Latest articles by Andy Price
How futurepop brought the sound of tomorrow to the dawn of a new century
Balancing the euphoria of synth-pop with the harder edges of EBM, futurepop was the sound of a distinct moment - yet its sonic footprint withstood the test of time
How Aphex Twin fought the temptation to continually refine, and how we can learn from his example
It’s easy to carry on fiddling with our tracks, but as Richard D. James knows all too well, that urge to keep going can prove a problem
“When I came up with the guitar part, Krist looked at me and said, ‘That is so ridiculous’. I made the band play it for an hour and a half”: It defined the '90s, yet Nirvana’s biggest anthem started out as a self-confessed rip-off
It was written to be the ultimate pop song, and with over two billion streams, the legacy of Nirvana’s most popular cut endures
“Maybe I’ll write out five or six chords, then discipline myself to write something only with those chords involved”: Why David Bowie’s restrictive songwriting strategies provide a lesson for us all
Sometimes imposing rules can force us out of our creative comfort zones. It's a tactic David Bowie used to birth some of his most celebrated songs.
“It was the first song I wrote just to see if I could. I discovered - oh yes, I can!”: How David Byrne created Talking Heads' most popular track right out of the gate
The song was intended as a deliberately dark response to the more playful macabre antics of Alice Cooper. But it would end up shaping Talking Heads’ future
“If you're listening to amazing gear through terrible monitors, you've wasted your cash”: Why monitors are the most important part of your studio
Don't know where to begin with buying and using studio monitor speakers? Listen up
“Unprecedented sound design freedom”: Arturia launches the new feature-packed Pigments 6
If you're already a Pigments user you can get if for free
“Technology is cool, but you’ve got to use it as opposed to letting it use you”: Why Prince never allowed gear to lead the way and how we can take back control of our tech
It’s pretty easy to be daunted by the sheer quantity of music technology at your disposal, but always remember - it's there to serve you
“Calling anything with a loop or sample in it ‘hardgroove’ is kinda annoying and often misunderstands what the sound actually is”: Exploring the hardgroove genre
This techno subgenre has been rediscovered in recent years, but what elements make it stand apart from the rest?
Producer John Porter on shaping the sound of The Smiths, and why he’s auctioning a huge collection of studio acetates
John found a huge collection of original acetates and mixes of many Smiths’ classics unplayed since the 1980s
NAMM 2025: “With hardware this tough, you have a companion for life”: Bitwig enters the hardware world with the Connect 4/12
This ultra-flexible interface marks the Berlin-based company's first foray in the physical gear market
“Learning how to mix is almost as important as hitting on your original musical idea”: New to the mixing process? Start here
Don't let a brilliant song be swallowed up in a bad mix by following our guide to the central principles of the process
Novation collaborates with GForce Software on the ultimate software version of the Bass Station
Aphex Twin's favourite room-shaking synth gets the definitive in-the-box treatment
How a song intended to be an album track would leave a massive mark on music’s future
When Brian Eno first heard it, he could sense its potential to revolutionise the way pop would be made
Why Paul McCartney’s intuition-led attitude to songwriting is worth taking onboard
The Beatles’ legend has long been open about how his songwriting workflow is guided by ideas and not a rigid format
The centrality of music and sound in David Lynch's work
The late Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet director’s canon has left a lasting imprint on musicians and sound designers
NAMM 2025: Scaler 3 promises to widen the feature set of one of our favourite songwriting tools
This third version of the ultimate music theory workstation promises to be more effective than ever at suggesting creative routes forward
NAMM 2025: Musik Hack to showcase its sound-enhancing plugin Fuel at this year's show
The Master Plan developer's recently launched second plugin melds a bass enhancer, limiter, saturator and clipper
Opinions vary on the value of music production schools in 2025
In a recent long-read feature, we heard a range of views on the usefulness of music production schools when building a career
Rage Against the Machine's most controversial track exceeds a billion streams
The band's debut single has been divisive since its release, but its potency has been proved by this latest milestone
“If you like someone’s work, the important thing is to be exposed to everything that person has been exposed to”: Understanding Bob Dylan's take on incorporating your inspirations
What can songwriters learn from Bob Dylan's view on absorbing influences?
NAMM 2025: New MIDI-integrated Rhodes pianos merge old-school craft with extended expression via polyphonic aftertouch
At NAMM Rhodes will unveil the new MIDI-capable version of its MK8 Piano, alongside a glimpse at its new 61-key stage piano
Amateur musician unknowingly performs Green Day classic in front of Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong was visiting some of Liverpool's iconic music locations, and happened upon a local musician playing one of his own songs
