Recording

For their latest album, style chameleons James retreated from commercial recording studios and found a new creativity working in the comfort of their own houses. Paul Tingen hears why they've decided there's no place like home...

U2 have always striven for a new sound on each of the records they make, and during the sessions for their latest album, their aim was once again 'to construct a new sound for U2 whilst still making them sound like U2'. To this end, they brought in production wizard Flood and Scottish dance artist Howie B and set about new methods of recording. Paul Tingen investigates the art of Pop...

Imagine you've spent a lot of time and money setting up a one-off gig in a historic castle, for a select audience, with the aim of recording and videoing the performance for future release. Then disaster strikes: catastrophic equipment failure leaves you with half a gig on multitrack tape, and major rebuilding work is needed later in the studio. Phil Bates mixes some cement, rolls up his shirt sleeves and tucks his pencil behind his ear...

Musician and producer Bruce Fairbairn is best known for his US rock smash success with Bon Jovi and Aerosmith, but blended live band recording and a willingness to use studio technology to record the latest INXS album, Elegantly Wasted. Richard Buskin finds out how he did it.

Christopher Fogel accepted an offer to mix an album by an unknown Canadian, and found himself caught up in the phenomenon that was Alanis Morissette. He tells Nigel Humberstone how he went about recording her without loosing the vibe and spontaneity.

Internationally renowned as a producer, recording engineer, and designer of audio equipment, George Massenburg is nonetheless is still in love with the art of music production. Dave Lockwood met up with him in Los Angeles.

Despite having waited eight years to create the follow-up to his 1988 solo album, experimental composer Harold Budd composed and recorded the new album, Luxa, in just 11 days.

High-profile synth programmer, remixer and recording artist Pete Gleadall is a man of many talents. Matt Bell talks to him about his part in the new Pet Shop Boys album, his work for George Michael, and the role of the modern programmer.

Producer Steve Levine has taken advantage of the tumbling price of quality recording equipment to assemble a complete digital studio in a tiny room at his home. Paul Tingen enters the digital domain...

Bored with ordinary commercial studios, The Cure decided to cut loose for their latest album, and set up their latest recording facility in a Tudor house in the country. Nigel Humberstone visited the band on location to discuss the technology that made the move into the country possible, and the group's working methods.

The Godfather of German electronic music, Klaus Schulze favoured an all-digital approach to recording the '80s. The last few years, however, have seen a radical revision of his former philosophy. Paul Tingen meets the man for whom old working habits die hard...

Behind every musical milestone there's a pioneering engineer. In the first of an occasional series, Richard Buskin looks at classic recordings from a technical angle. This month, former Van Morrison engineer Elliot Scheiner talks about the 1970s sessions which produced the 'Domino' effect...

Aquabats are an unconventional trio dedicated to the creation and recording of unconventional improvised music — using unconventional and often improvised instruments — which they call Earth Music. Tim Turan tells the story.

After years of rumours and myth, the fruits of the Beatles' reunion for small screen and recording projects can now be experienced by mere mortals. For the past 18 months, Mark Cunningham has been keeping his ear to the ground, and can now reveal the fascinating details surrounding the Fab Four's Second Coming'...

For his latest musical project, Rick Wakeman chose to work with a travelling state circus. Jonathan Miller discusses the keyboard virtuoso's clowning glory, and delves into the man's 27-year recording career.

If anyone epitomises the home recording DIY ethic, it's Bill Nelson. With over 40 albums to his credit, many of which emanated from his modest home studio, Bill continues to experiment. Nigel Humberstone explores his latest guitar-based creations.

It's clear from our readers' survey that while you like to read about those on the professional side of the recording industry, you'd also like to hear more from fellow mortals! In the first of this occasional series, Paul White talks to Rick Cordes, an SOS reader who's built himself a very tidy basement studio...

Mark Thomas finds himself very much in demand writing and recording music for film, television and library albums. Much of the music involves orchestral instruments, and even 70-piece orchestras, but as Mark explained to Paul white, the bulk of the work can still be carried out in a home studio.

The Stone Roses seemed fit for world domination at the end of the '80s, but after releasing a successful debut album, they disappeared for nearly six years. Matt Bell talks to the producer of their new album, Simon Dawson, about his approach to recording the all-important follow-up.

Down in the BBC vaults, we were told, they had stumbled upon a golden tape containing long lost recordings of The Beatles' radio performances. Richard Buskin spoke to the BBC Radio producer Kevin Howlett and Abbey Road Studios engineer Peter Mew to discover the truth behind the hype.

Jon Anderson discusses the recording of the Yes singer's forthcoming solo album, an intriguing mix of old and new material presented in a classical style, plus his latest venture with Yes.