William Orbit, one of the most important pop producers of recent decades, has died. His family has announced that Orbit died on July 23 at his home, at the age of 69, and has asked for respect for the privacy of those close to him.
The news began to circulate last night, when Étienne Daho announced it on Facebook. Without an official statement or denials, the confusion lasted several hours, until the family confirmed Orbit’s death.
Although he had been publishing music since the 80s, with his projects Torch Song and Bassomatic, Orbit will forever be linked to ‘Ray of Light’, the album with which Madonna revitalized her career in 1998. Its sophisticated and luminous production was decisive in the sound of songs like ‘Frozen’, ‘Ray of Light’ or ‘The Power of Good-Bye’, making that album one of the best in pop history.
Orbit and Madonna met in 1997 although Orbit had previously signed several remixes for Madonna. That year, the singer turned to him when she was looking for a new direction for the album that would follow ‘Evita’. From that alliance ‘Ray of Light’ was born, a collaboration that continued in ‘Music’, in the OST for ‘American Pie’ and, more than a decade later, in ‘MDNA’, where Orbit produced songs like ‘Gang Bang’, ‘Some Girls’ and ‘Masterpiece’.
The success of ‘Ray of Light’ made Orbit one of the most sought-after producers in pop. He signed two of All Saints’ biggest hits, ‘Pure Shores’ and ‘Black Coffee’; he produced a good part of Blur’s ’13’, with classics like ‘Tender’ and ‘Coffee & TV’; He worked with P!nk on ‘Try This’, including the single ‘Feel Good Time’, and also left his mark on projects by Britney Spears, Robbie Williams, U2, Beth Orton and Queen. In 2010 he also produced ‘The House’ by Katie Melua, one of the British singer’s most celebrated albums.
Although he always remained in the background, William Orbit helped define the pop sound of the late 90s and early 2000s. His combination of ambient, electronics and pop melodies continues to resonate today in albums like ‘EUSEXUA’ by FKA twigs or in the ethereal pop of Addison Rae, in addition to a good part of the generation of artists who have recovered the emotional electronics of that era.
Orbit had returned to the headlines just a few months ago by revealing that it had abandoned the idea of producing a kind of “Ray of Light 2.” He assured that he had a practically finished album for Madonna, but that the singer never responded to his proposals.
The family announced the news through a brief statement in which they remember that Orbit “touched the lives of many people through their music, their friendship and their kindness.” This includes generations of lovers of pop and music in general.
