Alex Lifeson: Rush Limbo
(May 1996)
(Click for a PDF) When supergroup Rush took an extended holiday after a grueling world tour in 1994, guitarist Alex Lifeson went home to cut a solo album, Victor.
EMUSICIAN EXCLUSIVES
Going Wild with Bernie Krause
(March 2007)
Bernie Krause talks about his field recording techniques and learning to listen.
Peter Frampton: The Guitarist
(February 2007)
Peter Frampton talks about making his first instrumental album, Fingerprints.
Java Fuels Doctor Nerve
(October 2006)
Nick Didkovsky used JMSL (Java Music Specification Language) to compose an intriguing work for the Meridian Arts Ensemble.
Roger Powell Returns!
(August 2006)
In the '70s and '80s, Roger Powell gained acclaim for his solo albums as well as his work with Todd Rundgren in Utopia, Meat Loaf, and David Bowie.
Roger O'Donnell: The Truth from the Voyager
(June 2006)
Find out how Roger O'Donnelle created the ethereal songs for The Truth in Me the old-fashioned way: one track at a time with a monophonic analog synthesizer.
In the Time of Bells with Steven Feld
(March 2006)
Armed with his trusty recorder and microphone array, phonographer Steven Feld has traveled the globe in search of bells.
The Possible Worlds of Steve Roach
(December 2005)
For over 25 years, Steve Roach has created organic, slow-moving soundscapes that provide a seemingly endless variety of timbres and textures.
Recording at the Old Home Place
(September 2005)
Malcolm Burn, producer of the String Cheese Incident's One Step Closer, believes that the song and the performance are the most important parts of a recording.
Getting Down to Business with Negativland
(September 2005)
Negativland creates outrageous audio collages by appropriating sounds from broadcast radio and television, police scanners, and other media.
Approximately Infinite Onoverse
(July 2005)
Yoko Ono is one of the few contemporary artists—let alone Asian women—to become a household name. She continues to explore music technology, reinventing herself as a chart-topping diva.
Thinking Inside the Box
(June 2005)
Toby Marks (aka Banco de Gaia) has long relied on hardware synths and samplers to produce his music live and in the studio.
Studio To Go
(April 2005)
Sugarcult lead-singer and songwriter Tim Pagnotta talks about recording the band's latest CD, Palm Trees and Power Lines.
Hey! Mr. Engineer Man
(March 2005)
McGuinn talks about the recording (in his home studio) of his most recent solo CD, Limited Edition.
FROM THE EM ARCHIVES
Bill Nelson: Renaissance Man
(May 1995)
(Click for a PDF) BeBop Deluxe guitar hero Bill Nelson has released scores of albums and soundtracks from his modest home studio. In this interview from the archives, he talks about harnessing spontaneity, being an independent artist, and how inspiration and invention can transcend the limitations of your tools.
Mark Isham: In the Beginning
(February 1986)
(Click for a PDF) It's a long way from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to Group 87, but composer-instrumentalist Mark Isham is as eclectic as the topics he covers. In this interview from the archives, Isham talks about looping, using electronic instruments, and the dawn of digital recording.
That Bacharach Touch
(July 1997)
(Click for a PDF) Pop's consummate hit maker Burt Bacharach discusses how he arranged many of his classic tracks. The suave tunesmith also breaks down the arrangement for "God Give Me Strength," the song he penned with Elvis Costello for the film Grace of My Heart.
The Genius of Esquivel
(September 1996)
Juan Garcia Esquivel's elaborate orchestrations and use of stereo imaging produced unusual soundscapes that were way ahead of their time.
Love and Rockets
(January 1999)
Bauhaus made a splashy return to the limelight with a well-received tour, quickly selling out halls to rabid fans on little more than word of mouth.
Danny's Big Adventure
(February 1997)
After a lengthy stint as the leader of the modern-rock band Oingo Boingo, Danny Elfman entered the intense world of Hollywood film scoring in 1985 with Pee Wee's Big Adventure.
In the Kitsch-en with the Moog Cookbook
(March 1998)
Selecting from its arsenal of vintage gear, the Moog Cookbook interpret popular songs in clever, and often campy, ways.
Totally Wired with Tangerine Dream
(April 1986)
Releasing its first LP in 1970, Tangerine Dream was one of the most influential of the early German synth bands, gaining recognition both for its inventive studio albums as well as its innovative live shows.
Zen & the Art of Fripp's Guitar
(June 1987)
Robert Fripp has worked with the best—David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, Brian Eno, and of course, King Crimson. Fripp's insights are of interest to more than just guitarists.
The Wisdom of Sir George Martin
(February 1999)
Sir George—and a select group of musicians he's produced, Paul Winter, Narada Michael Walden, and Jean Luc Ponty—share production tricks and anecdotes.
Tuning in to Wendy Carlos
(November 1986)
Should you ever meet her, do not tell Wendy Carlos she changed your life. Even if it's true.
Pioneers in Sampling
(December 1986)
Decades before the advent of digital sampling, the appropriation of real-world sounds was done with turntables and magnetic tape.
Bigger Science with Laurie Anderson
(September 1985)
In this exclusive interview from the EM archives, Laurie Anderson talks about songwriting, technology, and performing her epic stage work, United States I-IV.
Conversations with Cage
(March 1988)
As a musician, composer, and writer, John Cage helped change the course of 20th-century music. This exclusive interview from the EM archives reveals Cage's humility, inquisitiveness, and humor.
The Electro-Acoustic World of Philip Glass
(October 1986)
Like punks rejecting their rock heritage, Philip Glass, nearly 20 years ago, rejected his traditional classical background.
Frank Zappa and His Digital Orchestra
(September 1986)
For over 20 years Zappa has been garroting American culture, sub-culture, counter-culture, and culture clash.
