In the late '80s, UK electronic pranksters The Orb launched a laidback revolution. At the frenetic height of the rave explosion, The Orb put a chilled-out spin on club beats, and their 1991 debut album The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld spawned an entire ambient house scene, while also pointing the way toward trip-hop and downtempo. Despite a revolving-door lineup of members and collaborators, Orb mastermind Alex Patterson has continued to steer the group through the '00s and beyond, exploring a spaced-out take on psychedelic rock, dub reggae, minimal techno, and much more.