Computer Music

#4 Make a track in the style of Pet Shop Boys

> Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe from the Pet Shop Boys are currently celebrating four decades of having produced their unique brand of electronic pop. To mark the occasion, they’ve brought out a new album, Nonetheless, so it’s time to look at what makes their music tick.

The duo started writing music together in 1981, and began a long list of chart hits with their debut album, Please, in 1986 and the huge hit singles West End Girls, Suburbia and Love Comes Quickly. They then enjoyed number one after number one during their so-called ‘imperial phase’, with tracks including It’s a Sin and What Have I Done to Deserve This? featuring Dusty Springfield.

More ‘single word’ titled – written about a friend of Tennant’s who died of AIDS – giving the duo a great rep for tackling heartfelt subjects with often uplifting melodies.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Computer Music

Computer Music8 min read
Time-shaping Concepts
Time-manipulation forms such an integral part of our production toolset that it’s easy to ignore how powerful, flexible and impressive it is. In this feature, we’re focusing on some of the more sonically interesting routes. Even so, it’s worth defini
Computer Music8 min read
Helado Negro
> When you think of an album which centres synthesis, electronics and its makers as a core theme, you probably conjure a sonic image of aloof, difficult music, summoned by an automoton humanoid in a natty silver jacket. But rarely do you find an albu
Computer Music5 min read
#07 Mid-side EQing techniques
> The well-known practice of individually applying EQ to the mid and side channels is called mid-side EQing. EQs that use the mid-side (M/S) mode convert a stereo sound into mono and stereo channels. The mid (mono) signal contains the information tha

Related Books & Audiobooks