Thomas Fehlman used to be involved with British uber-dub band The Orb. But apparently he is German. Who knew? This is his latest release, a 12" on German-label Kompakt.

I am a huge Orb fan, and this is a pleasantly Orbish release. Not to say that Fehlman isn't doing his own thing. Rather, i am trying to imply that since he was involved with The Orb from 1993 until just recently (well, he still might be in the band -- i am unsure of their current membership), extracting him from the confines of the band you can hear what his influence was on the overall Orb sound. So if you have enjoyed recent Orb releases, then Streets Of Blah is worth checking out.

This is a 12" release -- meaning it might very well only exist on vinyl. It also means that it only has three songs. Let's consider each of them.

The A-side is called Du Fehlst Mir. This is a wonderful tune built out of a funky little beat and a happy melody that kind of wanders around. It's a fun, head-bopping music that reminds me of moments on Orblivion. It is a really nice tune, and Orb fans will enjoy it.

The two B-sides are an entirely different matter. The first is the title track, Streets of Blah, and the second is Rotenfaden. Both of these songs are decent, but they sound un-finished. As if Fehlman is accustomed to having some help in completing his music. It seems to me like each of them needs a decent vocal sample, or another melodic element. Still, neither of them are bad -- they just could use a little more.

On the whole, this is a pretty good 12". I am sure that it is pretty rare over here in The States, but if you are an Orb fan it is worth the search.