Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Inoffensive background music. No more, no less. I will add that when this album was finally over the sudden silence sounded absolutely glorious.
Listened in the car and on a walk. It was fine! Maybe a bit long but thought it was a pleasant, easy listen. Nothing spectacular but enjoyed it.
How many strange cargo does this man have? Jokes aside, I find myself trying to find either what's wrong with me or I'm in a late 90s movie and we in the club looking for the link to find the bad guy or adjacent to that. Also gives 'The Longest Journey' vibes, which in itself is a crazy journey if anyone's ever played that point and click game.
Fairly forgettable but decent electronica
This electronica 80s stuff is just not for me. There were a couple moments where I got into this one, but most of the time no.
Vibey, but probably something I won’t ever listen to again.
3,.... nahhh pensandolo bien es solo un 2
Almost comically 1990s
I couldn't find this album on my usual streamer, so I am doing my best with what tracks I can find on YouTube. I recall William Orbit being particularly influential in production circles throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. On this album, you can hear the ideas that drew Madonna to have Orbit produce her 90s album RAY OF LIGHT. I respect his technical ability. All of the skills are there. While I never really connected as deeply as others did with his mixes, his influence certainly did shape the development of much of the dance and electronic production over that 1990s to mid 2000s era. So an album of his demonstrating that sound seems like it definitely belongs on the list, but after seeing reviews of similar genre albums I don't expect it will be received well here. Personally, I enjoyed the sonic trip.
Day810 - strange indeed and not in a good way
William Orbit’s "Strange Cargo III" is meticulously produced, but it lacks a certain something. The sonic landscape is the equivalent of a fluffy cloud - soft, ethereal, and pleasant - but the music simply drifts past without ever truly grabbing the listener. Consequently, the album feels aimless. The repetitive nature of its ambient-dub structures makes it difficult to sustain interest over its 63-minute duration. By the fifth track, the compositions fail to demand attention, and nothing following that point manages to recapture it. The result is a listening experience that is entirely dull. 1. "Water from a Vine Leaf" (vocals: Beth Orton) – 7:05 (3/5) 2. "Into the Paradise" (vocals: Baby B) – 5:41 (2/5) 3. "Time to get Wize" (vocals: Divine Bashim) – 4:10 (1/5) 4. "Harry Flowers" – 4:31 (1/5) 5. "A Touch of the Night" (vocals: Cleo Torres) – 5:03 (1/5) 6. "The Story of Light" (vocals: Baby B) – 6:21 (1/5) 7. "Gringatcho Demento" (vocals: Cleo Torres) – 6:38 (1/5) 8. "A Hazy Shade of Random" – 5:09 (1/5) 9. "Best Friend, Paranoia" (vocals: Cleo Torres) – 4:35 (1/5) 10. "The Monkey King" (vocals: Laurie Mayer) – 5:16 (1/5) 11. "Deus Ex Machina" – 5:40 (1/5) 12. "Water Babies" – 3:42 (1/5) Total - 15 Average - 1.25 284/1001 152/284 albums reviewed were new to me
Certain tracks sounded a bit like The Orb...maybe that's where he got his name from. Kind of surprised they aren't on this list, when they were much bigger at the time and I don't really remember being much aware of Orbit until his production work with Madonna a few years later. The music here is somewhat non-descript in places, has some bright moments but not particularly memorable.
I was okay with it.
Annoyingly not available on Apple Music, had to go to Youtube for the full album (playlist here:https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ng3xJsg174seUYgCpCPKj6Q9gsMtZF0fo&si=ajvCu3gy7fHTm_Zq) Nothing too astonishing here - compared to some other influential electronic albums I wasn't blown away.
It’s Time to get Wize and give this album a listen.
No
Nap gem
Meh.
Nope
When I say I don't bother with lyrics, I just mean I consider them to be the delivery system for the melody. This has neither. Going to listen to Ray of Light now.
Felt like this could potentially be something before hearing it. But it lacked oomph for me, and was too slow-moving. Especially the latter part of the album was quite meandering and a bit too ambient for my taste. William Orbit is quite well respected in electronic music, so was a bit of a disappointment. Weak 3.
This felt at times like a more modern, but not as good, version of “Oxygène” by Jean-Michel Jarre, which we listened to a few weeks ago. The comparison likely comes from the prominent use of synthesizer effects. Overall, it had a distinctly ’90s feel; at times, you could almost expect certain tracks to transition into something like “Frozen” by Madonna or similar songs. It didn’t fully grab me, but it worked well as background music while reading. 3 stars.
= The Beatles Very pleasant
This sounds like 4 other albums I’ve gotten from this list. I mean it’s fine but I’m just kinda tired of it.
Whoa! I will always think of this album as "Strange Orbit", not Strange Cargo by William Orbit. Fascinating music. I'd love to get a picture of what goes through his mind, as he was writing it.
Kinda funky and cool
vibey as hell
Not displeasing.
Some decent ambient music here and there, but it mostly didn't keep my attention. Favorite track: Water From a Vine Leaf
Not bad, I just got bored real quick. Maybe better as individual songs, but all together this was slow to get through
5.5/10
Liked hearing Beth Orton on track 1, but could have done with more of her; the purely instrumental tracks were less interesting than the vocal ones. Some of it sounds a little dated. But I enjoyed it nonetheless. High three.
Cool vibes, something to listen to when doing a chill task that you need to focus on.
I enjoyed it, though I'll confess that I was playing Slay the Spire 2 while listening, and had an absolutely incredible shiv run with The Silent, so it's quite possible that skewed my experience. Nothing in particular stood out to me (other than the occasional Youtube ad, since this album was unavailable on Apple Music), but I was bopping along to it the whole time. Frankly, it feels like music that was meant to be enjoyed in the background, not scrutinized, and if that was indeed the intention, I think it succeeded.
A bit long, dont ya think?
First time listen Pretty boring downtempo album. Not really much to grab onto here, but it was serviceable enough as background music Favorite track: Water from a Vine Leaf, Monkey King Least favorite: The Story of Light 2.5/5
Very ethereal. I will not be returning here, however.
Отличный альбом
Very nice vibe. Somehow reminds me of Leftfield.
I refuse to be the music bro that tries to find the bright side in this. It’s boring ambience music that you’d hear on some $20 dollar bin game in 2006 for the PS2. To make matters worse, there’s a Strange Cargo II that I accidentally listened to the first couple songs of as well. #StopTheCount
It’s interesting cause this is easy listening and I do like time to get wize but good grief this is not iconic or influential this is ps2 ratchet and clank music which is fine but it’s not anything I would ever revisit but it’s just strange to have it here. All the songs blend together and yeah. Next
Kappelectronica? Electronicut? In ieder geval hippe achtergrondmuziek.
Beat my expectations by a bit, but just a bit Will I listen to again: 0%
This started off ok but I quickly realized it wasn't for me. Nothing bad, just didn't find it very engaging. Was fine for background music.
Sounded cool I guess but ultimately pretty forgettable.
I'm deeply offended by this type of crap. -1 please...
Feeling generous, given the time it came out. Kinda vibey but gets old far before the runtime ends
lowkey quite good
Saved? ❌ Would listen again? 🤔 Would recommend to anyone? 🤔 Would buy on Vinyl? 🤔
mislim da bi se ovakav osvrt mogao napisati na svaki drugi elektronični album koji sam dobio: bilo je ugodno slušati, ali ne bih baš slušao, nemam nikakvih objektivnih zamjerki. u neku ruku mi je drago dobivat ovakve albume jer su lagani za preslušat i često su baš čil
Standard ambient house
I mean, what do I know? Maybe hip-hop wasn’t the most important and popular music of my generation. Maybe it was electronic music from England all along. Maybe I just have my head stuck in the sand. I think the electronica is outscoring hip hop for appearances on my recommendations at a ratio of 4:1 so far.
Feels like listening to the Twin Peaks soundtrack on MDMA. I can see why Madonna heard this and got the dude to produce her.
A bit too ambient for me but I enjoyed Time to get Wize.
Fantastic album! I was familiar with the first and last songs but not the rest. A relaxing downtempo electronic journey that could serve as a film soundtrack.
Background music. Non-threatening and just there. Strongly reminiscent of the movie "Hackers" from the early 90s. As a teen, it was cool, but now it's just kinda boring. (2/5).. I guess... There's some technical competency here and it seems the artist(s?) are trying, but it just doesn't work, now anyway. Dated.
This one turned out better than I initially thought, or at least got better as it went. It's no wonder it had completely escaped my attention at the time of its release, as this isn't normally my thing, but it was decent for what it was. 3.25/5
"Lyin' there and staring at the ceiling/ Waiting for a sleepy feeling" Variety: 2 Adequacy: 4 Listenability: 3 Uniqueness: 2 Emotionality: 1 = 2.4 rounded down to a 2 Can't say I've ever heard of this guy, or if I did it was a passing reference in some other music review or book I read, and he was quickly forgotten. From a brief bit info I skimmed over it looks like this will be some early 90s electronica, so there's going to be some stuff competition between Aphex Twin, The Orb, The Prodigy, Underworld, and Orbital ( that's a popular name with these guys, huh?). The cover art is conjuring some sort of world music inspired thing, but maybe he just thought it looked cool. This might be a rough go for me as I tend to treat this kind of music as background noise, and even with artists I really like I don't differentiate too much between tracks. The overall mood seems to be more important. THE TRACKS "Water from a Vine Leaf" (vocals: Beth Orton) - Very atmospheric from the start which is to be expected on this sort of thing, and VERY early 90s beat that comes in over the electronic chatter. Reminds me a bit of what the rhythm section of U2 was doing on Achutung Baby. Saw there were vocals from Beth Orton on this and was looking forward to those, but then we get the worst sort of "vocals" where someone comes in and reads some awful poetry off some index cards in a monotone voice. BUt wait! We do get a nice little chanty bit from Orton that ties the final 4th of the song together before ending with some NIN-ish syth melody before fading out. This is definitely of it's time, and would not be too out of place alongside that track with the chanting monks that was al over those compilations. You know the one. Maybe a bit cooler though. "Into the Paradise" (vocals: Baby B) - This one we get some vocals right off the bat. Bit more sinister and danceable. Can imagine Neo and Trinity entering slow motion into a club where this is playing right before some shit goes down. Much more effective for my money, and holds up better as well. By the time the thudding bass kicks in just under halfway through you might be able to feel your drug of choice start to kick in. Things remain relatively chill though. We're still in the slow motion phase. One other thing I read about this guy is he was heavily involved with Madonna's Ray of Light album. Can totally see the through line from here. Vocals from Baby B (?) tie things together once again. Seems like a lot of these tracks are going to be a variation on this formula. This was a solid one though. "Time to get Wize" (vocals: Divine Bashim) - Bit of a change up here as we get a make vocalist and more of an echoey triphoppy beat, with some energetic piano over top. More talk singing here. Ugh... Instrumental part at least was pleasant enough, but nothing special. "Harry Flowers" - Telephone hold music for the yoga retreat. "A Touch of the Night" (vocals: Cleo Torres) - Bit spookier opening here that I'm liking. Did the composer for the Alias tv show base his whole thing off this one track? Could also imagine Tom Cruise and company doing some spy montage stuff set to this. It's fine, but nothing comes to the foreground for me. Vocals are used as an effect more than anything. "The Story of Light" (vocals: Baby B) - This is more my speed with the ambient opening and the ghostly vocals dropping into an energetic little number that has a driving beat. The variance in tempo and dropping in and out of the beat works really well. Lots of atmosphere and while I wouldn't call it danceable, it certainly hangs with some similar upbeat chill tracks that came much later from some more well known artists. Standout track so far. "Gringatcho Demento" (vocals: Cleo Torres) - Points for the interesting title here, but the radio static opening, meh... A triangle or finger cymbals or something add a bit of an interesting dynamic and then it morphs into something more interesting when the beat drops in. We're in Trip Hop territory again. Also not a fan of the guitar noodling on top. I'm sure this sounded very cool in 1993, but I'm just getting Tomb Raider soundtrack vibes now. And this isn't even a good part. It's a montage of Lara croft buying an airplane ticket and zipping across the map to Cambodia or wherever she was in that first movie. But then maybe this is the track that proves this guy's genius as it forms a sound that's being cannibalized by mainstream action movies circa 2001? "A Hazy Shade of Random" - This one's got an interesting conga drum beat to it that keeps my attention, and aside from the piano sounds a bit more modern to the ears compared to some of the other stuff. I bet Moby listened to this one on repeat at some point. "Best Friend, Paranoia" (vocals: Cleo Torres) - This one's all mood, and all filler. The late arriving funky beat can't salvage this one. "The Monkey King" (vocals: Laurie Mayer) - Inspired by the ambience of the first half of the last track, this one is all of that stretched for 5 minutes. I like me some ambient noise but it helps to have some dynamics mixed in. "Deus Ex Machina" - Better. You got your ambient drone, but also layered in are some echoey synths, and eerie effects that give strong horror movie score vibes. Perfect track for exploring some caverns populated by some cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers. There's even a dialogue sample from what sounds like a couple horror movies. ( later verified this was from Yougblood, a crime drama from 1978, which is very confusing as Orbit did the score for a completely unrelated movie called Youngblood from 1986 that is a sports drama... Sure, ok.) "Water Babies" - Odd wobbly synth line here works well as the base to this with a couple more elements dipping in and out as needed to keep things interesting. There's no real build to anything, so feels a bit like running in place. Odd note to end things on, but decent enough. HIGHLIGHTS - "Into the Paradise" - "The Story of Light" - "A Hazy Shade of Random" LOWLIGHTS - "Time to get Wize" - "Harry Flowers" - "The Monkey King" FINAL THOUGHTS I don't consider myself as having much of a rock-bias, but I find it very difficult to find much to write about on stuff like this that doesn't just devolve into me describing the track elements. I wonder if this is the nature of the genre or if other albums will give me more to expound upon. Orbit here is very capable, and there's no knocks on professionalism or anything, but overall it just wasn't as engaging as other similar stuff I've heard from the same era. I see he was active since the 80s, so maybe part of his reputation ( and this album's) rests on him being a pioneer of some sorts in this genre? I do know that of the Orbit-named acts from this period, he is starting out lowest on the list for me. Overall, this is very inoffensive stuff, but nothing stood out as very memorable. Very dreamy with a lot of ambient effects, this would not be a terrible listen to try and induce some sleepiness. Can't see myself ever wanting to specifically revisit this, at least not in album form, but didn't hate it. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Drop the lowlights and shuffle the rest into a giant 90s electronica list
There was that window of time in the 1990s where a bunch of people got into layering beats with traditional cultural music. I always kinda dug it. I was a fan of Enigma which William Orbit was a contemporary of as well. This album came out the same year as The Cross of Changes. The next year an album of Chanting monks from Spain would go double platinum. It was a thing at the time. So whatever you call it EDM, ambient, trip hop, new age world beat. This is an album I wouldn’t mind throwing on to work to or just vibe with.
Hyvää elektroniikkaa, positiivinen yllätys
#290/1001. What is it with all the Orb, Orbit, Orbital and electronic music? Out of the three this Madonna Ray of Light / Music producer seems the weakest. I've heard quite a lot of good IDM, and this is just some background electronica.
The electronic albums are a bit of a mystery to me. I just don’t know that much about electronic music, and it doesn’t seem to resonate as much with me. This was fine, but I don’t know why this album was groundbreaking.
Elevator music. If this was III what the hell was on I and II. I get it, ambient music is different, but this was just not great. Boring an background
Good 90s rave album
Nothing notable.
Very boring. I was excited when it started but all the unique elements faded away into monotone electronic musings.
Chill
Ooky Spooky
Really wierd album. A few great songs. If only the majority of the album was like these songs, it’ll be getting a higher rank. However I can’t see myself going back to this for a repeat listen
This was a pretty fun electronic album. It’s repetitive, sure, but it’s a good repetitive and serves well for workout music or for some focus background music.
Zzzzzzzzzzzz
Nah. I prefer living on a ground floor, so I don't have to listen elevator music.
⭐️⭐️ is this not just some rejected score for a video game from the 90s? honestly, i was willing to at least give this a 3 but that would imply i found it at least half interesting to listen to. it's a shame, cuz the first handful of tracks showed some promise
This was fine as background music but not so interesting. 2.5 and bump it to 3.
Not a fan of ambient, but its very unannoying. There's nothing to hate. If I wanted music already playing in the background quietly while I decided what to put on, this would fit the bill, but its not something I'd put on
Weird that only part 3 was good enough for this list, but this was a good listen. A lot different to my usual stuff, but I am going to check out parts 1 and 2!
Fabulous and what an influence on artists from Madonna to Blur to All Saints. Electronic perfection!
Chill but rather boring and too long
Aptly named - Orbit indeed - with a self-assured style that is musical, interesting, and builds into dynamic soundscapes, rather than a bunch of motifs being drilled into your head as if the point is to develop a rut that you can’t escape.
Noa vibe
Not available anywhere so I guess I can’t listen to this.
This album reminded me of the episode of Friend's with Ross' "sound" combined with the sound of dial up internet. Two star because I'm sure for people who enjoy these noises, it's musically sound but unfortunately, that is not me.
Strange Cargo III by William Orbit sounds like a computer drug orgy. It sounds like an African computer church full of songs. It sounds like dark computer chemistry. Interesting, gets you in some sort of trance, but its too weird for me personally. 2.5/5.
Sounds like a fever dream. Some of it might be cool for a performance piece. Not something I’d pop on to jam to.
Another unknown for me. I've never even heard of this artist prior. Kind of had the vibes of something they would play in a low budget, late 90's action movie. Made me feel like I should be relaying information on a brick cellphone or hacking into the Internet. Decent background music while I painted my chest freezer downstairs, but overall wasn't super interesting for me.
Very strange album, but in a good way. I got a strong background music/soundtrack vibe. I love genres that blend modern musical ideas with folk tradition and this seemed to be in that same vein. Definitely keeping this one for later.
Decent music while I was washing dishes, I suppose.
Starts out fine, drags as it goes along. Background music that does not do enough to merrit a close listen.
Could not get into this at all. Sounds like a soundtrack to a dated 90s banking drama
Ok but nothing special
Ambient music with a groove. It was ok. Nothing to write home about.
Fine as background music, didn't really pull me in though.
Fine for what it is, but not something I'd listen to.
Interesting electronic album but not very compelling
Atmospheric electronic album. Gets repetitive and drags on a little too long. 2/5 Won't listen again
Overall Rating - 2.50/5 (5.00/10). About half of the album sounds like rejects from the Earthbound soundtrack. And rejected for good reason.
Ends up being just background music, really. Not worthy of a spot on this list.
Music of this sort is crying out for a video accompaniment - or a shop. On it's own, no thank you.
I like electronic music. I like ambient electronic music. But every time I see a 90s electronic album I've not heard of on this list my heart sinks because it's almost certainly going to be absolute rubbish. This one continues that trend.
Too much going on to be relaxing Not enough going on to be interesting
Not my style.
A hour of background ambient. Played in the background but didn't make a massive impact on me.
Why do people listen to this music? It’s like reading a novel made by AI.
No va
This was a good album, low key music that I could find myself relaxing too
The Brits’ were makin’ some rad-ass electronic music in the ‘90s. I saw Trainspotting.
This is goofy as hell. There are some cool moments that are mixed in an overall cheesy and dated production that I can’t really take seriously. Not bad by any stretch but not my first pick for 80s synth music. (Edit: I listened to the wrong album lol. The first strange orbit. Went back and listened to III, but my score remains unchanged. I actually thought this was slightly less interesting than the first, even though the production here has a more modern feel.)
Never heard of William Orbit or Strange Cargo so this was a lovely surprise.
A little too long but very chill and relaxing. The drums and synths used really had me nostalgic, they made me think of playing Ratchet & Clank as a kid and how the planet themes would sound so futuristic but homey. Like 90’s/2000’s futurism in production form (2.5/5)
Odei
I am actually surprised about this one. I admit, I got a bit bored after a few songs, but somehow at the same time it kept me engaged with it. This is a pretty good ambient downtempo electronic album. I actually enjoyed it way more than I anticipated. Very cool vibe overall, suitable when you want to turn on focus mode and have something good in the background.
It’s a DJ doin there thing. It’s aight.
It was fine, all the songs kinda merged together
This record has such a distinct, effortless cool to it. Definitely a keeper for a code-binge afternoon. Spins: 3 Playlist Additions - Water From A Vine Leaf - Into The Paradise - Time To Get Wize - The Story Of Light
Definitely a vibe. There was a lot of empty space on the back half and I started to lose interest. Overall this is a pretty chill instrumental album though.
Bass work on this album is really funky. I found myself being engaged by this a lot more than I initially thought I would be, some really interesting passages throughout. Unfortunately at the back end there are just a couple of tracks where this is completely thrown out the window and it becomes a series of soundscapes and ambient sounds. This was far less my taste and was rather dull in fact. Extremely weird way to end an album that goes for over an hour.
I'm not someone who usually listens to this kind of music. It has some really nice tracks that have a really nice "vibe" to it and are nice. The other tracks weren't necessarily bad, but didn't really stick out to me. It is nice to listen to in the background though.
Meh.
1.5
2.5
Honestly I thought this started off really well in fact I really kind of like the first three songs "Water From a Leaf Line", "Into Paradise" & "Time to Get Wize". It had the Techno beats but it kind of had a funky Groove that just kept moving around and actually had a cool all around feel to it. But as the album went along it just kept on getting diminishing returns up until "Gringatcho Demento". After that it falls off a fucking cliff. For the rest of the album it's just kind of this ambient noodling that just does nothing but make my mind wonder into oblivion. By the time I got to the end I had planned out all my meals for the next week and a half . (5.33) ★★½
A bit repetitive, but nice and works very well as background music while working. 2.5 stars
I don't think this is bad, but it's super tedious. In small doses it would be fine, but an hour of it is too much. 2 stars.
2.5
Starts off as snoozy cargo and then turns into disappearing cargo. It’s the kind of stuff that The Orb, Orbital and Chemical Brothers in chillout mode do a lot better anyways so the whole thing feels pretty average and inessential for its genre but around the halfway point it just slides emphatically into a faint noodly ambient abyss and gets lost for good. I just got a call from the front desk… it was never there!
Alright, nothing too special.
I found this quite soothing. I just so happened to listen to this one in the car where the bass really brought this music to life. It doesn't bang so hard it wants to break the windows, but it sends buttery smooth rumbles throughout. It's not enough of an adventure for 5 stars, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Boring computer generated crap and people worry about AI
Not my kind of album, pero no por eso creo que está mal. Tiene buenos tracks, pero un disco electrónico de más de una hora llega a cansarme. Aún así no me la pasé mal y me sorprendió en varios momentos. Pero no es mi hit.
Was an ok album at first but the back half was not good at all. It’s a cross between background music for a tech review on YouTube and 90s tech movie background sounds.
To jest 13 dzień i moja 4 płyta z muzyką instrumentalną i to możliwe że wpływa na moją percepcję, ale nie przepadam za czymś takim.
Strange Cargo III is very much one of my things. I love electronic nusic, William Orbit and this album just clicks with me. It feels open, melodic, and easy to sit with … very relaxing and chilled vibe. Listening now, I can hear straight away how it fed into Ray of Light and plenty of other artists. The space, the textures, the confidence to keep things simple. It makes a lot of sense. Four stars.
Enjoyable enough but this kind of music has a ceiling for me, and that ceiling is a 3 rating. It reminds me of the kind of music that's in a movie like National Treasure when they're formulating a plan or making some new revelation.
Feels like it should be playing during the planning montage of a heist flick.
This felt like just a lot of wasted potential. There were flashes of reallt cool stuff but it just didn't really come together.
One of the most pointless hour-long albums you'll ever hear. It's either a similar groove or electronic sound effects that hardly register as music at all
No qualms with this. A little jazzy...a little poppy...nice ambient music
Experimental background music and effects. Soundtrack-y.
It's always nice when an album from my collection pops up, especially when it's something a little off centre.
William Orbit worked on one of my favorite albums, Madonna’s Frozen, so I was excited to give it a listen. I guess I should’ve expected it to sound this way, but I was mostly bored albeit a few interesting pieces.
Feels like it should be background music to a casual RPG. Transition between synth to piano and back did not mesh well with me
Upbeat and interesting feel good music
nose esta raro
****a good easy listening instrumental album
3.5⭐️/5 01.24.2026
This is like very strange background music although its not so offensive to warrant a 1
Every song on this sounded like it should be a backing track to a random scene in 90s British crime film:
some nice production on this one. Apparently he produced "ray of light" which i gave an initially mediocre review but have been revisiting the needle drop's classic's coverage on it. The general texture son this record are pretty cool.
I thought the first song was pretty cool, and then it went downhill fast and I stopped actively listening.
I listen to a lot of these records while I’m working. Sometimes it really drags me away and sometimes it’s so low key I don’t even notice them. It’s not this records fault but I just don’t remember it at all
90s background music. Nothing noteworthy but not hard to listen to
I think this would climb to a 4 when in the right mood. It was chilled and interesting, although faded a bit in the second half until A Shady Haze of Random.
I can’t quite work out if the album gets less engaging as it goes on. Or I become less engaged with the album. I was loving the first three tracks - but after a while it just flattens
Starts well but peters out so it's almost not there.
Without being familiar with William Orbit you quickly work out that he must have been influential. In 1993 he delivered a new style which (to my ears) survived until the early 2010s in cinema and TV thrillers. There’s a nice overlay of organic sounding synths with guitars, dance beats and, surprisingly, a baggy strand which crops up throughout the record. This is all offset with ambient tracks. The opening track with Beth Orton is most effective, following tracks have similar points of interest, but it is a series of diminishing returns after that. Still, for 1993 this is undeniably forward thinking music which would make for a great soundtrack.
Solid 3 for me, back cycling music but up my street for other contexts
interesting electronic album, I think I would have liked it better with no vocals, but I can see why this would be an “important” album and very influential.
Strange Cargo III is one of those albums that really makes you scratch your head as to why it is included on the 1001 albums to hear before you die list as William Orbit has had a pretty unremarkable musical career with his own outputs but has done some pretty amazing work for other people. Strange Cargo 3 brings absolutely nothing new to the table in terms of Downtempo or Ambient Dub music, even at a time when both genres were just starting to find their roots after the UK indie scenes helped put a face to the sounds. This project feels like a bunch of tinkering but no actual quality work coming from it. I liked Water From A Vine Leaf but everything afterwards just felt so flat and dull. As much as I'd love to praise William Orbit for his work, this album makes it really hard to give any love to the guy and honestly makes me think he just got lucky working with some actually competent artists.
I enjoyed this but not quite enough for a 4 very chilled album though
Ok, drôlement lui je l’ai vraiment aimé, même s’il ressemble beaucoup à l’autre de vendredi qui puait
Good album not great, a few songs were great
just some low key soundscapes and electronica to accompany you on your day. Enjoyable if only for background noise, I did find it a little too soft and it kind of overstayed its welcome, but it was nice to hear such a wide array of instruments being used. Unrelated, but this prompted me to listen to the Mortal Kombat 1995 movie soundtrack and holy fuck what a great mood I'm in.
Pretty inoffensive electronic music. It was actually kind of enjoyable!
sorry, i need lyrics
I enjoyed this album and found it very interesting, the beginning of the album hooked me but the last few songs weren’t as memorable. I’ve been getting into instrumental ambient music lately and being on the techno side, this album really did scratch an itch.
Kinda funky tunes. Easy listening though. Good like background music while you work. Etherial beats. Got a bit futuristic toward the end.
Cool but I’m not sure when I’d listen to this…
Not a fan
sample boys would love this cinema
Bit weird but still vibey.
This was okay, but not something I would ever want to listen to again if given a choice.
4.0/10 A lot of the songs sounded like background music for a PlayStation video game.. not horrible but nothing I would ever listen to again.
Songs are way too long for normal listening but are perfect for my Utopian Scholastic and my Mermaids playlists.
Pas du tout aimé
Ethereal and cool lounge music. Poor choice (for me) as a workout soundtrack
This was chill, I liked it more than I expected. Beth Orton guest vocal was a nice surprise. Not gonna listen to it a lot, but definitely coming back to some of these.
It was an enjoyable first time experience. There were some nice sounds and enjoyed the bass and beats in several songs. Either way there are other records I would put before this one like productions from Orbital or Future Sound of London or my preferred producers which are more experimenal like Aphex, BoC, The Orb or Autechre. Worth the time either way.
This one surprised me. I enjoyed it from start to finish, and it made for a really nice start to my Monday. It’s immersive and detailed—definitely an album best experienced with headphones on.
Probably my least favorite type of music.
Det var fedt nok med noget jazz. Specielt med en kvarters lang sang til sidst også.
Põnev ambient muusika, siit saan päris palju kraami enda tööplaylistile juurde. Kindlasti oma ajast ees (1993. a tehtud), aga siin pole midagi nii... huvitavat, et oleks 4 punni väärt. 3.49/5
Wasn’t expecting any trip hop on 1001. A pleasant surprise.
I am not a fan of this electronic style. It isn't bad, but is not my favorite. It just feels like it goes on and on. Actual rating...1.5. Liked Songs: "Water From A Wine Leaf" , "Time To Get Wize" , "The Story Of Light" , "A Hazy Shade Of Random"
Not it 1.5
Un embole total. Música de iglesia. No veía la hora de que termine.
I don’t like electronic music I guess
Ambient, trip-hop, whatever you want to call it, it is background music. It felt a bit too long and the same about half way through. Overall, it is definitely not bad, but definitely not great.
Really cool sound!!! Wasn’t sure I’d like it but it was very interesting and soothinf
I'm assuming this was added merely because William Orbit would go on to produce Madonna's "Ray of Light". But damn it actually is really good. Super atmospheric, and sounds like a soundtrack to a dungeon crawling video game. Impeccable production and wonderful sounds
it was ok, didn't impress me
Perfectly adequate, and WAY too long.
Not bad.
28. interesting at some parts
I don't understand ambiant music. It just Is not for me. 2/10
Curious. I recently downvoted The Grateful Dead for an excess of guitar noodling. However, this William Orbit album has a lot of electronic noodling - and I'm enjoying it. It's a fairly downbeat sort of vibe to it, no lyrics, and the tracks rather slide into one another, but...just was I nee for New Years Day.
forgettable background music in a low-budget spy thriller. the hacker is IN. i was forgetting this in real time. i'm half convinced that this album included repeats because i earnestly could not tell you a single notable thing about any of these tracks. i don't even know what to make of the weirdly orientalist vibe from the cover or how it shifted from vaguely techno scifi to an indiana jones temp score pillaging an ancient temple. if there's one thing you'd hope from ambient music, it's a good vibe, but the vibe here is simply terrible.
Okay I can't complain about the English bias every time it comes up so... Let me complain about the weird electronic music bias that I'm sure is not due to the average age of the reviewers happening to grow up listening to this music. This sounds like music from one of those cheap movie studios that create knock offs of major franchises for a spy themed film. They'd call it something like "mission: unlikely" and it'd air on the syfy network for some reason. It's not good but it is absolutely inoffensive which means a lot after yesterday. I know there's good albums on this list and I really could use one about now.
Chill, background, eletronica. Not sure why it's on the list, but was happy to listen to it.
1.Water from a Vine Leaf - Idealny do serialu typu dr House. Brzmi jak intro amerykańskiego serialu z lat '00. 2.Into the Paradise - slowa zapadajace w pamiec, w sensie teraz ciagle mi to chodzi po glowie, ale mam wrazenie, ze ten album bedzie w calosci dawal vibe - serial z lat '00 - pasuje mi to. 3.Time to get Wize - cos w stylu "into the future", swietny syntezator, rap tez na +, troche widze w tym jakis "milszy" moment z "matrixa". 4.Harry Flowers - 5.A Touch of the Night - 6.The Story of Light - 7.Gringatcho Demento - 8.A Hazy Shade of Random - 9.Best Friend, Paranoia - 10.The Monkey King - 11.Deus Ex Machina - 12.Water Babies -
5/10 Favourite: Water from a Vine Leaf Least Favourite: Best Friend, Paranoia
Neither strange nor particularly weighty like cargo, this is zone-out-w/-ya-sack-out-music: it's for the gamer w/o even a desire to beat the level. The main effect of this record is the hapless feeling that you're stuck, and stuck for good, not in a loop, which can be pleasurable, but literally in one dumb spot forever. It makes me want to do bad things and then confess my sins to a fucker w/o god's warrant to redeem. It's not big like The Chemical Bros or trippy like Massive Attack and Portishead - the best it has to offer is not a good time, or an interesting one, but something that borders on solace but is far too bland for that: makes me think that those of us who want uplift & spirit need some added chaos. +, I hate Orbit's pseudo-eastern gestures.
This was cool. Listened to it twice.
Ugh. Did not work as ambient for me
Didn't finish cause its not quite my vibe. I like songs with some lyrics I can follow
This is not something I would sit and listen to. Yet, I did so and mildly enjoyed it . With that being said will never to it again. Expected a snooze fest, ended up being pretty engaged with the first couple of tracks “Water from a Vine Leaf” and “Into the Paradise”. Experiencing the different sounds feels like letting the music pass through my body and care-free movement. However, it soon progressed to the snooze fest I for-seed it being. Listening felt like a chore. Solid background, soundtrack music.
"Strange Cargo III" is the fourth album by English electronic instrumentalist, musician and producer William Orbit. Electronica, world, downtempo, trip hop, hip hop and dub are the Wiki-listed genres. The album was the third in a series of similarly titled albums. The album opens with "Water From a Vine Leaf." An ambient synth, electronic bleeps and noises and a bass. A very Happy Mondays-esque dance beat comes in. Piano keys and guitar notes are thrown in. Beth Orton with dreamy vocals expressing release. Mostly in the trip hop realm here. Cleo Torres opens "Time to Get Wize" by saying "It's time to get wize." The style is more rapping. The bass and beat are deeper. Rico Conning on the piano, overlaying electronic noises. An echoing guitar. Long church-like synth notes begin "The Story of Light." Baby B on vocals singing "Let your love shine down on me." More of the Happy Monday dance beats...not a bad thing. Rico Conning with a spiky piano mixed with a guitar melody. The album closes with "Water Babies." Layered, high-pitched, soft synth keys get louder. This song is more in a happy tone than the previous darker, heavier and ambient songs. Piano keys and a synth bass are added. Nice way to end the album. Wiki was right on with all their listed musical styles as this album and songs show elements of trip hop, hip hop, downtempo, dance, ambient and bass & drums. There's a nice tone mix of dance, ambient and electronic. Orbit also does a very good job layering the multiple synths, piano, guitar, bass and drums. The guest vocalists add more to the musical atmosphere than stress anything lyrically important. Overall, this is a solid electronic music album and if you like that style, this is one to listen to.
Keine Ahnung wie man diese Musik richtig verorten kann. Es begann richtig gut mit einem tollen Elektro Sound, wo ich mitgezogen wurde, aber entwickelte sich mehr und mehr zu einem Synthesizer Album um mit hohen Klängen den Setup von Audiosystemen zu testen..... bin gespalten
nett
Chilly Milly Elektrobeats
Enjoyed this more than I thought, nice to have on in the background but lots of interesting textures going. Definitely have to be in right mood for this.
Great vibe, compelling and forgettable all at once. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it.
Like it.
No available on apple music
A 4? Melodic. Not on Apple Music for some reason
An okay album. Not a lot of it stood out to me but i’ve now listened to William Orbit.
For listen to a brilliant album thank you!
I like the ambient easy listening and eclectic inspirations he drew from. I’ll never listen to it again. Unless i decide to get a dangly cross ear piercing and choose to live the rest of my life in 90s dance album aesthetics. Not my favorite but didn’t feel like a waste of a listen either. I did save barber’s adagio of strings from his other album when I checked out his Spotify profile. This was better than firehose album so I wish I rated that a 2 as well.
This is definitely not what I’m going to reach for when I want to listen to music but it has some really nice instrumentation and ideas, sometimes. 2 is absolutely too harsh but this thing is way too long, too aimless, and fails at being a meditative experience and I love boards of Canada dammit. Unfortunately loved the last song, I’ll give it a three.
Hyvää elektronikaa! Orbitalista kevyempää 4/5
Ihan siisti varhainen elektrolevy!
My awareness of Orbit's work came primarily from late 90s collaborations/remixes in naff mainstream pop so I haven't explored his earlier catalogue. This is much more interesting and varied.
I fear I didn’t do enough drugs before listening to this album. Good listen though
Cool electronic music.
Cool
A wonderful album of soundscapes. Manages to balance the fine line of not being too overbearing, but is also interesting enough to stop it slipping into background music. Not my favourite kind of music, but can see why this is on here.
My second '90s instrumental album that clocks in at just over 1 hour in two days..... Think I prefer this one? No clue though Some really fun things here. A fun mix of genres. Listened to this while watering my houseplants and doing some needlepoint embroidery. Felt correct. Not sure I'd go back and listen to it again, but not mad that I've heard it. Songs added to playlist: - Water From A Vine Leaf - The Story Of Light - Gringatcho Demento
Electronic downtempo.
Some great background electronica...
Tbh the vibes were all over the place. There were tracks that made me trippy tho. 2.5/5
Reminds me of Ross and Reznor's The Social Network score at points, which is obviously great. Will need to revisit though, as instrumental albums tend to recede to the background when not paid sufficient attention. Heding with a 3.5 3-star for now.
Perfect chill out music.
I did not enjoy this at all but it feels unfair to give it 1 star so I’m grudgingly rounding up to 2 because it’s not bad, it’s just very much not for me
I went into this one with no idea on who or what it would be, but was pleasantly surprised to find it was ambient 90s electronic music, a lot of which is downtempo and quite relaxing. "Harry Flowers" is a standout track, as is the opening track, "Water On A Vine Leaf". Definitely will add to my driving Playlist, as I could see myself covering many miles with this one.
So I accidentally listened to this album on shuffle, haha. So can't point out any specific songs in this review. But overall, like most electronic music, its fine (tm). Nothing bad, but nothing that particularly jumps out to me. It's perfectly decent background music if you're looking for sci-fi type sounds.
This electronica record is fine, starts pretty strong but quickly becomes repetitive and fades into the background. Far less interesting than Eno or Hosono/YMO (who isn't even represented on the list, for shame)
Typical 90’s electronica. A smattering of sub-genres from house to trip hop to trance. I would imagine if you are not into the genre this would not be your cup of tea. But if you are into electronica this will likely fit nicely into your rotation right next to Boards, Underworld, or Air.
плінкі плонкі фанкі саунд. робить мозку приємне бррррр
якось трохи meh. ніби не зле, але й не скажу, що добре
Cool vibes and will be revisited 3.5
Didn't get into this one that much. Background
kult! Beste sang: Water from a vine leaf
This is some tight electronica. Not every track landed for me, but enough did.
From the outset you can hear foreshadowing of the production that would work so well on Madonna’s mid/late- nineties albums. However i’m not a big fan of electronic music and this ambient nonsense does little to change me that with its whispery vocals and bleeps. Overall I toggled between bored and irritated by this album. It is very much of its era with bits reminding me of acts like the propellerheads at times, but without the same impact they had.
Christ. This is just not my thing - but it is not the worst thing I’ve heard, and I don’t have a 1.5* option.
Listening to this was such a slog. I listened to the first 5 tracks, then jumped ship and had to pick up the rest the next day. I just don't get the attraction in this type of music, especially outside of a club setting. It feels utterly bizarre to me that, even if this type of thing is what you're into, you'd put this record on while doing the ironing. For my tastes, this had no redeeming features at all. 1/5
I enjoyed this! Calming but not boring or soporific
Sounded like this guy just discovered that there was a rest of the world
the transporter 2 soundtrack.
Who needs blue chew when we have strange cargo? This album reeks of patchouly and cum, but I must say it’s a grower by the end of it not so bad became a believer you get a three!
SEXY
Solid ambient trip hop album. I would've preferred it all instrumental. For me the vocals didn't add anything to it. I've been into electronic music lately and figure I'll eventually get through the 70's and get to this stuff. Extra stars for the groovy album cover.
Love the album bc I like William orbit but I’m not sure this belongs on this list. Enjoyable all the same
Mir persönlich zu 90er. Ich sehe aber warum das Album als hörenswert empfunden wird. Viele Psychedelische aber nicht zu drüber klänge.
493/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
- this is going to be a weird one, isn’t it - I have to wonder if the author of this book just put in a few of his favorite weed albums to go to space with - it’s not *bad*, but how this is unique or transformative in ways those SoundCloud instrumental-focused GarageBand projects with >30 listens per month are not is eluding me. is it the digital effects? is it the mix of conventional instruments like piano with synth strings and a drum machine? is it the artist himself and his reputation? is it the mixing of trip-hop with other musical genres? if you told me this album was by from a 0-follower artist on Spotify, I’d believe you - even though it came out about a decade earlier, there are a few similarities between “Harry Flowers” on this album and Flaming Lips’ “Are You a Hypnotist??” in both general vibe/tempo and the chord progression - this has a lot of similarity to Suba’s Sao Paolo Confessions album, which I listened to previously through this project: the same kind of atmospheric music with minimal vocal attention over repeating beats. I do have to wonder if this is just the author’s personal preference or if this similarity (and potential bias) has also been pointed out previously by others - in the last one-third of this album, I’m no longer distinguishing one track from another; they’re mostly sound effects or audio clips over a looped beat (if that) - this seems like one in which reading the entry in the book would have been appropriate before diving in, just in understanding what the thinking was or why this, of all things, was chosen to be included (and not, say, Hail to the Thief or Hot Fuss, which were both removed in later editions, to my knowledge)
Ok, I've loved this album since it's release. For clarity, it's a chill down album. Bill O is the guy behind Madonna's (arguably) best album, and her 4th biggest single. Getting ready for bed? long busy day? Let's put some ambient music on. Go with the flow..... It's all great until after 40 minutes 'Reggie, Reggie..' in Deus ex that bit can startle you if you're caught unaware, for the most part, just let it wash over you. Starts upbeat and funky, slows into a mellow chill session. If you're interested, 'hinterland' by 'strange cargo' is also worth a listen. (Yes, it's confusing).
Great background music, but it drags on a little by the end.
Not a house fan. Sounded like no royalty music they play on YouTube videos.
I was expecting to really dislike this because most of the electronic stuff in this vein has been really dated, but some of this held up surprisingly well. There were still moments that sounded very of its time, but overall this was tolerable.
This was what electronica sounded like in the early 90s. That’s all I’ve got. It was fine.
It was nice and chill, quite interesting, faded into the background however
Merriam-Webster defines William Orbit as "the producer of 13 by Blur and also Beautiful Stranger." 1 Nothing strange to see here. There is some variety of sounds and textures but it all feels arbitrarily thrown together and yet without even the interest of skipped beats or uneven phrases. It just ticks along. Mid-tempo, four beats. No music worth developing apparently, certainly none worth remembering. Many of the keyboard sounds, especially the straight piano voices, would have sounded cringeworthy twenty years ago never mind in 2025. It’s a bit bedroom Pro Tools. All this, taken with the ‘awesome’ track titles (‘Time to Get Wize’, ‘Best Friend, Paranoia’) and the tits on the cover leave an overall air of adolescent naivety about the whole thing. Still, you can’t blame young people just for being young I suppo…sorry what? He was 36 when he made this? Oh. 1/5
I'm not going to say this is an absolutely nescessary album to listen to. However, it was good, especially if you like C418's Minecraft soundtracks.
What a surprise! This is the exact type of music I was looking for over the summer. Not sure why it's so low rated on here and on other music rating sites. I understand that not everyone likes electronic music but there are some serious jams on this thing. That opening track is absolutely phenomenal. Admittedly, the second half is a bit slower but I don't mind it that much. Definitely gotta check out more from Mr. Orbit. Favorite track: Water From A Vine Leaf
This is the missing evolutionary link between Enigma and Moby, and it explains why anyone who was anyone in the early 90s had a William Orbit remix as a B side.
It's a vibe, feels kind of like a soundtrack to a 90's sci-fi immersion sim.
Good album, really enjoyed it. Electronic with pop/rock sensibilities. Notable tracks include Water from a Vine Leaf, Into the Paradise, Tome to get Wize, Harry Flowers, The Story of Light, A Hazy Shade of Random, Water Babies.
A fun mix of ambient, 90s electronic, industrial, and ethnic/tribal sounds. Generally alright—definitely a couple keepers out of this eclectic mix for the vibes.
Pretty good. Kind of a Bowie Low vibe.
Interesting but not remarkable. 3 *
Second album skip after two songs. No way I’m listening to an hour of this.
okay but I like it.
This was fine, but sort of bland and everything kind of runs together. I know he pioneered techno in the 80s and 90s, but honestly, the genre kind of sucks, it led to some truly awful electronic music and there are better examples.
En los créditos hablan de "flexible bleeps" y no pude encontrar a qué se refieren.
Atmospheric and soundtrack worthy. The album has some good elements, but mainly carries a lot of the early 90s with it, including kitschy drum and bass tracks. Not bad, but not my thing.
Weird but not bad.
i love the atmosphericness
I kinda forgot it was playing ...
Very 90s trance. Enjoyable but a little same same by the end.
Trip-hop is the one genre of ambient electronic music that I just don't fully vibe with. It's not bad, but there's just so much more interesting stuff out there. 2/5
Very out there album. Quite strange
Fun, background album. Techno/piano vibe.
Few lyrics, a different type of edm that I’m used to. Feels like it could be a backing track to a documentary. Very good to revise with.
Beautiful I love this
It was okay. A 90s dance album so not my thing really. Some bits were enjoyable. Got atmospheric towards the end.
It was fine. But it’s literally background music so I can’t really say that it’s a must listen.
President sleeper. Twitch.com emotes. Uhh biblethump some shit idk. This thing isnt very good. It would be fine in the background of doing something else but intently listening to this is bad for my health. Some of these could be the backing track to a futuristic racing game or a menu track and id probably like it to some degree but it doesnt have legs to stand on its own. It may be better than alot of stuff of this ilk but that doesnt make it good. Its just too repetitive and doesnt have any kind of hook I can find. Its like im the bass and there is just a bare metal hook floating in front of me. Maybe I check it out but im not putting that crap in my mouth. Just let me swim by. And thats what I shall do. Not the worst thing in the world but as soon as I stop typing it's gone forever from my world
Forgot it was playing, didn't even hear it at points, it was so quiet.
I strangely enjoyed this! It has me curious.
Could only find on YouTube
3.5
Pleasant. Backgroundy
2- Stars (4/15)
Very forgettable album, I listened to it yesterday, and now can't really think of anything notable about it.
Good representation, nice and shpongley. I don't think a particulary good album for those sound of mind though. 3/5
Could have worse but unlikely to play again
Not a fan
Very enjoyable album! The Story of Light got the Will face. Holly listened to a lot of this while on the couch and didn't hate it either.
Very good, reminded me of the Aphex Twin album. Overall better than that, so bordering on 4 stars. Jumpscared by the occasional talking!
Meditative. We all have our tastes. This is not one for me.