Let The Music Play

Let the Music Play: How R&B Fell In Love With 80s Synths is 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.