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'80s Hitmaker Trevor Horn Apr 23, 2018

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Trevor Horn found massive success with The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star," but he also produced some of the biggest hits of the 80s, including landmark records with ABC and Malcolm McLaren. An early champion of then-new electronic technology, Horn traces his story to the brink of superstardom with ZZT Records and talks how to make a perfect song in his 2011 Red Bull Music Academy lecture.

Young Guru: Jay-Z's Engineer Apr 16, 2018

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Young Guru is more than just an engineer. As Jay-Z's right-hand man in the studio, he oversees everything from sequencing to mixing, and his work on "Empire State of Mind" earned him a Grammy nomination. In this brilliant lecture at the 2011 Red Bull Music Academy, he talks stealing records to scour for samples and how Jay Electronica revived his faith in hip-hop.

Steve Reich: Pioneering Minimalist Composer Apr 09, 2018

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Hailed as the world’s “greatest living composer,” Steve Reich helped pioneer American minimalist music alongside Philip Glass, Terry Riley and John Adams – although Reich himself prefers the term post-minimalism. Repetition and the use of speech and field recordings are the cornerstones of his vast body of work, which has accumulated too many awards to mention. At the 2010 Red Bull Music Academy in London, a true genius sat down to discuss it all.

Ka: Rap's Single-Minded Force Apr 02, 2018

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Ka witnessed the genesis of hip-hop growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn. But it wasn't until his first album made its way to GZA that things began to change. In control of everything – rhymes, beats, videos, distribution – Ka is a single-minded force in rap with a stark, minimal style. Sitting with Jeff Mao at the 2016 Red Bull Music Academy, Ka talks about growing up in Brownsville, the reality of life as a man, and the patience needed to find and accept your own voice.

Joan La Barbara: Vocal Virtuoso Mar 26, 2018

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Vocal virtuoso and sound artist Joan La Barbara looms large in experimental music. From multiphonic singing to circular breathing, she’s developed a whole new vocabulary of trills, whispers, cries and clicks and collaborated with the likes of Philip Glass, Steve Reich, John Cage and her husband Morton Subotnick. In her lecture at the 2016 Red Bull Music Academy, she detailed how she came to master the human voice.

Hudson Mohawke Mar 19, 2018

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Hudson Mohawke’s ascent has seen him go from playing Glasgow house parties to releasing two solo albums for Warp, producing with Lunice as the gargantuan duo TNGHT (which led a new wave in trap music in the US popular consciousness), signing to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music, and producing hits for Kanye, Pusha T and Drake. In his 2015 lecture at the Red Bull Music Academy in Paris, he talks coping with fame and creating his unique sound.

Syd Mar 12, 2018

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LA native Syd found early success producing tracks and DJing on tour for Odd Future, and in 2017, she released her debut studio album Fin. In her 2017 lecture as part of the Red Bull Music Academy Paths Unknown, she sat down on the couch in London to look back on what she learned from her days with Tyler, The Creator and the Internet, detail her singular approach to writing and explore how collaborations have shaped her sound.

Alice Bag Mar 05, 2018

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Born in East Los Angeles to immigrant Mexican parents, Alice Bag first embraced music’s riotous energy when she founded the Bags with Patricia Morrison in 1977. The band made an indelible mark on the burgeoning LA punk scene, thanks to how the young singer transformed the blunt trauma of her daily life into onstage energy. In this public conversation at the Red Bull Music Academy Festival Los Angeles, Bag shared some of her hard-earned wisdom about upending expectations of what women can do in music.

Edgar Wright Feb 26, 2018

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Director Edgar Wright is known for parodying cinematic tropes, as seen in 2004’s zombie horror mash-up Shaun of the Dead. His latest movie, Baby Driver, became the surprise summer blockbuster of 2017. In this talk at the Red Bull Music Academy Los Angeles Festival, presented by composer Brian Reitzell, Wright dives deep into his use of music in film.

Debbie Harry & Chris Stein Feb 19, 2018

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As Blondie's founding members, Chris Stein and Debbie Harry inspired kids and rebels around the world at the turn of the '80s. With classic songs like "Heart Of Glass" and "The Tide Is High," they created their own sound from New York’s melting pot of punk, wave, reggae and hip-hop. At the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy, the duo recalled New York in the '70s and '80s.

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