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All You Need Is Lab - How Science And Technology Inspired Innovation In Music

4 Extra Debut. Midge Ure explores how technical innovation has stimulated musical creativity, from steel guitar to the sequencer. From 2014.

Musician and songwriter Midge Ure looks at the many ways scientific and technological innovation have stimulated creativity in pop music.

From the invention of the steel guitar string, through the tape recorder and the synthesiser, to the drum machine and Autotune, musicians have always embraced the latest ideas and adapted or distorted them to produce new sounds.

Musicians Anne Dudley (Art of Noise) and Thomas Dolby join music journalist David Hepworth and blues researcher Tom Attah, exploring how the laboratory has informed and inspired the studio.

Midge demonstrates what you can achieve with just a laptop these days - but laments the passing of an age of invention in popular music.

Featured music includes:

The Beatles
Chopin
Thomas Dolby
Robert Johnson
Muddy Waters
Little Walter
Charlie Christian
Les Paul and Mary Ford
The Tornados
The Small Faces
Queen
The Sweet
Stevie Wonder
Band Aid
Art of Noise
Donna Summer
Fat Boy Slim
Cher
Daft Punk
Nick Clegg

Producer: Trevor Dann

A Trevor Dann production for 成人快手 Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2014.

Available now

30 minutes

Last on

Mon 19 Apr 2021 03:30

Broadcasts

  • Sat 15 Feb 2014 10:30
  • Tue 5 Aug 2014 11:30
  • Mon 12 Apr 2021 14:30
  • Sun 18 Apr 2021 15:30
  • Mon 19 Apr 2021 03:30