News from the cutting edge of music and multimedia technology

Guitar Weekend - GuitarCheck Special

Six pages of mini-reviews — and every one a British beauty. Dave Burrluck reports on the London Barbican's second annual Guitar Weekend

Fred Dellar presents a potted history of the people who bring you the 'product' - the record companies.

The World Of CD-i

Indie label Rhythm King are now packaging their artists on CD-i. Simon Trask uncovers the growing links between music marketing and computer games.

Who you (the readers) voted as best musician, and what you (still the readers) voted as best gear. We shake the world.

The Nightcatchers

First of an occasional series on the twilight zone between recording first demos and collecting that first gold disc. Birmingham's Nightcatchers talk to Tim Goodyer about tight budgets and big-name producers.

All's Fair in Olympia and war

Jaydee Hooligan 85 (with Floyd Rose Trem)

a life story

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.

if you’ve got plenty of feeling but your technique lets you down - try playing the blues

All the things you never knew about putting flash wobbly bits into your guitar playing

New Themes, New Dreams.

A straightforward guide to producing Dance Mixes using budget equipment.

Hot news from music's ivory towers

Advanced Sampling Recorder

Bit of this, bit of that

Porky, king of the cutting room

Part Two of our two-part Programmer's Guide To The Casio CZ range of synthesizers catches Phil South explaining the nuts and bolts of sound modification, with tips and hints on how to approach the creation of your own PD sounds.

Trevor Horn considered

news from the front

newsworthy items for your interest

Snares

There has been an enormous upsurge of interest in African music of late. Artists as diverse as Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads and Brian Eno have acknowledged its inspiration on their work. But there is little information around that explains the fundamental concepts behind it and how a musician can incorporate the sounds and ideas into their own work if they wish to. Kofi Busia suggests a few ideas.

We share with you the simple guitar chord trick upon which most pop music is based.

Continuing on from last month's review of the Roland D-50 Linear Arithmetic synthesizer, Martin Russ takes a detailed look at the technical aspects of the D-50, liberally sprinkled with excerpts from a rare interview with Mr Ikutaro Kakehashi, President of the Roland Corporation.