If you're a frustrated synth programmer looking for an outlet to use your talents, you could become a soundtrack writer for computer games. Matthew Vosburgh meets one of Britain's best.

From records to retailing

Like many keyboard aces of the Seventies, Rod Argent too has turned his talents toward writing music for films and television, his most recent venture being the music for the highly acclaimed BBC TV series 'Soldiers'. Here he explains to Ian Gilby the procedures involved.

Japanese Artist: World Musician

Despite the cult following for Yellow Magic Orchestra, collaborations with David Byrne on the Oscar-winning soundtrack to 'The Last Emperor', and a long-standing musical friendship with David Sylvian, the multi-faceted talents of Ryuichi Sakamoto are still not widely appreciated. Mark J. Prendergast attempts to rectify the situation...

On completion of a new solo album and the soundtrack to the latest screen version of Wuthering Heights, Ryuichi Sakamoto finds himself centre stage yet again. Paul Tingen talks to the Renaissance Man of modern music.

Ryuichi Sakamoto was a founder of the YMO before becoming one of David Sylvian's favoured partners. Now, fresh from a Japanese and a series of film scores he tells Tim Goodyer about his latest LP.

Japan's most respected technopop pioneer has recently finished an album that breaks new ground for him - it involves live musicians. He discusses his new LP and his other projects with Paul Tingen.

From his Vox Continental days with Elvis Costello, to a regular spot on Jonathan Ross' The Last Resort, and now on to film scores, Steve Nieve has retained an objective approach to technology.

As film music becomes a more popular means for composers to earn a living, Tim Goodyer talks to soundtrack expert Steve Parsons about his work on the new British film, 'Empire State'.

...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.

With some 17 solo albums to his credit, as well as two ballets, five collaborations with Jon Anderson, and film soundtracks that include 'Blade Runner' and the Oscar-winning 'Chariots Of Fire', Vangelis has continually explored the creation of musical forms via the integration of the acoustic with the electronic. Recently, he took time out to talk about his own work methods and express his views on the current technological scene. Richard Buskin asks the questions.

Vangelis Speaks

Vangelis, one of the synthesiser world's most influential figures, reveals the long-hidden facts about his approach to modern music-making. Interview by Dan Goldstein.

This one would have been called Vangelis Odyssey Papathanassiou and Keith Spencer-Allen talk to Ralph Antidisestablishmentarianism Denyer, but there wasn't room.

Mr Papathanassiou leaps off the cover and speeds headlong to page 23. Pausing merely for an intake of breath he settles in his fave armchair and reads, 'Vangelis has superb keyboard technique...' And smiles.

Wendy Carlos still loves digital synthesis. Through her pioneering soundtrack work on movies like Tron, and her synthesised interpretations of the classics, she has done as much as Jarre, Kraftwerk and Eno in making synthesisers both respectable and popular. She also used to be Walter Carlos. Daniel Rue investigates