A somewhat different cover, this month, you'll no doubt have noticed. And special, not just because it was done by Hipgnosis (the well-known and perhaps the best etc etc... ) and is their first ever music journal cover. It also represents - and commemorates, if that's the right word (it isn't) - our first birthday. I won't bore you with the traditional phrases which editors habitually churn out at such moments: suffice to say that we'd like to thank you all for an excellent year, and for your support (and none of that 'I'll always wear it' nonsense).

Our key word from the beginning hhs always been co-operation, between musicians and engineers, artists and manufacturers: craftspeople all. If Sound International is regarded as a 'good mag' then that's the reason. Co-operation works, and if people can get even better at working with each other (rather than exploiting each other, perhaps?) then the industry will be heading in the right direction. The spirit of co-operation also pervades this magazine: a large proportion of the articles you see in each issue are written by people who are simply doing interesting things and are into exchanging ideas for the benefit of all.

As you can see, we're idealists. But what's wrong with idealism if it produces a good result? Now let's see how much better we can do it in our second year of co-operation.