Latest articles by Roland Schmidt
Why Ryuichi Sakamoto’s spellbinding theme from Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence remains so captivating
We take a deeper look at the theory underpinning Ryuichi Sakamoto’s gorgeous, award-winning theme from the movie that gave him his acting and scoring debut
The genius of Queen’s John Deacon-penned follow-up to Bohemian Rhapsody
Following up Bohemian Rhapsody is no easy task, but the retro sensibilities of You’re My Best Friend secured Queen another major hit. We take a look at the song's timeless charm
Just what are Angine de Poitrine actually doing musically? We dissect their biggest track
When Angine de Poitrine landed on this planet, the polka-dot-clad alien combo fused prog rock with microtonal jazz and funk, to yield music quite unlike anything we’d heard before…
I’m so obsessed with Olivia Rodrigo’s Drop Dead trance bass sound that I remade it in my DAW
We create our own transient-heavy synth bass with leanings towards the trance-heavy sounds of the 90s. ‘Drop Dead’ you exclaim? No way! We were Born Slippy!
How Olivia Dean’s joyous breakthrough song was crafted
Setting out her stall as one of the greatest artists of the 2020s, Olivia Dean’s 2023 breakthrough cribbed from the past to evoke the euphoria of falling in love
How Gorillaz deployed some sublime music theory to build their most beloved tune
The reason Gorillaz biggest track lingers in the mind longer than others is down to its tightly-constructed arrangement
How Calvin Harris and Katy Perry buried the hatchet to craft their groovetastic 2017 hit, Feels
We analyse the un-escapable groove of Feels - which knowingly doffed its cap at Earth, Wind & Fire
The ultimate synth shoot-out 2026: Hardware classics vs. their software successors - but can you really tell which is which?
Is there really any need to fork out for a hardware synth these days? We place a trio of hardware classics up against some immaculate software doppelgängers
How to emulate the sound of Gary Numan’s synth-pop classic Cars
We lift the bonnet on a foundational piece of synth genius, and demonstrate how you can achieve its distinctive sound yourself in your DAW
The history of Sequential in 10 synths, sequencers and drum machines
We chart the rise, fall and revival of one of the synth world's true titans
10 extraordinary synths that are almost certainly out of your price range
If money were no object, what new synthesizers could you buy? We draw up our wish list of current big-bucks contenders
How to master virtually any software synth
Don't let your software arsenal overwhelm you - sometimes the best route to creative success is to mine just one instrument
“An undeniable classic, for the modern age”: Rhodes MK8 review
The new Rhodes electric piano is no longer a vintage curio from the '70s and '80s. We play the new MK8, with all of its FX and MIDI finery
Replicate the sonic magic of the Human League’s defining synth-pop anthem
The first UK No. 1 to use a drum machine plays host to one of the most recognisable synth parts ever. We re-create its opening 5th riff in all its 80s glory
From the Purdie shuffle to its extended jazz chords - analysing Steely Dan's Babylon Sisters
A track that took 274 attempts to mix must’ve been worth it in the end, right?
Re-create the sound of the powerful Where’s Your Head At bassline - which Basement Jaxx nabbed from Numan!
Where’s your head at? Because our headspace is deep in Moog territory, as we rebuild a classic Gary Numan bass patch that was famously sampled by Basement Jaxx
The inventive music theory of one of Tame Impala’s most dazzling songs
We peer into the inner musical workings of one of Kevin Parker’s finest moments
How to re-create one of the most infectious synth riffs of all time
After several attempts at creating the perfect pop production, Take On Me finally became the global hit that A-ha deserved. We build its classic lead sound in software
Dissecting the musical magic of Superstition, the song Stevie Wonder just couldn’t let go
“He played it to Motown, and they said, 'No way is Jeff Beck getting this song, it's too good’”
The complex music theory that underpinned a Talk Talk classic
Mark Hollis’ masterpiece became an anthem of self-determination, but it was far from an overnight success
“A stunningly creative and beautiful sounding synthesizer”: Korg miniKORG 700Sm review
They say great things come in small packages, but is Korg’s new miniaturised analogue synth just another victim of shrinkflation? We grab a microscope to find out
A decade on, we look back at the musical theory and retro gear that shaped Bruno Mars’ 2016 classic
Exploring how one of Bruno Mars’ biggest tunes works on a musical level - and revealing its debt to the 1980s
How to replicate the sample-based sonics of a gnarly Prodigy classic
Dissecting one of the big beat heavyweights’ most iconic bangers, and learning how to recreate its sound ourselves
