Various Artists - Auntie Aubrey's Excursions Beyond The Call Of Duty Vol.1 (The Orb Remix Project) (CD 2008)

For reasons I can't quite put my finger on, I didn't buy this album when it was originally released, though I had everything else by the Orb up until that point. I suppose I wasn't into remix albums, or remix compilations at the time, and to be honest I am still not that enamoured with the format to this day, having had my fingers burnt a couple of times (thanks, K-Klass).
Anyway, I recently bought the album, following the purchase of Vol. 2 on a bit of a whim, and was pleased enough with that CD to invest in this one also. A lot of the tracks sound as if they could be the Orb's own stuff, helped by the fact that I don't actually know that many of the originals! Much more mellow, 'ambient' even (sorry) than Vol. 2.

The songs on disc 1 are far longer in the main part, the Dave Stewart/Candy Dulfer track coming out of nowhere, giving quite a surreal feel to things. The majority of the tracks sound reminisant of the Orb's earlier work, think Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain.... or the mellower stuff on the album Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld and you won't be far wrong.

There are some tracks featuring drums of one variety or another, however, which put a lot of 'dance' acts to shame and almost have you wishing the Orb would do a harder, drum-led album, as they obviously have the know-how. (There's always hope!)

So overall, well worth purchasing if you have any interest in the Orb and a good introduction to their sound, as well as showing the diversity of their talents, as they are obviously imaginative and creative remixers.