Latest articles by Andy Price
SoundCloud responds to online criticism that its algorithm is ‘destroying transients’
The music streaming platform commented on the discourse, and revealed that it's aware that some info ‘gets lost along the way’
They set the boyband template, but The Monkees also introduced the world to the synth
People initially labelled them a fabricated band, but we’ve got the Monkees to thank for being pop's first ever synth players
How Taylor Swift’s songwriting skilfully makes the personal universal
Taylor Swift deftly divides her songwriting between three separate voices. Here's how to spot them…
“If you don’t have an idea, go mow the lawn": Follow Neil Young’s lead to demolish those frustrating songwriting barriers
It’s true, sometimes working relentlessly on perfecting a song or track that you’re just not feeling can do more harm than good
“The lyrics talk about machines writing music, and that’s actually happened. All things considered, it was a very prophetic song”: The iconic track that sparked the MTV generation also predicted the entire future of music
This Trevor Horn-helmed classic documented a sea change in music consumption, and its vision of tomorrow was spookily accurate
From David Bowie to Radiohead and Steely Dan, here’s some of popular music’s most outlandish theory choices
No theory practitioner would advise you do as these great artists did, but the brilliance of their songs speak for themselves
“I want to continue to have something that’s not microwavable in a world today where our attention span is pretty much lost”: Kendrick Lamar officially becomes the world's biggest hip-hop artist
Following a globally acclaimed half-time show at the Super Bowl earlier this month, interest in Kendrick Lamar has surged to record-breaking levels
How the Rolling Stones drew on their own - and imagined - lives for songwriting inspiration
For some, songwriting is all about honesty and injecting lived experience into the lyrics, yet as Mick Jagger will tell you, sometimes you have to play fast and loose with the truth
The rumours were true: Thom Yorke officially becomes a Warp Records artist via a new single with Mark Pritchard - and a nightmarish video
Back In The Game marks Yorke's first release on Warp Records and second major collaboration with Pritchard. But what does it all mean…
"It's like recording sounds across time": How Yumi Matsutoya used AI to turn back the clock when crafting her new album
One of Japan's most celebrated singers harnessed Dreamtonics' vocal processing to create a new voice which transcends time and space
How Radiohead’s most controversial change proves that music-makers shouldn’t be restricted by genre
The success of one of Radiohead’s most celebrated albums illustrates how creators should never feel limited by the conventions - or the instruments - of their chosen genre
“And then, out of nowhere, this crazy boy just started singing this song”: How Elvis Presley spontaneously altered the course of music history
After just one impromptu performance, the benchmark for Presley’s whole career was set - and the ears of a generation were listening
Are all interpretations of songs correct? Kate Bush certainly thinks so
It’s easy to get precious about the true meaning of our creative endeavours, but how much authority do songwriters really have to own the definitive reading of their work?
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
