Electronically Yours with Martyn Ware

Today’s fascinating episode of Electronically Yours features Sarah Blackwood and Chris Wilkie from the band Dubstar. Eclectically labelled as a mixture of Brit pop, dream pop and synth pop, with occasional pop ballads with industrial twists. In 2000, their excellent pandemic-inspired track ‘Hygiene Strip’ was co-produced by Stephen Hague. Ladies and Gentlemen, the stars themselves, meet Sarah and...

This Electronically Ours episode features prolific author Cathi Unsworth. Her latest book is an in-depth examination of the history of Goth music and culture, entitled Season of the Witch. Filled with passion, sex and the power of music,  Season of the Witch  is a superbly absorbing social history of the music, context and lasting legacy of goth, told with novelistic skill. Ladies and gentlemen -...

Today’s exceptional episode of Electronically Yours features the legendary Australian electronic musician Tom Ellard, best known as the founding member of the electronic/industrial group Severed Heads. He is widely respected as an innovator and early adopter of proto-sampler techniques. He is also very interested in computer gaming platforms, and is a successful soundtrack composer and solo artist...

Today's fascinating Electronically Yours episode features Sally Rodgers and Steve Jones, electronic music artists A Man Called Adam. AMCA are regarded as pivotal in the development of the electronic music genres  acid jazz ,  Balearic house , Chill Out and Nu British House .  They have been described as   ‘Britain’s unsung pop heroes’. Their main claim to fame were several hit singles in the 9...

This exciting Electronically Yours episode features one of the UK’s national comedy treasures - Mark Thomas. For 35 years, Mark has excelled in his various parallel careers as standup comedian, activist, author, playwright, TV star, actor, world record holder (20 protests in 24 hours) and all round champion of the underdog and decent human being… I’ve never interviewed anyone more morally driven i...

Today’s very special episode of Electronically Yours features one of Scotland’s most celebrated novelists, Irvine Welsh.   His 1993 novel  Trainspotting  was made into a hugely popular film (it even featured Heaven 17’s Temptation). He has also written many plays and screenplays, and directed several short films. The characters in his novels often inhabit an integrated fictional universe, so each...

Today’s special edition of Electronically Yours features one of Martyn’s best friends in the Sheffield music scene, Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers. The interview was recorded live in front of an audience of competition winners onboard the Heaven 17 double-decker bus which travels daily around Sheffield. This heartwarming conversation is a perfect antidote to the stresses of the Xmas seas...

This episode of Electronically Yours features famous rock guitarist, producer and songwriter Kevin Armstrong. He has collaborated extensively with David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Morrissey and Thomas Dolby, amongst many others. He was a member of Tin Machine, has extensively toured with many acts, and was a member of Sinead O’Connors live band. His recent autobiography Absolute Beginner is a fascinating in...

This episode of Electronically Yours features one of Martyn’s oldest friends in the music business, the amazing spirit that is Jyoti Mishra. Jyoti will be forever famous for one of the most impressive ‘one-hit-wonders’ ever – under his pseudonym White Town – the brilliant Your Woman, which reached No. 1 on the  UK Singles Chart  in January 1997. It also peaked at No. 1 in Spain and Iceland; No. 2...

Today’s exciting Electronically Yours episode features  Tom Robinson,  who first became known in the late 1970s as a musician and LGBT activist with the Tom Robinson Band famous for hits  2-4-6-8 Motorway,   Glad To Be Gay ,  Up Against The Wall. As a solo artist Tom had further solo hits with  War Baby  and  Atmospherics: Listen To The Radio , and co-wrote songs with  Peter Gabriel ,  Elton John...

Today’s highly entertaining episode of Electronically Yours features the legendary keyboard player of the Kaiser Chiefs, Nick Baines AKA Peanut.  Primarily inspired by  new wave  and  punk rock  music of the late 1970s and 1980s, the band have released seven original studio albums, and massive hits ‘I Predict A Riot’, ‘Ruby’ and ‘Every Day  I Love You Less and Less’ amongst many others. Kaiser Chi...

Today’s enlightening episode of Electronically Yours features documentary maker Ned Augustenborg, who has made a fascinating film about an unrecognised hero of electronic music Don Lewis. Don Lewis  was an American vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and  electronic engineer . He created an instrument called the Live Electronic Orchestra (LEO), which integrated multiple instruments under a controller...

This fascinating episode of Electronically Yours features one of the original members of Sheffield’s own legendary post-punk rockers, Pulp. Nick started playing drums aged 14 and was inspired by  Paul Cook  from the  Sex Pistols  and  Blondie 's  Clem Burke . In his early years he saw many of Pulp's performances in Sheffield. He eventually joined the group in 1986 because "they were h...

Today’s incredible episode features one of the truly original avant-garde rock groups, The Residents. Speaking here is Homer Flynn, who is their official spokesperson and member of the Cryptic Corporation (the public facing organisation for the Residents). The members of The Residents remain shrouded in mystery after nearly 50 years and an amazing body of work. Since their first official release, ...

Today’s special bonus pre-Heaven 17 tour episode features one of New York’s most innovative fashion designers, Andre Landeros Michel. Andre has kindly designed Martyn’s outfit for the forthcoming UK tour. Andre founded Landeros New York in 2013. His exceptional designs often blur sartorial gender boundaries. Importantly, all his collections are heavily influenced by his love of 1980’s music. Ladie...

Today’s absorbing episode of Electronically Yours features a famous production team primarily responsible (together with Anne Dudley) for creating the band Art Of Noise, Gary Langan and JJ Jeczalik. Gary started as assistant engineer on the most famous Queen albums, he then went on to work with  Trevor Horn at Sarm on various projects, he produced Beauty Stab for ABC and Through The Barricades for...

Today’s enticing episode of Electronically Yours features an iconic artist from the punk and post-punk eras, Annabella Lwin. As singer for Bow Wow Wow, she started as a protege of Malcolm McClaren, she co-wrote many of the band’s hits, and is now a producer in her own right. She courted controversy with her risqué imagery and passionate delivery, but her talent is irrefutable. She has never stoppe...

This exciting Electronically Yours episode features one of the most influential artists in the dance world, Graham Massey. He is most famously associated with 808 State, and the rise of Acid House, but the sheer diversity of his work including film soundtracks is very underrated - he was even in a Sun Ra tribute band! Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be impressed, meet Graham Massey... If you can,...

Today’s fascinating episode of Electronically Yours features one of the progenitors of the Minneapolis sound, the producer, songwriter, engineer and mixer David Z. As an engineer at Paisley Park working with Prince amongst many others, he arranged and engineered the song ‘Kiss’ and worked with him on the albums Purple Rain and Under Cherry Moon. He also was responsible for the sound of dance floor...

This exceptional episode of Electronically yours features a legend in the world of ambient music, Roger Eno. Brother of Brian Eno (with whom he has created several live and recorded pieces), his compositions entrance and beguile. Roger’s work covers intimate small scale orchestral, through to electronic and soundtrack pieces. His methodology is heavily influenced by his love of the countryside and...

Today’s episode of Electronically Yours features maverick songwriter & producer Pascal Gabriel. His career has spanned 30 years so far, from  S-Express ’s number 1 hit ‘ Theme from S-Express ’,  Bomb The Bass ’s landmark album ‘ Beat Dis ’,  EMF ’s multi-platinum ‘ Schubert Dip ’,  Dido’ s ‘ Here With Me ’ and ‘ No Angel ’, to later hits with  Kylie ,  Ladyhawke ,  Will Young ,  Goldfrapp ,  M...

Today’s episode of Electronically Yours features long-time Heaven 17 keyboardist, songwriter and solo artist Berenice Scott. As daughter of Robin Scott (the creator of M and worldwide smash Pop Muzik), she has grownup in a highly creative environment, and has also recently performed with Simple Minds and Holy Holy on their world tours. In addition to her soundtrack work with Glenn as part of After...

This very special edition of Electronically Yours to celebrate 1 million listens features an all-time legend of electronic music, one of the ‘famous four’ members of Kraftwerk, Wolfgang Flür. Apart from his stellar work on the greatest Kraftwerk albums, he continues to create great electronic music, most recently the excellent Magazine 1 with Peter Duggal, Peter Hook, Maps, Carl Cox, Claudia Bruck...

This unlocked Patreon-exclusive episode features one of Martyn’s oldest and best friends, Bill Gerber.  Bill was Heaven 17’s US manager in the early 80’s, protégé of legendary artist manager Elliott Roberts (Neil Young,  Crosby, Stills and Nash, America, Tom Petty, Tracy Chapman, Bob Dylan and The Cars amongst many others).  Since then, Bill has become a major player in Hollywood, as a film and te...

Today’s entertaining episode of Electronically Yours features on of Martyn’s best friends in the music business, Ricky Wilde. As brother of Kim Wilde, and son of 60’s pop star Marty Wilde, he is the songwriter, musician, and record producer responsible for almost all of Kim’s massive worldwide hits, including Kids In America. He was originally spotted by Jonathan King and Micky Most, and was brief...