CATEGORIES

Third Son

UK producer Joseph Thomas Price tasked himself with writing, mixing and releasing his debut album in just 20 days. Si Truss finds out how he rose to the challenge...

Vochlea Dubler Studio Kit £259

£259 Realtime audio to MIDI conversion is an area beset with issues. Simon Arblaster asks if Vochlea have the answer

Little Dragon

With the release of their sixth album New Me, Same Us, Little Dragon find themselves at the peak of their powers. Danny Turner gathers the Swedish collective for a group chat

Lurka

Lauded for his production skills by contemporaries like Hodge and Batu, Bristol’s Lurka is the archetypal ‘producer’s producer’. Si Truss sits down with him to talk mixing tips and sound design

Pablo Nouvelle

Milambi ft. Angelique Kidjo Beating Heart, 2020

CEntrance Mixerface R4B £599

Simon Arblaster finds this R4 mobile interface ticks boxes for producers, videographers and broadcasters alike

Arturia KeyStep Pro £339

The French brand round out their ‘Step’ range with a multifaceted keyboard/sequencer. Si Truss gets keyed in…

Moog Finally Unleash The Subharmonicon

Sub-harmonic tones and polyrhythmic sequencing are the name of the game for this former Moogfest DIY project

Lorenzo Senni

Italian producer Lorenzo Senni has radicalised dance music through his largely beatless reinterpretation of trance. Danny Turner discusses his analytical approach to sound

Avision

From his years as a whizzkid on the NY club scene to more recent international stage releases with globally recognised labels, techno Anthony Cardinale’s star is somewhat on the rise. Leo Maymind sits down to talk techno...

Universal Audio LUNA free

Universal Audio enters the ‘digital recording environment’ fray with LUNA. They don’t want us to call it a DAW but Jono Buchanan might just have to anyway…

Teenage Engineering PO-137 Rick & Morty Limited Edition £85

The perfect addition to your handheld arsenal, or just fanboy merchandise?

Pythius Auxiliary

Blackout Music, 2020

PreSonus Studiolive AR8c £350

The smallest in the Studiolive range, as Si Truss discovers, Presonus’ latest mixer is great for musicians and podcasters alike

Roland Zenology from $30/year

The Jupiter X’s ZEN-Core engine arrives in your DAW. Si Truss asks if this generous collection is a Roland Cloud-buster?

Jaga Jazzist

Jaga Jazzist’s genre-defying hybrid of styles has reshaped contemporary jazz fusion. Danny Turner questions Lars Horntveth and Marcus Forsgren on the inner-workings of their ninth album, Pyramid

Akai MPC One & MPC Live II £639/£1040

The reinvigorated MPC range gains two new hardware devices and a software update. Si Truss dives back in…

Universal Audio's free DAW LUNA lands early

...and prices for the add-ons revealed

Teenage Engineering PO 170 £399

This stylish monosynth looks the part but, as Si Truss discovers, look closer and there are significant issues

Teenage Engineering PO 16 £199

The smallest entry to Teenage Engineering’s modular range is a compact four-track sequencer. Si Truss checks it out

SoundToys Effect Rack

With this popular virtual-analogue effect suite free for a limited time, let’s explore some of its little-known uses

Ital Tek

Over the past decade, Alan Myson’s Ital Tek has become one of the UK’s most unique and inspiring electronic acts. Danny Turner delves into the inner workings of his sixth long player, Outland

Indie dance (etc)

How do you define this range of hybrid genres blending dance music with rock, funk and punk influences?

Hodge

With his debut LP, Shadows In Blue, Jacob Martin cements his reputation as one of the UK’s most innovative producers. Si Truss catches up with him to talk synths, sci-fiand the challenges of writing an album

DJ Fresh Escape From Planet Monday

Breakbeat Kaos, 2006

Anthony Baldino

Hollywood’s trailer soundtrack artist du jour talks to James Russell about hanging with soundtrack royalty, working on his special edition Nebulae module and happening upon an ARP 2600 with a story to tell…

ACROSS THE TRACKS

Polyend’s new sampler brings the cult ‘alt-DAW’ format to the hardware realm. But what actually is a tracker, and how do they work?

Caribou

Dan Snaith returns with Suddenly, the first Caribou album in five years. Si Truss meets him in his North London studio to talk bespoke synths, his resistance to gear fetishism and the importance of combining home life and music

THE SECRETS OF ANALOGUE WARMTH

Vintage desks and outboard are celebrated for their ability to ‘glue’ a mix and impart ‘warmth’. But what do these vague terms really mean, and how can we recreate the effect?

Wajatta

Unlikely electronic duo Reggie Watts and John Tejada deliver more urban dance kinetics on their second album, Don’t Let Get You Down. Danny Turner discovers how they’ve become more than the sum of their parts