Musician and producer Wally Badarou may not be a household name, but his fingers have jammed the synth melodies that grace some of the most memorable and irresistible songs in modern music. From Fela to Mick Jagger to James Brown, it’s way easier to talk about the musicians Badarou hasn’t worked with.

In his lecture at the 2006 Red Bull Music Academy, Badarou breaks down some of the secrets behind working with Sly and Robbie while also offering a fly on the keyboard view of recording Pop Muzik with Robin Scott and explaining why he refused to sign that contract with the Godfather of Soul.