The ILLIAC II

The astonishing story of Léon Theremin goes far beyond his famous instrument, taking in war, espionage, kidnap and, ultimately, redemption

It’s September 1984 and UK industrial pioneers Test Dept are flexing their political muscles as they throw their musical weight behind the increasingly bitter miners’ strike, beginning with a now legendary benefit concert in south London

The UK debut of Madonna wasn’t exactly the triumph you might expect. We jump back to a cold January night in 1984 and a live broadcast from Manchester’s HaÇienda for the full tale

The theme to BBC children’s show ‘Blue Peter’ is instantly recognisable, but did you know the version used from 1979 to 1989 was recorded by prog godhead Mike Oldfield?

We’ve had 70 years of getting excited about Space Tourism, but we’re still waiting for the Lunar Hilton to open

We set the dial to 1961 where the unmistakable sound of Del Shannon’s Number One smash hit ‘Runaway’ rules the airwaves… but what is that flute-like sound that drives it along? Prepare yourself for a lesson in electronic music instrument history.