William Orbit – Strange Cargo III (1993)

William Orbit, musician and producer, died yesterday. I can't claim to have been any kind of a fan, but picked up a couple of his Strange Cargo albums along the way. I wasn't particularly impressed with the first one, and don't believe I've listened to this one before.

This starts off fairly dull with Orbit's usual dance/ambient crossover, most of which feels fairly low effort until the lovely laidback Harry Flowers. There's a couple of plodding dance tracks but things take a turn for the better with A Hazy Shade Of Random, a slower more ambient start which gets more upbeat as it proceeds, and from here to the end it's a really good listen. Best Friend Paranoia has a serene start, and a soothing theme over some gently spoken word, then two wind like ambient soundscapes in The Monkey King and Deus Ex Machina before wrapping up with Water Babies, a gentle piece of electronica.

This surprised me by settling into a style halfway through and delivering, when I expected a field of bland as ar as the eye can see. Certainly worth a listen

Link to album tracks

3* - after an ordinary start, this perks up with some moments of beauty