OSS (Feat. Alex Paterson of THE ORB) Releasing ‘Enter the Kettle’ on FRIDAY

OSS
Enter The Kettle
CD / download / stream
Album Released November 19 on Orbscure
LISTEN HERE    

The critics on ‘Enter The Kettle’:
“Ambient textures, beneath upbeat rhythms from the start” – The Wire

“Industrial techno” – Mixmag

“A free-sounding, enjoyable listen. Put this ‘…Kettle’ on” – Electronic Sound

“A little dancier than the Orb, and more playful too” – Brooklyn Vegan

NOVEMBER 18, 2021 (London, UK) — Enter The Kettle is the second album on Alex Paterson from The Orb’s new label Orbscure. Released November 19th on CD, download and stream with the LP to follow in 2022, it’s primarily an album with him and old friend Fil Le Gonidec, who together are OSS.
 
OSS have played at Glastonbury, Fuji Rock, supported Kraftwerk and played chess with Robbie Williams, who also stole their speed.
 
They were originally known as Orb Sound System – a half DJ/half live version of The Orb, which could gig more nimbly than the main machine. Early shows saw reggae-heavy selections and sometimes featured toasters, but seeing as they never actually had a soundsystem, can’t play out at the moment and have made a record – it’s currently just OSS, which now stands for On Sum Shit.
 
Loosely speaking, on Enter The Kettle, the hard-edged metallic clang comes from “hardcase Yorkshireman” Fil, whilst Alex’s soft southern influence brings dubwise steppers, ambient house and trademark surrealist humor.

TRACKLISTING

(Northside)
1 ‘Whippersnapper’
2 ‘No Speed Limit’
3 ‘Digital Bicycle Clips’

( Southside )
4 ‘Wow Picasso’
5 ‘Disco Bombing’
6 ‘Delta River’

(Bonus Digital Tracks)
7 ‘Bad Bochüm’
8 ‘Strong Mans Variations Of A Camel Party’

The pair first met whilst both working as roadies for Killing Joke. Fil later lived for a period in Chicago above H-Gun Labs – base to the legendary video makers of the same name – whose credits later included the Orb’s “Toxygene” video, which starred Chris Connelly from Murder Inc (and Finitribe / Revoting Cocks / Ministry).

Fil roadied for Murder Inc, but was poached by the Orb who had started to take-off and flew him back to the UK, as they needed a reliable merch seller on tour.

Alex has always liked Fil’s levelling, non-flakey and dependable character. Fil has helped Alex out of a few tight spots on the road. He is one of the few people able to calm Jaz Coleman.

Fil went on to feature on the albums FFWD, Orbus Terrarum, Bicycles & Tricycles, Orblivion and Orbsessions Volume 1. He has played live with The Orb many times, and also released industrial techno as Autolump on BadOrb and Mike Coles’ Malicious Damage.

Other guests on the album include official-other-half-of-The Orb Michael Rendall, plus Jah Wobble, Roger Eno and George Holt – whose credits include Depeche Mode and Erasure.

Like Chicago and also like the duo, the album has both a north and southside.

The artwork is an alchemist’s kettle painted by Martin Grover. The sleeve design is by Mike Coles. The logo is by Simon G.

Orbscure Recordings is a new vehicle for Paterson’s impressive quantity of output in different groups which runs parallel to his continued music within The Orb. Set up under the Cooking Vinyl umbrella at the suggestion of label head Rob Collins, Orbscure will also be an outlet for new music from artists from around the world. “The name is a play on the Obscure label Eno set up on Editions EG in the 1970s. Orbs Cure. Clever parrot-Orbscure! Orbscure! Orbs Cure for all ills. Orbs Cure made 2 chill,” states Alex.

Sedibus The Heavens; Paterson in collaboration with original Orb member Andy Falconer, was the first release on Orbscure and the album received high praise from The Wire, Uncut, Electronic Sound, RA and many others. More releases are set to follow in 2022 and beyond.

Omnibus Press recently published Paterson’s new book ‘Babble on an’ Ting: Alex Paterson’s Incredible Journey Beyond the Ultraworld with The Orb’, the first full account of his life story, featuring first-hand interviews with Youth, Andrew Weatherall, Primal Scream, Jah Wobble, Jimmy Cauty and a parade of other friends, collaborators and starship mechanics.