Additional Information
The Orb recently released Abolition of the Royal Familia, their 16th album. Known for its space flights that often furnished the chill-out rooms of yesterday’s raves – who doesn’t remember the ambient anthem “Little Fluffy Clouds” – The Orb also dipped into house and quite a bit of electronic dub, notably in the company of the mythical Lee Scratch Perry. On this new effort, conceived in the company of the young British producer Michael Rendall and a handful of collaborators, The Orb offers an amalgamation of all the styles tackled over a 30-year career, with a denunciation of imperialism and the British royal family as a backdrop. PAN M 360 spoke with the legendary and somewhat eccentric Dr. Alex Paterson, who has guided – more or less alone – the destiny of The Orb since its beginnings in 1988.
PAN M 360: It seems the album is intended in part as a protest against the British royal family’s historical endorsement of the East India Company’s role in the opium trade. Can you elaborate on that?
Alex Paterson: It is indeed, in a small way. History repeats itself because the royal bloodlines of Europe want it to repeat itself. The East India company was set up under the guise of trade, like tea and sugar. But in many ways, it was like a secret operation of the royal Government, run by freemasons. And there’s a story of Jesus settling in the south of France to raise a family. Was this the Knights Templar’s secret? But back to the opulent Boxers Rebellion – i.e., opium wars. Sending opium to the Chinese and getting their nation hooked on it, and then stealing Hong Kong for the empire. Listen to “Empire Song” by Killing Joke. They got it. History is always written by the victor. New France is a perfect example, it’s now Canada. How old is the queen on your bank notes? And how do you feel about a royal couple settling in B.C.? One per cent own the world. Do you see the queen giving up any of her many estates to the common folk to help with Coronavirus? Shit no.
PAN M 360: What’s your take on the royal family?
Alex Paterson: Not much. The English revolution was fixed. Locally they’re called ‘the firm’. That sums it up.
PAN M 360: Can you explain how the album was conceived?
Alex Paterson: On tour last year with Michael Rendall, we seemed to agree on many things. We seem to work very fast in the studio. We trust our ears, hearts and instant fun, as nothing is a mistake, just a happy accidental ripple. We applied the landscaping and the artists planted seeds in the garden of The Orb. We waited six months and the album was born! Basically we started last year in August, and it was all done and dusted by Halloween.
PAN M 360 : Youth, Roger Eno, Steve Hillage, Jah Wobble and the other guests… What wastheir input in the creation or recording of the music?
Alex Paterson: So many friends, romans and countrymen! Gaudi on synth and Violeta on strings, as well as the usuals. Wobble couldn’t make it on this album, but he will appear on the next one (which we are planning at the moment).
PAN M 360: Would you say this album could be like a coherent overview of what The Orb has done in the last 30 years? A word on that?
Alex Paterson: LESS DRINK MORE SMOKE! It’s the first time since The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld that I produced an album with such huge help from someone. This time, it was from young Michael [Rendall].
PAN M 360: Tell us a bit about the pacing of the album.
Alex Paterson: It was put together as you would buy a double vinyl. Sides 1 and 3, dance and reggae, sides 2 and 4, ambient. As a DJ, it’s a good tool… disc jockey, a thing from the distant past. Look them up in museums near you. Anyways, it’s an easy pace, easy to keep up with and a bit poetic on the last tune.
PAN M 360: I read somewhere that Stephen Hawking liked your music. Is the track “Hawk Kings” a tribute to the late physicist?
Alex Paterson: I’ve become friends with Stepen Hawking’s son, Tim. He managed for myself and my partner to go to see Stephen at a lecture in the ’00s, in London. We were even invited to meet him and the rest of his family after his lecture. This moment, and being in Berlin when the wall came down, are probably the two most amazing moments of my life. I found out that Stephen listened to the first two albums while travelling between tours he was doing in Europe in the mid ’90s. It seemed natural to do a heads-up to a brilliant man.
PAN M 360 : Is “Slave Till U Die No Matter What U Buy (L’Anse Aux Meadows Mix)” a remake of, or a nod to, Jello Biafra’s “Message From Our Sponsors”? How punk or anti-establishment are you?
Alex Paterson: Original punk! This is a version of “Bodies”, a Sex Pistols song, with myself on vocals! How punk are you? I hate capitalism, by the way.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Paterson was a roadie for Killing Joke for a long time, and continues to work with bassist Youth]
PAN M 360 : The album is overflowing with absurd tracks titles. What place does humor or nonsense have in your music?
Alex Paterson: Inside your mind, someone’s always laughing. Are they laughing with you? Or at you? With nonsense humour, it’s a magical gate to another track.
PAN M 360: Abolition Of The Royal Familia was made many months before this pandemic, but it still closes with this: “Stay in your homes… no more than two people may gather anywhere without permission”. What do you have to say about that? You must have been stunned when you realized…?
Alex Paterson: Poetic justice. Indeed, the future is today. Have you seen Years And Years? It’s set in the near future and they have shut [influential conspiracy theorist] David Icke down now, for telling the truth. Welcome to the open prison Earth, locked up.
PAN M 360 : Does this pandemic crisis and lockdown inspire you?
Alex Paterson: No, not really. It’s anxiety time and there’s a load of shit going down we know nothing about, other than our freedom is not so free right now.
PAN M 360: What is the music you enjoy listening in times like these?
Alex Paterson: Ambient and reggae. Try tuning into WNBC.london, it’s our own radio station without news, weather reports and adverts, 24/7. Meanwhile, wash your hands, don’t touch your face, and listen to the album before curfew!
PAN M 360 : How did [musician, DJ and producer] Andy Weatherall’s recent passing affect you? Were you guys close?
Alex Paterson: It was a real shock to all of us that were in his circle of friends. I was closer than most people. I just feel for his girlfriend and music partners, Nina and the Sabres of Paradise crew. RIP, Andrew.
