Artist Interviews

Q&A: The Orb and Youth

By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 6 January 2011

Last month, Alex Paterson of The Orb and renowned producer Flood released a three disc compilation of acid house, Balearic and dub tracks from the archives of UK label WAU! Mr Modo. Amongst the tracks on it are an unreleased demo version of The Orb’s ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’, early productions by Thomas Fehlmann and Orbital, plus Youth’s previously unheard remix of Zoe’s ‘Sunshine On A Rainy Day’. ‘The Orb and Youth present Impossible Oddities: From Underground To Overground – The Story Of WAU! Mr Modo’ is out now on Year Zero. We caught up with Paterson and Flood to ask the Same Six.

Q1 How did you start out making music?
Youth: By pretending to be a musician in front of a mirror miming to ‘Rock N Roll Part 2’.
Alex: By listening to Led Zeppelin and Budgie!

Q2 What inspired your latest album?
Youth: Infinite jellyfish.
Alex: Being a Dick head (Philip K Dick).

Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
Youth: Breaking through the conscious to subconscious, instinct calibration, pretend you’re doing an armed robbery.
Alex: Blood, sweat, tears and finally knowing that less is more.

Q4 Which artists influence your work?
Youth: Everyone from Daniel Johnson to The Stooges, authors like William Blake, Vladimir Nabikov and Hermann Hesse, ‘Apocalypse Now’, Larry Levan, Miles Davis and David Essex.
Alex: Alice Cooper, David Bowie, War, Kompakt Muzik, King Tubby, Scientist, Colin Wilson, ancient modern thinking and the it.

Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
Youth: Brace yourself, close your eyes, feel the wind in your hair, let go and fly!
Alex: Chill out.

Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
Youth: Protest and survive.
Alex: 23rd century dub jump and don’t believe the government – it’s all hype – same old same old. Oh um. Alex (in black).

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