A Thursday Afternoon with Brian Eno

The master of ambience tells Alan Jensen all about art, culture, experimentation and the Smiths.

Currently proving to the world that there can be more to metal than breakneck guitar riffs and sexist lyrics, Living Colour's Vernon Reid talks samples and technology with Lars Lofas and Nick Armington.

Category crossing contemporary composer cornered

Trevor Horn considered

And what news there is. A special preview on the Frankfurt fair, lifting the veil on 1987's most important gear.

mutiny makes good

Arrested whilst gigging with a bunch of jazz musicians in Paris, Sting talks to Paul Tingen about his new album, the inadequacies of high technology, and the future of The Police.

Nick some ideas for songwriting, nick a few big semi-acoustic Gretsches, nick this issue.

Creating The Future

Anyone can dream about the studio of the future, but it takes a unique talent to build it in the present. Wally Badarou's personal studio defies conventional ideas of studio design, substituting voice-controlled DMP11s for a large console, and putting the musician first. Paul Tingen listens in.

The Story of the Guitar Synth

Learn the history of the guitar synthesiser and what the stars think of them.

The live workaholics explain to Andy Hughes that success is more than image-deep

Brian Eno

Philip Bashe and Don McLeese stop a lone Stone stateside

workings of the press part two; dealing with music papers

Chronicles of a moustachioed maestro. Philip Bashe reporting.

Part 2: Mark Prendergast continues his in-depth look at the formation of Eno’s new record company, Land Records, and the use of electronics in his music.

John "Jellybean" Benitez is the leader of the current trend of DJs turned recording artists. Tim Goodyer talks to him about the relationship between the dancefloor and the recording studio.

Jon Hassell has been at the leading edge of new music for three decades, with major contributions to western avant garde and world music. Following the re-release of two classic albums from the early '80s, Mark J. Prendergast presents a retrospective of Hassell's work.

Japanese Artist: World Musician

Despite the cult following for Yellow Magic Orchestra, collaborations with David Byrne on the Oscar-winning soundtrack to 'The Last Emperor', and a long-standing musical friendship with David Sylvian, the multi-faceted talents of Ryuichi Sakamoto are still not widely appreciated. Mark J. Prendergast attempts to rectify the situation...

A gentleman and a scholar

Take four musicians with a love of acoustic instruments, a fascination for high technology and some considerable talent, and you've got Frazier Chorus. Louise Swann and Stephen Hillier listen to songs from the English coast.

In the battleground that is the record business, one band have managed to find the space to be one of the most individual and resourceful of British talents. Nigel Lord talks uncommerciality in an Immaterial world.

Is hip hop an unending stream of monotonous, empty rhythms, or the brightest star in the use of modern musical technology? Tim Goodyer cross-questions MC Tee and DJ Mantronik.

Why limit music to the sounds you hear or the run-of-the-mill images that litter video and concert appearances? Steve Cogan discovers that there's no reason at all - for Meat Beat Manifesto.