Articles by: Daniel Griffiths

Daniel Griffiths is a veteran journalist who has worked on some of the biggest entertainment, tech and home brands in the world. He's interviewed countless big names, and covered countless new releases in the fields of music, videogames, movies, tech, gadgets, home improvement, self build, interiors and garden design. He’s the ex-Editor of Future Music and ex-Group Editor-in-Chief of Electronic Musician, Guitarist, Guitar World, Computer Music and more. He renovates property and writes for MusicRadar.com.

Articles by: Daniel Griffiths

5 Mark Ronson tracks producers need to hear

By Daniel Griffiths published 4 September 23

We take a time-travelling trip through the mind and music of the uptown funker

The incredible story of Eddie Van Halen’s Beat It solo: "I’m thinking to myself, “OK, ABC, 1, 2, 3 and me? How’s that going to work?"

By Daniel Griffiths published 31 August 23

He created a legend but didn’t earn a dime. He destroyed the master tape (and a speaker). And they had to remake the track… backwards. No wonder Van Halen wasn’t their first choice…

“To play music, you have to understand it. I didn’t understand Topographic Oceans. That’s why I hardly played on it": Rick Wakeman and Yes - firings, hirings, curry, catastrophe and chaos

By Daniel Griffiths published 8 August 23

When Vangelis nearly joined Yes and other tales from topographic oceans…

Andrew Ridgley and George Michael of Wham! in 1984

11 saxophonists, 4 re-recordings and a £17,000 haircut… The tortuous tale of George Michael's Careless Whisper: "I wrote it totally in my head. I worked on it for about three months in my head"

By Daniel Griffiths published 17 July 23

There’s much more to the Wham!-man's modern classic than meets the ear

“I was the first idiot to get one. I'd lie awake at night dreaming up shit for it to do”: Trevor Horn’s rig that made the ‘80s

By Daniel Griffiths published 5 July 23

We’re all familiar with Trevor Horn’s productions and their preference for expensive, elusive kit, but what got the ball rolling?

Secret SAWs: the story of the impossible sampler that made the Stock Aitken Waterman smashes, and the backroom boys that pushed it to its limits

By Daniel Griffiths published 28 June 23

Keyboards came and went throughout SAW’s hundreds of hits, but one box kept delivering the tricks. Think you know sampling? Think again

Synth wars: The story of MIDI, the one interface that ruled them all

By Daniel Griffiths published 21 June 23

CV/Gate, DCB, USI, UMI and The Oberheim System… This is the story of how synth’s biggest players narrowly averted a standards war and made sweet music together

"The way that Control sounds is an accident because we didn’t know what we were doing": why Jam and Lewis recorded Janet Jackson’s breakthrough album ‘wrong’, and why it’s all Prince’s fault

By Daniel Griffiths published 12 June 23

Because learning from the best beats reading manual, every time

Producer and engineer to the stars Josh Gudwin: “I got a call from Scooter Braun and he’s like ‘I need you to go to Colombia to get Justin Bieber on this remix’”

By Daniel Griffiths published 7 June 23

If you want hits, who are you going to call? Increasingly, that choice seems to be narrowing down to just one man…

Andrew Scheps talks mixing, production and the legacy of Metallica’s Death Magnetic: “My line is that the loudness war is over because I won… and that was the record that did it"

By Daniel Griffiths published 3 April 23

“Every once in a while there's a record where the mixes are crazy loud because that's what works,” he says

Quincy Jones at 90: 5 songs producers need to hear

By Daniel Griffiths published 14 March 23

Jump to the front of the Q: it’s time to take some tips from the master

Keyboard legend Chuck Leavell on being The Rolling Stones’ Musical Director: “It’s a challenge at times!”

By Daniel Griffiths published 2 January 23

Best of 2022: "Are Mick and Keith speaking to each other right now? They’re brothers"

ABBA Voyage: How does it work?

By Daniel Griffiths published 28 December 22

Best of 2022: ABBA's reappearance on stage has garnered rave reviews. But how exactly do you convincingly put on a gig from a band that isn't there?

5 tracks producers need to hear by… Phil Collins

By Daniel Griffiths published 26 December 22

Best of 2022: The definitive essential cuts for producers who are yet to get their Phil…

5 songs producers need to hear by... Trevor Horn

By Daniel Griffiths published 25 December 22

The definitive tracks from one of the UK's best-loved and most prolific producers

The Neptunes’ Chad Hugo on synths, songwriting and his greatest productions: “Britney wants to write with us? It’s like I’m daydreaming”

By Daniel Griffiths published 25 December 22

Best of 2022: The semi-silent partner in N.E.R.D and The Neptunes on producing for Justin and Jay-Z… but not quite Michael Jackson

5 classic tracks producers need to hear by… Tears For Fears

By Daniel Griffiths published 24 December 22

Best of 2022: From new wave synth prodding to full on rock progging, we pick five TFF hits worth shouting about

Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio explained (plus 10 unmissable Spatial Audio in Dolby Atmos tracks, and 3 to avoid…)

By Daniel Griffiths published 24 December 22

Best of 2022: What’s all the fuss about and do you need to upgrade your streaming service and throw out your stereo? We explain all

5 Christmas songs that producers need to hear

By Daniel Griffiths published 20 December 22

Stick your Slade - here are the real five Christmas tunes that every producer should be listening to

Blur drummer Dave Rowntree: “Some dads and sons would go to the football. We'd sit around the kitchen table with soldering irons, building radios”

By Daniel Griffiths published 2 December 22

The omni-talented, multi-faceted sticksman takes on going solo, drumming, flying, building his own studio gear - and bagpipes

Disco legend Cerrone: “Everyone at the studio was recording a Genesis album and they were looking at me like ‘What the f**k is this guy doing?’”

By Daniel Griffiths published 8 November 22

Calvin Harris may have jested that he created disco, but there’s one man who can legitimately hold up a hand and say he actually did…

Call the Synthbulance! Modular rig hits the road

By Daniel Griffiths published 10 October 22

We’re always hearing about an artist's ‘latest musical vehicle’ but here’s a synth duo that have taken the concept to the next level

Steve Aoki: "I thought about doing a rock album, but I need to be sure that the global sound of Steve Aoki is represented"

By Daniel Griffiths last updated 30 September 22

The DJ/producer on getting his start with a Tascam PortaStudio, throwing cake, and his foam pit trampoline room

Kelis vs Beyonce. Sampling vs interpolation. Who's right and what's what?

By Daniel Griffiths published 18 August 22

The lines between 'lifts', 'lends', 'samples', 'replays' and more just got crazy blurred… Here's the truth

Tom Middleton's top 10 tips for a better night's sleep

By Daniel Griffiths published 16 August 22

The DJ and techno pioneer's cutting edge work into the science of sleep is here to give you your best night's rest yet

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