Acclaimed British producer William Orbit, best known for shaping records by Madonna, Blur, All Saints and Pink, has died aged 69. His family and friends said he died at home on 23 July, without giving a cause of death; his death matters because his electronic, ambient-influenced production helped redefine major pop music in the late 1990s and beyond.

Orbit, born William Wainwright in London, was central to Madonna’s Grammy-winning 1998 album Ray of Light and later worked on Beautiful Stranger, Music and MDNA. He also produced Blur’s darker 1999 album 13, collaborated with All Saints on the UK number-one Pure Shores, and earned further success with Pink’s Feel Good Time; musicians including Mel C, Nicole Appleton and Sister Bliss paid tribute to him as an influential, supportive pioneer.