Julian Colbeck

Bio

Julian Colbeck has been playing keyboards since age 8 and professionally from 1972-96. His music career spans the British rock band Charlie (the odd hit in the 1970s), John Miles, Yes/ABWH, and Steve Hackett, plus one solo album on Virgin (a "miserable flop").

Julian started writing books in in the mid-1980s with Keyfax, a series of keyboard buyers’ guides. His other publications include a book on MIDI, several tomes on music technology, a bio of Frank Zappa, and a cookbook with then brother-in-law Raymond Blanc (of Last Restaurant Standing TV show fame). He also wrote a bazillion articles in music magazines worldwide.

Julian founded KEYFAX NewMedia in 1994 to produce the Twiddly.Bits MIDI Sample libraries. KEYFAX subsequently created the Phat.Boy hardware MIDI controller, plus several other MI products, libraries, websites, schemes, concepts, and other miscellany to help soothe our troubled technological brains.

Currently, Julian runs KEYFAX and writes and produces music technology videos including the Alan Parsons Art & Science of Sound Recording series.