Studio Radicals features in-depth interviews with some of music’s most innovative minds. 

The series spotlights composers, producers and engineers who are building distinctive sonic worlds and bringing a fresh approach to music production. Across eight episodes, we talk to them about their process, passions and inspiration. We also explore how music is made and what it takes to create a hit record.

In Episode 7, Kate travels to the Californian coast to meet artist, composer and sound designer Suzanne Ciani. Suzanne was introduced to the Buchla modular synthesiser as a student in the 1960s. She was one of the first people to embrace the instrument’s potential, crafting bold soundscapes and delivering exciting live performances long before electronic music was considered mainstream.

In the 1970s she moved to New York, where her experiments with electronic sound continued. She created pioneering musical effects for brands through her sound design studio Ciani/Musica (including the Coca-Cola ‘pop and pour’ sound, plus effects for Xenon’s 1980 pinball machine), alongside working on film scores, performing in art galleries and crafting influential solo albums.

Suzanne has released several recordings – some composed on the piano, some featuring various electronic instruments – and has received five GRAMMY nominations. 

In recent years, she has seen renewed interest in her work, with some of her early recordings rediscovered and reissued. She continues to perform live with her buchla, mixing and manipulating sound in real time, and bringing her sounds to a new generation of listeners. She recently collaborated with Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and is performing live with Actress at London’s Barbican Centre later this week.

In this episode, Suzanne discusses embracing new frontiers, trusting her creative intuition and her long and fruitful relationship with the buchla. She also recalls living with Philip Glass in 1970s New York and tells us why she resisted joining Andy Warhol’s Factory…

Studio Radicals is created by dCS & Kate Hutchinson. Audio production, editing and sound design: Holly Fisher. Additional recording: Lusen Mendel. Photography and video: Poppy Lynch. Theme music: Anna Prior. Logo & Identity Design: Sofia Bastos. Video Editing: Jess Vincent. With thanks to Rachel Aiello.