Orbus Terrarum is the third studio album by English electronic music group The Orb, released on 20 March 1995 by Island Records. Member Kris Weston had begun work on the album before leaving the group; however, when he left, German producer Thomas Fehlmann joined as a full-time studio member, and the group, now consisting of Alex Paterson, Andy Hughes, and Fehlmann, finished producing the album. Unlike their previous efforts, Orbus Terrarum features more "earthbound", "organic" sounds in contrast to the psychedelic, science fiction-themed music they had previously written.[7][8]
Orbus Terrarum suffered, as Paterson described it, "a good kicking" at the hands of the British music press,[9] who described it as "generic ambient music"[10] and stated it was a low point for Paterson's creativity.[11] It further alienated much of the group's fanbase as they had with the 1994 mini-album Pomme Fritz,[12] resulting in it only reaching number 20 on the UK Albums Chart, much lower than their previous albums.[13] American critics, however, gave the album a more positive reception, with Rolling Stone naming it their album of the month, citing its symphonic flow coupled with The Orb's "uniquely British wit".[5]
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