Hit producer William Orbit dies
British music producer William Orbit has died. According to a statement from his family and friends, he passed away at his home on 23 July. His death has only now been made public. No cause of death has been announced. Orbit became one of the most innovative producers of the past decades and left an indelible mark on pop music with his characteristic combination of electronic music, trip hop, techno and ambient.
Orbit, born William Wainwright in 1956 in North London, left school at the age of sixteen and found his way into the alternative music scene. In 1980, he founded the electronic group Torch Song together with Laurie Mayer and Grant Gilbert. Between 1984 and 1987, the group released three albums. At the same time, he built a reputation as a producer and remixer, specialising in a combination of analogue and digital electronic sounds.
During the 1990s, Orbit became a highly sought after producer. Under his own name, he released the series of albums “Strange Cargo”, while he achieved success with the project Bassomatic through the single “Fascinating Rhythm”. He also produced Beth Orton’s debut album “Superpinkymandy” and worked on soundtracks and remixes for a wide range of artists.
His biggest breakthrough came in 1998 with Madonna’s album “Ray of Light”. The collaboration marked an artistic reinvention for the singer, with Orbit’s productions forming the basis for hits such as “Frozen”, “The Power of Goodbye” and “Ray of Light”. The album sold millions of copies worldwide, earned Madonna three Grammy Awards and is widely regarded as one of the highlights of her career. <span style=”font-size: 14px;”>Orbit also remained involved with Madonna after “Ray of Light”. He produced the soundtrack single “Beautiful Stranger”, her version of “American Pie” and worked with her again on several tracks on the 2012 album “MDNA”. </span>
His work was by no means limited to Madonna. Orbit produced Blur’s experimental album “13”, which included the singles “Tender” and “Coffee and TV”. He also worked with All Saints on the number 1 hits “Pure Shores” and “Black Coffee”, produced music for Pink, Britney Spears, Robbie Williams, Melanie C, No Doubt, Chris Brown and Nadine Coyle, and produced two new tracks for U2’s compilation album “The Best of 1990-2000”, including “Electrical Storm”.
In 1999, Orbit also released the album “Pieces in a Modern Style”, on which he gave classical compositions an electronic treatment. His version of Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” became an international hit. He subsequently remained active as a solo artist and released, among other things, a follow up to that album. His last studio album, “The Painter”, was released in 2022.
William Orbit was 69 years old.
