William Orbit

Ambient pioneer, studio master, and popular dance remixer William Orbit emerged in the early 1980s as a member of synth group Torch Song before releasing both his solo debut, Orbit, and the first volume of his Strange Cargo series in 1987. Merging ambient, pop, world fusion, and dance music in mostly spaciously arranged instrumental tracks, he eventually invited guest vocalists into the Strange Cargo universe. His name recognition got a boost when he produced Madonna's Grammy-winning album Ray of Light (1998). Two years later, his own Pieces in a Modern Style, which reworked classical pieces, went all the way to number two in his native U.K. He returned to the U.S. classical charts with 2010's Pieces in a Modern Style 2. Still an in-demand DJ and festival participant as well as a lecturer into the 2020s, William Orbit released his 12th album, The Painter, in 2022.