Friday, September 24th, 2010
We had the chance to catch up with Ashley Ellyllon of Orbs recently and she talks about their imaginative song titles, plans for the future and some of her favorite artists.
By Ruben Tamayo
How did everyone meet?
Dan was the only one that I knew, which was through an email I had sent to Between The Buried and Me about session work. Dan knew Adam and Goose from a previous tour that BTBAM had done with Fear Before. They all became good friends on the tour and wanted to work together on ORBS.
How did ORBS start?
ORBS started when I sent that email to Between The Buried and Me offering session work for keys. They weren’t looking for anyone, but Dan listened to my work and said that he would like to start something new with me, and it took off full blast from there!!
What’s the origin of the band name? Have you changed the band’s name before?
Naming ORBS was a very easy and natural process. There is a moment in the first song on the album, “Sayer of the Law”, where everything cuts out and the piano goes into this dreamy interlude. We always said this part sounded like an orb floating through outer space. This vision continued and elaborated, until we just started calling the project ORBS.
Who writes your songs?
Dan and I wrote all the music and then Adam added his vocals. Next album though we want everyone to be involved!
What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?
Adam writes about space, nature, the animal kingdom, and how humans are destructive too all of these things. He is incredibly creative, so I’m sure he will continue to write about new topics!
How long did the band work on the album?
It took only about three months to complete all of the music, and then Adam sporadically would write all the vocals up until we were in the studio.
How did you guys come up with such awesome track names?
The track names are all the result of our front man Adam, who has the wildest imagination of anyone I have ever known.
How long have you all been playing? Self-taught?
I have been playing since I was six years old, and I think the rest of the guys probably started around 10 or 12 years old. Music has been a huge part of our lives since childhood.
What instruments does everybody use?
Not sure what all the other guys use, but I use a Roland Juno D, and Nord lead, the Yamaha S90, and Trillion and Omnisphere samples.
What are some challenges you may face playing at a new venue and not knowing what the sound will be like?
This tour we just completed was with mostly smaller venues, which is nice to have a more intimate experience with the audience but can be tricky with sound. The hardest thing is for Adam and myself, who have to rely on monitors on stage to hear the vocals and keyboards. If there are no monitors or weak monitors, or if the person doing sound is not turning up your monitors loud enough, I could go through a whole show without hearing a single note I play. Most of the times it’s fine, but even when it isrough – you still have to rock!
What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
Having to work around all of our schedules can be challenging. We have three other bands that tour regularly, so sometimes it is hard to find that open window. Patience is key.
What’s the ultimate direction for the band?
We just want to continue to challenge ourselves creatively, make records and play them for the world. This is a regular band, not a side project!
Do you all plan to make more albums as ORBS?
Yes, see above!
Which famous musicians do you admire?
Muse, Cave In, Blonde Redhead, Radiohead, Sigur Ros are my favorites.
What does music mean to each of you?
Aside from our loved ones, music is the most important thing to us. It is our passion, and having that creative outlet is a necessity. I can’t really imagine life without it.
Any last words?
I hope that everyone can get lost in the record and find inspiration in our spacey world!
Monday, August 30th, 2010
Orbs hit up Bottom of the Hill last night along with Junius and Disastroid. I love Bottom of The Hill in SF because for one it is a really small venue so you are able to get up close and can see the band clearly from practically anywhere in the room.
Along the walls you will see calendar after calendar of past shows, and you can’t help but be amazed when thinking of all the bands that have rolled through within the past ten years. The likes of Cat Power, Metric, Iron & Wine, Queens of the Stone Age to name a few.
The crowd gathered near the front of the stage, faces melted after each set. All in all it was a great show with some great bands and I can’t wait to go to Bottom of the Hill again!
Orbs – Video of Orbs can be found at http://youtube.com/thebayareanative
Junius
Disastroid
Friday, August 27th, 2010
By Alex W. Graham
Orbs’ first album looks and feels like a concept album, and it’s no surprise that the group displays an ambition for the unusual. Among it’s five members, the band contains two parts “Fear Before” and one part “Between the Buried and Me.” Those familiar with the aforementioned know to expect something strange and progressive to spring forth, and “Asleep Next To Science” is no exception.
Still, this doesn’t mean Orbs is just what you’d expect. Quite the contrary. Keyboardist Ashley Ellyllon holds a significant and crucial presence on the album, providing gorgeous classical piano interludes- or wielding a more electronic and distorted synth sound, adding substance and complexity where power chords might grow stale. “A Man Of Science” showcases several sides of her playing and stands out as one of the album’s best tracks. On the next track, “Megaloblastic Madness,” Holyoak’s status as one of my favorite drummers is in full effect. His booming drums are coupled with a clever and melodic bass line that will hook listeners instantly, and the rest of the song doesn’t disappoint. Fisher’s vocals and eerie lyrics work with the song perfectly, and the overall result is – dare I say it – epic.
The songs on Asleep Next To Science are well-arranged, and several are connected by interludes or soft ambient melodies. The album flows together and retains it’s cohesion. This is one of those albums you’re just better off to take in as a whole and not in bits and pieces. With lengthy tracks like “Eclipsical”, it rewards a patient listener, the way any good progressive or concept album should. Patience, you will need though, as almost every song is more than five minutes long, with “People Will Read Again” clocking in at over ten minutes and “Eclipsical” at around fourteen.
Although it has it’s heavy sections, the album is at it’s best when it dwells in the realm of the weirdly melodic and flirts with spacier textures. A valiant first effort by a band populated of diverse members, I say anyone should give this album a listen with an open-mind, because it’s ambitious and original enough that it deserves a go.
