How To Write Lyrics

Richard Walmsley takes a look at the under-estimated art of lyric writing

Six stars outline their home demo set-ups

sketching song ideas at home. how certain successful stars record their demos - John Entwistle, Nik Kershaw, Annabel Lamb, Adrian Belew, Blancmange

Naked truths from a pop idol

Fiat Lux

Following last month's list of synthesis casualties, David Ellis delves deeper into the archives and finds yet more mysterious products of human ingenuity. Some of them are quite spectacular.

While many producers are content to work within one or two musical styles, Peter Collins casts a much wider net - using high technology to increase the number of possibilities open to him.

Vince Clarke reveals trade secrets.

The Fall and Rise of Technology in Music

Steering this magazine through the '80s made Dan Goldstein a prominent character in the music industry. Putting aside 90 Minutes he gives a personal view of the last decade in music, technology and Music Technology.

Through a career that has encompassed the controversy of the Bollock Brothers and the serenity of new age, Phil Thornton has drawn the best from technology. David Bradwell listens in.

Vintage technology strikes back

Collector’s corner - including the A to Z of Analogue

Breaking a prolonged silence, one of the eighties' most successful solo pop songwriters talks to Tim Goodyer about his new home, his new album, and an ever-expanding collection of synthesisers.

This month, Electronic Dream Plant to Elka.

From his involvement in the infamous Frankie Goes To Hollywood sessions, Andy Richards has become an accomplished producer and programmer in his own right. Nicholas Rowland listens to a rationalisation of technology.

Tomorrow's news today — the IM tardis is off again

Unbitten by the digital bug, Vince Clarke only drives analogue.

including The A-to-Z of Analogue

Recording your own music is only the first step to getting it heard; to do that, you need to deal with A&R people at record companies. Paul Tingen meets them, and discovers why so few bands succeed in impressing them.

Are 8 bits still viable? Martin Russ temporarily abandons his Atari ST for a look at the latest version of this music sequencer package for the BBC micro.

UMI 2B Software

The 1B version was good, but Simon Trask has spent a month with its successor, and reckons it deserves its reputation as the most professional sequencing package designed round a home computer.

One of the most successful, certainly the most consistent, of Britain's electronic musicians, Gary Numan has succeeded in taking his eclectic and compelling music into the mass market. Gary talks of his songwriting and recording techniques, his past career, and what he plans for the future

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A Soft Touch

Jay Chapman discovers why this 16 track MIDI sequencer package for the BBC B micro, described as the musical equivalent of the humble word processor, is receiving so much acclaim from studio users.