Reviews (page 5 of 8)
really hard to find this, no thanks
I don't know if it's because I like video game soundtracks or just because I work in an office where the music helps me focus, but Electronica is a genre that's really grown on me. This had some lulls, but was pretty good.
Good background music to work to.
Enjoyable, but just drifted into the background.
Never gonna be a 2 or a 5. Decent Bit forgettable But never bad
I started writing an essay but it doesn't deserve it. Maybe he has some historical value but it's just so boring. Everything sounds clean and clinical, but it's all just wafty chords and simple pentatonic basslines. It's not textured enough to be good Ambient music, doesn't make me want to dance. It's music for property agents. For late night terrestrial tv casino shows. If you were at the worst afterparty ever, and some student who would later grow up to be a hedge fund manager goes "Oh man, you should listen to this, it's got, like, tooootally chilled vibes but it's like really deep yeah? It's got pianos and shit so you feel really, like, spiritual?" This is the CD he puts on.
Electronic music will never click with me. It’s interesting as a tech demo, but it is just painful to actually listen to. I can’t fathom anyone sitting down and putting this on and having a good time.
It's just one very long song.
Honestly, I was kind of vibing throughout, but it doesn't feel right to give it an earnest three stars when I was hardly even paying attention.
I’m not huge into electronica, but I actually enjoyed this more than expected. My 2-year old also enjoyed dancing to it while I was making breakfast this morning, which was honestly my highlight for the entire album.
Solides instrumental Album miteinem Hauch R&B ohne herausragende Momente.
It was fine, but too long - by the last two tracks, I was wondering “isn’t it over yet?”
All the reviews saying this is 90s spy/heist movie background music are pretty accurate. Like a lot of 90s electronic music, it’s very repetitive and rather boring in a sit at home/work and listen environment. I’ve never enjoyed this type of stuff and this is no exception.
This is not an album for me. It all ended up sounding like ambience while doing something else. I had a hard time really listening to it because it just became background music. It is not bad, but not that interesting either. Favorite track was the opening number "Water from a Wine Leaf".
This is an interesting album. Background listening and ambient sounds, one of the tracks had a very nine inch nails vibe to it. I can appreciate this album musically, but similar to the previous album (Nick Cave) it isn't really my thing.
Gar nicht schlecht
So I guess a substantial chunk of the 1001 list is just the editor reliving his beloved British rave days in the 90s? Is that what he's doing to us?
Interesting.
Not my thing but not bad
7/10 - it kind of reminded me of Minecraft music. It was pretty relaxing most of the time and I would listen to this again while studying or something
mid electronica
If I didn't see the release year, i would have guessed '90s. Starts off good, really drops off at the end. Last handful of tracks had me looking at the playlist to see when it would be over.
i liked it. maybe not the narration parts, but pretty good background music. something i'd definitely give a 2nd listen to.
Not really my cup of tea. It’s ok at best as far as I’m concerned, as it’s a little to ambient throughout.
Not a fan of this style of coffeehouse 90s techno thing haha. Even the cover had the Asian new age vibe thing going so it ticks all the stereotype boxes. But it was a dominant style for a while so I understand the inclusion on this list.
I don’t care for this trippy dippy electronica genre at all. And to the extent this was even close to garnering a 2, -1 for not being available on mainstream platforms. That by itself tells you all you need to know about it.
It sounds like it's from the early 90s. Which it is, of course. I remember this dude being huge, but I was busy listening to 70s rock and grunge. It's okay, nothing I'd go out of my way for then, or now, but can hear a bit of the triphop and ambient elements that it likely influenced (which I do like). Mid 2s.
I always enjoy an instrumental album, particularly ethereal electronic music and this is once I will revisit.
Super cool! Honestly I listened to it three times--which is easy, since it doesn't distract me from work--but still, Orbit has a new fan.
I found this one pretty boring. And I think if I were high while listening to this, it would put me to sleep.
I've listened to this twice now and failed to fully engage either time. Third times the charm... Getting some serious Goldeneye vibes from some of the sounds in Water From a Vine Leaf. Otherwise a pretty straightforward downtempo electronic song that sounds very of its time. Into The Paradise kind of sounds like every other song I've every heard in this space. Not a bad thing, just not particularly interesting. Yeah after another listen, I'm kind of just underwhelmed here. Or maybe just whelmed. Either way, I find myself not really caring about this as soon as it stops. Like it is fine and fairly innocuous throughout the playtime, but there isn't any magnetism drawing me back. Points for reminding me of Goldeneye and a simpler time, but otherwise this isn't it for me. Low 3.
Feels a lot like Boards of Canada with the electronic jams. Good, not great. I will say I will relisten to this one and then never do it.
Some of these songs are exactly what I would want to listen to while coming down from a shroom trip....others I would want to listen to while coming up on a DMT trip
Not on AM so to youtube music it is. Couple songs in and I am grooving. Love how the beat just keeps building up on Into the Paradise. Made me feel like I was on psychs so major points for that.
This crawled so that Moby could slowly stumble.
You know, it’s alright. Started out pretty good but the ending was meh. I’d listen again for sure
#559. This sounds like something for a movie score, not something you'd actually want to sit down and listen to. Not that it's bad, this would be great movie background music, I just don't really need to sit down and listen to a whole ass album about it. 2/5: yes?
🎧Background music. It’s fine. It doesn’t bother me. I have no desire to revisit any of this. Also the last 20 minutes or so are, you could say relaxing, I say boring.
Funky instrumental with some cool SFX and samples.
No loschtigi space scifi musig. Tönt halt leider nochemne bellige Actionfelm. Es wederholt sech gfühlt au emmer weder. Ned so mis
I was playing Schedule 1 and I genuinely couldn't tell if this was the soundtrack or if it was the album. This sounds like a soundtrack to a platforming PS1 video game made in the 1990's. A lame duck of an album but nothing offensive here so it just gets a big average pass.
Some Strange Cargo indeed, not sure what I was expecting from the cover or the wikipedia summary but it was still a incredibly laid back and enjoyable hour of music. It may be a bit too passive or for the lack of a better term 'video gamey' for some (there were some tracks where I was expecting to start hearing the UNATCO theme or some shit) but this was definitely something I see myself coming back to in the future
Evocative of the music that would be playing in some thriller from 1997 in a scene where the main character goes to some weird sex freak nightclub where everyone has UV face paint and are doing some made up future drug that makes you go insane and eat your own legs. I liked it.
9/10
Half of the music here belongs in some edgy 90s stealth-action/immersive sim game, the other half sounds like the evil version of the SimCity 4 soundtrack. The lesson I learned from listening to this? Don't judge an album by its Wikipedia page (stub). I totally expected this album to be some late 90s hogwash thrown in to fill out the backend of this book but the further I got into the album the more I saw how this album fits into the musical mosaic of the late 90s/early 00s. Coming in at a shift-worker friendly 1h3m, it is a bit too long and often times feels unfocused. But this feels like the sort of thing you want to put on in the background while you work at a café or if you play starcraft or some shit. Personally, listening to this reminded me of listening to an Engima album (something that I initialyl thought was an Enya album but some guy on LimeWire had other ideas) while getting flamed in Barrens chat in WoW. There are songs on here that I have put in playlists and it is a novel listen with some impressive flourishes here and there but not something that I would actively return to. I cannot give this guy extra points for being influential and producing some hits for major artists. But I can give bonus points for The Monkey King being in the film Heat Highlights: Harry Flowers
I'm not sure this is really a 4 star album but it was perfect background for my paper editing session. It's rare I enjoy an electronica album
Mood music and the mood is “why am I still on hold”
Jaime: 4 Nuria: 2
generic electronic background music/random sounds
Cool chill trance/ambient music.
So I knew I'd be driving allot at work today so figured, why not listen to Strange Cargo parts 1 and 2 in preparation for part 3. We'll turns out I liked those ones way more then part 3 which I will be giving 2 stars but only because I finished it. Parts 1 and 2 would each get 3 stars but none of that matters and who is this guy anyway?
4/8/25. Good electronic music, especially for working or completing a task. Engaging and makes you move but won't completely distract.
It's cool, I guess. But this one got old and kept going. Maybe it could've been cut down to half the length.
If Starbucks made ambient electronica
I'm no fan of electronic music, and this is above average for that set. I almost got to 2 stars for this album, but then the end of the album drove me up a wall. Basically room tone noises with some bleeps and bloops then dialogue from a movie. Somebody should teach electronic musicians how to end songs / albums.
Kunne vært veldig opp min gate men treffer ikke helt. Litt for svevende og for lite hold. Svak3'er
Okay when it's going but not enough momentum for me to enjoy the whole thing. (26 known/55 new)
Massive Attack for people who find massive attck too threatening
Electronic music (with occasional guitars) that kind of floats in an out of a downtempo trip hop, ambient, kinda casual techno (reminds me of some James Bond Soundtrack) and some “world music” sounds. A generally decent vibe and a few cool songs and moments, nothing particularly bad about it, but largely forgettable and non-essential.
Sounds like background music for a 90's computer hacker movie. Its not bad, just nothing I would listen to if it weren't for this list.
Hvis Björk ikke sang, men var triphop inspireret, og kalder det elevator techno..
Syret elektro. Lidt for meget 90er computer lyd. Bringer minder om mine år som teen-gamer
Not usually much of an electronic guy, but I dig this record. Really subtle and calm grooves that are very engaging.
Pretty weird - even for this list
Kind of a nothing burger of an album. Didn’t bring me joy, didn’t evoke any hate, even though it was pretty chill it didn’t necessarily bring any calm. I don’t know if this had to be included. It was fine I guess. 2.5 stars?
2/10
Decent lil ambient album.
I don't mind a bit of chilled ambient electronica so this was a pleasant discovery. I was only aware of his work as a producer and 'Pieces In a Modern Style', which got a bit of attention after his run of Madonna and Blur albums. It's a bit too easy to dismiss this kind of thing as 'background' music but to be fair, it rarely stands out enough to demand attention and doesn't seem to try. It has a couple of great upbeat funky tracks but isn't really consistent enough for me to consider putting it into my rotation. I did quite enjoy it though - in the background, of course.
p722. 1993. 1 star. "You are in a queue and your call will be handled shortly". Cue William Orbit. Tedious call centre music from a Moby wannabee without the talent or samples. "Your call is important to us. Please remain on the line."
Of this… genre, this is mostly enjoyable. I liked it enough. Woohoo.
I've listened to other albums by this artist and in general it's relatively interesting ambient music with clear techno influences. This album fits neatly into that paradigm. Good atmospheric music without being formless.
Background music for a montage
Haven't heard of this before. It's not bad but it's just background music. 2/5
Trochę takie dźwięki z kosmosu połączone z medytacyjnymi odgłosami i jakaś takim poczuciem transcendencji, które niestety czasem przeradza się w soundtrack Mission Impossible. Nie wiem, jak można się tym rozkoszować bez dragów. 4/10
Arranca hermoso en los primeros temas y luego empieza a mutar a un disco de ambient sin mucho que destacar? Mmmm. Igual, me llevo un like que hace mucho se necesita. Tendría que escucharlo con auriculares en un mood especial. Nota: 3.5
Yuck. I hate 90s techno
Strong opener with Water From A Vine Leaf. But overall not my sweet spot - not pretty soundscapey enough to just be relaxing and not original or challenging enough to stay interesting. Like but don't love.
Decent listen
This was a nice listen. Good background music for working with enough variety to stay interesting.
I was keen to check this out but sad to say I found it pretty shallow and boring. Although the production is crisp and precise, a lot of the music also feels really dated, not in a cool 'rooted in the time of it's creation' sense. Just a bit naff
gorgeous especially when highhhh
I'll be honest, I didn't have much expectation for this, but it was pretty great. Standouts: "Time to Get Wize" & "Best Friend, Paranoia,"
This guy really knows how to start a good song, then ruin it. There are a lot of good beats in this album, but most of them are mashed together in a really grating way. I had a hard time understanding why this album would be included on this list at first - it’s not critically acclaimed, there are no big hits on it, and it doesn’t appear to be influential or historically important either. A bit of digging, however, shows that the artist has worked with a few big names (Madonna, P!nk, U2) and is relatively popular in the UK, so I assume this is one of many albums which the author included due personal preference.
Atmospheric ambient electronica. The vocals are added in as another instrument, not really anything to sing along with. Good for vibing out, having a chill evening.
I know this guy from remixes and collabs, but I've never heard his solo work. Chill, but is it special?
people were hating on this, but i personally really enjoyed the departure from the entirely predictable stuff that mostly is on this list. this was an awesome album to listen to as i navigated a snowstorm, and it’s a fun prelude to some of my favorite ambient artists to follow. i’m glad i listened to it
Man, there are too many experimental noise albums on this list. At least this one doesn't assault my ears like some.
Cool vibe but the songs are not supporting the instrumentation and production. I immediately noticed how this sounds like Madonna's Ray of Light album. I could be convinced that Strange Cargo III was a demo tape given to Madonna asking her to pick sounds for her mid-90s electronic work.
#ВидатнийАльбомЩодня William Orbit - Strange Cargo III (1993) Я не був раніше знайомий із William Orbit як з музикантом, але як виявилось, завжди був знайомий з ним як з продюсером. Саме William продюсував мій улюблений альбом Blur - 13, а співпрацював із безліччю відомих виконавців. Це вже третя частина його «епічної» #ambient трилогії, яка побудована, в значній мірі, на #techno звучанні та #dub -овських басових лініях. Альбом вийшов доволі атмосферний, гіпнотичний, та дуже схожий за настроєм на інший електронний #newage того часу. Ну і як ви, певно, здогадалися за обкладинкою, вплив world музики тут також великий. Завдяки ньому, кожен трек має в собі щось «містично-шаманське». І як фонова музика - він заходить доволі непогано, проте якогось цікавого розвитку композицій що дозволяли б, із цікавістю, слухати його уважно, я не відчув. А на додачу, він звучить ну дуже застаріло та, взагалі, не проходить перевірку часом. Десь на середині альбому мені стало просто неймовірно нудно, і я дослуховував його через силу. І це ще я, насправді, люблю ембієнт, тому уявляю яким катуванням альбом буде для тих хто тільки почав знайомитись із цим жанром.
This was brilliant. Best chill out I've had in ages.
2.5 stars
Hard to rate this. I would never put this on for pure enjoyment or a car trip, but it was pretty great to work to this morning and definitely went on my "Concentration" play list. By my own rules that's a 4 or 5, think I'll make this a 4 since "it distracts some parts of my brain without distracting others" seems like faint praise.
I am not generally a fan of music that features a synthesizer, but I liked this more than I would have expected. I like the variation between tracks and it’s interesting to listen to, but mainly as background noise while working. Feels odd to give it a 3 like I did the Penguin album yesterday, but in my mind this is the liw end of a three while the other album is the high end.
Meh.
I liked this - good background music
Soft techno vibe
Excellent!
I’ve never heard of this artist or album before, I’m excited to give this album a listen. At its best, I tend to enjoy electronica, but even at its worst, I usually feel pretty neutral towards it. Let’s get lost in some electronica! Overall, I’d say this album was okay. Not much really stood out to me about it, but it was pleasant to listen. The overall sound was really relaxing, and I thought the sounds were layered really well. Despite the length of the album overall and the length of the individual songs, I never really got bored, but I just wished for some catchier hooks and melodies. No particular song stood out to me as bad per se, but the lyrics on “Time To Get Wize” were splendidly cheesy, even by nineties standards. What was about the nineties that made people think we were going to solve the world’s problems with hugs? As for my favorite songs on the album, I thought “Harry Flowers” and “A Hazy Shade of Random” stood out a bit more as the better songs. While I wasn’t blown away by this album, I could see it growing on me with repeat listens.
Chill '90s electronica - nothing to stand out but i was bopping my head while I worked on some paperwork
Atmosfäriskt och hypnotiserande. Fungerar som bakgrundsmusik.
I was living out some dystopia life with Ashton Kutcher and Ron Swanson. Spending a lot of time on a broken toilet in a what seem to be a park bathroom
It’s music, it occupies the background even if you try to bring it front and centre. It is quite chill and sort of pleasant. Can’t really add much more. 3 star.
funky and interesting electronica album.
"Yes, hello. I was wondering if you could play that song again." "Hmmm, which one, man?" "The one that goes "Bee-boo-boo-bop, boo-boo-beep."" "No, man, you're thinking of "Bee-boo-boo-bop, boo-boo-bop."" "Bee-boo-boo, boo-boo-bop? [garbled telephone noise] Bee-boo-boo-bop? [garbled telephone noise] Boo-boo-bee-bop? [garbled telephone noise] Not "Bee-boo-boo-beep"? [garbled telephone noise] Bop? [garbled telephone noise] Beep?! [garbled telephone noise] Boo-boo-bop?!" [SpongeBob screams.]
Elevator music 2/5
Really interesting
Really good Loved techno bass
Nothing really to say, not bad, not memorable. With a couple exceptions, ambient music is more about the connection you create with it in my eyes
It sounds fine. But this isn't my style of music, and I'm honestly just kind of disinterested. It doesn't help that a lot of the songs end up sounding incredibly similar, if not exactly the same. There are a couple songs that end up having some interesting things going on, but then it's just kind of back to the same stuff that I've been listening to the whole time. Favorite Song(s): Water Babies
Some sounded for jungle, some for restaurant...
Not my type. But I enjoyed as ambient background music.
I was gonna give it some props for sounding ahead of its time. But then I realised I misread the year and it's 1993 not 1983. So... I didn't really have anything positive to say....it's very easy to ignore?
Groovy spacey wildly interesting arrangements and production techniques. Maybe it’s just because I didn’t know what to expect but I loved this album.
strange, beautiful and hypnotic. to get the full effect, listen with headphones.
Not for me.
60+ minutes beep boop for the millionth time.
Sounds like a soundtrack to an obscure 90’s vídeo game. Is that good? I don’t know, actually. It’s too long - a problem it shares with most of its genre buddies.
I enjoyed this. Have never heard of him before. its got a bit of everything . electronic is not a massive favorite of mine, but i would listen to this again. There were some really good tracks
Solid Ambient
Computer music, kinda dig it?
I listen to these sorts of albums very often, but I can never really curate a rating for them. Some Ambient Albums Are Bigger Than Others, sure, but it’s hard, perhaps even impossible, to go wrong. And Orbit doesn’t go wrong on Strange Cargo III. There is a constant spacey presence in the background of these songs, and a lush sparkly, glittery atmosphere presented in the foreground. Orbit seems to walk the line between ‘music to study to’ and ‘music to test your new speakers with’ well, lending his expertise to either activity.
Fått massor av plattor i genren electronica. För helvete, ge mig Electronic Body Music.
If you like albums where you drop acid and rave in an abandoned Circle K for 3 days, this is for you. It was ok, your typical Temu Moby music. 1001 album worthy: No - 42/74
Reminds me so much of early 90s TV theme tune. Houmous & Chutney were taking a rare break from being on the road and we got into writing a bit more. We were lined up to write and perform the Clothes Show theme tune but Len signed the worst contract ever - basically just gave them the song! They ended up getting a young Vernon Kay to perform it! We soon went back to our original management! 2.4
5/10
I don't know that I've ever been so ambivalent about whether a piece of music existed or not. I guess that means I didn't much care for it.
Not a bad instrumental album. There was some vocals, so not entirely instrumental, but they were easy enough to ignore. 3/5
Had low expectations going in but suited the vibe for background work music. Would I listen again? No, but not because it was necessarily bad just not super interesting
Type of music I'd expect to score a student film about an underprivileged youth who becomes incredibly prolific in the stock market
I didnt find much in this to jump out at me. Fine middle class electronic music with not much bite.
Not totally decided on how I feel about this; the book entry implies that it hasn’t aged a day. Maybe that was true in 2005 when the 1st edition was written. Yet once my brain got past the “this is definitely electronica from the 90s again” process, I did end up enjoying a lot of the ambient and “world” elements. Maybe this’ll grow on me like Leftism did
Interesting but not interesting enough
A chilled out electronic/ambient album that is very relaxing to listen to. Nothing more. Nothing exceptional. The Hindu iconography of the cover had me thinking that this'll be a fusion of indian classical music and electronic. But except some oriental (that too middle-eastern) touches in a couple of songs, there is nothing of that. Just a plain 1 hour of relaxing electronic music.
fire
Kind of forgetful and blended together. I am writing this week's after listening, but I don't remember much.
Two straight days of boring ambient garbage
Nope
still holds up. glad I got to learn about that guy.
Sounds kind of like Half Life at times. Didn’t mind this.
Some of this is spy movie soundtrack (agree with john) but some of it is also giving edgy elevator music... not really my cup of tea but not completely un-listenable
Am I listening to a PS1 James Bond soundtrack?
Better than I thought it was going to be
There’s really nothing remarkable or even very interesting about the music here. It’s thick electronica with deep arrangements, but just sounds like elevator electronica. I appreciate some creative choices here, but it’s nothing I would listen to again or would recommend.
Very cool. Ikke sp meget at sige, hele albummet flyder lidt sammen. Ambient techno agtig musik. Det bliver lidt trippy når det lakker hen mod slutningen. Det får 3 fordi det lyder lit og decent oplevelse men ikke sådan noget gennemtrængende
Strange Cargo III is not my speed for this sort of thing, it's so low key that I don't notice it's there, I want it loud and uptempo and in my face. Decent chilled vibes but 2/5, it's not a standout of the genre either.
This was really underwhelming, just an hour of synthy nothingness really. This kind of music has its place, but it needs a bit more to it than this album does, it's far too easy to not engage with it at all. 2/5.
altijd hetzelfde... van begin tot einde... dan doet ac/dc dat trucje een stuk beter
2.5 it was fine
It's different.... definitely not good though. I think I enjoyed about 2 songs.
this sounds like the music that plays in my head whenever i zone out
Starts fairly strong and gets progressively more nothing
This is really interesting and I plan to listen to this during my work day on occasion
I love ambient music. It's such a chill experience. It lowers the pulse and makes everything feel calm. This is pioneering work, along with Brian Eno.
*Tony Soprano voice* I HATE THIS FUCKING SHIT
I wasn't sure I was going to like this album when it started. Electronica is so diverse. This does make me think of it as a soundtrack for a very weird movie - something to do with ancient artifacts and space. Not great, but not bad, pure middle ground.
Not a big electronic instrumental fan. This was alright I guess. 2.25
I don't hate it, but I don't get it either.
No electronic album should bebin any top list.
There’s a fine line between music that creates an atmospheric backdrop and music that becomes entirely forgettable. Unfortunately, this album falls into the latter category. While I don’t mind albums that blend into the background, this one sank so far that it left no impression at all. By the time it was over, I had already forgotten I was listening to it. Perhaps it works better as incidental music in another context, but as an album experience, it didn’t resonate with me. Score: 2/5
2,5
Some of the tracks get a little weird but I enjoyed this particularly as ambient listening. Will probably add a couple of tracks to my work playlist
I thought for sure William Orbit = Orbital, but looks like that is not the case. What are the chances? (ntm.)
After having William Orbit enter my life at a live event 1 month ago - here he comes again. I'm a bit surprised I hadn't heard of him before. A lovely album.
Lovely background music and actually has some voices!
so I have learned that William Orbit was behind many an album as producer, so I understand why he is on this list - knowing now, I see how influential his work was to house and acid jazz in the early 90s - listen to Madonna's Music album that's where he sounds the best
A 90s album trying to wrestle free from the 80s featuring some tropes of both but never successfully freeing itself. But we do get early techno piano and Beth Orton.
No
Just really nice ambience
Erg repititief, niet mijn stijl, 3.5/10.
## In-Depth Review of *Strange Cargo III* by William Orbit William Orbit's *Strange Cargo III*, released in 1993, stands as a pivotal work in the electronic music landscape. As the third installment in the *Strange Cargo* series, this album showcases Orbit's unique blend of ambient, downtempo, and electronic elements, setting a benchmark for future productions in these genres. This review will explore the album's lyrics, music, production quality, themes, and its influence on the electronic music scene, while also discussing its pros and cons. ### ****Lyrics *Strange Cargo III* is primarily an instrumental album, which is characteristic of Orbit's style. The few tracks that feature vocals do so sparingly and are often more about texture than narrative. The standout track, "Water From a Vine Leaf," features spoken word contributions from Beth Orton. Her ethereal voice narrates a dreamlike sequence that evokes imagery of youth and simplicity, encapsulating feelings of nostalgia and innocence. The lyrics are poetic and abstract, enhancing the ambient quality of the music rather than driving a conventional narrative. Other tracks like "Deus Ex Machina" and "Time to Get Wize" incorporate vocal snippets that add to the atmospheric soundscapes but do not dominate the compositions. This minimalist approach to lyrics allows listeners to immerse themselves in the overall sonic experience without being distracted by overt storytelling. ### ****Music Musically, *Strange Cargo III* is a rich tapestry of sounds that blends various genres. Key characteristics include: - **Ambient Soundscapes**: The album opens with "Water From a Vine Leaf," which sets a serene tone with gentle synths and soft percussion. This track is widely regarded as one of Orbit's masterpieces, praised for its lush sound design. - **Diverse Influences**: Orbit skillfully incorporates elements from various styles including Balearic beats, progressive house, trip-hop, and even hints of classical music. Tracks like "Into The Paradise" and "The Story of Light" showcase his ability to blend these genres seamlessly. - **Innovative Arrangements**: The production features intricate layering of sounds, creating depth and complexity. For instance, "A Touch of the Night" combines electronic beats with orchestral strings, resulting in a cinematic feel. - **Rhythmic Variety**: While some tracks maintain a steady ambient flow, others like "Gringatcho Demento" introduce more dynamic rhythms and even guitar solos, showcasing Orbit’s versatility as a producer. ### ****Production Quality Orbit produced *Strange Cargo III* at Guerilla Studios in London, where he honed his craft to create an immersive listening experience. The production quality is exceptional: - **Sound Clarity**: Each element is distinct yet harmoniously blended. The use of space in the mix allows listeners to discern individual instruments and layers without feeling cluttered. - **Innovative Techniques**: Orbit employs various production techniques such as sampling and looping to create unique textures. This innovation is evident in tracks like "Harry Flowers," which features intricate sound manipulation. - **Cohesive Flow**: Despite its varied styles and influences, the album flows cohesively from track to track. This fluidity enhances the overall listening experience and invites repeated plays. ### ****Themes Thematically, *Strange Cargo III* explores concepts of memory, nostalgia, and the passage of time: - **Nostalgia**: The use of spoken word and serene melodies evokes memories of youth and simpler times. This theme resonates particularly in "Water From a Vine Leaf," where Orton’s lyrics reflect on fleeting moments. - **Nature and Serenity**: Many tracks incorporate natural sounds or themes that promote relaxation and introspection. The ambient nature of the music invites listeners to connect with their thoughts and feelings. - **Cultural Fusion**: Tracks like "The Monkey King" introduce ethnic influences that celebrate diversity in sound. This theme reflects Orbit's broad musical palette and his ability to fuse different cultural elements into his work. ### ****Influence *Strange Cargo III* has had a significant impact on the electronic music scene: - **Pioneering Ambient Music**: The album is often credited with helping to popularize ambient music in mainstream culture during the early '90s. Its influence can be seen in subsequent works by artists across various genres who have embraced similar soundscapes. - **Inspiring Future Artists**: Many contemporary electronic musicians cite Orbit as an inspiration for their own work. His innovative blending of genres paved the way for artists exploring ambient and downtempo sounds. - **Legacy in Club Culture**: Tracks from this album have been embraced by DJs worldwide, becoming staples in club playlists. The remixes of "Water From a Vine Leaf" further solidified its status within dance music circles. ### ****Pros and Cons #### Pros - **Innovative Sound Design**: Orbit’s ability to create lush soundscapes makes this album a standout in electronic music. - **Cohesive Flow**: Despite its genre-hopping nature, the album maintains a cohesive listening experience. - **Memorable Tracks**: Songs like "Water From a Vine Leaf" remain iconic within both ambient and electronic music communities. #### Cons - **Limited Vocal Presence**: For listeners seeking lyrical depth or storytelling, the minimal use of vocals may be disappointing. - **Pacing Issues**: Some tracks may feel indulgent or drag on longer than necessary for certain listeners. - **Dated Elements**: While groundbreaking at its release, some production techniques may feel dated compared to modern standards. ### Conclusion In conclusion, *Strange Cargo III* by William Orbit is a landmark album that captures the essence of early '90s electronic music while pushing boundaries through innovative production techniques and diverse influences. Its themes resonate deeply with listeners seeking both relaxation and introspection. While it may not cater to everyone’s tastes due to its minimalist lyrical approach and occasional pacing issues, its strengths far outweigh these drawbacks. This album remains an essential listen for anyone interested in ambient or electronic music history.
1 stjerne
Ahhhhh early 90s stoner electronica. Utter utter garbage
Never really liked this era's techno, but, I can say that this album was one of the ones that helped kick the door in to the success of the genre
Not for me
Not for me
Enjoyed it but can’t imagine I’d listen to it again
A pleasant listen - some nice moments - nothing particularly standout but equally nothing ugly. It's kinda my jam but not sure what its doing on this list.
What?
I liked it a lot! It sounds like the perfect soundtrack to listen to in the car while returning from a hardcore punk concert.
This was enjoyable. Perfect for playing in the background while working. Another Chill-infused Lo-Fi Electronica album for the win.
Can't complain about this one either. Nice middle of the road electronic
This was such a good listen. Really reminiscent of the 90s. Just a nice sound.
I was hooked
Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: 🔞🇮🇳👹 Production : 🎧😐🆗 Music: ☕🎹😐 Rating: 👹(👹)/5
Elektronisch. Plätschert so dahin.
Beverly Hills Cop is a fantastic movie; with a mediocre soundtrack. This is like that soundtrack; only worse.
boring
Alleen begin geluisterd en dat was wel ok.
I accidentally listened to half of Strange Cargo II and that half was better than this whole. Great background music though gotta be honest.
This one does a good job at being ambient and spacey. It’s just too long and doesn’t hold my interest for the entire runtime. Favorite songs were Water From A Vine Leaf and Time To Get Wize
fine i guess
William Orbit - Strange Cargo III This is the first time I hear from this artist and honestly, I expected a lot more from it, specially with the album cover, which looked very promising. However, some of these songs are good and decent at least, the album itself isn't really mediocre, it's just that it's not really my type of music. Listen, I do like ambient music (don't get me wrong), but I have heard better ambient music than this to be honest, but I don't know, that's just me. Give it a listen, but beware, the first listen from this album will be... interesting to say at least. 1.- Water From A Vine Leaf = 7/10 2.- Into The Paradise = 6/10 3.- Time To Get Wize = 5/10 4.- Harry Flowers = 6/10 5.- A Touch Of The Night = 5/10 6.- The Story Of Light = 7/10 7.- Gringatcho Demento = 5/10 8.- A Hazy Shade Of Random = 6/10 9.- Best Friend, Paranoia = 5/10 10.- The Monkey King = 4/10 11.- Deus Ex Machina = 4/10 12.- Water Babies = 6/10 FINAL SCORE = 66/120
"Tonight on music from hearts of space we go on a cosmic joyride with some space music by various bay area artists." - Mystery Science Theater 3000, Pod People This album kind of sucks. 1/5
i like it
no. stop it.
[vigorously shaking] “Magic eight ball, are ANY of these English electronic albums going to be inspiring whatsoever?” [UNLIKELY]
I actually quite enjoyed this album. It has a lot of electronic elements which isn't normally my thing but it was mixed well with ambient noise and other rhythmic elements. The main problem is that it's too long by about 20 minutes so it all starts to blend together about halfway through the album. Favorites: Water From a Vine Leaf, Harry Flowers
This wasn't my bag although I found it suitably relaxing in quite a dated way... Some of the synths reminded me of GCSE music. Totally fine!!
It was fiiiiine. It was SO background music I almost forgot to listen. Generally it was okay but can't say I found it interesting.
There were a couple of cool beat drops but this is not my thing and it would never be more than background music which wasn't all that interesting.
Listened to half of this in the car and the other half with headphones on. While wearing headphones I began to appreciate the textures more. Don’t know why that is. 3/5
Electronic dance music with large strands of dub, world and ambient in its DNA, released by a producer that was so trendy in the early nineties that he ended up producing Madonna. Just like some electronic acts listed in the 1001 Albums book, there is nothing truly ridiculous in this music, and yet you can't really say that it aged very well either. Ironically, this type of music is supposed to sound futuristic and yet 95% of it quickly becomes outdated. It's music that loses its groundbreaking and cutting-edge nature so fast. Unless it's made by a mad genius like Aphex Twin... 2/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 7 for more general purposes (5 + 2) Number of albums left to review: a handful (plus the 80-ish extra LPs listed on this app, included because different past editions of the book have mentioned ed albums that have since been dropped in subsequent editions). I've temporarily lost count here. Number of albums I'll keep in my own list: half, approximately Number of albums I *might* keep: a small quarter, approximately. Number of albums I won't keep: a large quarter (including this one)
I very much enjoyed this. Earlier than I was expecting, from William Orbit. Some other comments on here about how it sounds great on good headphones, or high-end speakers. Can confirm.
Fav: Harry Flowers Least Fav: The Monkey King Very relaxing, but I couldn’t help but feel that the album dragged on towards the end. Still, it was an enjoyable album
Very good sound. Not particularly distinctive but I like the genre
Not my thing. There are glimpses of cool beats and some nice melodies from time to other, at least in the first half, but mostly, it’s just long songs that go nowhere. And that makes the last helg og the album a gjort to get through
all i know about william orbit is that he produced 13 and think tank by blur and said some crazy stuff about how both those albums are about damon and graham breaking up and damon pining for graham. so he’s alright in my book! i thought this was nice. it didn’t blow my mind or anything but i did enjoy listening to it. the british electronic/trip hop scene seems really interesting, i feel like they were doing a hell of a lot more with the genre than anyone in the US at the time.
nice background focus music. reminds me a bit of chemical brothers but probably a precursor to that because of the amount of instrumentation and global influences involved here. i don't really have too many specific thoughts though...the songs with vocalists were nice too but i'm not sure i would return to any of it per se.
It's electronic music with some global influences. Good, although not jaw-dropping in a now-crowded field. Favorite track: probably "The Story of Light."
1.25
It all just kinda blended together
Just not a fan of electronica. This is not nearly as bad as some of the other stuff I've heard from this site, but really just not for me. It was decent background music and there was nothing offensive to my ears, just not something I enjoy. I'll go with a 1.5 because it did not annoy the shit out of me. 1.5
2.5 More chill, ambient electronic stuff. I didn’t really have much familiarity with this type of music going into this list, and while I’m glad to have been exposed to some new stuff, I can’t say that the albums I’ve heard thus far have really rocked my world in any sort of meaningful way. The best attempt so far was probably Air’s Moon Safari, but outside of that, a lot of this stuff has kind of blended together for me. In the case of this album, I actually thought it started quite strongly with Water From a Vine Leaf, making me think that I might be in for a bit of a surprisingly enjoyable listen, but from there, it just sort of incrementally devolves in musicality, to the point that it feels like you’re listening to ambient noise at the end with a vague sense of musicianship to it. I can’t say that it ever turned into a sort of thing that annoyed me, but it did slowly lose my interest as it went on and never successfully gained it back. I feel like if this is the kind of music you want to make, your album really needs to have a sense of atmosphere and structure to it, and this didn’t give me that - this just ended up feeling like non-purposeful ambient noise for the most part. Maybe I’m being too harsh - I get that this sort of thing provides for a relaxing backdrop for some - but it doesn’t do much for me. It’s not bad by any means, but I have a hard time rating something this forgettable that highly.
Moby without any of the hooks.
It's a banger it almost made me not mad about the unnecessary cultural appropriation in the cover art.
a couple of good ones though
Rather uninteresting electronica.
There are some low points for, but I give him some points for some Mike Oldfieldian moments.....Water Babies is 4 minute Mike Oldfield reminiscent track so gotta rate this high. I may have been drinking and not that into other tracks, but this and some weed...well I'm rating. May regret this later.
Pretty good
Ambient uplifting whimsy. I prefer mine a bit darker ala future sounds of London or tangerine dream, but this was quite nice.
It was ok. A bit meh.
Not the best triphoppy. Started strong, but then got a bit too experimental for me.
Calming vibe, but doesn't feel special in anyway
I do like a good ambient soundscape, it must be said. I think this would have benefitted from being shorter. Parts of it are quite good, but the overall album drags on to the point where I was bored by the end.
Pretty nice
This is a great instrumental album that spans a number of genres but is also definitively ‘80s. Definitely worth repeat listens.
The equivalent of putting the TV on to any random show just so there is noise in the background while you focus on other tasks
2 out of 5. Mood music that was more background music for me.
William Orbit's unlikely trajectory to the toppermost of the poppermost can very well be traced to Strange Cargo III. The final installment of the Strange Cargo series sees the electronic producer take on any and all soundscapes that could be bent to his well, becoming crafted into impeccable compositions along the way. It is obvious, going deeper into this album, why acts such as Madonna and Blur flocked to him at the turn of the millennium; Strange Cargo III is anything but. Favorites: Water From a Vine Leaf, Into the Paradise, Time to Get Wize, Harry Flowers, A Hazy Shade of Random, Best Friend, Paranoia, Water Babies.
I expected to like this more. A little too drum and bass-ish though. And it’s too long.
Didn't leave an impression of any kind.
Listenable, felt like a crescendo was on the horizon and it would just fizzle out
I like electonica, but this album has no curve, no starting and no finishing point.
One of the better electronic/ambient records from that era.
Very inoffensive ambient music. It could be music to study to, which will sound a bit boring to some people. Unlike some similar artists, William Orbit mixes in a fair number of live instruments and vocals to give a bit more texture and commercial appeal. It's a lot safer than than the greats of the genre which is good, bad, or just dull, depending on you look at it. It's good background music though. Madonna enlisted Orbit to help with her more electronic stuff in the late 90s, supposedly after Aphex Twin turned her down (or, if you believe the story, after she rejected his offer to produce an album of her making barnyard album noises). Orbit is a good artist and producer, just not particularly innovative compared to others.
This was ok. The review that mentioned this sounds like the soundtrack to a 90’s heist movie was spot on.
not half bad for an electronic/ambient album. nothing i’d listen to on shuffle, but i might revisit eventually
2.5
A chill Morcheeba-esque album. Very calming and will be good for working. 3/5
There's better out there
I've been getting into a lot of ambient dub and techno lately, so I was eager to check this album out. Ultimately, I'd say this is an album best enjoyed when you're not paying too much attention to it - in fact, I listened to a good chunk of this thing in my car while running errands around town. I find certain percussive elements to be dated, and the vocals that crop up on certain songs are flat-out tacky. There's still good work here though, like the opener 'Water From A Vine Leaf', 'Harry Flowers', and 'A Touch Of The Night'. I found the ambient portions of 'A Hazy Shade of Random' gorgeous but wasn't as much of a fan of the percussive portions. This effect is amplified in the following track, 'Best Friend, Paranoia,' where I feel that the percussive and spoken-word portions disrupt the beautifully textured ambient opener, which could have been a great track on its own I feel like calling a musical piece "background music" can come off as condescending but I really do believe that certain albums and artists thrive in that particular context. And it's not entirely a bad thing.
Af hverju á þetta að vera áhugavert? Dated hljóðheimur og óeftrminnileg instrúmental electróník. Sker ekki í eyrun, batnar ögn er líður á en er bara frekar boring heilt yfir.
Unavailable.
For atmospheric music it was fine - but when I went outside and took a walk I realized it is not great walking around music.
Just very boring.
People on this website don't usually jive with this kind of music, but I enjoyed it. Cool ethereal vibes
Oh. My. God. It’s so bloody boring. The worst kind of electronica. The kind of sonic wallpaper that would have soundtracked a hyped up PlayStation game that spent 30 times the budget on marketing than it did for gameplay and development.
Not bad background music. Standout songs: Water from a vine leaf Gringatcho Demento
So ambient that there was nothing to enjoy, literally just background
Ambient techno is not something you sit down to listen to. It's something that's on in a hipster coffee house while the surly barista takes your order. This feels like the music that plays over the opening credits of a 90s movie about shady stockbrokers. This album is a chore already. It's hard to focus on the quality of the album because it is designed to be on at a speakeasy as background music. Seriously, this is the score to a movie about computer hackers working against the government until they realize they were being used and were working for the government the whole time and then they take down the rogue agent who ran the whole operation. This is like the alternate soundtrack for the Matrix. Someone has definitely tried to sync this album up to a movie at some point. This is like the Dust Brothers' Fight Club soundtrack if instead of fighting they got high the whole movie and sat around a pretentious club all night. I bet this is Moby's favorite album and, to quote Eminem, he can get stomped by Obie...nobody listens to techno. The Monkey King is in the movie Heat. The whole thing sounds like an demo tape for someone trying to score films. Another album where there is no telling when it ends even when a new album starts on Spotify.
what on gods green earth is the general purpose of this music?
Ambient consisting of 30 Seconds of processed guitar creating an ethereal ambient soundscape, then forgetting about that guitar, some hard-panned arpeggiated synth out of nowhere going in repeat
Good, non-intrusive, background music if you don't want to be surrounded by quiet. And it did make me wonder what I may have missed by never listening to Strange Cargo I and II.
essentially just background music not inherently bad but I am not going out of my way to listen to this
Kivaa elektronista, instrumentaalista musiikkia. Kappaleissa hämärä ja jännittävä fiilis. Osittain myös kivan ambienttia, varsinkin Deus Ex Machina. Parhaat: The Monkey King, A Touch Of The Night
This is not so much Dance, but more of an Ambient/Eletronic album, interspersed with Spoken Word passages, only one of which I found unbearably annoying. The rest flows nicely. 3/5
Ok. 3
Good ambience but it's very uninteresting to me. Favourite Songs: Water From A Vine Leaf, The Story Of Light, Water Babies. Least Favourite Songs: The Monkey King, Deus Ex Machina.
Apple Music had Strange Cargo and Strage Cargo II, but not this one, so I listened on YouTube. It's just...sounds and stuff. I don't know what to say. It doesn't make much of an impression, honestly. Favorite track: Gringatcho Demento
Electronic, 1993 -> 2
Weird electronica... mix of voices and random sounds.
There's better electronic out there.
A good album to study to. Mellow trip hop electronica. Well done.
Loved the vocals on track #2, strong performance. The cowbell on track 8 rivaled BOC. Somehow the drum solo on #6 fell short for me. Not good gym music.
Electronic but maybe a little trance? I don’t know but I liked it. Smaller doses instead of the full album would be enjoyable.
Kinda random electronic music. Heard some much better ones on the list already. But it was okay as background noise for work
I didn't expect much other than other electronic/club album, and for me that’s pretty much what I got. I still don’t know, even after the handful of albums in this genre I’ve been handed, what makes a good one versus what makes an excellent one. Maybe I just need to hear some bad ones? Another electronic album, another good time. Three stars. Standout Tracks: Water From a Vine Leaf, A Touch of the Night, A Hazy Shade of Random, Best Friend, Paranoia
Second straight day of listening to an album that contains mostly instrumentals. If you put a gun to my head and forced me to differentiate between these songs, I would first attempt to call the police, but then admit I can't tell many of the songs apart. Deus Ex Machina appears to be nothing but low noise with some dialogue from a movie thrown in there. I enjoyed the first three tracks but this fell off after that. I have heard a few other 90's albums like this, which sound like they would be played in Gap or another outlet store as background music. I know William Orbit mostly because he was the producer for Madonna's "Ray of Light" album, which I think was a superior album to this one. This is a fine album with a well-crafted sound but nothing else really stuck out to me.
it's chill. but i don't really like it. nothing obviously wrong about it but more like what it doesn't have. it doesn't have anything super interesting.
Good to hear from Beth Orton again, but kind of lame otherwise
A pretty enjoyable if not very impactful electronica album. There wasn't a lot of music going on in the last couple tracks, but the atmosphere was solid throughout. Some good bass. Best song: Water from a Vine Leaf
Nah, not really. Nice enough listen, but mostly washed over me.
General thoughts: I got this after Sincere by MJ Cole, this is kinda like his older cousin but much more ambient. When they go full ambient without the catchphrases loops they can be somewhat good, but most songs are below-mid. Very cool song naming though lol Favorite songs: 'A Hazy Shade Of Random' is a nice track. Worst songs: Gringatcho Demento Cover: Not gonna lie, the cover made me think this was gonna be good. Real rating: 1.91
Do eighties and so so so.
Laid back elevator music. R.I.P. Tom J. Killorin
Lo-fi beats to study to
I normally like electronic trance-like music and this album started that way but got boring fast
Perfectly fine background noise for working
Even though I always loved the song Lovefool, I never dug any deeper into the tunes of The Cardigans. I can mostly see why, nothing really remarkable but the singer has a good voice that translates to other songs. Sexy Iron Man was interesting
I liked it more than I expected at first as an ambient electronica trip hop listen. Started to get a bit boring by the end though. Reminded me a little of the music in Madonna's Ray of Light / the Matrix / video games where you are hacking the mainframe.
2 stars. boring, kinda videogame soundtrack-y but in a bad way.
Strange Cargo III is one of those albums that is really good at what it does but unfortunately lacks that small spark to be great. The album was very trippy, very unique, and in some places, very funky. The beats were really well done in the songs that utilized them more making for some really cool tracks but some of the songs were a bit too ambient for their own good causing them to be pretty repetitive and forgettable. This album is a very acquired taste that is difficult to get into if you are just a casual listener but if you are really into this sort of stuff, then this album is really good for providing a weird yet interesting listen. Best Song: Into The Paradise Worst Song: Deus Ex Machina
This was a chill album. Mostly instrumental, calming tunes.
Not what I was expecting based on the cover
More electronica to nap by
Unknown surpris
Oh goddamn. When was the last time anyone thought about William Orbit? There’s a lot going on here. Absolutely of its time. So many DJs popped up around then. A lot of them got exposure doing remixes and CD single bonus tracks. If memory serves, this guy did remixes for Bjork’s Post album. Those kinds of CDs were a challenge to hunt down, and it was a gamble if any of the tracks were good. Makes me want to dig through up the old CD binders. I like this. Thought it would be tedious, but it’s actually pretty good. Relaxed, loungy background music for disco naps, or working on projects. Mellow but not boring or cloying. 4/5
Generic background music. The only notable thing about this album is that it was included in this book. 2.5/5
Begon goed, mission impossible vibes. Wordt wel heel eentonig en saai…
Albumi #24, 20.08.2024 William Orbit on itselleni uusi tuttavuus. Musiikki on ambient-tyylistä downtempo/dub/trip hop -jyrkytystä. Melko helposti kuunneltavaa sellaista. Ei herättänyt suuria tunteita, mutta toimi taustamusiikkina varsin hienosti. Tämä ei ollut huono, ehkä olisi kaivannut silti hieman omaperäisyyttä.
Low-key soundscape electronica.
beauty..... there is beauty in everythingg... mahtavaa elektro kikkailua! perjantai-iltaa.. kamalaaa.. parantaa hiukan... se jo hirmutyö... Jag ville träffa Annel För jag visste att den fortfarande letade efter mig Livet gav inte mycket Regnbågen slutade vid godiskiosken De som kräktes vid restaurangbordet blev utskrattade.... Jag ska till Norra Karelen Jag byter jeans till träningsbyxor Hem till Norra Karelen Jag dricker kalya tills solen går upp... joka paikkaan sattuu... ai vittu... erityisesti päähän... oispa kuuro... noh heh... ehkä ei tarvi... into the paradise
this was a lot of fun. i missed out on señor orbit in general, and this album in particular, in its time - i was listening to helmet, and the pogues, and embrace, and dag nasty, and and and - but i really liked it, hearing it now. for better or worse, i don't recall a single track really standing out, but i was surprisingly ok with that in the end. it's a nice slice of 1993, and one that i was never gonna experience at the time.
I refuse to believe people actually find this good. It Was supposedly banned from my region on Apple Music so I had to listen to the entire album on YouTube where the comments hyped it up. Clearly in the minority? It’s not good
Really good example of chill-out electronic music.
Wooooooooooooah. Very vibey. Not something I will listen to on the reg, but very glad I've been exposed
Garbage
Not the music for me
Really boring. The sort of stuff that exists purely for classy homeward stores to be ignored. In offensive, but no real soul at all.
Gorgeous and atmospheric.