Strange Cargo III

4.5/5. Very 90s’ laser tag, but low key a banger

skemmtilegt að studera þennan gaur

In the early 90s I was a DJ at this local, publicly-funded, alternative radio station. Certain songs were in rotation and we had to play those at certain times so that they got played a specific number of times per day. If there was time left before the next required song we could pick out a song of our choice that wasn't in rotation as long as it fit in with the format. Because of this I hated having to play long songs, I wanted the world (or at least the part of Western New York State that was in our small listening area) to hear what amazing taste I had. "Water From a Vine Leaf" the seven minute leadoff track from this album was my bete noire. Now when I listen to it and the rest of "Strange Cargo III," especially on some good headphones I really appreciate it.

De hoes van dit album gaf me het idee dat we klassieke muziek voorgeschoteld gingen krijgen. Heel interessant, maar deze "ambient" muziek vind ik vele malen leuker. Heerlijk album! ****

plinky, pseudy, sub-ambient

I liked this, textural and cool

Chill

It's funny that he's worked with so many famous musicians and I've never heard of him. It's also funny that I listened to this album, liked it, and the next day couldn't even really remember what it was. It's remarkably forgettable.

Inventive, original and very interesting. I was pretty familiar with this already but it's - despite its listenability and general awesomeness - not an album that finds its way onto the regular playlists round these parts. I am thinking I should probably endeavour to rectify that.

It was a….vibe. Not my vibe, but it had its moments.

I was not prepared for how much I would love this album. Like, I thought "oh hahah college raves and video games soundtracks." Then it played and I can't describe how immediately I loved it. Track after track, too. Listened to it twice because I didn't want it to end. So, I guess I should listen to William Orbit more and just let go of the electronica stigma.

I suspect this album will not be included in future editions of this list. Super-bland 90s background music. Reverb-drenched synth pads, dub bass lines, people mumbling about stuff. Instantly forgettable. This is the soundtrack to the part of the film where the protagonist and the love interest go to a house party, accidently get high and sit on the roof talking about their feelings.

Honestly a lot better than I had expected given his later aural wallpaper.

It's very ambient and moody. I can see what role this played in the evolution of techno in the 90s, and indeed how it influenced pop. I don't think I appreciated this album enough to want to listen again though.

Sounds like 90's techno trip hop rave

didn't seem to hold up to modern listening in the electronic music category, but wasn't too painful

I really don't dig it

I'm not sure I'd call it "must-hear" music, but it's not bad.

A very pleasant ambient album. I don't know much about the state of electronic music in 1993, but maybe this was quite different back then. Sounds like a movie score and is very easy on the ears. 5/10

All very pleasing and transcendental, but is it an album or a stream of consciousness?

Pendant une heure, William sera en orbite autour de la planète Bonne Musique sans jamais réussir à s'y poser.

1h03, c'est le chiffre a retenir puisqu'il s'agit de la duréee de cet album. De très longues 1h03, qui m'ont bien mis en rogne en cet après-midi ensoleillé. J'aurai bien preferé profiter de ledit soleil plutôt que de la musique sans intérêt du pitre Orbit, que j'espère ne jamais recroiser sur mon chemin. C'est pour toutes ces raisons que j'ai accordé à l'album la note de 3/5.

File under electronic music to play at Luxury Resort pool area

I am here for William and his Strange melodies. Brian Eno-esque in all the right ways, with a little bit of world music vocals and groovy Thievery Corporation beats.

cool vibe - like it for background music

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.

Meh. Could have keeping the Indian style throughout the album why not.

Okay, I like this. It's chill and electronic and perfect music to use as background noise while writing.

Excelente disco! El primer 5!! Aca esta la base del lo que fue ese tremendo disco de Madonna, Ray of Ligth.

Interesting

This was very much a product of it's time. A lot of albums on this list sound timeless, but this sounds like someone in 1993 making an album of what it's like to make an album in 1993. It might have been revolutionary or mind blowing at the time, but now it sounds VERY dated.

fun! very techno. Solid 4.

Feels quite long but great for programming.

Just okay background noise

Decent album to listen to while working.

2.5 | No tengo mucho que decir sobre este álbum aparte de que es agradable. En realidad, es una música agradable con la que trabajar sin ser brillante. Creo que también he tenido esa experiencia con otra música ambiental en la lista lo cual comienza a quitarle puntos por el desgaste. La mitad de los discos instrumentales en la lista siento proponen cosas interesantes y la otra mitad son como este... "agradables". Quizá el único punto donde este es diferente es que los ritmos son un poco más estimulantes, poquito menos repetitivos y con cierta fluidez en cambios que otra música ambiental. Mi cabeza me dice que es un disco que no tiene que hacer en la lista aunque pudiera quizá ver la influencia que tendría en la música electrónica a medida que avanzaban los 90. No estoy seguro de que tanta influencia tuvo realmente pero posiblemente eso lo justificaría.

Un disco bastante complicado. Por un lado es interesante y entretenido si se escucha como el soundtrack de una película. Los cambios de escena, los diferentes moods y géneros podrían ir construyendo una historia vaga en nuestras mentes. Por otro lado, tiene momentos sin sentido, pesados y que crean un ambiente no tan agradable además de ser bastante extenso y piezas de larga duración.

El tipo que compuso los discos modernos de Madonna… Ya con eso. Y luego también de Blur, U2, Britney y hasta No Doubt. Difícil imaginar para donde va su estilo. Pero este disco en particular me sonó como a epítome de los 90, con algo de pretensión de música mundial, pero con mame de cafetería y beats. No me funciona. El disco se pasó rápido. Tres veces. De eso que no notas que hay música sonando porque igual se va tan al fondo que quizá mi cabeza estaba cantando otra cosa.

Are you serious?

If you google 'Strange Cargo' it takes you pages of results for a movie staring Clark Gable from 1940. This alone may give you some insight into how awesome this album is. Despite that, this was far better than I thought it would be, and much better than the album art is. It's important to note that there are at least three Strange Cargo albums, the second I started listening to by mistake and it was a mistake. I should've eaten a sprig of Parsley after listening to SC2, or at least dusted my ears with it. I honestly didn't mind spending time with this. Though since 1993, the robots have taken over the world and today, this music is ubiquitous. It's absolutely something my daughter would splice into her YouTube videos. I blame the machines. At one point SC3 was avant garde and exciting, but time moves on...

Cargo cults may seem strange to us modern first-worlders, but in understanding their culture we can understand much of our obsession with advancement and progression. A cargo cult is "an indigenist millenarian belief system in which adherents perform rituals which they believe will cause a more technologically advanced society to deliver goods." Such groups have been found in Pacific island nations that had fleeting contact with Allied soldiers and air drops of supplies during WWII. After the war ended, the cults arose to try to mimic the behavior and culture they encountered and lure back these peoples and their advanced technology. The indigenous people encountered strange cargo from a civilization they didn't understand, and then longed to replicate it or bring it back. Maybe William Orbit brought us strange cargo of his own, at the leading edge of the electronic music revolution in the 80s and 90s. He never left, but we've been trying to copy and mimic his seemingly futuristic and advanced aural aesthetic ever since. Unlike the cargo cults, who's benefactors and inspirations seemingly disappeared for a time, Orbit continued to be an active part of the cultural exchange, evolving with those he influenced. And at some point during that journey, he air dropped a third load of "Strange Cargo." However, I found myself not mythologizing, venerating, or deifying Orbit, but rather being thankful that his influence fueled a continuous evolution through artists whose work I find better.

Come on 1001 album random generator, give me something GOOD! This album suffers a little bit from being the latest in a line of albums that range from terrible to just meh. There is just nothing to get excited about here.

Ugh, this album isn’t on Apple Music. Damn them for not having obscure, non-charted electronic music. They have a bunch of his other albums…wtf? So I have to listen on YouTube, which is painful. First world problems. I like the bass heavy beats throughout the album. This is the first album that got my house rattling with the surround sound system I got a couple months back. The accompanying videos on YouTube are a trip. There are a lot of nature scenes. Also quite a bit of shaky camera work. I can’t tell if the videos add or detract from the music. I’m not a fan of the Nine-Inch-Nails-esque electronic drum on Into the Paradise and A Hazy Shade of Random, but that’s not going to bring this album down. There’s a lot of good shit here. An interesting find for sure. I’m starting to conclude that I’m into ambient music. Not all of it, no way (looking at you Brian Eno). But there is a subset that gets me going.

so-so. Very much of its time. (cf. Fascinating Rhythm, which is much more adventurous.)

Pretty good listening, some of the tracks definitely would've been better without vocals tho. Favorite track is probably A Touch of the Night.

Lo-fi electronic album, this was some solid background music to listen to while I worked. The album playlists on Youtube were all either incomplete or way out of order, so I had to search each song individually to listen to it which was frustrating but that has nothing to do with the music itself. Enjoyed it for what it was, not my usual thing but wouldn't complain if someone put this on.

Snoozefest

Boring

Música ambiental sin nada especial que aportar. Escuchable en todo tipo de entornos o para buscar momentos de relajación.

Why was it so quiet in my car

Enjoyed this immensely remembered some of the tunes on here from amvient mixes back in the day. Took me back and to far of chilledness.

Great electronic stuff here. Bonus points for the vocals. Favorites: Water From A Vine Leaf, Harry Flowers, The Story Of Light

Strong start weak mid

Ambient ambivalence

I thought I was going to love this, because of his version of Barber's Adaggio for Strings, but it was just pleasant. One piece I imagined would make good backing to an extremely dull wildlife documentary. It promised so much more from they opening couple of songs but didn't fulfill that promise.

It's alright, good for passive listening (background music).

Unmemorable, tedious background music.

I don't know how this counts as one of the 1001 albums I need to hear before I die. It's pleasant enough but entirely unmemorable. I don't even know if it's one of the best 1001 ambient albums ever produced. Inoffensive and worthy of playing in the background when you have work to do but it'll never feel groundbreaking.

Pretty enjoyable album. I'm not super into electronic music but I liked the melodies here. Reminded me of Spyro the Dragon.

Cannot lie - really got into it - great instrumentalist, but by the end was desperate for it to finish

its an ambient album, which barely any vocals but somehow it manages to keep your attention

Zweverig album, met wat samples die wel overeenkomen met de albumhoes. Was goed voor op de achtergrond maar weinig speciaal

Low volume, as background noise, and I'd fall asleep to this.

Not my usual kind of music, but I really enjoyed it. Also very good for concentrating at work.

I was out 34 seconds into this album. What the fuck was that

Interesante.

I never heard of William Orbit of this Strange Cargo III album. I don't think it's something you must listen to before you die, but it was a nice break between all the pop and rock albums filling up this list.

Electronic music is definitely not my wheelhouse, but I like this album. William Orbit constructs his songs as experiences and tones that portray the context of the titles, and it feels like you are creating scenes in your head as you listen. It's not generic bass drops or fuzzy dubbings that overwhelm you in static sounds. That said, I don't really find myself intensely listening to every song and just leave it on as background music. But it's good. Favorite Song: The Story of the Light Least Favorite: Harry Flowers

Nice vibes

Surprised to enjoy this. Quite relaxed sound nice and easy listen

not too interesting

Definitely can sense the influence on vaporwave and minimal electronic music. Some songs reminded me of dvd main menu music for a sci Fi flick

It was surprisingly okay.

I think is not my type of beat but is quiet relaxing the first 4 tracks. Would be a good album after smoking a joint.

not my style, an album that I think you need to be in a specific mode to enjoy, most of the music was relaxing and good to work with but the last couple of songs were scary.

It was a trip listen to it with my eyes closed on my way home back from work. Great tracks overall

awesome psychedelic record with liquid rhythms, expressive synths, and groovy bass lines. love hearing the predecessors to some of my favorite modern psychedelic artists.

I love weird trip hop

Perfectly decent, spacey 90s electronica with dance, dub, trip-hop, world and new-age influences. Its sound and mood is such that it still holds up quite well almost 30 years after it was released. This one really grew on me.

Yawn

Random hodgepodge of electronica. Some decent stuff but too noodley. Makes The Orb sound structured

Wow, what a turd

Expected to be heard at a funky health spa. Almost tribal dance.

So then, mood music. Not often my thing, especially this version, which dumbly apes what they think 'peaceful' sounds like without realising that isn't enough to make people feel at peace. Broad brush approaches only creates greater distance from the listener. As with lyrics, specificity is what allows them to grab hold of the song, clamber in and find their own way to those feelings. These sounds are so washed out with generalisations that there's no chance of that.

I love 90s electronica

Good background music, not much more

OK

What a pleasant surprise!

enjoyed this - it gets a bit samey but really *nice*

chingón!!!

I often wonder whether albums like this are made for people to actually enjoy....or whether they're made for hi-fi nerds to boast about how great the plinky-plonks sound through their speakers (they sounded awesome through mine)

Quite pleasant background music. Reminds me of Tim Snell.

Pretty good electronic music

4

Die Sounds kommen zwar leicht datiert durch die Geräte, aber der Kern eines dubbigen Rave/Waves bleibt dennoch klar transportiert. Bisweilen etwas kitschig in seiner Anmutung von Arzt-Serien Score. Macht aber mehr richtig als falsch und bleibt doch etwas schwach auf der Brust. Irgendwie gute 2.8

Das pendelt erstmal so rum zwischen ganz interessant (hätte ich damals noch besser gefunden als z.B. Orbital) und zeitlos schlimmer Esoterik. Findet sich dann, nachdem man sich hörbar deutlich bei Andrew Weatherall und The Orb bedient hat aber letztlich in so Ralf Hildenbeutel/Sven Väthschem Ibizasphärengedudel, das damals sicher nicht weh tat, anschließend aber auch nicht gut gealtert ist. Und dann hört man auch schon raus, was er 6 Jahre später auf z.B. Madonnas Ray of Light perfektioniert hat. Naja. So wegweisend finde ich dieses Album jedenfalls nicht. 2,7 reichen völlig aus.

Ah shit

Ho he intentat però no he aconseguit entrar-hi. Aquest rollo ambient-electrònic no em fa el pes.

Electronic, world, house, ambient, trance, hip hop, dub. Bien.

I wasn't sure whether to rate this 2 or 3 stars. It wasn't too bad to listen to but I gave it 2 stars in the end because I know it is music that I will not return to.

Cool electronic sound. Actually listened to it twice.

Seems like there would’ve been no stranger cog turning in the early 90s music machine. Pretty cool background music

Sinceramente, no me ha interesado nada. Música electrónica cercana a la pista de baile pero que al final no es ni una cosa ni la otra. Ha envejecido mal para mi gusto totalmente prescindible.

Bon au debût mais derape en fin d’album. 3*

Electrónica. Ambiente. Se puede escuchar.

cool instrumental electronic music. some songs are vibey and some have techno or grungey sounds. i like Water From a Vine Leaf

This was very chill as I drove in the wet in the city. Like

Super triply, great music to sample, intense ass vibes 4.5/5

Did not enjoy

Study music

Another pleasant surprise, some enjoyable Electronica dance music.

Really not for me

Not my type of music.

Great work music, love it

Good album. Reminds me of lemon jelly in arts

Nothing too memorable, nothing too bad/good.

I'm not sure why this album is on this listen. This album mixed a lot of different sounds together.

Lol. Trip hop/ambient nonsense.. idk I’m in a crappy mood because I’ve been sitting at the dealership all morning. Also straight up skipped the Motörhead live album from yesterday.

It's okay. Kind of atmospheric Enya-esque pop. It's good background noise.

Interesting, liked it, good background for work etc.

Tällaisellekin on varmasti aikansa ja paikkansa, mutta tänään ei toiminut.

William Orbit? More like William Orshit.

Vähän ku Massive Attackia ja Nightmares on Waxia sekasin, I like!

Nice ambient album with some relaxing moments. Pretty enjoyable.

Not bad. Held my attention. Can only give it 3.5 because it's not something I really see myself going back to.

Electric Instrumental. Not my thing but good to read by.

1993. Key Songs: Water From a Vine Leaf, The Story of Light

Very 90's

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