Jim Ottewill

We pick Dan Carey's brain for his creative processes and why he currently has a need for speed when working in the studio.

Luca Bacchetti has soaked up a wild aural palette as a globe-trotting DJ, but it was returning to a bungalow in rural Tuscany that allowed him to shape his debut album, Secret World.

Mark Ralph has produced some of the biggest chart smashes in recent years, working with an impressive roster of artists that includes Clean Bandit, Hot Chip, Jax Jones and many more.

Steve Mackey was much loved as the well-heeled bassist in Sheffield underdogs Pulp and long-time musical accomplice of their ubiquitous frontman Jarvis Cocker. But he’s also ploughed an alternative musical furrow as a producer and remixer, energising everyone in the studio from the lo-fi ragga of M.I.A., to the stadium guitar pop of Arcade Fire. We caught up with him to trace his journey from Pulp to top producer and beyond…

Ahead of a hotly anticipated return to London this summer for Nile Rodgers’ Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre, we clamber under the hood of James Murphy and Soulwax/2manydjs’ Despacio sound system to learn how it sets dancefloor pulses racing – at strictly no faster than 120bpm…

The English record producer reflects on industry recognition, his work at Gearbox Records and offers some words of wisdom for those looking to have a similar career in the studio.

Alongside his hit records, the much-aped ‘gated reverb’ effect is arguably what Hugh Padgham is most known and loved for. Hugh tells us how he first attained this unique and recognisable effect…

With four Grammys and millions of record sales with pop royalty such as Sting and Phil Collins, Hugh Padgham has become one of the world’s most beloved producers. We catch up with Hugh to dig up the roots of his music-industry career, unpick his game-changing studio techniques and discover how, when you strip everything away, it all comes back to the music…

When late music stars return to the stage in hologram form, what does it mean for the industry, the audience and the future of music? We investigate the world of the hologram…

From teenage years spent skateboarding with The 1975 to international success with his band Spring King, Tarek Musa gives us the inside track on his favourite gear, why he loves the studio and how imposing creative limitations can give your music the edge.