Let The Music Play: Steven Vass in conversation

What a treat to join author Steven Vass in conversation, sharing stories and insights from his excellent new book: Let the Music Play: How R&B Fell In Love With 80s Synths.

Steve will be telling the story of how everyone from Prince to Grace Jones to Sade seized on synths and drum machines to create a blueprint for modern music. Where most people associate early synth development with artists like Kraftwerk or Gary Numan, this book aims to set the record straight.

Join Steve to hear about how he told the story, his favourite sounds, and some great tales and characters that crop up along the way.

We'll hear the overlooked story of how R&B, disco and funk were transformed by the explosion of synths and other music tech in the era of ghetto blasters, shoulder pads and Ronald Reagan. It traces how pioneers like Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock inspired a new generation of black musicians and producers in the US and UK to reinvent music using a whole new set of rules.
From superstars like Prince and Sade to production geniuses like Kashif and Jam & Lewis, it looks at how sounds and genres kept adapting to each new innovation, including drum machines, samplers and digital studios. It tells the fascinating stories of the artists involved and how some of the best-loved records of the era were made – creating a blueprint for music today.

We have two ticket options available: * Event Only and *Event with Discounted Book Combo deal - books will be available for collection at the Festival.

Our event will be followed by a dedicated signing event with Steven. RRP books will also be available for purchase on the day.

About the Author:

Steven Vass is a journalist and editor who lives and breathes good tunes of all varieties. He has reviewed lots of records and live music and written repeatedly about the music/entertainment industry, mostly for The Herald and Sunday Herald. He has also written for the BBC, Sunday Times and Big Issue, as well as working as a DJ on community radio.

Let the Music Play: How R&B Fell in Love with 80s Synths is his first book, and he has also had short stories published in several anthologies. He lives in Glasgow with his wife Anne and young son Toran, who is being subjected to more old music than is probably fair.

Host or Publisher Louder Than Words Festival