Janet Angus discovers the secret of Peter's success in producing big selling dance music.

Hi Energy wizard Mike Stock collides with Chas de Whalley during a sweaty get-down-and-shake-it interview

As PWL's in-house mixer, Pete Hammond can claim to have had a hand in even more chart singles than Stock, Aitken & Waterman. David Bradwell finds out what makes a hit record.

The words "Stock, Aitken & Waterman" have adorned 50 hit singles in the last two years. Tim Goodyer finds there are two secrets to their success: determination and new technology.

Pop hopefuls or Stock, Aitken and Waterman puppets? The men in Blue give David "newboy" Bradwell the inside story on the SAW production stable.

Who helped make Climie Fisher's single a hit? And the Pet Shop Boys', and Depeche Mode's, and Bananarama's? David Bradwell investigates the latest action in the Stock, Aitken & Waterman production stable.

Dead or Alive's Tim Lever surrounds himself with new technology as the band prepare for world domination. Tim Goodyer gets the word on writing, recording and performing.

Making new music from old. Simon Trask talks to the musicians and DJs who made a No. 1 hit from a drum machine and other peoples' records.

Once singer with The Pop Group, Mark Stewart has now joined forces with drummer Keith Leblanc and producer Adrian Sherwood under the title of The Maffia - Nicholas Rowland listens to the sounds of hell.

The distinctly eighties phenomenon of remixing is playing a significant part in the development of today's popular music. Tim Goodyer discusses the art of remixing with Norman Cook.

Their '88 acid house hits took Britain's clubland by storm, but now S' Express are taking their sampling a stage further. Tim Goodyer enjoys the trip.

From the chart success of 'Bass (How Low Can You Go)' to an album and a 24-track studio in his lounge - Simon Harris talks sounds and samples with Tim Goodyer.

Building his career on productions of Jennifer Warnes, Malcolm McLaren and the Communards, Stephen Hague has found his greatest success with The Pet Shop Boys. David Bradwell talks shop.

Sample CDs

First they were sampling off other peoples' records, now they're selling records to sample off. Tim Goodyer listens while Simon Harris, Pascal Gabriel, Norman Cook, Ed Stratton and Coldcut put the case for sampling CDs.

Three jampacked pages of new product information.

The non-musician has taken a lot of stick from his educated counterparts, yet he's contributed a lot to musical progress. What separates musicians and non-musicians?

Pete Waterman's views on sampling and plagiarism come under attack and a different breed of keyboard hero is championed by readers with a grievance to air.

Newsdesk as was - news as is

A look behind the scenes at some of MT's own out-takes: quotes from the famous, letters from the punters and photographs from the "rejected" file. So we all make mistakes...

Cutting a record

Make your own music, make your own record, make your own luck

A complete history of record production accompanied by quotations and anecdotes from no fewer than 18 of the world's leading producers.

Tony Wride takes a stroll down nostalgia lane and discovers two companies that can turn your prized antique into a thoroughly modern MIDI instrument.

Your sequencer could be having more of an effect on your music than your synths do. Wilf Smarties wonders whether you should be giving your MC50 a co-writing credit...

Curiosity Killed The Cat's producer Glenn Skinner gets a few things of his chest this month.