Steve Mackey, a prominent producer and the longtime bassist for the great British band Pulp, has died. On Twitter today, Pulp announced that Mackey “passed away this morning.” In a message posted to social media by Mackey’s wife, she said that he had been hospitalized with an undisclosed illness for three months. Mackey was 56.

Steve Mackey grew up in Sheffield, and he joined Pulp in 1989, when the band had already been around for a decade. Pulp were essentially struggling art-rockers in those days, and their 1992 LP Separations was the first that featured Mackey. Mackey quickly became an important part of the group; he’s often credited with introducing Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker to house music.

Pulp broke through to huge British success and acclaim with the release of their 1994 album His N’ Hers, and they followed that one up with three classic albums that were also hugely successful: 1995’s Different Class, 1998’s This Is Hardcore, and 2001’s We Love Life. All of the members of Pulp shared songwriting credits on all of those albums, and Mackey’s rubbery, propulsive, disco-informed basslines quietly powered the band’s greatest hits.

Pulp broke up in 2002, and Steve Mackey teamed up with fellow Sheffield native Ross Orton, formerly the drummer of Add N To (X), to form a production and songwriting duo called Cavemen. In 2003, Mackey and Orton co-wrote and co-produced M.I.A.’s first two singles “Galang” and “Sunshowers,” and they later worked on her Kala track “Bird Flu.” After that, Mackey worked with artists like the Long Blondes and Florence + The Machine. Mackey also worked as a producer on Arcade Fire’s 2017 album Everything Now.

After Pulp’s breakup, Steve Mackey remained close with Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker. Mackey and Cocker curated the 2006 compilation The Trip together, and Mackey played on Cocker’s early solo records, toured with Cocker, and joined Cocker in one scene from the 2005 movie Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. Mackey rejoined Pulp for their early-’10s reunion tours. But when Pulp announced another reunion a few months ago, Mackey said, in an Instagram statement, that he would not rejoin the band: “I’ve decided to continue the work I’m engaged in — music, filmmaking and photography projects, and will not be joining them for these UK shows.” Mackey wished his former bandmates well, and he thanked Pulp’s fans.

Below, check out some of Mackey’s work.