This came out in 2001 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
The doctor is in. And, as usual, way out.
Four years after the raved-over Oblivion and nearly two years after he finished recording this disc, ambient house specialist Dr. Alex Paterson has finally emerged from hiding with the fifth studio album from his electronica outfit The Orb. Those not partial to dancing all night on E with pacifiers stuck in their mouths may know The Orb from their hit Little Fluffy Clouds, which appeared in a Volkswagen ad a while back. Well, if you dug that, chances are you’ll appreciate the hypnotic and lulling Cydonia, a 70-minute visit to a chill-out universe well-stocked with burbling synths, woozy inebriated funk, acid-drenched overtones and plenty more of those odd spoken-word samples. Think of it as a floatation device for the mind and soul — just what the good doctor ordered.
