Robert Margouleff Shapes Sounds

Robert Margouleff Shapes Sounds

Author: Dave Sloan and Holly Cantos May 29, 2026 Duration: 55:51
In the late 1960s, pioneering electronic musician Robert Margouleff and his musical partner Malcolm Cecil built something unlike anything the world had heard: TONTO — The Original New Timbral Orchestra — a sprawling, one-of-a-kind synthesizer system that would go on to reshape the sound of popular music for decades to come. A Grammy winner for his work on Stevie Wonder's Innervisions, Robert joins us in studio on the What Difference Does It Make Podcast to share the stories behind one of the most creative partnerships in music history. He takes us inside the making of Stevie's most celebrated run of records — Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Innervisions, and Fulfillingness' First Finale — and reveals how TONTO's revolutionary sonic palette helped define that era. He also produced Devo's commercial breakthrough Freedom of Choice, one of the defining 80s music albums that helped bring synth-driven pop to the mainstream, and collaborated with Billy Preston and The Isley Brothers, cementing his place as one of the most influential figures behind the boards of his generation. It's all captured in his memoir, Shaping Sounds: Stevie Wonder, Devo, The Synth Revolution And My Life Behind The Music — and today, he's here to bring it to life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For anyone who lived through it, or for those who just love the sounds that defined it, the 1980s were a musical lightning strike. The (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make? is a deep, personal excavation of that era, hosted by Dave Sloan and Holly Cantos. This isn't a simple nostalgia trip or a countdown of chart-toppers. Instead, Dave and Holly use their genuine expertise and passion to guide conversations with the very people who created the decade's soundtrack. You'll hear directly from the artists, producers, engineers, and label insiders, getting the stories behind the songs that you won't find in a standard biography. Each episode feels like an intimate backstage pass, uncovering the creative decisions, the industry shifts, and the personal anecdotes that explain why this music still resonates so powerfully today. The podcast thrives on specificity-maybe one week features a synth-pop pioneer explaining the gear behind their iconic sound, while another sits down with a session musician who played on a dozen classic albums. It’s a celebration of craft and context, asking and answering the question embedded in its title: what difference did these people and their work truly make? Listening feels like joining a detailed, enthusiastic conversation between friends who just happen to have incredible guests. The result is a richly layered portrait of a decade, built one fascinating story at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make?
Podcast Episodes
Matthew Hild Gives Olivia Newton-John A Little More Love [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:50
As an ’80s music podcast, it’s no secret that we’ve always had a little extra love for Olivia Newton-John. Now, author Matthew Hild takes that appreciation even deeper with his new book, A Little More Love: The Love and…
Gen X Summer Song Favorites [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:59
Friend of the show, Craig Rosen, keeps us on our toes as we ping-pong back and forth from proms to fashion to movies. We try to stay on target as we discuss our favorite summer songs from the 70s and 80s. Learn more abou…
Annie Zaleski Gives Us 50 Reasons To Love Stevie Nicks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:55
New York Times Bestselling Author, Annie Zaleski has a shirt that reads, "Sorry, I can't talk. I'm thinking about the 1997 performance of Silver Springs where Stevie Nicks stares a hole through Lindsay Buckingham". It pa…
Gina Gershon Survives The San Fernando Valley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:33
Growing up in the San Fernando Valley meant something very different depending on who you ask. For Holly and Dave, it's a place of warm memories and deep roots. For Gina Gershon? It was somewhere she couldn't wait to lea…
JayQuan Is Raising Hell For Run-DMC [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:38
Old school is in session as JayQuan, author of the coffee table book, RUN-DMC and Raising Hell: 40 Years, joins the podcast. As we learn JayQuan's story, we receive an education on the origins of hip-hop. Artists from th…
Steve Berlin Is A Rhythm Pig [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:19
Steve Berlin, producer, arranger, session player, saxophonist, and Grammy-winning member of Los Lobos and The Blasters is now promoting a band he was in over forty years ago. Top Jimmy And The Rhythm Pigs released one al…
Steve Spears Is Forever Stuck In The 80s [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:06
Steve Spears has just released a book based on his popular podcast, entitled Stuck In The 80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade. We are thrilled Steve guests on our podcast to share a…
Danny Goldberg Bumps Into Genius [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:39
Danny Goldberg has a career that reminds us of why we wanted to be a part of the music business. His career started at Billboard, where he convinced the higher-ups he needed to go to the Woodstock Music Festival. He did…
April Fools' Day Music Favorites [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:57
Happy April Fools' Day! What songs make you smile? For Dave it's a knowing wink from an artist that knows this music can be ridiculous and yet, still love it. For Holly, it's music that makes her do a goofy dance or remi…
Harold Bronson  Reconnects With His Savage Young Winos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:09
Harold Bronson may be best known as one of the co-founders of Rhino Records, but when he was a student at UCLA, he was in a band called Mogan David And His Winos. The band consisted of future New York Times best-selling…