I can’t say I ever thought Computer Music would make it to issue 300 when I helped launch the magazine all those years ago. Not that we even thought about ‘space year 2021’ in 1998; back then dragging the magazine into the 21st century was probably our only goal, not contemplating another two decades on top of that. But any magazine reaching the milestone of 300 issues must be doing something right, especially in the era of COVID and the internet. Really, magazines have no damned right to be here in this day and age, when you can get so much (mis) information from the internet. But make it to issue 300 we have, and it’s an especially poignant one as I really was there at the first issue (yes I know I don’t look old enough – that’s a simple, non-stressful life for you). And, even though my mother would probably be asking what the hell I’ve done with my life, we’re celebrating this 300 birthday anyway, and not by receiving gifts but giving – the right thing to do kids. So we’re giving you a DAW bundle with $80 worth of stuff to go with it (see p16) plus more than 10,000 classic samples. There’s a nostalgia-fest in the form of our main features – one on p50 looking at how we made music back in ’98 (sans virtual instruments as I recall) while our best samples (p82) and best Masterclass tips (p58) celebrate 300 issues of advice and sounds. Which just leaves time to say ‘happy 300 to us’. If I’m still here at issue 600, shoot me.
“If I’m still here at issue 600, then shoot me”