William Orbit

William Orbit - his real surname is Wainwright, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he was trying to avoid confusion with the musical dynasty that go by that same family name - might not be a household name by any stretch of the imagination, but that’s not to say that he hasn’t worked with the biggest and the best over the course of a thirty-plus year career as a composer and record producer; in fact, he’s collaborated extensively with Madonna, winning three Grammy awards for his work on her classic Ray of Light album, and brought his expertise to one of Blur’s more interesting albums, too, 2003’s Think Tank. He’s tasted chart success with tracks like Pink’s ‘Feel Good Time’, on which he was afforded a feature credit, but the crux of his own solo work centres around the eight albums he’s released under his own name; he has a further two slated for this year, both of which are symphonic efforts. He’s only made sporadic live appearances in his own right, but did bring his Strange Cargo album to life at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London in 1995, with the help of a string section and a full live band; it’s one of many eccentric projects that this genuine original has immersed himself in over the years.