William Orbit
Advertisement
Advertisement
Top Related Artists
Biography
Born William Mark Wainwright on December 15, 1956, in London, William Orbit became one of Britainâs most influential electronic musicians and producers. A founding member of the 1980s synth-pop group Torch Song, he stood at the forefront of the acid-house movement before exploring trance, electro, ambient music, and classical forms. Inspired by the soulful dance music emerging from Chicago, William Orbit formed Bassomatic and scored a UK Top 10 hit with âFascinating Rhythmâ in 1990 before establishing himself on the club scene as a DJ and remixer. Through Guerilla Records, which he co-founded that year, he helped release music by artists including Felix da Housecat, React 2 Rhythm, and Spooky while developing his own Strange Cargo series. His international reputation grew dramatically when he produced Madonnaâs Grammy-winning Ray of Light in 1998 and Blurâs 13 in 1999. William Orbit then fused classical compositions with electronic ambience on Pieces in a Modern Style, whose Ferry Corsten remix of Samuel Barberâs âAdagio for Stringsâ reached number 4 in the UK in 2000. He subsequently composed for the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and produced or collaborated with artists including Robbie Williams, Britney Spears, Finley Quaye, Sugababes, and Laurie Mayer, the latter three appearing in connection with his 2006 album Hello Waveforms. William Orbit continued his solo catalogue with My Oracle Lives Uptown in 2009 and Pieces in a Modern Style 2 in 2010, the same year he produced Katie Meluaâs The House. He reunited with Madonna for six tracks on MDNA in 2012 and co-wrote and produced Britney Spearsâ âAlienâ in 2013. In 2014, he produced the Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson duet âThere Must Be More to Life Than Thisâ for Queen Forever, while later production work included material on All Saintsâ Testament in 2018. After the Starbeam EP in 2021, William Orbit returned with The Painter in 2022, featuring Beth Orton, Katie Melua, Georgia, Lido Pimienta, Polly Scattergood, and others. He returned to live performance in London in 2025, while PinkPantheress sampled his Sugababes collaboration âSpiralâ on âNice to Know You.â William Orbit performed again in London in March 2026. He died at home on July 23, 2026, aged 69; his death was announced by his family and friends on August 7.
Read All
Read Less
Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- She Cries Your Name by William Orbit
- Pavane
- Paradisum
- Sonnambula
- Gold Coast
- Lark
- Second Moon
- Arioso
- Peer Gynt
- Alto Giove
- Nimrod
- Aquarium
- Swan Lake
- Babbino
- Clavier
- The Monkey King
- Into The Paradise
- Water From A Vine Leaf
- Time To Get Wize
- Ogive No.1
- A Touch Of The Night
- A Hazy Shade Of Random
- Deus Ex Machina
- Bank of Wildflowers by Georgia
