Q: When is a guitar not a guitar? A: When it's part of David Sylvian's music. Taking time out from a hectic schedule David Torn talks guitar textures and musical crossovers with Tim "pretentious, moi?" Goodyer.

Not quite a household name, but an American jazz fusion guitarist whose attitude to improvisation and performing with new technology is starting a quiet revolution. Dan Goldstein gets the lowdown.

Mark Prendergast talks with trumpeter, composer, and synthesist Mark Isham about new technology, David Sylvian, Van Morrison, Windham Hill, and his solo career as one of Hollywood's more interesting film soundtrack composers.

They began the '80s as Japan, now they're starting over as Rain Tree Crow. Tim Goodyer catches synthesist Richard Barbieri and drummer Steve Jansen for a frank discussion of music and personalities ten years after Tin Drum.

The charismatic singer, composer and lyricist rejoins the former members of Japan for their first LP in ten years. Tim Goodyer talks technology, philosophy and improvisation with David Sylvian.

From providing the backbone of Santana's Latin beat, Michael Shrieve has moved into electronic percussion and out again. John Diliberto listens to the drummer's tale.

Steve Jansen & Richard Barbieri

Following a brief diversion in the form of last year's Rain Tree Crow project, Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri are once more pursuing their creative partnership. Paul Ireson reports on the recording of their latest album.

Currently proving to the world that there can be more to metal than breakneck guitar riffs and sexist lyrics, Living Colour's Vernon Reid talks samples and technology with Lars Lofas and Nick Armington.

In the desert of new age there are oases of music. Scott Wilkinson talks to an American guitarist with a story to tell and the technology to tell it.

His idiosyncratic style of fretless bass playing inspired a generation, but now the ex-Japan man is playing sessions, writing his own music, and programming his own synths.

An overview

Mark Prendergast presents a general overview of record labels, artists, and recordings that make up the exciting area of new electronic and experimental music in the late 1980s.

Sounds, samples, & software upgrades for the modern studio

Disks, gadgets, samples and bits for the computing musician

The pace is hot; no sooner than there's a new technical development it's old hat. How do you keep up with the world that is modern music technology?

Beating Like This

...Beating Like This. In the third part in our series on creative drum programming, Chris Meyer and Matt Isaacson take a detailed look at the various trigger-to-MIDI converters now available.

Never a dull moment at the office, as the telephone keeps the world in touch with Music Technology.

"People, people who need people are the luckiest people..." goes the old song. But Tim Goodyer argues that people are often the first casualty of today's music technology.

mixed-mode CD tracklist

What’s on this month’s mixed mode CD/CD-ROM

Lexicon Jam Man Digital Echo • Sampler • Loop Recorder

Hot from AES New York, we test this tasty loop recorder/sampler.