“Buzz Me In” Birth of a Record: DEVO’s “Whip It” @ NAMM
January 22, 2026, 4PM-5PM Hilton California Ballroom C
In a lively conversation moderated by Mr. Bonzai aka “Buzz Me In” co-author David Goggin, DEVO co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh and engineer/co-producer Bob Margouleff recount the innovative 1980 recording of “Whip It” at Record Plant in Los Angeles. They explore DEVO’s creative process, early synth experimentation, and the collaborative energy that shaped the song’s iconic sound and enduring cultural impact.
Mark Mothersbaugh. Robert Margouleff, Mr. Bonzai
Mark Mothersbaugh is a Grammy, BAFTA and Emmy-nominated composer, producer, designer and visual artist whose work has become part of the pop culture consciousness. As the co-founder DEVO, Mothersbaugh is an award-winning composer for film and television. His credits include Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, The Royal Tennenbaums, The Lego Movie, and most recently, A Minecraft Movie. Mark has also created the sound for many award-winning commercials and video games.
Robert Margouleff is a critically-acclaimed recording producer/engineer and has been at the helm of hit records for DEVO, Oingo Boingo, The Isley Brothers, Depeche Mode, David Sanborn, and Stevie Wonder (co-produce) . Margouleff’s work can be found listed multiple times in the official list of Top Records Of All Time.
David Goggin (aka Mr. Bonzai) is an award-winning photographer, music journalist and author. He has written over 1,000 articles for magazines in the U.S., Europe and Asia, and has published numerous books, including “Studio Life” (Mix, 1984), “Hal Blaine and The Wrecking Crew” (Mix. 1992), “Faces of Music” (Cengage, 2006), “Music Smarts” (Berklee Press, 2009) , “John Lennon’s Tooth” (BookBaby, 2012), and “Buzz Me In” (Thames & Hudson, 2025).
