William Orbit's new album, Hello Waveforms, finds the influential electronic composer/producer very much returning to form. It also finds him returning to showcasing new music, which is something that seems to happen less and less as his career progresses. Orbit's previous release, 2000's Pieces In A Modern Style, presented his reinterpretations of favored classical music selections. The album was very well received for what is was, but also disappointing for what it was not, for it was not a truly new William Orbit record.

To find the last true releases of all-original material, you must go all the way back to 1995. This was a great year for Orbit fans because it saw the release of two albums. The first was the (so far) final in his Strange Cargo series, Hinterland, and arguably the strongest of the set. The other was the reunion album for his 80s group Torch Song, with Toward The Unknown Region. So the perspective is that, all things considered, we've been waiting over a decade for William to release another true artist record. Was it worth the wait? Well, a decade is a pretty long time, so that's not really a reasonable question ... But Hello Waveforms picks up admirably where his previous work left off.

To enjoy William Orbit is to appreciate the fact that he has a very specific style and sound. When you listen through the Strange Cargo releases, Pieces, (specifically) the last Torch Song, and his production work for the likes of Madonna and U2, there is a very clear and consistent edge that runs through them. This could be good or bad depending on how you approach it. There has been a little criticism that his work centers on this "sameness" of his programming and sound palette. When all judged together, the newcomer could be forgiven for not being able to fully place their progression on a time line. And if you feel this way, then Hello Waveforms will probably not be sufficiently daring enough to alter your opinion.

However, the other side of the argument is that consistency in one area frees you up to concentrate on other areas. Orbit's greatest strengths have always been his composing and arranging. An original voice need not always be consumed with making sure a keyboard collection is keeping pace with the mainstream pop world. Because although that's one way to differentiate yourself, it may not be the best way. After all, flitting between styles while chasing the radio trend du jour is a pretty futile way of working. This new record finds a seasoned artist comfortable in his own skin, free to simply create beautiful music for the sake of art.