All content archive

September 2024

Filter

Year
Month

295 articles

September 30
- Billie Eilish kicks off her tour and makes the switch to electric guitar with a Fender American Professional II Tele
- "Even if the album only had that one track on, it would still be on this list": Humanist's Rob Marshall on the 9 records that changed his life, supporting Depeche Mode in stadiums, and why he'll never switch to digital amp modelling
- “It screams ‘party speaker’, with a definite focus on bass; but not, happily, at the complete expense of detail”: Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus review
- "The death of the album is oversold – a lot of people still want to get their teeth into something, and if you give them something intelligent they’ll go for it": Public Service Broadcasting reaches peak altitude on their new project
- How to build a complete mastering chain in Logic Pro using only stock plugins
- “The quality control is so high right now, and for a song to make it, it’s almost impossible, which is great”: Chris Martin on why he’s sticking with the plan to stop at 12 Coldplay albums
- It looks like Taylor Guitars and Pearl Jam will feature prominently in season 2 of The Last Of Us
- “When streaming decimated artists’ income we all said ‘oh I guess we’ve still got live’… now a different set of vampires has done it with live music as well”: James Blake on the “heist” that’s seen artists robbed of their data
- Playing your first gig with CDJs? Here are 10 essential features you need to know about
- Harley Benton breaks cover with relic'd guitars and basses featuring nitrocellulose finishes
- “A restrained update to the Seaboard Block”: Roli Seaboard Block M review
- “It would be strange if we didn’t have [prototypes in development], since creating music machines is what we love doing”: Elektron seemingly confirms Tonverk leak is real, but don’t get too excited just yet
- "What a great loss. What a great writer. What a great actor. What a great friend.": Kris Kristofferson, country singer-songwriter, dies aged 88
September 28
- "Different enough to make you think, respectful enough to have the whole crowd swaying": David Gilmour opens his world tour in Rome's Circus Maximus
September 27
- “Nobody knows any of this stuff, but it got pretty heated”: Jane’s Addiction guitar tech believes band “is no more” as he reveals months of tensions before onstage altercation and tour cancellation
- "Tell me how this works then?": Coldplay cause Ticketmaster meltdown, leaving fans furious again following Oasis dynamic pricing fiasco
- “It was one of the best experiences of my life”: Ian Gillan talks performing naked in a see-through poncho
- “The bloody government tricked people into a bad vote. People in Britain weren’t told the truth”: Sir Elton John talks touring post-Brexit in new book
- Serato celebrate 25 years of scratch with a new limited edition Scratch Live control vinyls
- It’s official: Everyone’s favourite British group of the 21st century is… Coldplay*
- "There’s nothing fair about stealing an artist’s life’s work”: The worrying rise of AI music extenders
- Kemper is offering Profile Player owners the opportunity to add features including effects, but they'll have to pay
- "If you’re a perfectionist when it comes to pitch, this tuner is for you": Peterson StroboStomp Mini review
- “This is the story of joy, persistence, love, pain, magic and self discovery”: Questlove is making a new documentary on funk, soul and disco legends Earth, Wind & Fire
- How to troubleshoot common audio interface issues
September 26
- "I went into my personal archive to see if there were any unreleased gems and I hit the jackpot": U2 announces a new 'shadow album'
- "Watch how he walks onto the stage, plants himself at the mic, one tattooed fist halfway down the stand, the other resting on top of the mic, immobile, massive, male": Josh Homme, Chrissie Hynde, and more line-up for Mark Lanegan tribute concert
- “I appreciate that you don’t give a f*ck”: Dave Navarro calls out a fan for wearing a Taylor Swift shirt to a Jane’s Addiction gig
- "A giant leap for the world's most popular audio interface range": Focusrite’s top-end Scarlett interfaces get the 4th Gen treatment
- "That’s a real song? I thought that was just a melody in my head. It was really weird": Lily Collins didn't realise that the songs that father Phil had played to her as a child were actually famous
- Pearl Jam guitarist Josh Klinghoffer to be charged with Manslaughter today
- “Ableton Move is coming soon”: The Live creator has something new coming 8 October
- "I wouldn't even play some things for people, because I know they might be like, 'Oh'. But the great ones, they want to dive in": Raphael Saadiq says that Beyonce, D'Angelo and Solange can hear the potential in songs that others can't
- The final issue of Future Music is out now
- "In the first half of the '80s, there were 146 weeks when bands were number one in the UK. In the first half of the '90s, 141. In the first 5 years of this decade... 3": Bands are dying. Why?
- Soma Laboratory revives its “organismic” Lyra-4 synth: An instrument so unique, its creator thinks you might want two
- “The way I play guitar, every time I play with a session musician, they’re like, ‘What are you doing? What chords are you playing?’”: Beabadoobee discusses her unorthodox guitar style and how it helped her to gel with Rick Rubin
- “Tony has done his thing on it”: Robbie Williams and Tony Iommi just made a record
- "If you get the whole Junior-style single pickup thing, you might have found a new beau. We certainly have": PJD Guitars St John Apprentice review
- Prince collaborator Cat Glover, famed for her Alphabet St rap and striking choreography, has died
- “Sounds aren’t just ‘good for a module’, they’re genuinely useable, realistic and ultimately very enjoyable to play": Roland TD716 review
- Roland overhauls its high-end electronic drum sets with the introduction of the 7 Series V-drums and VAD kits: “a dynamic new chapter in the V-Drums legacy”
September 25
- "It's one of my favourite pedals of all time – it's so creative": Brontide's Tim Hancock praises the Line-6 DL-4 delay as he shows us his pedalboard
- “The CCB-1 gives you access to the boost and tone-shaping capabilities of the Copicat preamp in a modern, convenient format”: Is the WEM Copicat the $79 tone sweetener you’ve been waiting for?
- “Players have been requesting a reissue of this model for decades, and Epiphone has heard you!”: By popular demand, Epiphone brings back the Grabber Bass, the four-string loved by Gene Simmons, Mike Dirnt and more
- Hallelujah! Now you can holiday in Jeff Buckley’s former home in Memphis
- “Dialling in these inspiring studio grade tones has never been easier and has never sounded better”: Walrus Audio adds OLED display, more controls, features and sounds on its new and improved flagship Mako MkII series pedals
- “I’m like, ‘Listen, I could give you all the stuff that I use now, but it took me years to even have a use for it": Finneas on why he’s given Billie Eilish “the bare minimum of stuff” in her new recording studio
- Computer Music 340 November 2024: free downloads
- “The semi-hollow design has a bit warmer top end and a little less bottom than the solid body”: PRS unveils limited edition semi-hollow version of David Grissom’s DGT signature model
- Ringo stuck down by illness and forced to cancel remaining tour dates
- Hear new Lady Gaga track, The Joker, ahead of album and movie release
- “BB King’s performance alongside James Brown and more set the tone for one of the most iconic sporting events of all time”: Gibson unveils the BB King Rumble In The Jungle 1974 ES-355, and it’s a heavyweight knockout
- TikTok Music is closing for good in November, after just over a year
- Leaks appear to reveal Elektron’s new instrument Tonverk… but we have questions
- "He was the most introverted guy you’ve ever met in your life. To go from that to the world’s greatest entertainer – it blows my mind.”: Bruce Springsteen airs new tour documentary
- “Is it a post-pandemic thing of people looking for some comfort from something happy and familiar?”: Supergrass's Gaz Coombes ponders the retro ‘90s revival
September 24
- A Scottish musical instrument retailer might just have recorded the advert of 2024 via its Chappell Roan tribute
- “The ultimate combination of pitch-shifter, octave generator, and analogue fuzz!”: Over 3 years in the making, Keeley Electronics unveils the Octa Psi Transfigurating Fuzz, and it sounds wild
- “This launch is exciting and unique for us. We’ve applied the Warm Formula to deliver the OG of bold chorus sounds”: Warm Audio dishes up a vintage-inspired analogue double act with the WA-C1 Chorus Vibrato and Pedal76 compressor
- "It's like I'm sitting here playing Kurt's Gospel through his Nevermind rig – it's crazy, it sounds exactly the same": Proof that the lost Mosrite Kurt Cobain used to record most of Nirvana's breakthrough album is the key to its guitar sound
- “Upgrades will set new benchmarks for excellence”: Maida Vale to get major makeover following Hans Zimmer purchase
- Duolingo partners with Loog on a portable piano for use with its music course
- “I said, ‘Well, Rory, look, you’ll probably kill me for this, but I spotted they had a guitar”: Rory Gallagher’s 1963 Gretsch Corvette was a pawnshop find that cost just $150
- "I look at all the stuff going on with AI in music and I think it’s really, really cool": Jordan Rudess reckons AI is just misunderstood
- "Like all great rock tracks, the song has a staggeringly simple structure": The story of The Cult's She Sells Sanctuary
- “The sound of the most elusive guitar amps ever made”: Universal Audio unveils the UAFX Enigmatic ’82 Overdrive Special Amp – a Dumble-in-a-box for “heavenly” tones in the style of SRV, Joe Bonamassa, John Mayer et al
- “There’s so many on the record but it’s now down to two for live”: Greg Phillinganes explains how he shares the Clavinet parts with Stevie Wonder on Higher Ground as he performs a set of Clav classics using Spectrasonics’ Keyscape
- “It's disappointing when someone you admire talks out their ass about you”: Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine hits out at Peter Frampton in gig cancellation beef
- “Couples audio fidelity and stylish visuals with ease of use and good software”: PreSonus Quantum HD 8 review
- “We were courting Rick Rubin, who told us he’d listened to it with Tom Petty. ‘Wow!’ Tom said. ‘Now that’s something you don’t hear every day’”: Jet on the making of Are You Gonna Be My Girl and how it ended up in an iPod ad
- “This is the end of every song that we sing”: The Cure are back with their first new music in 16 years
- “You know how people say, 'If these walls could speak...'?": Dance music fans can celebrate 25 years of superclub fabric - with a new £349 book
- Roland’s revamped Juno-D synths are “streamlined keyboards for gigging musicians and budding music creators”
September 23
- “They had to put me in the video. People thought I was Adamski!”: Seal tells the backstory of '90s smash Crazy
- "UFX Reverb contains just about every en vogue feature a modern reverb needs": UJam is giving a fantastic reverb plugin away for free
- "A pretty comprehensive feature set makes this do-it-all tremolo pedal an extremely practical compact choice for onstage needs": Walrus Audio Monumental Harmonic Stereo Tremolo review
- LG's amazing earbuds use a magic material for an incredible experience
- Native Instruments launches Komplete 15 and Kontakt 8 with its "biggest update ever": here's everything you need to know
- Kiviak Instruments WoFi, a "modern take" on classic keyboard samplers from the '80s and '90s, is now available to preorder
- “His singing and song choices defy the standard norms of cis masculinity in rock”: A music professor breaks down the theory behind Jeff Buckley's Lilac Wine
- “Using AI is so disappointing. Pay a real artist”: Tears for Fears attract ire with new AI-generated album art
- “Not that she's necessarily absolutely always to my taste, but I just love the fact that she seems to love it, that she seems to be having so much fun”: The Who’s Pete Townshend is the latest rock legend to praise Taylor Swift
- "Andy was truly SO loved :-)": A mural of The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke is ‘on’ as its Crowdfunder sails past its target
- “Another Brick In The Wall is another one I shan’t be doing": Why David Gilmour won’t play classic Floyd tracks
- Soma Laboratory’s Messeiver is a shortwave soundscape machine that lets you tune into a “non-human cosmic DJ”
- “If you can’t play, you’ll find a pedal and you’ll cheat”: Dave Mustaine says guitarists should learn how to play before stocking up their pedalboards
- Here's the REAL reason why Katy Perry’s new album is called 143
- JBL's 305P MKII monitors deliver world-class sound and advanced technology at an accessible price point
September 22
- “A bastion of ingenuity. It’s noisy and expensive, but so much fun”: Gamechanger Audio Motor Synth II review
September 20
- “Nile Rodgers said, ‘Let’s make a music video together,” and we ended up supporting him on tour!”: Deco on their new album, ‘80s covers and attracting the attention of both Noel and Liam Gallagher
- “Stinking good sounds inspired by our favorite vintage fuzz boxes”: There’s nothing fishy about Beetronics’ Tuna Fuzz – it’s a $99 can of high-protein tone
- How to produce a dance pop hit
- “The new touchscreen brings a more intuitive operation experience, and more pedals and interfaces bring more controllability”: Sonicake upgrades its flagship amp modeller and effects with the Matribox Pro II (and it's just $299!)
- Madonna, Grimes, PinkPantheress and Kesha? It seems that stars can’t wait to get on board Charli XCX’s Brat bandwagon
- “Morrissey has severed all connections”: Morrissey just sacked his management as ongoing battle with Johnny Marr rocks on
- How to make a searing lead synth patch with GForce Axxess
- “Blending vintage aesthetics with contemporary playability, and designed to make both a visual and sonic impact”: Harley Benton serves up a budget-friendly treat for Chris Cornell and Jack Casady fans with a tidy trio of semi-hollows
- “Suddenly I smelled burning”: Timbaland's beat for Nelly Furtado's Maneater was so fire that flames started coming out of the speaker when he played it to her
- "They've made it relevant again": Body Count just covered Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb… and David Gilmour is playing guitar on it
- “This guitar combines the classic J-45 ‘Workhorse’ with aesthetic details inspired by Orville Gibson’s legendary craftsmanship”: Gibson celebrates 130th anniversary with exquisitely ornate Custom Shop tribute to its founder
- The brand behind Four Tet's favourite drum machine is teasing something that will "change your perception of radio and help create an atmosphere of calm and relaxation in your home"
September 19
- "He was a crucial co-writer on many of our most popular songs": The Eagles pay tribute to their collaborator, celebrated songwriter JD Souther, who has passed away aged 78
- “These are all guys I admire, but to pick one specific solo out?": Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell picks his 6 favourite guitar soloists of all time
- “We purposely didn't tell anyone that that would be the finished product”: Pharrell Williams didn’t tell his Piece By Piece co-stars they’d be made out of Lego
- "I’m happy to lean into the more imperfect parts of myself than ever before... to stick with an original demo vocal take, to not overthink what something could be and let it be what it was": Rosie Lowe on finding alt-R&B magic on new album, Lover, Other
- "A stand-out guitar for players of any level, boasting a huge range of hum‑free voices.": PRS SE NF3 review review
- “I just finished festival season and I could feel the hole it made in my pocket”: Michael Kiwanuka says it's too expensive to tour
- “Ideal for producers on a budget and pros who want a fully-featured travel keyboard”: Novation Launchkey Mini Mk4 review
- "The biggest lesson I learned is that it’s possible to make an album with limited gear and poor skills in a bedroom which can be talked about 30 years later": Ken Ishii on Reference to Difference
- "My two best friends and musical siblings": Tired of waiting for new material from The xx? Here’s the nexxt best thing…
- “Chappell is one of the greatest singers I’ve ever worked with. Her voice can do things that most singers can never do”: Producer Dan Nigro breaks down Chappell Roan’s iconic Good Luck, Babe! vocal flips
- "The idea is a good one – modulate any signal just by breathing": ADDAC System 310 Pressure to CV review
- Dave Navarro emerges from Jane's Addiction drama with a new release: a Supreme Cry Baby wah pedal
- “Some people are just so ruthless with their own private life…”: Did Dua Lipa just take a swipe at Taylor Swift?
- "Professional sound quality that fits in any backpack": IK Multimedia promises studio-grade sound in a portable package with the iLoud Micro Monitor Pro studio monitors
- "I still find it quite strange that when people think about starting to play and buying their first guitar, going to visit a store is not necessarily something they would consider": Why the Gibson Garage London could change people's minds
- “They got a little (rough) with her. I called them out and said they were sexist, chauvinistic and why shouldn’t she (do it) so basically shut the hell up!” How Cyndi Lauper defended Yoko Ono against the British press
September 18
- "We went to Jamaica in person to acquire this desk": Helios mixing console used to record Bob Marley's No Woman, No Cry goes on sale
- "This is not a mini Quad Cortex, but it could become your most used piece of gear": Neural DSP Nano Cortex review
- The ultimate portable guitar and bass rig? Neural DSP reveals the Nano Cortex – its portable follow-up to the Quad Cortex
- “I always try to get her to play as much as she’s willing to on our records”: Finneas on encouraging Billie Eilish to pick up the guitar more and her “number one piece of feedback” on his playing
- “It was left to me to protect the legacy. This I have done on behalf of both myself and my former bandmates”: Johnny Marr hits back over Morrissey’s Smiths trademark claims
- “It’s fantastic to see them celebrating their own pathway to Wembley by giving back to the grassroots music venues that supported them”: Coldplay announce stadium shows that will give back to the grassroots
- How to make a UK garage beat
- How to make a loop into a fully-fledged track
- “About as complete as a cinematic drum library can be”: Orchestral Tools Monolith review
- Need to calm down? Try Rockabye Baby’s ‘Lullaby Renditions’ of Taylor Swift songs
- Best Pioneer DJ controllers 2024: our pick of Pioneer DJing tools to suit your needs
- This free synth and sampler plugin comes with over 2GB of samples from "the world's rarest synthesizers"
- DrumCraft reintroduces its Bell Brass snare drum, offering you the snare sound of Metallica, Nirvana, RATM and more for under £800!
- “If it were up to just him, he’d be back on tour… but it's not up to just him. The consensus opinion was that he had not recovered sufficiently”: ‘Irreconcilable differences’ means it’s the end of the road for REO Speedwagon
September 17
- “An essential tool for musicians on the move”: Ed Sheeran releases the Sheeran Busker, an all-in-one portable 200W PA system for singer-songwriters to take their performance to the street
- “I thought, ‘Man, I am so out of my depth here. This is like asking me to play basketball!’”: Rob Chapman recalls his trial by fire transcribing Yngwie for his debut session, and reveals what he learned about Malmsteen’s phenomenal picking speed
- “People are gone. Craig’s out. Chris is out, Joey’s out, Paul’s out. The band is different... we’re not that close anymore”: Shawn Crahan on the current state of Slipknot
- “Offers an excellent bridge between traditional EQ and auto-filter plugins”: DHPlugins LFO-EQ-1 review
- Alesis Nitro Pro expands on the BFD-derived Nitro Max to offer "Unmatched flexibility and features at an accessible price point"
- “The perfect musical companion, the guitar you won’t be able to put down”: Gibson unveils the newly updated Les Paul Studio, promising a versatile workhorse electric for all occasions
- "The last 5 or 10 per cent drove me crazy - at one point I had about 130 mixdowns... I’ve come to realise that the perfect mix doesn’t exist": Ben Böhmer on overcoming perfectionism in production
- "I can't really say why it caught on, but if people think something sounds good, they'll use it": A brief history of the dub siren
- “The idea of a mural in the centre of Manchester feels a fitting place and way for all his many fans to come and pay tribute”: Crowdfunder launched for Andy Rourke mural
- “Flowers duplicates numerous melodic, harmonic, and lyrical elements of When I Was Your Man”: Miley Cyrus accused of copying Bruno Mars song - but not, apparently, by Bruno Mars
- “Jack is regarded as a true visionary in the music world, and it has been an incredible journey working with him”: Fender unveils the Jack White Collection – featuring a radically customised Tele, a signature Acoustasonic and a very special tube amp
- “‘F**k this song! Ugh! Turn it off!’ That’s what we wanted!”: Is Trent Reznor music's most uncompromising producer?
- Ex-Ticketmaster boss who illegally accessed rival’s IT system sentenced to a year’s supervised release
- The MPE masterclass: Express yourself with the new generation of software synths and hardware controllers
- “Unfortunately, my breaking point resulted in inexcusable behaviour, and I take full accountability for how I chose to handle the situation”: Farrell apologises, but Jane’s tour cancelled and band take immediate hiatus
- "It does loads of mad sh*t that I still need to work out": Watch Four Tet jam on the drum machine given to him by Floating Points and Caribou
- 5 practical music theory tools to help you make better electronic music
- “They’re entitled to f**k off. You don’t like the ticket pricing? Don’t buy a ticket”: Gene Simmons' message to Oasis fans
September 16
- “The purest, most characterful poly that Moog has made in recent memory”: Moog Muse review
- Jane’s Affliction: Fisticuffs between Farrell and Navarro put future of reunion in doubt
- "Don't be afraid of time travel - this is the way drum computers were handled more than 40 years ago!": Full Bucket Music drops free plugin emulation of Sequential's DrumTraks, the world's first MIDI-equipped drum machine
- Casio’s entry-level Celviano AP-300 and AP-S200 digital pianos promise the sound and feel of a grand piano without the price tag or size to match
- “When I got the email and started unpacking the stems, I was like a little kid unpacking my presents at Christmas”: Purple Disco Machine on working with Nile Rodgers for Honey Boy
- Going ampless: 5 tips for using an amp modeller with your pedalboard
- Europe’s largest online gear retailer launches Willy Wonka-style golden ticket giveaway
- Zoom’s LiveTrak L6 could be the ideal portable mixer and recorder for your DAWless synth jams
- "Like futuristic car polish for your audio": iZotope releases Plasma, the "world's first" intelligent tube saturation plugin
- Neural DSP is teasing a new release – could it be guitar hardware?
- “An incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being”: Family and friends mourn Tito Jackson
- "This single-pickup beauty is a straight-talking, no-nonsense guitar that takes no prisoners in the pursuit of great tone": Epiphone Yungblud SG Junior review
- “I didn't really understand how any of it worked. We were just young and up for anything”: The Postal Service on creating indie-electronic classic Give Up
- “I want to surprise my fans and take them into a sound world like they’ve never experienced before”: Hans Zimmer announces 2025 UK and Ireland tour
September 15
- “It’s rare that we’ve heard such flexible results made so quickly and easily”: Tracktion Dawesome Myth review
September 13
- “It’s especially special to be playing at The Whisky... where almost all of my guitar heroes have played”: Sophie Lloyd announces debut US headlining show at LA’s Whisky A Go Go and shares blazing shred cover of Alice Cooper’s Poison
- “Takes the TS formula and makes it more useful for every player, regardless of style”: Mythos Pedals unveils the Envy Pro Overdrive NV-9, adding switchable low-end and spicy clipping options to a classic recipe
- "I went into them thinking that I didn't hope to get the gig because I really thought that I wasn't right for them”: Why Eric Avery didn’t think he was a good fit for Metallica or Smashing Pumpkins
- “I love him, and I always wish him the absolute best, and I’m very grateful for our time together”: Pharrell Williams admits that he and Neptunes partner Chad Hugo are no longer on speaking terms
- “You plug into a great Dumble and it is this awe-inspiring warm feeling you get”: Mark Tremonti reveals how he bought one of his sweetest-sounding Dumbles at a swap meet and explains why they are the holy grail of tube amps
- “I got tears - I’m gonna have to get my shades on”: The story of how Prince ended up duetting with Amy Winehouse on Love Is a Losing Game
- “Each delay and reverb effect can also be ‘frozen,’ creating static ambient drones”: Mooer Audio adds upgraded 144-second looper to version two of Devin Townsend’s Ocean Machine
- Would you pay $170,000+ for an Epiphone Les Paul? Somebody just did, as Noel Gallagher’s “Definitely Maybe” rides the wave of Oasis reunion fever to fetch eye-watering fee at auction
- "Cut for vinyl from the original master tapes using a completely analog signal path and with constant reference to first generation pressings of the original albums": Capitol reissues 7 US Beatles albums from the years of peak Beatlemania
September 12
- "Smiths Rule OK! has been blocked by J Marr": Proposed new Smiths compilation blocked by Johnny Marr, alleges Morrissey
- “That’s probably why I like underwater-sounding things. Because I grew up on 12-bit music”: Mk.gee suggests that his unique lo-fi sound is the result of being exposed to low-quality MP3s in the early days of file sharing
- Taylor Swift makes VMA history, as Perry, Roan and Carpenter wow viewers with memorable performances
- “There's a reason they call it playing music; you should be encouraged to play with the tools at your disposal”: Take a tour of Public Service Broadcasting’s studio
- Roland’s Aira Compact P-6 puts ‘creative sampling’ in your pocket, and has a built-in mic and USB-C audio interface
September 11
- "If you wake us up again tomorrow we will bring all our amplification into a room and play at 3 o'clock in the morning": When Ritchie Blackmore had an "embarrassing" encounter with Eric Clapton
- “An easy and big multi-effect with a lot of appeal”: SSL Module8 review
- “It did so much for me and for him. It was such a big hit, he stayed 10 more years”: Paul Anka on how My Way indefinitely postponed Sinatra’s retirement
- "This is not just a remaster, this is a brand new 2024 rebuild of the entire Queen debut album": Brian May heads up a new stereo mix project so ambitious, they've given the album a new title
- “There’s a certain magic in sitting at the piano and letting my fingers play random chords as I just let any and everything come out”: Beyoncé discusses the healing power of music and dismisses genres as “traps that box us in and separate us”
- “He hasn't learned a lot in prison... I'm just seeing a lot of red flags. And I feel bad. It saddens me”: Fyre festival investor warns punters to be wary of proposed Fyre II
- “There’s not one digital piece of machinery working in the making of the record. The vinyl comes out just like a vinyl would have been in 1969”: CSNY release lost live album – and it’s all analogue
September 10
- “Sounds every bit like a vintage string machine, and far more besides”: GForce Software VSM IV review
- Apple set to introduce track layering to Voice Memos in iPhone 16 Pro, giving songwriters a quick alternative to a mobile DAW
- “This bass is a reflection of everything I love about playing”: Fender unveils limited edition Blu DeTiger Player Plus Jazz Bass in Sky Burst Sparkle
- “This machine sues fascists”: It’s The White Stripes vs Donald Trump
- “We’ve got a new drummer, his name is Dave, he’s the best drummer in the world!”: the story of Dave Grohl's drums on Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
- “She sent me a lovely letter talking about how much she loves the song”: Taylor Swift’s viral I Believe In A Thing Called Love singalong sends The Darkness to number one in the iTunes Rock Chart
- Always crashing in the same car: Man attempts to gain entry to Berlin club by driving his Audi into it
- "Offers a huge amount of options for all players of stringed instruments, and provides the highest accuracy available for any clip-on tuner": Peterson Stroboclip HDC review
- “Guitar players have been sleeping on wah for the last two decades!”: Cory Wong teams up with Hotone Audio for the Wong Press, a 3-in-1 volume, expression and wah pedal
- “I didn’t realise how diverse, eclectic and innovative my guitar collection was ”: Steve Vai’s monster guitar collection to be documented in epic upcoming book – and there’s a $25,350 Ultra Edition that includes a super limited edition Ibanez JEM
- Unreleased Prince documentary said to fuel rumours that Prince’s While My Guitar Gently Weeps guitar solo was a cold dish of revenge served to Rolling Stone
- Wish You Were There? David Gilmour makes surprise appearance at Hove open mic night
- “Created in response to player requests for the return of this ‘80s-era cult favourite”: Gibson brings the Victory S-style back – new and improved with an Explorer headstock
- “We did some rehearsals about two months ago in London... And it was really fun, we had a really good time”: Colin Greenwood reveals that Radiohead are playing together again
September 9
- CDs up, downloads down? Latest data from the States suggests a revival for every physical format
- Modalics' Plugin Buddy is a free plugin host and utility that lets you run VST3s in Pro Tools - and much more
- “Go f**k yourself”: Martyn Ware’s pithy response to the “pittance” he was offered to use Temptation in GTA6
- “Yep, it’s already finished... It’s in the bag mate”: New Oasis album is on the way, says Liam
- dBdone enables you to view, tag and search your DAW projects from one place, and you don’t even have to load them to hear what they sound like
- “You might sing a take and be like ‘I feel like an idiot’, but double the take, or octave the take, and poof... it makes total sense”: Jack Antonoff on the power of vocal production techniques
- "Winona was made 100% in-the-box, but I don't know how I could even do that today": DJ Boring on the making of his breakout lo-fi house hit
- "This is how the record industry started": Why Norway's Indie Recordings chooses old-school collaboration to help guitar bands succeed with their songwriting
- "I wrote that riff when I was 15": How A-ha's Take On Me beat the odds against them to become one of the biggest songs of all time
- “It’s the one and only time I've written a song about a bass player”: Paul Carrack on what Ace’s How Long? is really all about, and playing with Roxy Music, Squeeze, Eric Clapton and Mike and the Mechanics
- The Ocean reveal how they use Logic Pro to control their Quad Cortex guitar tones and even their lighting in a new rig tour
- “Aside from his incredible musicianship over many decades, he was a beautiful soul and a very funny man”: Tributes paid to bass legend Herbie Flowers
- “In purely sonic terms the SM4 shone, capturing rich mid-range frequencies, making it an ideal choice for vocals and acoustic instruments”: Shure SM4 review
- "She was the one to say if it was ‘Brat’ or not... She works really really fast, and if we’re bored by something, we’ll just move on": Charli XCX producers Finn Keane and AG Cook on her "relentless" creative process
- 10 of the greatest Roland TR-909 moments in musical history
September 8
- “Its versatility in use, coupled with huge levels of programmability, make it a must-have”: Cherry Audio Chroma review
- “Every time I hear Love Will Tear Us Apart, I grit my teeth and remember myself shouting down the phone... I can feel the anger in it even now”: The story of Joy Division's swan song
- “I didn’t know anything about drugs or any of that stuff. For me, acid was a chemical that stripped away paint”: A Guy Called Gerald on the birth of acid house
September 7
- "Eight Mile’s story defies logic": Eminem loses out to Spotify in multi-million dollar streaming case
- “It only took a few weeks to construct it, so it wouldn't be hard to take it down and put it up again in an entirely different city”: For hire: one stadium. Good price. One lady owner
- “The physicality of the guitar was already making its presence felt – but we guess that's the price of rock stardom”: Harley Benton DC-Custom II 612 review
- 5 budget hardware effects tips: "Cheap processors can often generate some of the most characterful results"
September 6
- “I should have done that, that’s way cooler!” Gregg Bissonette hears and plays System of a Down's Toxicity for the first time, here’s how it unfolded
- “There is a line there that you cross where you are just spending money for the sake of the name or the label”: Slash says you don’t need to spend “an arm and a leg” to get a guitar that’s as good as you’ll ever need
- “We are very grateful and happy for the decision by Judge Thrash... I couldn’t ask for a better decision”: Trump stopped from using Isaac Hayes' Hold On, I’m Comin’ at rallies
- If you break through the top layer of the band's mega hits, you’ll find that a lot more goes into their chord progression than G, C, Em7 and D: Learn these unexpected Oasis guitar chords
- For sale (again): the guitar Noel Gallagher once called ‘the best in the world’
- “When I’m here at this studio, I’m relaxed and I am able to face my demons”: Lady Gaga on the joy of recording at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La studio
- “A splash of colour straight out of the SoCal surf and hot rod scene of the early 1960s”: Gibson refreshes its Falcon tube amp series in exclusive new Surf Bronco finish
- "A lot of instruments feel like interacting with a spreadsheet... we're trying to do something different": Void & Vista's software instruments are "pieces of art for people to make art with"
- “Quite possibly the most versatile phaser ever designed... opens the door to pretty much any phase sound you could imagine”: Red Witch Pedals offers a wholly original take on the 8-stage phaser with the high-end, OTA-driven Solaria
- “Are you not entertained?”: Megan Thee Stallion and Queen combine for a new version of We Will Rock You
- “No album in history has experienced such a swift and dramatic reversal of fortune": The great Oasis Be Here Now debate
- "The Hybrid Theory re-release and Papercuts release, he didn’t show up for anything": Mike Shinoda on why Linkin Park drummer Rob Bourdon isn’t returning for the band’s reunion
- “The ultimate combination of classic and modern, offering incredible tonal possibilities, impeccable craftsmanship, and a wealth of features”: Ashdown Engineering unveils mid-priced SX tube amp series with matching cabs
- Goodhertz releases DC19, a delay plugin you can play like an instrument: "Where a standard delay gives you a button, DC19 gives you a slider"
- “We didn’t really plan this far… We just thought we’d make a band. What do we do now?”: English Teacher’s This Could Be Texas takes home Mercury Prize
- “We feel really empowered with this new lineup and the vibrant and energised new music we’ve made together”: Linkin Park reunite, livestream a show, announce live arena dates and a comeback album, and share the video for its first single
- 5 creative sound design tips: "Try pairing pitch and frequency shifters working in opposing directions for oddball results"
- Sony promises to balance sound, comfort and affordability with its MDR-M1 Reference Closed Monitor Headphones
- “Scalpers and bots just bought up all the tickets so we went through and cancelled all the scalper tickets. I want to make sure that tickets go to people who actually want to come and are fans”: Chappell Roan takes decisive action
September 5
- Why Fender's new Mustang Micro Plus headphone amp is the right update at the right time
- IK Multimedia promises "hits made easy" with its updated T-RackS 6 mixing and mastering suite
- “He stole millions in royalties that should have been paid to musicians, songwriters, and other rights holders whose songs were legitimately streamed”: North Carolina man indicted of streaming fraud
- "Worth the extra money for the added features over the original": Fender Mustang Micro Plus Headphone Amp review
- “There were indeed two distinct colours made for her Eras tour”: Gibson unravels the mystery of Taylor Swift’s ‘pink/purple’ Lover guitar, and says that it would love to release a signature model
- Floating Points drops 5-hour Boiler Room set
- “He felt it was too generic at the time”: Producer Rodney Jerkins on why Michael Jackson turned down the Neptunes songs that eventually went to Justin Timberlake
- Boss has now made its acclaimed dual delay pedal compact with the SDE-3
- “I love figuring out not just what ‘should’ this album be, but what ‘could’ it be”: Katie Tavini on the secrets behind top-class mastering
- "While it's encouraging to see large-scale concerts thriving, we must address the widening gap to ensure the entire live music ecosystem remains vibrant and diverse”: New report paints mixed picture of UK live scene
September 4
- "I didn’t really have the mental capacity to write my own music. This stuff felt wholesome and pure and safe": Sufjan Stevens on producing John Legend's album of children's music
- Alex Van Halen shares a snippet of the accurately-titled final track he recorded with his brother Eddie
- “It’s all about dynamics and the flow of it”: Billie Eilish on why she loves the album format and how she sequences the tracks on her LPs
- How to tailor reverbs to work with any mix
- “Music has power – the power to unite us, to cheer us up, to give us the chills, to instantly remind us of a long lost memory, to create a vibe, to set a mood, or to even motivate change”: The DJ Awards return after a five year absence
- How to use your audio interface with a patch bay – a step by step guide
- “I like to do a lot of micro-sampling, which is obviously super French housey, typical of Daft Punk and Justice”: salute on the inspiration behind their debut album TRUE MAGIC
- "It's the best-sounding album I think I've ever recorded": Why Mark Tremonti believes his 20th studio album recording raises the bar for his guitar tone
- "No strings attached, no subscription bullsh*t, just sound": Venus Theory launches free plugin series with Arturia Polybrute 12 library
- “I can’t be in the same room as him”: Fatboy Slim explains why he couldn’t go in the studio with Fred Again
- “Is it a documentary? A biopic? An animated movie? A musical? A character study?”: Daft Punk to feature in new Pharrell LEGO biopic
- "Out of the blue, I didn't have any control over this arm": Brian May reveals he's suffered a stroke that left him unable to use his left arm
- “It's awful, it's illegal, and it's bad for our society”: Have AI music generators been trained on your music?
September 3
- Issue 339 of Computer Music is on sale now
- “The most expressive synth of its time, redesigned”: Has Softube created an authentic Yamaha CS-80 emulation that’s more user-friendly than the original?
- "Make your own high-quality models and load them straight into your session": This free plugin brings AI voice modelling to your DAW
- “He is the most innovative guitarist of all time, and his influence is woven into the very fabric of music history”: Epiphone joins forces with the Gibson Custom Shop for the exquisite, psychedelic Jimi Hendrix ‘Love Drops’ Flying V
- Stadium-sized vulnerability and synth-led synchronicity: Loyle Carner and LCD Soundsystem at Forwards Festival
- “We could be as rude and insulting to each other about our personalities and our music as we wanted”: David Gilmour on the ‘earlier stages’ of Pink Floyd
- “From scorching lead guitar to his own line of hot sauces, Billy Gibbons has never been afraid of a little extra heat”: Seymour Duncan and the ZZ Top frontman team up for some blazing new pickups for your Telecaster and Les Paul
- After "many years of hard work", KV331 Audio has finally released SynthMaster 3
- “Endless creative possibilities with just a flick of a switch”: Harley Benton’s DNAfx GiT Core packs 55 amp models, 151 effects and an 80-second looper into a compact format – all for under $99
- Modular manipulation: how to transform sounds with a Eurorack effects rig
- “The original owner died while playing this very guitar”: Jared James Nichols resurrects another vintage Les Paul from a devastating storm – named Katrina, it has one heck of a story to tell
- Time heals all wounds: Blur’s Dave Rowntree says he’ll be “first in the queue” to see Oasis
- “We were blown away by the level of risk-taking”: The UK’s female, non-binary and trans music tech community is hailed as “thriving”
- “A dream come true, I’ll never forget it”: Jay Weinberg guests with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
- “Music and guitar playing comes from within and it’s to be enjoyed at any level”: Yngwie Malmsteen has a very important message for anyone who plays the guitar
- “Why does a ‘band of the people’ go along with these corporate dynamic ticket policies that feel like it rips off fans?”: How fiasco over Oasis tickets could spell the end of ‘dynamic pricing’
- “A horror show... sounds f**in’ horrible”: Kinks AI track gets an emphatic thumbs down from Dave Davies
September 2
- “These American originals, celebrated for their rich histories and unparalleled sound, continue to set the standard”: Gibson gives its SJ-200 and J-45 acoustics an exclusive Blueberry Burst makeover
- “Incredibly musical and vocal… the way it was always supposed to be”: Xotic Effects unveils the XW-2 in metallic blue – a wah with the wow factor and a “beyond vintage” take on the Clyde McCoy classic
- “He was a sort of eccentric. He smoked a pipe while he recorded. We got there, and then we just started working things out”: Andy Summers on his surprise ‘new’ collab album with Robert Fripp
- “Responds to the touch with incredible nuance, superb sustain and dynamics”: Lava Music’s carbon fibre smart acoustic just got a lot slimmer with the stage, studio and travel-friendly ME Air
- “Keith dedicated his life to revolutionising how live interactive music is played and experienced”: Music technology innovator Keith McMillen dies, aged 67
- “It’s like having a little piece of Dime with you everywhere”: Nail Dimebag Darrell’s fearsome metal tone with the resurrected and reimagined Warhead amp – a 40W high-gain powerhouse, road-tested during Pantera rehearsals
- "We’ve reached the point where, you know, we want to play the Grammys, we want to play the Olympics. Why not?”: Shawn Crahan lets slip Slipknot’s Olympic dream
- “Apparently, a lot of people wanted to do Hallelujah, and they just categorically said no”: EDM producer Zedd on why even he was surprised that Jeff Buckley’s estate gave him permission to remix Dream Brother
- “It’s just amazing to see those legendary Keith Tuners ready-fitted on a guitar!”: Jon Gomm unveils revolutionary Ibanez signature model and it looks every inch the ultimate high-performance acoustic
- “I was considered an ugly woman who took your monument away... some of his closest friends told me that probably I should stay in the background, I should shut up”: New Lennon doc throws light on the prejudice Yoko Ono faced
- Music theory you can use: 6 chord tricks for songwriters and producers
September 1
- Former Oasis drummer Alan White teases photo of Don’t Look Back in Anger bass drum head ahead of Oasis reunion
- Thomann’s latest 70th anniversary deals just dropped - including bonkers birthday discounts on Taylor, Arturia, Darkglass, Behringer, Baby Audio and loads more
- The ultimate guide to modern EQs: "There are whole new categories of plugin being forged, or merged with other tools"