Hrm, trying to remember when the first time I heard the orb was... It was probably around 1995 or 1996. I went to see them live for the Orblivion tour in Boston and New York, so it was probably some time in 96. I remember the first time I heard the orb tho... It was that little fluffy clouds song on the radio in 94 (which was my sophmore year of high school). You're probably amazed that it was on the radio at all in the US at that time, but I listened to independant stations so it was probably on some college show. I remember liking the tune and not thinking much about it again for a while... Then I got to college in 1996 and that fall I was smoking some cheeba in a buddy's room with about 25 other heads and he throws on U.F.Orb. This was a SERIOUS stoner college student room so the ambience was all there. I remember thinking to myself "I am going to cdnow as soon as my brain turns back on." The first cd of theirs I picked up was the ultraworld... Throughout college I collected tons of the material on CD, and after college on vinyl also. I've now seen the orb play live 3 times (which isn't too shabby for a US resident) and seen LX spin at the knitting factory like a dozen times. I've met a few listees, and I've gotten a few autographs (my copy 2xCD copy of U.F.Orb and my Aubrey Mixes cd heheeh). I handed LX an enormous phatty at the beginning of the new york BadOrb tour and to shade the exchange from security he passed me a BOB3 vinyl in trade ;) I remember watching him and simon smoking the thing on stage and having trouble lighting it, probably because I didnt put any tobacco in there. I also remember watching them freak out after smoking it eheheheh. At any rate, I feel like I have collected as much of the orb stuff that I'd like to, unless the new efforts prove to be a marked improvement. Of course I am glad the orb has changed, but I somehow miss the old-school sound. I will still probably buy almost anything they put out (despite my previous statement :P), and I plan to actually try and chill with mr paterson the next time he's in town... I have to admit also that the orb provided me with a doorway into styles and artists I had never heard, and for that reason I will always be in the debt of messers paterson, youth, THRASH!, wobble, hunter, fehlmann, et al... Thats all :) _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus