An exclusive interview with Rick Wakeman plus music from '1984' for you to play.

Ted Fletcher documents the rise of a talented studio engineer whose recorded credits already include albums by Gary Moore and China Crisis.

...while Paul Gallotta discovers how bass got its top end from the Yes man

Recently seen effortlessly blowing Bo Diddley and Ron Wood off stage, Ellis Beggs and Howard have been compared to the Rolling Stones in musical significance. Tim Goodyer rediscovers rock 'n' roll.

Established as a top keyboard player in Deep Purple and Whitesnake, our interview analyses the music of his new LP ‘Before I Forget’.

Best known as a top Flamenco guitarist, Juan Martin has recently released a sensitive album that combines classical guitar with the ethereal textures of Mark Isham's synthesizers. Robin Lumley questions him about this unlikely collaboration and discovers the best ways of miking up classical guitars into the bargain.

Mark Jenkins pins down the expert synthesist/programmer best known for his work with Peter Gabriel, and discusses the release of his eighth solo album - 'Metropolitan Suite'.

Britain’s fastest-rising rock band discusses music and visuals

The first of our articles with this principal multikeyboard player gives you his background as a solo performer as well as his work with Yes and The Moody Blues.

...was the title of The South Bank Show's much-criticised electronic music extravaganza of a couple of months back. Here the programme's musical consultant, composer Tim Souster, argues the case in favour of the show's content.

Technical excess brought them success in the 70s, Trevor Horn rejuvenated them in the '80s, now they're working towards the '90s. Deborah Parisi asks the Yes men if there's anything left to say after 20 years.

The six best keyboard ideas of Rick The First, in condensed, easy-to-follow Making Music style.

in Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe

Session player Julian Colbeck tells the tale of how he got the gig as support keyboard player for Rick Wakeman on the recent Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe world tour, and runs through the instrumentation he and Rick used on stage.

Could hi-fi giants Technics have set a new standard with the digital sounds of their PX1 MIDI Piano? Consultant keyboard player extraordinaire, Rick Wakeman, checks out its performance.

Into the Seventies

What is 'New Age' music? Who plays it, and why is it apparently so popular? Our resident musicologist Mark Prendergast traces its development back to the work of 'new music' composers Arnold Schoenberg and Erik Satie.

Readers' patches for the OSC OSCar and the Yamaha CS30 make this month's patchwork an all-analogue affar. This and Stiletto's Roland D-series and Casio CZ-series synths.

The Mellotron

Once considered an instrument no keyboard player should be without, more recently regarded as a mechanical monstrosity, the Mellotron was definitely an early sampler, but was it the first? Dave "Crumbly" Crombie reminisces.

John Renwick goes back to school with a whole range of music tutorial packages from Hybrid Arts

Our beginners' synth column isn't just for tech types, but guitarists, drummers, even roadies too

Will there be a rush to purchase Siel's new CMK 49 computer gizmo? We pass judgement.