Dave currently teaches undergraduate French classes at Columbia University. If you like this track you’ll probably adore their album ‘She’s in Control’. Check the good old-fashioned synth solo at 2:08, there are bundles of notes but each one is very sharply defined. “Rrrrrrrokk!”
Kraak & Smaak – No Sun In The Sky (Henrik Schwarz Remix)
Ok, where is the ‘one’ on this track? The downbeat. It’s got me stumped. But who cares when it’s got this much juice.
Sasha – Wavy Gravy
Thanks to my friend in Ohio, Dandooni, for introducing me to this. Or reintroducing me I should say, I have got the 2002 album ‘Airdrawndagger’ from whence it comes, but it was languishing under a pile of other CDs. I’ve known Sasha for years and his co-writer on this, the hugely talented Charlie May, since Guerilla Records days when we signed his band Spooky. I have a great memory of going over to Sasha’s house in Henley one time, and on pulling into his driveway seeing a pair of record decks sticking out of his pond. He’d been sent them by a company eager to get his endorsement and they hadn’t worked very well. They were ignominously dunked. The morale of this, don’t send dodgy dex to the Sash!
DJ Kharma Feat. Juliet Diamond – Hymn (Orbit Remix)
We could have done with hymns like this when I was at school. We were forced to sing, or rather groan our way through dirge-like Victorian standards that had had all the joy removed. This one stuck in my head after I heard it for the first time on Beatport and I worked a couple of versions together to make this mix.
CD 03
Trentemøller – Sunstroke
Anders Trentemøller makes dark groove journeys and is a master of clickscapes and epic buzz sagas. This track makes me think of driving around rainy London streets at night. Dizzee Rascal Feat.
Calvin Harris & Chrome – Dance Wiv Me (Dirty Vegas Remix)
Dizzee is a UK national treasure. Born near where I was born in East London. Calvin’s tweets are brilliantly off-colour and I am an avid follower. This version is remixed by Dirty Vegas and also features Chrome.
Sound Diffusion – Girls Like Hi Hats (Uto Karem’s Boys Like Bass Mix)
I didn’t pick the tracks on this disc by their titles! This track does what so many others do, introduces a new percussive element every four/eight bars. But does it better. It’s only a ‘standard no 6 hi hat’ but why do I enjoy it so when it comes in at 30secs? I picked this track not because it’s an obvious club smash but because I like its driving, urgent energy. But what are the lyrics? “bubble up, bubble up, bubble up club”? “bloomberg, bloomberg bloomberg”? Twitter me if you know. And is that a pigeon at 3:01?
Larry Tee – I Love U (Bart B More Secured Dub)
Thanks to Jodie Harsh for introducing me to the warped and ever-so-raunchy music of Larry Tee. You cannot but pay attention to the “bowwngg b-b-b-b-bbownngg” that starts at 43 secs, just after the first “I love u”. But eventually, I start to fixate on the squeaky teddy under each “Boownnggg”. How do I know it is a teddy? I don’t. But whatever it is, it’s getting squished.
Jiri.ceiver – Loom1
I have let this track run on and on many times. It has a certain something that transcends its genre. Everything morphs, like it’s made of an elastic nanosubstance. I used this track in my ‘World Odyssey Mix’ on Pathaan’s Asian Network show. With Missy Elliot on top, it is beautifully atonal. Or rather, of no fixed key-signature abode.
Hook N Sling & Kid Kenobi – The Bump (Tonite Only Remix)
Squelchy synth satisfaction.
Terry Lynn – Kingstonlogic (Greenmoney Houselogic Remix)
I was introduced to Greenmoney when they did a remix of ‘Purdy’. Their remix of ‘Kingstonlogic’ locked me in as soon as Terry Lynn’s voice starts. Every syllable is magic. I’ve been an admirer of Lynn’s poetry and stories from Kingston, Jamaica, for some time. And this collaboration with Greenmoney takes things to another level. Then that big truck siren blares down on you! This was the hit of the night when I played it out recently.
Deadmau5 – The Reward Is Cheese
Up, up, and away! The reward is bleep heaven.
WTF? – Chicken
What the….? It’s one long demented percussion solo. When I played this on Jason Bentley’s show on KCRW, from the studio area, I wasn’t sure how it would go down. But when I looked up from the decks, I saw through the studio glass a room full of people jumping up and down.
Benassi Bros – Presents Violeta I Love My Sex
Like I said, I didn’t choose the tracks by titles. Not that it’s a bad title. Bling ‘n’ bass, in yer face.
Stanton Warriors Feat. Twista – Pop Your Cork
See what I mean about titles? Btw, Stanton is a company that has made 99% of the needles and cartridges used by deejays for forever (and software products too nowadays of course, just like everybody else). The Stanton Warriors, being ace turntablists MUST have named themselves after this company. And the rapper is Twista (formally Tung Twista) who held the title of ‘fastest MC in the world’, according to the Guinness Book of Records, being able to spit out 11.2 syllables per second. More importantly, the track has a killa cowbell groove.
Freemasons – When You Touch Me
Not to be confused with ‘Freestylers’. Old school disco awesomeness, inspirational vocals, huge brass, big, big, house, massive dance mojo. And for a complete change of atmosphere…
William Orbit Feat. Beth Orton – Water From A Vine Leaf
When I first met Beth Orton she was acting in a play at the Tabard Theatre in West London. We became friends and when she first visited my studio I gave her a microphone and encouraged her to sing. I loved the sound of her voice and we recorded many songs together, some of which have never been released. An early one that we did was ‘Water From A Vineleaf’. Her chorus on this was one of her first ever recorded vocals and during the same session she recounted a dream that she had had about her mother who had tragically died less than a year before. After the song was finished, Spooky, who were at the time releasing club tracks on Guerilla Records, did a remix, the ‘Xylem Flow’ mix. I have merged this mix with my own ‘Cromer Chroma’ mix to make this special version for this compilation. Cromer as in Norfolk, by the way. I won’t go into details here. Reworking this track brought back many good memories. I feel that the song had a magic from the very start. Sometimes forces come together in the right way and the music almost happens on its own.
All of the tracks on disc three are mixed together in the traditional ‘deejay mix’ way. Ministry of Sound had cleared the track list that I had sent and I had promised that there would be no further changes or alterations to the sequence order. Then I set about doing the mix, only to realise at the 11th hour that the original tempo, key signature and even ‘feel’ of many of the original tracks were quite different to each other. Especially the last few. Making it quite a challenge to mix. I hope you like it.
The Ministry of Sound compilation “Odyssey” is released today (18th Jan 2010)
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‘Odyssey’ features 42 tracks, including many of William Orbit’s own exclusives. The album is divided into 3 discs, taking in some of the finest horizontal dance music to be fed through a circuit board. Discs 1 and 2 are unmixed, with many tracks reinterpreted to a greater or lesser extent, while Disc 3 is a continuous DJ mix.
Artists include Gavin Friday, Trentemoller, John Barry, Laurie Mayer, Amadou & Mariam, Larry Tee, Chromeo, Sasha, Deadmau5, Jon Hopkins, Crazy P, Terry Lynn, Stanton Warriors, and many others, with remixes from Spooky, Paul Epworth, Trafik, Dirty Vegas, and Henrik Schwarz. |
Available from:
Ministry of Sound (UK) click here
Also
Amazon (UK) here , iTunes here , Play.com (UK) here, CDwow (UK) here
William Orbit Streamcasting
Listen to clips from “Odyssey” on the Orbit Streamplayer at www.orbitstreamcast.com
William Orbit Streamcasting
streamplayer one
100 unreleased, rare or hard to find gems from the archives
click here
streamplayer two
Radio selections. Comprehensive collection of interviews, guest deejay spots and extended radio mixes.
online now - click here
streamplayer three
A selection of ‘ambient’ works. Currently containing 111 tracks and looping approximately 10 hours.
click here
NEW streamplayer four
Featuring music related to the Ministry of Sound compilation “Odyssey“ released 18th January 2010
click here
