William Orbit: The Painter review - sublime return from the dark side

And where exactly, you might justifiably ask, did Londoner William Orbit go to? One of the primary pop music designers of the Y2K era (he was one of the most sought-after producers back then, with the likes of Blur, U2, Kraftwerk, Prince and, most famously, Madonna, securing his services for her finest album, 1998′s Ray of Light), Orbit has admitted that following his golden period of hit song after hit song, life and career went decidedly pear-shaped.

He moved to Los Angeles (where he experienced a crisis in confidence) and then returned to the UK (where his lifestyle choices included a debilitating drug habit). In a recent Channel 4 interview he said, with some regret, that he “threw it all away”.

Now that he’s fully recovered/recuperated, The Painter, his first studio album since 2014′s self-released Orbit Symphonic, is a glorious return to the game he once virtually regulated. Signature touches are very much in force. Numerous female vocalists add striking textures to the songs, with long-term collaborators such as Beth Orton and Laurie Mayer (as well as more recent allies Georgia and Katie Melua) pitching in. Orbit’s electronic treatments throughout, meanwhile, are sublime as they shift shapes every which way. Instrumentals Planet Sunrise, Second Moon and Gold Coast shimmer without even a beam of sunshine anywhere near them, whilst Orton-assisted songs No Other World and I Paint What I Can See are restful/groovy trip-hop perfection. williamorbit.com