Vintage technology strikes back

...including The A-Z of Analogue

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.

Into the Seventies

Making tracks

More news, views, and a smidgeon of hot gossip!

Vintage technology strikes back

including The A-Z of Analogue

Electronics

Electronics and synthesiser music.

a history of progressive rock - is there a new day dawning for the dinosaurs?

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

Dave Cottam takes the plunge with The Waterboys at Hammersmith Palais.

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.

MIDI Keyboard Controller

'Walk tall, walk straight and look the world right in the eye' - as Val Doonican once said. Now you can with Roland's portable MIDI keyboard controller, designed for those with a severe case of guitar envy. Nicholas Rowland discusses the angle of the dangle

The life story of the original sampling keyboard — the Mellotron.

MIDI Keyboard Controllers

As MIDI equipment becomes more and more sophisticated, the job of a MIDI controller keyboard becomes more and more demanding. Simon Trask takes the A train with Roland's latest MIDI controllers.

And A Happy Birthday To Us

Come to our party, have some jelly, read some of our best bits, and wish us a happy first birthday, hip hip...

Yamaha CS80

Once infamous as a roadie's nightmare, the CS80 has settled in synth history as an instrument of almost unmatched character. Peter Forrest rediscovers the pain and the pleasure.

puzzle page entertainment

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.

David Bowie

Acoustic drum samples from producer Bob Clearmountain rub shoulders with Mega Beats drum machine samples, while SSU sounds for the Yamaha SY77 complete the lineup in this month's Patchwork.