Part two, in which we meet the fifth Beatle, George Martin, and also brush with Trevor Horn's Fairlight.

History Of Producers

Just who are these people who get their names on record sleeves and their sounds in your speakers?

The record company A&R man is your enemy, right? After all, it's only him that stands between you and a record deal. But technology has changed his job and your relationship with him.

why the beatmasters make a mess with their lunch

Swim Records

Simon Trask dives into the world of a desktop record label

When is it better to buy secondhand gear, rather than new gear? Tim Goodyer looks into equipment costs and sound fashions.

Coldcut, David Ruffy

Wilf Smarties looks for the perfect beat in two new HitSound sample CDs, from production team Coldcut and drummer David Ruffy.

What A&R Managers want from your demo

For many musicians, their first stab at getting their music heard is sending a demo to a record company or producer. But what do the people who listen to demos every day want from your tape? Sue Sillitoe finds out.

Wilf Smarties takes another new sample CD for a spin.

Studio pursuits with the violin

Pop hopefuls or Stock, Aitken and Waterman puppets? The men in Blue give David "newboy" Bradwell the inside story on the SAW production stable.

From the New York roots of hip hop, KRS One talks about street-level production values and samples as the poor musician's alternative to real musicians. Simon Trask listens to the Music of the Spheres.

They're a brilliant Soul band. A dub-Reggae band. An avant-garde band. And they don't know how they do it. Or do they? Tony Reed asks the questions...

Prince Paul

Already an established musical force from his work with Stetsasonic, Prince Paul has gone on to produce De La Soul's brilliant debut LP. Steven Daly talks technology and sampling ethics with a Prince.

Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson part two

Hip-Hop

Once an underrated underground movement, hip hop has turned out to be one of the most influential musical developments of the last decade. Nigel Lord takes the rap in MT's regular drum programming series.

Groove guru Wile Smarties reports on the latest sample CDs.

Felton Pilate's success spans "traditional" funk to the rap revolution - just now he's writing, producing and playing keys for Hammer. Nick Batzdorf raps tech with the Hammer man.

Resident 'DJ' Wilf Smarties gives a new batch of CDs a spin.

The Multiverb Alpha is the latest and greatest in ART's series of studio multi-effects processors. Dave Lockwood checks it out.

Cult reggae band or Top Of The Pops heroes? Nick Rowland talks to the men who've spent 14 years together and brought MIDI to reggae, and reggae to the pop charts.

Groove guru Wilf Smarties reports on the sample CD scene.

As close to the cutting edge as you can get without needing stitches...

Acid jazz of the counter-culture