His speciality is atmospheric keyboard electronica although much of his work features accomplished guitar playing. He has also recorded several largely instrumental solo albums under the name Strange Cargo which features vocals by Beth Orton, Laurie Mayer, Joe Frank among others. He was the musical force behind Bassomatic in the early 1990s, and formed the band Torch Song together with Mayer and Rico Conning in the 1980s. He has also produced and remixed numerous other artists, like Kraftwerk, Nitzer Ebb, The Cure, U2 and P!nk. Orbit's remixes carry his signature electronic sounds and techniques, making them sought after by fans of his solo work. He also worked with pop girl trio Sugababes.
His newest work has involved writing an orchestral piece, which was performed by the BBC Philharmonic at the Manchester International Festival in July 2007.
He also has a new album due out in 2009 - This has now been released (8th June 2009) "My Oracle Lives Uptown"
Atom Dream
William Orbit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Millions of stars
Separated by ??? systems
And floating clouds of gas
Something makes the gas transparent
And makes new stars
The pictures are dark, obscuring clouds
??? there's no ???
The lyrics of William Orbit's song Atom Dream describe the vastness and mystery of the universe. The mention of "thousands of suns" and "millions of stars" conveys the immensity of the cosmos, and the description of these celestial bodies being separated by "systems" and "floating clouds of gas" accentuates the idea of the universe being incomprehensibly vast. The lyrics also refer to the idea of star formation, with something causing the gas to become transparent and new stars to be born. However, despite this beauty, the images are often obscured by "dark, obscuring clouds," giving an impression of the vastness and mystery of the universe.
The song's title of "Atom Dream" suggests that the universe is like a dream, transient and elusive, and the lyrics reflect this impression. The use of the phrases "great black" and "air" also suggest that the universe is alive and constantly changing, but also that it retains its mystery and secrets. Overall, the lyrics of the song capture the wonder of the universe and the human desire to explore and understand it, but also the recognition that there are limits to our comprehension.
Line by Line Meaning
Thousands of suns
There are numerous suns in the universe
Millions of stars
There are countless stars present in space
Separated by ??? systems
These suns and stars are distributed across various solar systems
And floating clouds of gas
Nebulas or clouds of gas also exist in the vast expanse of the universe
Something makes the gas transparent
There is an unknown force that makes these clouds more transparent
And makes new stars
This same force also plays a role in the creation of new stars
The pictures are dark, obscuring clouds
Images of space often show dark and obstructive clouds
Like a great, black ??? of air
These clouds are like a colossal curtain of air covering parts of space
??? there's no ???
The meaning of this line is unclear and requires further interpretation
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: William Orbit
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
biketommy999
This was used in a swedish TV-program in early 90s or so. Don´t remember what program. Always wondered who made this wonderful tune.
WickedAce17
Amazing song ^_^
PussyGoLeor
strange cargo is a top album
retroman1990
Would love to hear this on an episode of "Scandal".
Rollogic
Awesome upbeat up lifting songs - so I think
William Kingsfield
1:41 Best part
Eric Potter
I think this song is about a birth of a star. Stars form inside relatively dense concentrations of interstellar gas and dust known as molecular clouds. and then there is the death of the star, nova.
Vislav
Love the video. Ty!!!
Bscmich
The footage for this track is brilliant. Very matter of fact. The contrast is engrossing. Serene and destructive. William Orbit is genius and CloudCucku put a nice bend on it. (just my opinion)
Ed Weibe
I agree