Stevie Wonder’s personal synth guru talks tech on the couch at the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy.

After playing bass in a series of ‘50s and ‘60s jazz bands, Malcolm Cecil was a founding member of Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated. But it was the possibilities provided by synthesizers that really excited him, and with Robert Margouleff he formed TONTO’s Expanding Head Band. The name was an acronym of an analog synth designed and built by Cecil himself. A dazzled Stevie Wonder instantly recruited Cecil and Margouleff to his cause, making them co-producers on Music in the Key of Life through to Fulfillingness’ First Finale. He also had long-standing relationships with the Isley Brothers and Gil Scott-Heron, as well as with Steve Hillage, Dave Mason, Quincy Jones, and many others.

For more lectures from the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy in New York, visit redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures

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Their name says it all: Masters at Work. ‘Little’ Louie Vega and Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez are celebrating more than 20 years together, shepherding dance music down new paths with their inventive production style and imaginative feel for different musical forms. Synonymous with the rise and peak of NYC house music, Kenny Dope and Louie Vega met through their mutual friend Todd Terry, resulting in a fruitful production partnership full of timeless hits. With remixes being their specialty, the Masters at Work treatment has been given to a diverse roster of artists, from Madonna, Debbie Gibson, and Lisa Stansfield to Saint Etienne, Michael Jackson, Brand New Heavies, and about 800 other artists. They defiantly mix everything they can find—house, hip hop, funk, disco, Latin, African and jazz—into a universal groove. In doing so, MAW has become a cultural mélange unto itself, emblematic of the multicultural society in which we live. Watch their lecture from the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy in New York.

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Tags: masters at work, kenny dope, louie vega, red bull music academy, rbma, maw, disco and house

Hip hop’s golden age began in 1986, the day Rakim stepped to a microphone to record “Eric B Is President.” Only 18 years old (though he sounded considerably more worldly), Rakim (real name William Griffin) had a smooth, effortless flow that brought a cool melodicism and high intelligence to the MC game—he gave both fire and ice, set within the wiry frame of his serious features. Even those who didn’t get the Five Percenter reference wouldn’t have bridled at his nickname, God. For the full lecture with Rakim and more, point your browser to redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures

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Throughout Red Bull Music Academy NYC 2013, The Daily Note, a music and New York City centric newspaper, will be printed and distributed daily. The paper focuses on the city’s rich musical history, and the New Yorkers that made it happen. Every issue of the Daily Note will include original long-form music articles, personal essays from noted New Yorkers, artist interviews on quintessentially NY subjects, and coverage of happenings in and around the Red Bull Music Academy. Spearheading and managing the Daily Note is Piotr Orlov as Editor in Chief, and Justin Thomas Kay fills the role of Art Director. For four weeks, Monday through Thursday, the Daily Note will take shape of a 16-page book and on Fridays, the weekend edition will be released in a 24-page book format. 75,000 copies of Daily Note will circulate daily throughout Red Bull Music Academy, and full PDF downloads can be found on redbullmusicacademy.com.

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He’s got stories for days: The producer and engineer behind hits for David Bowie, The Beatles, Elton John, Lou Reed, Supertramp and more on the Red Bull Music Academy lecture couch in New York City.

Having got himself into EMI’s studio training program, Ken Scott’s first session as an engineer was on the Beatles’ Hard Day’s Night album. But it’s as co-producer on Bowie’s first golden streak that he’s perhaps best known, stepping into the seat for the classic Hunky Dory, and remaining there through Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, and Pinups. In 1974 he produced Crime of the Century, the breakthrough album for Supertramp. Less commercial, but hugely successful in its own right, was his work in jazz-rock with Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy Cobham, and Stanley Clarke.

For more lectures from the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy in New York, visit redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures

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Tags: ken scott, the beatles, david bowie, elton john, mahavishnu orchestra, producing music, producer, red bull music academy, rbma and lecture