Jon and Helena Marsh in their natural habitat

Phil and Paul Hartnoll are Orbital, and their pioneering brand of user-friendly electronic dance music is a lot more fluid than the traffic on the motorway that prompted the name. So Phil Ward avoids the M25 and heads straight for the heart of the P&P music factory

Co-founder of the techno movement, Model 500's Juan Atkins discusses yesterday's technology and influences, and tomorrow's music. Technospeak: Simon Trask.

The original hurdy-gurdy man takes Tim Barr on an ambient perambulation through his current project, System 7

Akai S900 V2.0 & ASK90 and Steinberg Soundworks

Already a well-established sampler, the Akai S900 is on the receiving end of a series of software and firmware updates from Akai and Steinberg. Chris Jenkins boots them up.

The most talked about Amiga software ever is finally in the shops. Was Microillusion's program worth the wait? Phil South waxes lyrical about the first professional integrated music sequencing and editing program to take full advantage of the Commodore Amiga's powerful multitasking features.

Techno music, the true successor to late seventies synth-pop, translates the desolation of post-Motown Detroit into electronic dance rhythms. Simon Trask listens to the programmer's tale.