Orbit was born in London on 15 December 1956 and started earlier circa 1980 when he co-founded Torch Song, a synth and ambient trio operating out of a squatted school in Notting Hill. In the 1990s he launched Bassomatic, whose Fascinating Rhythm reached the UK Top 10, and founded Guerilla Records, one of the defining labels of the UK progressive house explosion.
Things suddenly got changed when in 1998; Orbit co-produced Madonna's Ray of Light, a record that arrived at the exact moment electronic music was moving from the underground into the mainstream and pulled both worlds into the same room. The album won four Grammys. Frozen, the title track, and The Power of Good-Bye are still in rotation. It remains one of the most significant crossover records electronic music has produced. The following year he produced Blur's 13. Harder, more abrasive, equally important. Tender alone is reason enough for the credit.
The production reputation tends to overshadow the solo work, which ran longer and reached further. Orbit began the Strange Cargo series in 1987, building atmospheric ambient electronic records that were influencing the genre well before the mainstream caught up. Orbit's sixth solo album make a crossover moment on the U.K. charts. Originally released in 1995, Pieces in a Modern Style applied the producer's signature electronic style to the works of masters like Beethoven, Vivaldi, and Händel. "Adagio for Strings," a new spin on the piece by Samuel Barber, climbed the singles charts in 1999, eventually reaching No. 4. In 2000, Pieces in a Modern Style reinterpreted classical compositions through his production approach and became a genuine commercial hit.
In his final decade he released Pieces in a Modern Style 2, worked on orchestral live projects, and completed The Painterin 2022, folding his visual art practice into the music. He was still making cutting-edge things.
These singles helped solidify the trio's success, conquering new markets and launching extensive tours throughout the Americas. The trio had already achieved success and gained public acceptance with their debut studio album. Singles from their previous album were still playing when they released "Tímido," the first single that helped cement the girls' fame, leading them to be considered the best teen group of the moment by critics and the public alike. Regarding the sound, the album maintained the youthful pop that made them famous on their debut album, a pop very much in keeping with the times, with certain European influences, seasoned with synthesizers, and youthful lyrics about love relationships, flirting, and a certain girl power, amidst danceable tracks and charming ballads.
The single "Tímido" stood out, a song that could easily have appeared on their first album and which, as we've mentioned, helped solidify the trio's status throughout the Americas as the hottest sensation of the moment. Other tracks, like "20 Millas," were pop ballads with fresh and charming arrangements, reaffirming the girls' style. Other songs, such as "Hoy Por Ti, Mañana Por Mi," "Detrás De La Trinchera," and "Estas Noche No," addressed more serious and social issues. The remaining tracks weren't bad; while they didn't have the impact to be considered singles, they didn't clash with the overall concept of the album.
The surviving members of the band, Stephen Douglas, Davy Hughes, Paul Livingston and Francis Reader, paid tribute to their longtime bandmate and friend in a brief but emotional statement:
"We are devastated to inform all of you that we have lost our dear friend and brother John after a brief illness," the band said in a statement. "John died peacefully in the early hours of Monday the 3rd August 2026, surrounded by loved ones, his beautiful voice and songs filling the room."
Douglas had been part of Trashcan Sinatras almost since the group's formation in Irvine, Scotland, in 1986. Joining alongside his brother, drummer Stephen Douglas, and guitarist Paul Livingston later that year, he helped establish the line-up that would remain the creative nucleus of the band for the next four decades.
As rhythm guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, Douglas contributed to every one of the band’s seven studio albums. His melodic guitar work, harmonies and songwriting became integral to the group’s distinctive sound, which blended sophisticated pop melodies with literate lyrics and intricate acoustic arrangements.
Born in Irvine, Douglas was a supporter of the pro-independence movement, appearing in 2025 at a pro-independence event at Oran Mor. "Getting the band back together" was a night to celebrate Scotland's grassroots musical talent, with Douglas taking the stage alongside his wife, folk artist Eddi Reader.
Trashcan Sinatras first attracted international attention after signing with Go! Discs. Their 1990 debut album, Cake, introduced songs including "Obscurity Knocks", "Only Tongue Can Tell" and "Circling the Circumference". The album spent three months on the Billboard 200 in the United States and established the band as a significant presence within the alternative music scene.
The group followed with I've Seen Everything in 1993, featuring "Hayfever", which gained additional exposure through MTV’s Beavis and Butt-head. Their third album, A Happy Pocket, arrived in 1996 before the band endured major setbacks after Go! Discs was absorbed into Universal. Dropped from the label, the members were forced to sell their Shabby Road recording studio and declare bankruptcy.
Rather than ending the band’s career, those challenges ultimately led to an independent resurgence. The critically acclaimed Weightlifting followed in 2004, leading to renewed touring across North America, Europe, Japan and Australia. Subsequent releases included In the Music in 2009 and Wild Pendulum in 2016 before the lengthy gap that preceded Ever The Optimist.
Released on 31 July 2026, Ever The Optimist featured guest appearances from Tracyanne Campbell of Camera Obscura and Green Gartside of Scritti Politti. The album had been previewed by the singles "The Bitter End", "Bad Husband", "Melodramatic" and "Games for the ZX Spectrum", and represented the band's first new studio album in a decade.
Away from Trashcan Sinatras, Douglas built a respected reputation as a songwriter and collaborator. He wrote "Wild Mountainside" for his future wife, Scottish singer Eddi Reader, who recorded it for her acclaimed 2003 collection Eddi Reader Sings the Songs of Robert Burns. Douglas also wrote "Should I Pray?" and "Prisons" for Reader's 2007 album Peacetime, with both songs later becoming part of the Trashcan Sinatras catalogue. The couple married in 2013.
Following his marriage, Douglas underwent treatment for ulcerative colitis, requiring surgery and an extended recovery. He continued performing and recording in the years that followed, including acoustic tours with the band across North America. In 2024 he released his first solo album, presenting intimate acoustic performances alongside original material outside the Trashcan Sinatras catalogue.
He had more recently taken on an acoustic solo career, often touring the UK and Ireland with his wife Reader and her band.
Douglas leaves behind a catalogue spanning more than 40 years with Trashcan Sinatras, a body of work that earned the Scottish band an enduring international following through its craftsmanship, musicianship and understated approach to guitar-driven pop. His death comes at a moment that should have celebrated the band’s long-awaited return, giving Ever The Optimist an unexpected place as the final chapter in his recording career.
After the breakup of Split Enz in 1984, Neil Finn and drummer Paul Hester decided to form a new band. Bass player Nick Seymour approached Finn during the after party for the Melbourne show of the Split Enz farewell tour and asked if he could try out for the new band. Former Swingers and soon-to-be Midnight Oil bass player Bones Hillman was also a candidate, but it was Seymour's playing on the demo for "That's What I Call Love" that earned him the spot. The group, then named The Mullanes, also included the Reels guitarist Craig Hooper, who left the band before they signed with Capitol Records.
Capitol rejected the name "The Mullanes", as well as alternatives such as "Largest Living Things". The name "Crowded House" was adopted after the trio flew to Los Angeles to record the album and were provided with a very cramped apartment to live in. Four decades later, the album remained as a breakers moment in Antipodes music history, but while Split Enz had enjoyed major success in Australia and New Zealand, the band’s commercial breakthrough into the United States remained elusive, something this band managed to changed that trajectory.
Talking about history, we have to go back with Split Enz's final studio album "See Ya 'Round" which arrived in November 1984 following the departure of founding member Tim Finn. Neil Finn suddenly found himself leading a group that had largely been defined by his older brother’s presence. By his own account, he felt uncertain about carrying the band forward. The resulting album was assembled from a limited collection of Neil Finn songs and supplemented by material from other band members. Yet buried within demos from that period were early versions of songs that would eventually become cornerstones of Crowded House. Primitive versions of Something So Strong, I Walk Away and Can’t Carry On were already taking shape as Neil Finn began moving beyond the Split Enz framework.
Recording sessions took place primarily at Capitol Recording Studios and Sunset Sound in Los Angeles. Producer Mitchell Froom helped shape a sound that retained the melodic sophistication of Split Enz while stripping away many of its theatrical elements. The album's clean arrangements and emphasis on songcraft proved crucial to its appeal. Neil Finn’s songwriting sat at the centre, supported by Seymour’s melodic bass playing and Hester’s dynamic drumming. The breakthrough came with the classic "Don’t Dream It's Over." Released as a single in late 1986, the song reached No. 2 in the United States and became one of the most recognised songs ever written by an Australian or New Zealand artist. "Something So Strong" followed as another major international hit, while "Mean To Me" and "World Where You Live" further established the band’s identity.
The album also carried traces of its Split Enz heritage. I Walk Away, originally the lead single from See Ya ‘Round, was re-recorded for international editions of the album after Capitol recognised that US audiences had never been exposed to the earlier version. The revised recording helped bridge the gap between Finn’s past and future, symbolising the transition from one era to another.
On this date 30 years ago, MTV officially expanded its music video empire thanks to a commercial-free, second channel: M2 later know as MTV2, the network was created as an all-music-video spin-off to offset its parent channel's shift toward general and reality programming.
So by 1996, several indie rock and pop outfits were finding their way onto MTV, but ghess what?, it was the days in which the original network started to changed music videos for reality shows. So why launch a second channel focused solely on music videos when the original was seemingly getting the job done?.
The reality shows were already springing up across MTV in the early/mid '90s, and the company wanted to keep fans satisfied with non-stop music videos, decided to go with this new network named at the time M2 -- which would later be rebranded as MTV2 in 1999 -- attempted to reach that goal, and was also used as an opportunity to feature a higher diversity of music videos than MTV was doing at the time. The channel launched via satellite with Beck's "Where It's At", the network inaugural VJs where the 120 Minutes host "Matt Pinfield", Rolling Stones' Jancee Dunn & radio-industry veteran Kris Kosach, targetting viewers around 23/25 age to up.
Even when we know that MTV betrayed its music video roots for all its reality programming, 30 years ago, believe it or not, critics were having very similar conversations back in the mid-'90s. In fact, when M2 launched in '96, music writer Sean Piccoli wrote "MTV has" put some truth back into the promise of their title: Music Television. And they’ve made it harder to dislike them for all the dreck they pass off as programming on the original channel. Watching the foundling M2, whose start up and first hour were simulcast this week by MTV, it was stunning to see in this new venture how far the parent network has strayed from its roots."
He also highlighted some of the channel's additional programming: “M2’s only nonmusical programming, per se, came in a pair of minute-long segments featuring artists talking about things they love. In the first piece, Porno For Pyros frontman Perry Farrell, grinning like a dope against a backdrop of animated wallpaper, talked about getting hold of a bootleg tape with 20 versions of a little-known Jimi Hendrix song, "Gypsy Boy." In the second piece, Parliament-Funkadelic founder George Clinton reminisced about the heyday of urban break-dancing.” As he noted, M2 played 15 music videos in its first hour of broadcast, including clips from PJ Harvey, Hayden, Gary Young and A Tribe Called Quest, then M2 is doing part of its job."
M2/MTV2 spent its first decade playing uninterrupted blocks of alternative, rock, and classic music videos, then gradually introduced lifestyle and comedy shows, eventually dropping music videos entirely around 2017.
Today, MTV2 -- much like its predecessor -- is unrecognizable from what it was when it first launched. Reality TV, comedy programs and game shows have taken hold of the channel, with a few music videos sprinkled in for good measure.
The nerwork turned out to be a potent mix, with video becoming as important as the music itself. Among the first videos shown on MTV were Pat Benetar’s “You Better Run,” Rod Stewart’s "She Won’t Dance with Me," and The Who's "You Better You Bet."
Although MTV wasn't the pioneer of the music video concept—its origins can be traced back to the 1960s with The Beatles and The Monkeys—and in the late 1970s a show emerged that many consider the direct ancestor of MTV: the famous "PopClips" on Nickelodeon, conceived by former Monkeys member Michael Nesmith. It only lasted one season, but its brief contribution was fundamental to the arrival of MTV.
Of course, every beginning has its challenges, even for MTV. The debut couldn't even be seen in New York, and many of the producers recount traveling to New Jersey to watch the launch in a bar. There were other places where it was available from the very beginning. The truth is, it's not known for sure who actually saw the channel's debut on August 1, 1981. Many of us remember it and were able to watch it because VH1, for its 30th anniversary, dedicated the first 24 hours to its broadcast, and today at least the first two hours are available on YouTube. After the first clip, everything went silent for a few moments, then Pat Benatar appeared, followed by a brief description of the evolution of human sound, and then more videos, which were scarce at the time, many of them from years earlier. There was even a Rod Stewart video from 1976.
In those first few hours, viewers could watch REO Speedwagon, The Who, Blondie, Styx, The Pretenders, Robin Lane & The Chartbusters, Split Enz, and April. Wine, among others, and then the official presentation of the first VJs: the great Mark Goodman, J.J. Jackson, Alan Hunter, Martha Quinn, and Nina Blackwood. It's curious how Goodman comments on how quickly time has passed since the channel's launch, and now it reaches its 45 anniversary, unfortunately with more sorrow than glory.
The network gradually took off until the "I Want My MTV" campaign, promoted by luminaries like Hall & Oates, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, David Bowie, Billy Idol, The Police, and others, aimed to get cable distributors to include it in their programming. Little by little, its influence became omnipresent, with virtually no competition. Although programs like "Night Tracks" appeared on NBC over time, it wasn't the same. MTV's success made music videos essential for established artists and newcomers aspiring to success, benefiting the music industry by giving space to Black artists like Michael Jackson. This was also due to pressure from other artists, since initially there were hardly any Black artists on the programming. Then came "Thriller," and everything changed. The massive success of this video, which many consider the best in MTV history (for me, it's "Take On Me"), encouraged the creation of the VMAs in 1984, whose first ceremony was simple yet successful. Setting the course, and then, even though they continue to be delivered, their influence or value is worthless.
Obviously the network evolved, delivering memorable moments and programs. For example, the famous "The Basement Tapes," the support for indie music in "120 Minutes," the metal in "Head Bangers Ball," the rap segment "Yo MTV Raps," the "Top 20 Countdown," the Spring Break specials, and the famous "MTV Unplugged," which began with XTC's performance and spawned memorable moments like those with Nirvana and R.E.M. Then came the creation of its younger sibling, VH1, MTV Europe, followed by MTV Latino, Alternative Nation, and AMP. Just as the channel was beginning to decline in the mid-90s, MTV2 breathed new life into the channel, recapturing its golden age and remaining on the air until its cancellation in 2003, leaving us with nothing. There were key moments like the famous "Unplugged," whose idea originated from an acoustic show with XTC, but it was Eric who truly made it happen. Clapton, Paul McCartney, R.E.M., and Nirvana showed that the format would reach massive heights. And what can be said about the VMAs, which after 1985 evolved into something unmissable? I remember the ceremony being considered a massive and unmissable event, until it stopped being innovative and enjoyable from the late 90s onwards.
Unfortunately, little by little, the network content began to fade and replace music videos with trash reality TV, first was "Real World" back in 1992, and from then on it wouldn't stop, without knowing it, we were witnessing the beginning of the end, until everything became unbearable. Unfortunately over the decades, MTV went through many different phases before ultimately fading as cable TV was replaced by the internet—but not without forever leaving its mark on music.
The 12 albums are chosen by an independent judging panel that acknowledges British and Irish artists' achievement across genres. The artists must have a UK release date between 30 August 2025 and 17 July 2026. The award will be given on October 22 at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, the second time the ceremony hasn't been held in London.
One of the highlights is definitely Suede's 2025 album "Antidepressants", the iconic band won the Award in 1993 and now they are nominated again. HELP(2) is a charity album benefitting War Child and it features a stacked lineup with new tracks by Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, Olivia Rodrigo, Depeche Mode, Big Thief, Wet Leg, Young Fathers, Cameron Winter, Damon Albarn, Anna Calvi, Ellie Rowsell of Wolf Alice, Nilüfer Yanya, Fontaines D.C., Beth Gibbons, The Last Dinner Party, Beck, Bat For Lashes, English Teacher, and more.
The Mercury Prize started out strong with Primal Scream's Screamadelica winning in 1992 and Suede's self-titled debut winning in 1993. There have been lots of great artists who have also won since, including Pulp, Elbow, Portishead, Franz Ferdinand, and others.
Mercury Prize Class Of 2026 Nominees:
Dave - The Boy Who Played the Harp
Dove Ellis - Blizzard
Florence + The Machine - Everybody Scream
Jade - That's Showbiz Baby!
Knats - A Great Day In Newcastle
Kojey Radical - Don’t Look Down
Nia Archives - Emotional Junglist
Olivia Dean - The Art of Loving
Paul McCartney - The Boys of Dungeon Lane
Raye - This Music May Contain Hope
Suede - Antidepressants
War Child Records - HELP(2)
