Toxygene

{{Short description|1997 single by the Orb}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Toxygene

| cover = Toxygene.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = the Orb

| album = Orblivion

| B-side = Alternate mixes

| released = {{start date|1997|1|27|df=y}}{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1997/Music-Week-1997-01-25.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=33|date=25 January 1997|access-date=5 September 2021}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Ambient house

| length = 5:19

| label = Island

| writer = Le Gonidec

| producer = Alex Paterson, Andy Hughes, Thomas Fehlmann

| prev_title = Oxbow Lakes

| prev_year = 1995

| next_title = Asylum

| next_year = 1997

| misc = {{Audio sample

| type = single

| file = OrbToxygene.ogg

}}

}}

"Toxygene" is a single by electronic music artist the Orb. It was released in 1997 as the first single from the album Orblivion. The song was originally commissioned as a remix of Jean-Michel Jarre's "Oxygène 8" from Oxygène 7–13.{{cite news|work=The Sunday Times |title=Music of the Spheres |last=Smith |first=Andrew |date=16 February 1997 |page=13}} However, the Orb "obliterated it" and reassembled only a few fragments for their remix, much to the chagrin of Jarre, who reportedly "threw a fit and refused to release it". The Orb released the track themselves under the name "Toxygene", which further irritated Jarre, to whom Paterson retorted "The French are always five years behind us, anyway." In statements made after the release of "Toxygene", Jarre denied the reports: "It's not that I didn't like it, but I wanted the first wave of remixes to be linked to Oxygene's theme and textures."{{cite web|date=27 January 1997 |last=Aston |first=Martin |title=Dotmusic Talent: Jean Michel Jarre |url=http://www.dotmusic.co.uk/MWtalentjjarre.html |work=Dotmusic (retrieved from the Internet Archive) |access-date=30 April 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/19980708105644/http://www.dotmusic.co.uk/MWtalentjjarre.html |archive-date = 8 July 1998}} The release was accompanied by a music video directed by Ben Stokes.

"Toxygene" became the highest-charting single by the Orb, reaching number four on the UK Singles Chart on 8 February 1997. The band appeared on Top of the Pops to promote the song, with the two musicians each sitting cross-legged on a spinning platform surrounded by their gear. Outside the United Kingdom, "Toxygene" reached number 23 in Ireland and was an alternative hit in Canada, climbing to number four on the RPM Alternative 30 chart.