From their excellent 1984 debut single 'Venceremos', Working Week have charted a unique course between fashionability and credibility. Simon Trask works out with Simon Booth.

Ten years ago Incognito's first LP heralded a new British jazz funk movement; today their second celebrates a world-wide dance movement. Tim Goodyer asks Bluey Maunick if the song remains the same.

From his Vox Continental days with Elvis Costello, to a regular spot on Jonathan Ross' The Last Resort, and now on to film scores, Steve Nieve has retained an objective approach to technology.

The Korg M1 is one of the best and most popular keyboards around. David Mellor explores some of its prime features.

Michel Huygen/Neuronium

This Spanish synthesist explains the working methods and motivation behind his psychotronic musical landscapes.

Software for the Atari ST

Coupled with its success, the digital parameter access-editing of Kawai's K1 synthesiser has made it an obvious target for software editors - like these from Dr Ts, Soundbits, Drumware and Steinberg. Vic Lennard looks on.

Akai S1000

No-one can deny that Akai's S900 is the 'industry standard' sampler, having kept all newcomers at bay for well over two years. But now there's a new heir to the throne. David Mellor looks at the long-awaited 16-bit stereo, 16-note polyphonic S1000.

PART 2: Microphones. David Mellor cuts through the mythology of microphone techniques with some practical advice.

Back in 1985, Propaganda made an astonishing debut with 'Dr. Mabuse' and the classic album 'A Secret Wish'. After years of silence, a split with ZTT records, and the departure of three-quarters of the original line-up, Michael Mertens is back with a new-look Propaganda, and feeds the party line to Nigel Humberstone.

They've been a mainstay of electronic music for over 20 years, they're less expensive than ever before, and they still make sounds the digital machines can't. Analogue synthesizers have been receiving some digital assistance of late, but at heart they're still analogue synthesizers - and if you want to make them perform magic, you need to speak their language. Craig Anderton is your interpreter...

Following on from last month's preview, Paul Ireson provides a thorough rundown of this easy-to-use, 32-track, pattern-based sequencer for the Atari ST.

Cheap And Cheerful Sample Creation On The Atari ST

For Recording Engineering

Educated sound engineer David Mellor assesses the value of training for a career in recording.

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.

Yello made the sort of music everyone had heard of but few people heard - until Shirley Bassey helped them into the pop charts. These obscure Swiss art rockers reveal all to Nicholas Rowland.

European Son

Multi-Dimensional Synthesisers

Expanding the "user waveform"approach of their K3 to almost full additive waveform proportions has given Kawai what they call a "multi-dimensional" synthesiser. Bob O'Donnell likes what he hears.

The charismatic singer, composer and lyricist rejoins the former members of Japan for their first LP in ten years. Tim Goodyer talks technology, philosophy and improvisation with David Sylvian.

Although Michael Nyman's name and music became known through Peter Greenaway's extraordinary films, Prospero's Books may see not just the peak but also the end of their creative partnership. But Nyman has other strings to his bow, as Mark J. Prendergast discovers.

MIDI Remote Controller

Lexicon's MRC unit is much more than a fancy remote controller for their PCM70 and LXP1 signal processors - it also provides analogue-like controls for easy editing of DX synth parameters and manipulation of virtually any MIDI controller data. Martin Russ checks out the power behind the buttons.

Recording Chris de Burgh

Stephen Tayler tells Richard Buskin all about recording and mixing Chris de Burgh's recent single, 'By My Side'.

RCM Synthesizer

The DX7 captured musicians’ imaginations like no other synthesizer before or since. But the legacy of releasing endless variations on the DX theme has turned some musicians away from FM synthesis and into the waiting arms of a new generation of 'sample plus synth' keyboards. Now Yamaha are back with a vengeance, an even more powerful method of synthesis (Real-time Convolution and Modulation), and a spanking new flagship synth. But has the SY77 got what it takes to regain the hi-tech musician's vote? Martin Russ finds out.

Cross Wave Synthesizer

The onboard 8-track sequencer and sampled waveforms of the ESQ-1 make it a hard act for any manufacturer to follow. So what further features does Ensoniq's new SQ-80 synthesizer have that could possibly outshine its stablemate? Craig Anderton explores...

A colourful round-up of what's new in the hi-tech recording arena.