Sampling, clearance and the evolution of hip hop
If you don’t own a drum kit, but have access to a recording device, a turntable and your parent’s record collection, then you possess the basic toolkit required to become a hip hop…
Factory-Made: The 5 Best (or Worst) Manufactured Bands
The task – a list of the top five most interesting manufactured bands. Seems simple, right? After all, growing up in the late 90’s, my childhood was awash with boy-band mania. However, as…
The History of the Vocoder: From Spy Agent to Lead Singer
Kraftwerk, Neil Young, Afrikaa Bambataa, Daft Punk and Air are just a few of the many bands and musicians that have used the legendary sound of the vocoder, a machine that started life…
See You Later, Jamesetta: The Life of Etta James [1938-2012]
The death of soul diva Etta James, on Jan. 20, 2012 at the age of 73, is more of a “see you later” than a goodbye; her music, like her life, continues defying…
Latin American Revolution Rocks
Across the history of Latin American music there have been remarkable bands and composers that have stood for an ideal and have screamed for revolution and change. Playing a major roll in transmitting…
Interview: Idris Ackamoor of “The Pyramids”
When a young Idris Ackamoor was given the opportunity to travel to Europe with a saxophone and a tape recorder, there was only one thing he was going to do: form a jazz…
5 Years on and Christmas has never been the same: R.I.P. James Brown, the Godfather of Soul
It was the morning of the 25.12.2006 – Christmas Day and the news spread like wildfire. I was listening to London’s Heart FM with some friends and having a merry little get-together enjoying…
