Wise words from the master of modern production

The Ghost of Japan?

The members of Japan have come together once more, as Rain Tree Crow, after a 9-year hiatus. Nigel Humberstone talks to David Sylvian, Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri about the biggest reunification since Germany.

Sampling

Sampling is the subject this time: we turn the technical phrases into real language.

There's an awful lot of hi-hi-history involved, y'know

Music For A Small Planet

An enterprising duo who mix business and pleasure in the pursuit of music making.

JJ Jeczalik

With the title track from the film Dragnet currently on release, the Art of Noise are still newsworthy. Paul Tingen talks to JJ Jeczalik about sampling, Frankie Goes To Hollywood and court cases.

Since the break-up of his group Japan in November 1982, David Sylvian has been slowly widening the base of his music to encompass both ethnic and avant-garde sounds. Mark Prendergast gathers the facts on the change of style.

From Canada comes Mandala, the first instrument capable of translating video images into MIDI data - and vice versa. Jim Burgess points some pretty pictures and assesses the implications.

Instruments & Equipment

Etcetera

Lyricon-blowing John Walters, of Landscape fame if not fortune (yet), undertakes the western world's most comprehensive guide to the history, construction and playing of the Lyricon wind synthesiser.

Eddy Roberts takes a look at this notation package

The man who brought computers to Frankie and programmed his way to chart infamy with The Art of Noise, fits in an interview before going out to play some very English sport. Paul Tingen fills in the scorecard.

...aka The Moody Boys, Voyager and Urban Jungle, and remixer by appointment to KLF, System 7 and many others. Phil Ward uncovers the real Tony Thorpe.

Instruments & Equipment

Not only vocalist, composer, dancer, choreographer, but also producer for her new album 'The Dreaming', Kate talks about her approach to composition and her newly acquired Fairlight CMI.

Are you afraid of the art of Bath? Adrian Deevoy goes into battle with Curt and Roland

David Ellis begins a two-part excursion into the E&MM archives to discover a myriad of bizarre musical instruments that somehow never quite made the big time. How many of them can you remember?

John Cage eavesdropped on the strange noises coming from his own imagination. Geoff Smith and Nicola Walker Smith eavesdrop on the wise words emanating from the man himself, in one of the final interviews of his trailblazing life and the last in MT's exclusive series on modern American composers.