Mixing / Production

Guitarist/composer Michael 'Jakko' Jakszyk has enjoyed an unpredictable musical career, comprising near-bankruptcy, fame and fortune with Level 42, and some disastrous but entertaining skirmishes with record companies. Here, he talks to Dave Stewart about the making of his unique autobiographical CD The Road To Ballina.

In less than five years, jungle has evolved from cheesy sped-up James Brown samples to some of the most innovative music around. We sent Christopher Holder to talk to Danny Koffey, one of those in the front line.

Eliot Kennedy has carved out a highly successful career for himself as a hi-tech producer and songwriter for a wave of groups at the 'teen sensation' end of the pop market, all without leaving Sheffield. Nigel Humberstone finds out how he did it.

Punk, bass player, pioneer, mystic... Paul Tingen meets a musician who lives life at breakneck speed, and isn't afraid of the dark.

James Asher made the transition from library music to successful commercial releases by tapping into an underlying demand for world-flavoured, rhythmic new age music. Martin Walker takes a world view...

Richard Buskin talks to LA-based mix expert Jon Gass about his work with the likes of Babyface and Boyz II Men, his striving for vocal perfection and his struggles with sibilants...

Artist, producer and remixer Arthur Baker must surely be one of the seminal figures in electronic music history, with a career that initially took off with the production of Afrika Bambaata's hugely influential 'Planet Rock'. Now he's taking a new direction, as boss and A&R executive of his own record label. Richard Buskin goes all starry-eyed...

Karl Jenkins' music mixes ethnic and classical influences with rock's production techniques; his unclassifiable first album sold a million copies. The latest master crossover tells Paul Tingen why he doesn't care about categories.

If you remember seeing fresh-faced popsters Altered Images bouncing around the TOTP stage back in the '80s, you may already have seen Stephen Lironi. Nowdays, though, he's all grown up and carving himself a production career with the likes of Space, Jon Bon Jovi and Brian Wilson's singing daughters, The Wilsons. Richard Buskin finds out about the new image.

Leading ambient housemeister Banco de Gaia has just completed his eagerly awaited new studio album. Jonathan Miller finds him changing tracks as he steams towards greater success.

In his first interview since winning the coveted 'Best Producer' award at this year's Brits, John Leckie joins Mark Cunningham in Abbey Road Studio 2 to discuss his 27-year career and the making of Cast's new album, Mother Nature Calls.

A deeply private man, ex-Gillian keyboard player turned film music composer Colin Towns recently made a rare appearance to promote his latest project, Colin Towns' Mask Orchestra. Sam Molineaux discovers the true story behind his varied musical career.

You've probably heard the amazing story of how Britain's recent number one single 'Your Woman' was recorded by one man, Jyoti Mishra, working alone on an 8-track cassette recorder. Paul Tingen talks to the man behind White Town's extraordinary success, and finds out how he put together his new album using a bare minimum of equipment.

'70s band Magic Carpet waited 25 years to release a follow-up to their 1972 debut album — and '90s technology enabled them to do it all at home this time around. Alisha Sufit, who played, sang and engineered the sessions, explains how it all happened...

Butch Vig came to fame for his work on the seminal Nirvana album Nevermind, going on to make a name for himself in post-punk indie production. Now he's hit the big time as both artist and producer, as part of internationally-successful band Garbage. Richard Buskin caught up with him to talk about roots, reincarnation, and rubbish...

Musicians, arrangers and producers Jean-Phillipe Rykiel and François Breant are well known in their native France as pioneers of Western and African crossover music, and for their willingness to use technology to produce new and challenging forms of music. Paul Tingen paid them each a visit at their Parisian studios to discuss their working methods.

He's an accomplished producer, remixer, writer, programmer, guitarist, bassist and keyboard player — is there no end to Danny Saber's abilities? Richard Buskin talks to him about his blending of pop, rock, hip-hop and trip-hop sensibilities, as well as the commercially unorthodox results that have placed him in international demand.

West Productions' innovative work on the audio post-production of cult TV series 'The X-Files' netted the company two Emmy awards in 1996. Paul White talks to company founder David West about the sound element of major TV programmes, including X-Files creator Chris Carter's new series, 'Millennium'.

It was once taken for granted that freelance engineers would use the standard outboard provided by the studio they were working in. But the explosion in the amount of gear available means that now they often have to assemble personal rack to be sure of getting access to their tools of choice. Dan Daley explores the phenomenon...

This American classical composer writes rock songs as well as concertos and has a home studio complete with contemporary synths and a computer-based sequencer. Paul Tingen talks to him about the best of both worlds.

Mark Snow's quirky yet haunting X-File theme tune was last year's surprise worldwide chart hit, and his atmospheric scoring plays an important part in setting the mood for this darkly compelling television phenomenon. Derek Johnson discovers that the music is out there...