Customer Reviews

Pomme Fritz

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I would argue that this is among the best works of The Orb. The double albums -- Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld and Live '93 -- are the definitive Orb. They are The Little Fluffy Clouds.

Sometimes, however, you just want junk food. Like in the car on the freeway (an inappropriate venue for raving). Even the culinary doyenne Julia Child said that french fries are good food. So there.

Pomme Fritz means the continent and irresponsible travel. It's Amsterdam and so very much more, a bit of shock treatment to erase all the ugliness in your head.

Many folk are ashamed that they like pomme fritz (which can qualify as vegan, if you don't use lard). This shame leads them to knock this cd down to four stars (or less) even as they admit they like it.

Not every moment of your life need be spent flossing. It's OK to enjoy this beautiful Orb comfort food. Spin it in your car and let it massage all of your troubles away.

"Pomme Fritz" is a play on the French for "fried potatoes," and this phrase certainly describes the state of mind that the Orb and their co-producers must have been in during the making of this quirky but not-worthless album. No, it's not going to fit in neatly with their other music, so if you're looking for a rehash of their "greater" albums, like the live album and "Orbis Terrarvm," don't bother with this one. But "Pomme Fritz" is still interesting in itself, as a portrait of the Orb in their sillier moments. The title track is a loping, guitarish piece that sets the scene for a violent DMT-elf encounter in the third track, "We're Pastie to be Grill You." But the silken and calm feeling is quickly restored again with "Alles ist Schoen" (Everything is Beautiful), a bubbling underwater planetarium soundtrack if there ever was one. The last track, "His Immortal Logness," brings the mini-album out with a laugh, taking us to a lonely indoor ice-skating rink at the edge of the ridiculous. All and all, I think it's a fun album that doesn't deserve the unequivocal bashing that I've seen it get here and elsewhere.

This is a great CD that is both difficult and demanding as it is fun to listen to. Admittedly the fun might come later once you begin to accept and like this CD. The first track Pomme Fritz is possibly the most accessible track on the album. After that it get's a little weird. Possibly paranoid as well. Throughout the album you might hear someone talking about how he guns, compasses and some voices telling "you will die" which really makes you feel at ill at ease with the whole thing. Track 3 probably will have you freaked out the most. Martian like voices squeaking " We're happy to be with you are you listening" and then sped up and slowed down and sometimes saying some things without a trace of a meaning

In short it is one hell of an album to come to terms with but when it does begin to sink into you, you'll begin to love it

Even if Alex stated specifically that this was done to"scare off" the less hardened punter, that DOES NOT meanthat Pomme Fritz is in any way "childish," or "a waste of time," as some people seem to think it is. That includes you, Turk.

U.F. Off was my introduction to the Orb, shortly followed by the completely and utterly wonderful U.F. Orb. And this was coming from someone who previously didn't care much for the Orb at all. Shortly after I bought U.F. Orb, I managed to obtain this and Terrarvm. The latter too, is a classic record, but I'll be damned if Pomme Fritz isn't up there with it. Because you know what? It is.

The title track gives a good idea as to how the Orb were to change their direction during 1994 - slowing the bpm to 95 and introducing more complex rhythm and form to almost every new track. Alles Ist Schoen shows that Alex is perfectly capable of producing a "beautiful" track when he wants to. As for Pastie and More Gills, I again do not see the problem. Sun Electric came on board to add their own crazy magic here, and not only does it show, it works. I fell in love instantly - Pastie and More Gills are completely over the top, but absolutely enjoyable at the same time.

This applies to those who just haven't grasped "new Autechre" either - you obviously a) just don't have the courage to listen to such original music - often shunning it as being too bland, boring, or on the flipside, too wierd and/or too unaccessable. Also b) you probably still think rubbish like 99% of the content of the current US and UK charts is worth paying money for.

Pomme Fritz, just like FFWD was at around the same time - for different reasons but just as applicable, is a milestone in "Orb history." It certainly isn't as accessible as the likes of Adventures or U.F.Orb, but unlike Orblivion (which has little in the way of redeeming features... S.A.L.T. being the prime offender), Fritz has depth, character, and often a heavy dose of emotion and soul. It's often quirky and strange, but these are surely all prime ingredients of a decent Orb track. Which means most of their material. Amen.

I don't believe I've ever seen this CD on the shelf at any record store I've ever either worked for or shopped in. And I'm not sure why; it bills itself as an EP, but at almost 45 minutes, it's still a lot longer than most other artists' full-length recordings (Hole comes to mind, here).
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This "little album" makes a suitable companion to "Orbus Terrarum" in terms of the atmospheric soundscape it paints, and is at least as good as "Orblivion", and probably better than "Cydonia" (Mother Of Mercy, are The Orb finally all played out?)...the recurring sample "You've just completed a heavy seassion of electroshock therapy..." shows up throughout the recording, tying it all together even better than The Dude's rug in "The Big Lebowski" (by the way, that sample, for anyone curious, comes from a VERY OLD Saturday Night Live faux commercial advertisement for a product called "Spud"...I remember seeing it for the first time when I was about 8 or 9).
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Considering that this recording may have been an "extra time" project (perhaps even a contractual obligation piece, given their recent history), it's fairly well-rounded...I do think it's worth the investment for Orb fans specifically and ambient/techno fans in general...but for people who want a better idea of what The Orb are really capable, "The Orb's Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld" is the best recommendation I could make...with maybe "UFOrb" a close second.

The 9 minute title track with its symphonic overtones opens this charming album with its varied sonic textures and interesting samples. More Gills Less Fishcakes starts of with a strange cacophony of barely audibly voice and loud noise samples cleverly integrated and then turns into a type of eerie bleepfest with discordant percussion, synth whooshes and voice samples. Somewhere in all of this there is a melody.

The electronic textures of the opening of We're Pastie To Be Grill You sounds like The Residents before the track evolves into an interesting experiment with human voice samples, only to change again into synthesizers first tinkling and screaming, then gurgling and burping; a track very hard to describe.

Banger And Chips provides welcome relief with its dreamlike melody and lilting rhythm, quite a hypnotic and engaging piece of music. The next one Alles Ist Schoen has an atmospheric female vocal and more lovely ambient sounds and flows out on evocative synth strains reminiscent of Autechre.

The last short track, His Immortal Logness, has beautiful organ sounds and just a snatch or two of samples. Throughout the album, there is a male vocal sample that refers to electroshock therapy and that ties the whole together thematically, I suppose.

Although Pomme Friz has its moments, it does not represent The Orb's best work and is not cohesive enough. I recommend the listener interested in The Orb to investigate the albums Orbus Terrarum and Adventures beyond The Ultraworld to hear the best of this innovative band.

If you're into the pre-success Kraftwerk, but with even more minimal leanings (think Eno or Glass), or some of the beat-less tracks of Skinny Puppy, you might find something on this record to make it worth your while. This is a record for people who are already electronic music connoisseurs, and I don't mean people who happen to find they like house or drum-n-bass. This is a hardcore soundscape set, like a keyboard version of Kid Koala's funny noise record "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome", and don't be surprised if you don't like it. It's an acquired taste, and not the most solid offering in this respect, but fine for existing fans.

This little album takes time to grow on you. It's certainly The Orb's most radical work and is at times a little over the top. However, the title track is worth the price of admission (as it were) alone. It's dulcic tones are a throw back to the beauty of Spanish Castles In Space and a worthy prelude to Plateau.

For die hard Orb fans only.

Going minimal and coming up roses is difficult. Paterson and crew nail it. Too avant-garde? Good! Give me more! Its variations on the same work never get boring. If it gets boring look elsewhere.... forever.

It's a heady mix of experimentation and the expected ambient sounds. Rather different than most of the Orb's other work, so if you're coming in as an Orb fan, you'll want to listen to some of the sound clips.