Metallic Spheres

2010 studio album by the Orb featuring David Gilmour

Metallic Spheres

Studio album by

the Orb featuring David Gilmour

Released| 12 October 2010 (2010-10-12)
Recorded| 2009
Genre| Electronica, dub, progressive rock, ambient
Length| 48:54
Label| Columbia
Producer| Martin "Youth" Glover[1][2]
The Orb albums chronology
| Baghdad Batteries (Orbsessions Volume III)
(2009)  | Metallic Spheres
(2010)  | The Orbserver in the Star House
(2012)

|
|

David Gilmour albums chronology
| Live in Gdańsk
(2008)  | Metallic Spheres
(2010)  | Rattle That Lock
(2015)

|
|

Metallic Spheres is the tenth studio album by the ambient techno group the Orb, released in October 2010. It features the Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour and the Killing Joke bassist Youth.[3] It spent three weeks on the UK charts, reaching number 12.[4] In 2023, the album was remixed, partially re-recorded and released as Metallic Spheres in Colour.[5]

## Production

[edit]

The album came about after David Gilmour released an online single, "Chicago - Change the World" (a re-titled cover of the Graham Nash song "Chicago"), in support of Gary McKinnon. It was remixed by the Orb, who asked if Gilmour would provide some extra guitar parts. These were recorded in one day in June, 2009, at Youth's Wandsworth studio, the Dreaming Cave, resulting in a 25-minute track. Youth and the Orb expanded this to the eventual album.[6]

It was produced by Youth and engineered by Tim Bran (of Dreadzone) and David Nock. Mixing was done by Youth, with mix engineering from Bran, Nock and Michael Rendall at "The Study" in 2010. Mastering was done by Andy Baldwin at Metropolis Studios in London. A headphone version was released as the second disc of the deluxe 2-CD edition, with sound design by Mike Brady, recording by Mike Brady, David Nock and Michael Rendall, and mixing by Youth.

## Track listing

[edit]

Professional ratingsAggregate scores

Source| Rating
AnyDecentMusic?| 6.3/10[7]
Metacritic| 72/100[8]
Review scores
Source| Rating
AllMusic| [9]
The A.V. Club| C+[10]
Mojo| [11]
Now| [12]
Pitchfork| 7.0/10[13]
PopMatters| 6/10[14]
Q| [15]
Slant Magazine| [16]
Spin| 5/10[17]
Uncut| [18]

1. "Metallic Side" (28:42)
1. "Metallic Spheres"
2. "Hymns to the Sun"
3. "Black Graham"
4. "Hiding in Plain View"
5. "Classified"
2. "Spheres Side" (20:12)
1. "Es Vedra"
2. "Hymns to the Sun (Reprise)"
3. "Olympic"
4. "Chicago Dub"
5. "Bold Knife Trophy"
3. "Cult of Youth Ambient Mix (Parts 1 & 2)" (Edit) (5:35) (iTunes-only bonus track)

All tracks written by David Gilmour, Alex Paterson, and Youth, except:

* "Hymns to the Sun" written by Gilmour, Paterson, Youth, and Graham Nash
* "Black Graham" written by Gilmour, Paterson, Youth, and Marcia Mello
* "Hiding in Plain View" written by Gilmour, Paterson, Youth, and Tim Bran

## Personnel

[edit]

* David Gilmour – guitars, vocals
* Alex Paterson – sound manipulation, keyboards, turntables
* Youth – bass, keyboards, programming
* Tim Bran – keyboards, programming
* Marcia Mello – acoustic guitar (on "Black Graham")
* Dominique Le Vac – backing vocals

## Charts

[edit]

Chart performance for Metallic Spheres Chart (2010)  | Peak
position

|

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[19] | 58
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[20] | 34
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[21] | 40
Greek Albums (IFPI Greece)[21] | 21
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[22] | 95
Irish Albums (IRMA)[23] | 65
Italian Albums (FIMI)[24] | 51
Scottish Albums (OCC)[25] | 13
UK Albums (OCC)[26] | 12
UK Dance Albums (OCC)[27] | 3

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Metallic Spheres – David Gilmour, The Orb : Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
2. ^ The Orb featuring David Gilmour – Metallic Spheres (Columbia – 88697 79645 2) at Discogs
3. ^ Columbia Records (28 September 2010). "The Orb Featuring David Gilmour's Metallic Spheres to be Celebrated Through Original Laser Show and Appearances by The Orb". PR Newswire. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
4. ^ "David Gilmour | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
5. ^ Irwin, Corey (10 August 2023). "David Gilmour and the Orb Announce Metallic Spheres in Colour". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
6. ^ Ewing, Jerry (10 August 2023). "David Gilmour and The Orb's Metallic Spheres remixed and reimagined". Louder. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
7. ^ "The Orb feat. David Gilmour: Metallic Spheres". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
8. ^ "Metallic Spheres by The Orb" - via www.metacritic.com.
9. ^ AllMusic review
10. ^ "The Orb Featuring David Gilmour: Metallic Spheres". Music.
11. ^ Alexander, Phil (November 2010). "The Orb feat. David Gilmour Metallic Spheres". Mojo. p. 100\. "[A] finely textured affair … Challenging, but also warm, lush and reassuringly ambient."
12. ^ Boles, Benjamin (14 October 2010). "The Orb Featuring David Gilmour".
13. ^ "The Orb / David Gilmour: Metallic Spheres". Pitchfork.
14. ^ "The Orb feat. David Gilmour: Metallic Spheres". PopMatters. 13 October 2010.
15. ^ "The 50-minute opus is an ambient masterclass." [Nov 2010, p.112]
16. ^ Kilpatrick, Michael. "Review: The Orb featuring David Gilmour, Metallic Spheres". Slant Magazine.
17. ^ "The Orb vs. David Gilmour, 'Metallic Spheres' (Columbia/Sony) | SPIN". 1 October 2010.
18. ^ "What most surprising is the diversity here – the sense of direction is not pressing, but ultimately there's plenty to revisit." [Nov 2010, p.94]
19. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Orb feat. David Gilmour – Metallic Spheres" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
20. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Orb feat. David Gilmour – Metallic Spheres" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
21. ^ a b "Dutchcharts.nl – The Orb feat. David Gilmour – Metallic Spheres" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
22. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Orb feat. David Gilmour – Metallic Spheres" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
23. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography The Orb". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
24. ^ "Italiancharts.com – The Orb feat. David Gilmour – Metallic Spheres". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
25. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
26. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
27. ^ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 October 2023.

* v
* t
* e

The Orb

* Alex Paterson
* Thomas Fehlmann

* Jimmy Cauty
* Kris Weston
* Simon Phillips
* Andy Hughes
* John Roome

Studio albums|

* The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld
* U.F.Orb
* Orbus Terrarum
* Orblivion
* Cydonia
* Bicycles & Tricycles
* Okie Dokie It's The Orb on Kompakt
* The Dream
* Baghdad Batteries (Orbsessions Volume III)
* Metallic Spheres
* The Orbserver in the Star House
* More Tales from the Orbservatory
* Moonbuilding 2703 AD
* COW / Chill Out, World!
* No Sounds Are Out of Bounds
* Abolition of the Royal Familia
* Prism
* Buddhist Hipsters

Live and session albums|

* Live 93

Compilations|

* U.F.Off: The Best of The Orb
* Orboretum: The Orb Collection

Remix and mix albums|

* Aubrey Mixes: The Ultraworld Excursions
* Auntie Aubrey's Excursions Beyond the Call of Duty
* Auntie Aubrey's Excursions Beyond the Call of Duty Part 2

EPs|

* Kiss EP
* Pomme Fritz
* Daleth of Elphame EP
* Battersea Shield

Singles|

* "A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld"
* "Little Fluffy Clouds"
* "Perpetual Dawn"
* "Blue Room"
* "Assassin"
* "Oxbow Lakes"
* "Toxygene"
* "Asylum"
* "Once More"

Video albums|

* The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld: Patterns and Textures
* C Batter C

Related articles|

* Discography
* Youth
* The KLF
* Space
* FFWD
* Badorb.com
* Transit Kings
* David Gilmour

* v
* t
* e

David Gilmour

Studio albums|

* David Gilmour (1978)
* About Face (1984)
* On an Island (2006)
* Metallic Spheres (2010, with the Orb)
* Rattle That Lock (2015)
* Luck and Strange (2024)

Live albums|

* Live in Gdańsk (2008)
* Live at Pompeii (2017)

Singles|

* "Love on the Air"
* "Smile"
* "Arnold Layne (live)"
* "Chicago – Change the World"
* "Faces of Stone"
* "One of These Days (live)"
* "Run Like Hell (live)"

Videos and DVDs|

* David Gilmour Live 1984
* David Gilmour in Concert
* Remember That Night
* Live in Gdańsk
* Live at Pompeii

Concert tours|

* On an Island Tour
* Rattle That Lock Tour
* Luck and Strange Tour

Guest appearances|

* Back to the Egg
* Boys and Girls
* Brother Where You Bound
* Count Three & Pray
* The Dreaming
* Flowers in the Dirt
* Headline News
* HQ
* No More Lonely Nights
* Once
* Run Devil Run
* The Sensual World
* So Red the Rose
* The Unknown Soldier
* White City: A Novel

Related articles|

* Discography
* Pink Floyd
* Roger Waters
* Deep End
* Jokers Wild
* The Law
* Ginger Gilmour
* Polly Samson
* Astoria
* Hookend Recording Studios
* Roy Harper
* The Black Strat
* The Madcap Laughs
* Barrett
* Two Weeks in September

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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