Muziker Blog | page 2

Punk was not born in a studio or at a conservatory. It was born in a dive bar on the Bowery and in London rehearsal rooms where nobody could really play. These are the ten albums that turned it into a genre.

Eight vinyl releases that have just landed. Adéla's debut on Capitol Records, a Linkin Park live album from São Paulo, a new Anthrax record, the legendary Alice In Chains unplugged set, and anniversary editions from George Michael, Phil Collins and Beyoncé.

The best pedalboard is a computer. We go through five steps, from setting the input on your interface and getting the effect order right to the parallel effect paths few people can afford in hardware.

The djembe is a West African hand drum you can play a first rhythm on straight out of the box. We go through the four decisions that drive both price and sound: size, head, shell material and tuning system.

Viktor from the band Fvck_Kvlt, also known as DJ VKTRD, built an entire beat on a single groovebox. We wrote his process up as ten steps, from picking a sample through drums and bass to the recording.

A cajon is a box you sit on and play at the same time. We go through how it works, what it is made of, what size you need and which brands and models are worth a look.

Changing a head is not a workshop job but routine maintenance you can do at home with a single key. We go through the whole process, from taking the drum apart and cleaning the bearing edge to tuning in a cross pattern.

Heavy metal was not born in America but in Birmingham. In 1965 a press in a sheet metal factory took the tips of two fingers off seventeen year old Tony Iommi's right hand. Doctors told him he was finished with the guitar. He made thimbles from a washing-up liquid bottle, strung banjo strings and tuned down. These are the ten albums British metal stands on.

Restringing is the one bit of maintenance you will keep doing for as long as you play. We walk through the whole thing from slackening the first string to the final tune-up, separately for acoustic, electric and classical guitars.

August was a rich month for new gear. Two names the whole world had been waiting for arrived, along with three brands we never carried before and a new generation of Yamaha mixers. These are ten pieces from August you should know about.