Electronic Music

Oli Freke talks us through the history of samplers, from the introduction of the Mellotron in 1963, through to current day sampling software, while highlighting the golden era of sampling from the late 80s to early 90s.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:08 - The Mellotron
02:28 - Pre-Digital Samplers
03:18 - Pierre Schaeffer And The Phonogène
04:03 - Peter Zinovieff And EMS
05:44 - The University Of Illino...

Composer, pianist and producer Martin Kohlstedt talks to Caro C about his approach to combining piano and electronic instruments, improvisation in the studio and on stage, plus the work he is doing to reduce the carbon footprint of touring.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:42 - Combining Piano And Electronics
05:10 - Organic, Improvised Performances
09:29 - Incorporating The Voice Into Recordings
10:23 - Favo...

Composer and Sound Designer Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe tells Caro C about his preferred sound modules and working methodologies, plus shares details some of the film and TV projects that he has recently been collaborating on.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:35 - Finding A Musical Voice
04:38 - Choosing Modular Synthesis
10:18 - Avant Garde Artistry
17:14 - Current Modular Setup
23:19 - Other Favourite Module...

In this occasional series exploring modular synthesis and live performance, William Stokes talks to Tony Rolando, electronic musician and founder of modular company Make Noise. Tony talks about his beginnings in the industry and how Make Noise has relaunched in 2025 with a new team and a brand new module release, which he then showcases in an exclusive performance alongside four additional modules.

Chapters
00:00 - Intro...

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the groundbreaking E-mu Systems Emulator II sampler, Dave Rossum, Kevin Monahan and Paul Wiffen share inside stories of the development and manufacture of the instrument, their struggles to get around the technological limitations of the time and how the instrument was widely adopted by bands, artists and pop culture.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:50 - The Origins Of Th...

Electronic music pioneer and composer Suzanne Ciani discusses her career highlights in conversation with William Stokes, including early performance struggles due to her determination to present shows in quadraphonic, a career resurgence thanks to Moogfest and why she loves working with the Buchla interface.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:06 - The First Female To Score A Movie
04:01 - Having More Than 20 Albums

Krust, also known as K or DJ Krust, chats about his early involvement in the Bristol music scene in the late 80s to early 90s, the development of the Drum & Bass sound and setting up the Full Cycle and Dope Dragon labels with Roni Size.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:28 - Early Influences And Getting Started
07:28 - Getting Immersed In Rave
08:45 - Launching A Label
10:23 - Learning The Equipment
12:...

Pedals are not just for guitars. Here Paul White connects his extensive pedal collection to a modular synth system, effectively using the pedals as additional modules and suggesting some creative ways of setting up and combining them to create a range of sounds for different applications.

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (01:12) - Connecting Your Pedals
• (02:01) - Using A Delay Or Reverb
• (04:19) - Adding Some Overdrive
• (05:08)...

In this first part of an occasional series exploring modular synthesis and live performance. William Stokes talks to experimental electronic musician Scanner about his career, the choice of his favourite modules he'll showcase in his closing performance and the friendliness of the modular community.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:13 - The Tate Modern Installation
02:52 - Working With Laurie Anderson
06:40 - T...