LONDON: William Orbit, the influential British producer and musician known for his work with Madonna, Blur and All Saints, has died at the age of 69.

His death was announced on his Instagram account, where family and friends said he died at home on 23 July.

Born William Mark Wainwright in North London, Orbit began his career in the early 1980s as a member of the synth-pop group Torch Song. He later established the house music project Bassomatic and built a reputation as a remixer before becoming widely recognised for his production work.

Orbit achieved some of his greatest commercial success during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He co-produced most of Madonna’s 1998 album Ray of Light, including the singles “Frozen” and “Ray of Light”, and later worked with her on the 1999 hit “Beautiful Stranger”.

He also co-produced Blur’s 1999 album 13, which included the single “Tender”, and produced All Saints’ UK number-one singles “Pure Shores” and “Black Coffee” in 2000.

His 2000 solo album Pieces in a Modern Style, which featured electronic interpretations of classical works by composers including Beethoven, Vivaldi and Ravel, reached number two on the UK Official Albums Chart.

Throughout his career, Orbit also worked with artists including Pink, U2, Chris Brown, Melanie C, Nadine Coyle, Katie Melua and Britney Spears. He reunited with All Saints in 2018 to co-produce two tracks for their fifth studio album, Testament.

Orbit’s production style, which combined electronic and ambient sounds with elements of guitar-driven music, became particularly associated with the pop and dance music of the late 1990s.

His death brings to an end a career spanning more than four decades and marked by collaborations with some of the most prominent artists in contemporary pop music.