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Alexander Hacke and Gareth Jones: On Berlin's '80s Underground Sep 03, 2018

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Alexander Hacke joined the influential Einstürzende Neubauten shortly after the band’s formation in 1980. Gareth Jones worked at the iconic Hansa Tonstudio, adding an industrial edge to recordings by Depeche Mode and others. Their paths crossed when Jones contributed production to the Neubauten albums Halber Mensch and Fünf auf der nach oben offenen Richterskala. Here, Jones and Hacke discuss their work with Neubauten, Berlin in the ’80s and what it means to create a signature sound.

Atari Teenage Riot Founder Alec Empire Aug 27, 2018

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Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, a young Alec Empire looked to the rebellious sounds of techno, acid house and punk to inform a new project: Atari Teenage Riot. The trio debuted in 1992 and became notorious for its self-styled digital hardcore sound. When ATR split in 2000, the group and its founder had become household names beyond their humble beginnings. In this episode recorded as part of the Red Bull Music Academy Bass Camp Berlin 2017, Empire recalls the city's reunification years and more.

South African House Music Master Black Coffee Aug 20, 2018

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Black Coffee, real name Nathi Maphumulo, serves as Durban's house music elder statesman. His style is, in his words, “home-brewed but future-focused.” Maphumulo's recording career began in 2005 with a remix of Hugh Masekela's 1972 hit "Stimela" and has gone on to include five solo albums, including 2015's 'Pieces of Me,' which has been certified double platinum in South Africa. Here, Black Coffee discusses the early club sounds of South Africa, breaking through in a burgeoning local industry and more.

Keyboardist and Funk Icon Bernie Worrell Aug 13, 2018

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Bernie Worrell came to prominence as a founding member Parliament/Funkadelic, radically utilizing emerging keyboard technology during the golden age of synths. Later, he resurfaced with the Talking Heads. Worrell has also been a prolific studio musician, contributing to projects by the likes of Keith Richards and Deee-Lite, and he’s among the most-sampled musicians ever. In his 2013 Red Bull Music Academy lecture, Worrell sat on the couch – and behind the Hammond – to discuss his biggest records and m

Atlanta Super-Producer Mike WiLL Made-It Aug 06, 2018

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The Atlanta-born Michael Williams’ journey began with a gift from his father, a Korg ES-1 sampler, followed by his first break: producing for hometown hero Gucci Mane. While the man best known as Mike WiLL Made-It is capable of impeccable rap-pop, he saves his weirdest, most adventurous work for crossover wunderkinds like Miley Cyrus and Rae Sremmurd. The incomparable producer talked about all of this and more during his lecture at the 2016 Red Bull Music Academy.

Calypso Icon and Activist Harry Belafonte Jul 30, 2018

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Grammy Award-winning musician, actor and activist Harry Belafonte is one of the most successful Jamaican-American artists of all time, renowned for bringing the Caribbean sound to the international mainstream. A close friend and adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Belafonte was also at the forefront of the civil rights movement. In this public conversation at the 2018 Red Bull Music Festival in NYC, he spoke with curator Kimberly Drew about activism, legacy and the power of folk art.

Throbbing Gristle's Cosey Fanni Tutti Jul 23, 2018

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Starting her career in the late 1960s, Cosey Fanni Tutti went on to become a seismic force in experimental music. Whether delivering confrontational performance art as part of COUM Transmissions, pioneering industrial music with Throbbing Gristle, or constructing a prototype for acid house in Carter Tutti, her work has frequently been years ahead of its time. In her fascinating lecture at the 2010 Red Bull Music Academy in London, she delved into emotion, meaning and provocation in art.

Bob Marley & the Wailers Guitarist Junior Marvin Jul 16, 2018

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Originally a rock and blues guitarist, Junior Marvin became a member of Bob Marley & The Wailers from 1977 to 1981 after getting into reggae through Toots & The Maytals. He continued playing with the Wailers until 1997, and in his lecture at the 2016 Red Bull Music Academy, he looks back on a career that brought him close to greats like Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder and Jimi Hendrix.

Mastering Engineer Rashad Becker Jul 09, 2018

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Around Berlin, Rashad Becker’s name is synonymous with sonic brilliance — a mastering engineer at the famed Dubplates & Mastering studio, he put the finishing touches on over 1,200 of your favorite techno, dub and house records. His album 'Traditional Music of Notional Species Vol. 1’ is a disorienting three-dimensional thrill ride inside Becker’s mind. In his 2014 Red Bull Music Academy lecture in Tokyo, he talked creating chewy and complex music, and how you can manipulate your sounds to do the sa

'Lost in Translation' Music Supervisor Brian Reitzell Jul 02, 2018

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Brian Reitzell is best known for his contributions to films by Sofia Coppola, including 'The Virgin Suicides,' 'Lost in Translation' and 'Marie Antoinette,' but he’s also composed scores for the football drama 'Friday Night Lights' and the TV series 'Hannibal.' In his 2015 Red Bull Music Academy lecture, Reitzell spoke about the trials and tribulations of licensing music for film and his collaborations with artists like Air, Kevin Shields, Aphex Twin and more.

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