Tape Notes

John is joined by IDLES' Bowen, along with producer Kenny Beats, and producer and engineer Mikko Gordon, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘TANGK’.

Idles are a British post-punk band who gained recognition with their 2017 debut album ‘Brutalism’. Known for their gritty, powerful sound and explosive live shows, their five albums to date have earned them nominations for the Mercury Prize, BRIT & Grammy Awards. Their latest record, ‘TANGK’, sees the band team up with producers Nigel Godrich and Kenny Beats, and digs into topics of love and gratitude, all while maintaining their signature Idles energy.

Linking up between Kenny’s LA studio and Mikko’s London studio, the trio discuss how they utilised the different strands of experience and expertise from all involved. As well as dubious covers and Christmas day demos, they share stories of writing team breakouts and the unexpected moments that came when they drew inspiration beyond their usual domains. 

Tracks discussed: Roy, A Gospel, POP POP POP

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 50% off.

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your 25% discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘TANGK’ here.

• Partisan Records

GEAR MENTIONS

Venn Audio V-Clip

Electro Harmonix Loop Station

Electro Harmonix POG Pedal

Moogerfooger Pedals

Vongon Pedal

Beyerdynamic M500 Mic

Electro-Voice RE10

U47 Microphones

1176 Compressor

API EQ 560

Shure SM57

Empirical Labs Distressor

Altec Solid State Mixers

Altec Tube Mixers

Augspurger Speakers

Yamaha Disklavier Piano

Ableton Saturator

Ableton

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Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

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TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Katie-Louise Buxton 

Seb Brunner-Stolovitzky 

Jonathon Coughlin

We’ve been having a look back through the Tape Notes archive to bring back some of our favourite early episodes that you may have missed. This selection is our conversation with Matty and George of The 1975, recorded back in March 2019.

EPISODE NOTES

John ventures up to Spitfire Audio to meet with Matty and George from The 1975 to talk about how the album 'A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships' was recorded and produced.

Somewhat bleary eyed after a massive night at the Brits (scooping two awards), the boys reveal the inner workings of The 1975's production methods and writing techniques. We're treated to demo versions and extensive track breakdowns from their award winning album, showing what it takes to create a 1975 hit.

We get to hear why Matty scats to write lyrics, how George uses a Barry White bass trick for creating lush vocals, and hear THE definitive explanation of side-chain compression.

Tracks discussed: I Like America & America Likes Me, How To Draw / Petrichor, It's Not Living (If It's Not With You)

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 50% off.

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your 25% discount HERE

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships’ here

•  Dirty Hit, Polydor Records, Interscope Records

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Arturia Synth Emulators

Izotope Vocal Synth

Korg Legacy Collection

Moog

Shure SM58

Teenage Engineering OP1

Waves CLA Vocal Plugin

Yamaha DX7

Yamaha Reface DX

Logic Pro

Cubase

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If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

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Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Katie-Louise Buxton 

Seb Brunner-Stolovitzky 

Jonathon Coughlin

John sits down with American singer and guitarist Annie Clark, aka St Vincent, to talk about her latest album ‘All Born Screaming’.

Immersed in music since childhood, after studying at Berklee College of Music, Annie toured with acts including The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens. Adopting the name 'St. Vincent', in 2006 she released her debut EP 'Paris Is Burning', and released her debut album 'Marry Me' the following year. As well as having collaborated with artists including David Byrne, Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift, St Vincent has released seven acclaimed studio albums, and has won four Grammy Awards.

John and Annie dig into the inspiration behind the record’s creation, touching on her development as an artist and producer, as well as her collaborations with esteemed artists such as Dave Grohl, Mark Guiliana, Josh Freese, and numerous others.

Tracks discussed: Broken Man, Hell Is Near, Sweetest Fruit

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 50% off.

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your 25% discount HERE

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘All Born Screaming’ here.

• Total Pleasure Records

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Neumann U87

Neumann U67

Coles Ribbon Mics

Neve Console

Buchla Synth

Arturia Lab 5

Sequential Synths

Roland TR-808

Publison Synth

Korg MS20

Lomo 19A19

EMT 140 Plate

Federal Compressor

Erica Synths Perkons Drum Machine

Eventide H3000

1176 Compressor

Nashville Telecaster

St Vincent Signature Series Guitar

Tascam Cassette Tracks

Avid ProTools

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Donate

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KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

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Twitter: @tapenotes 

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To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

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TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Alex Patterson

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Katie-Louise Buxton 

Seb Brunner-Stolovitzky 

Jonathon Coughlin

John catches up with Bob Vylan and producer Jonny Breakwell to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the ‘Humble As The Sun’.

Bob Vylan, are a grime and punk rock duo who emerged in 2017. Despite facing resistance for their provocative themes on racism and inequality, they gained a loyal following. Their albums, 2020’s ‘We Live Here’ and 2022’s ‘Bob Vylan Presents the Price of Life’ earned critical acclaim, and saw the duo win Best Alternative Act at the MOBO Awards. Their latest, ‘Humble as the Sun,’ sees the duo flex their musical muscles, drawing on soul, drill, and punk, brought together with their trademark intensity.

Chatting in Miloco’s The Pool Studio, where some of the album was recorded, the conversation includes insights into navigating the independent artist landscape and the pivotal moments balancing personal and musical life. The pair also reflect on the process of refining Bobby's initial demos into polished tracks, exploring the production techniques that enhance the depth and character of the band’s sound.

Tracks discussed: Humble As The Sun, Reign, Makes Me Violent

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 50% off.

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Humble As The Sun’ here.

Ghost Theatre

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

FabFilter Saturn 2

FabFilter Pro Q3

Soundtoys Radiator

Boz Labs Big Clipper

Native Instruments Battery

Native Instrument Kontakt

Native Instruments Massive

Native Instruments Guitar Rig

Valhalla Delay

Seventh Heaven Reverb

Plugin Alliance Black Box

Waves CLA Compressor

Ableton Overdrive Plugin

UAD Apollo

Leslie Rotating Speaker

SE Electronics SE2200 Condenser Microphone

AKG414 Microphone

BeesNeez Arabella Microphone

Lomo 19A19 Microphone

Shure KSM353 Ribbon Mic

Shadow Hills Mono GAMA Mic Pre

Culture Vulture Distortion

Neve one of a kind Distortion Unit (Marshall Studios)

Neve 80’s series desk (Marshall Studios)

Marshall Jaguar Amp

OUR GEAR

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HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

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To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Videographer, Editor

Alex Patterson - Engineer

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Jessica Clucas - Production Assistant

Katie-Louise Buxton - Production Assistant

Seb Brunner-Stolovitzky - Production Assistant

Jonathon Coughlin - Production Assistant

John catches up with English rock band The Libertines to discuss how they wrote and recorded their latest album ‘All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade’.

The Libertines formed in 1997 and shot to fame with their debut album, 'Up the Bracket,' becoming pillars of the British indie/alternative resurgence of the early 2000s.

Thirty years after their careers started, they have unveiled their fourth studio album, 'All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade,' primarily recorded at their studio, The Albion Rooms, in Margate, with producer Dimitri Tikovoï.

Sitting down with frontmen Carl Barat and Peter Doherty, the pair discuss their song writing process from idea to finished album. As well as sharing exclusive insights into the evolution of the Libertines’ recording process, we hear demos and ideas from their early days writing together up to recent studio time in Jamaica. 

Tracks discussed: Run Run Run, Merry Old England, & Shiver

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 50% off.

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade’ here  

Libertines Recording Limited, Universal Music Operations, EMI

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

1957 NY Epiphone Casino Guitar

Gibson J45 Guitar

Marshall Amps

Whurli

The Albion Rooms Gear

OUR GEAR

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HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer, Videographer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Videographer, Editor

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Jessica Clucas - Production Assistant

Katie-Louise Buxton - Production Assistant

Seb Brunner-Stolovitzky - Production Assistant

Jonathon Coughlin - Production Assistant

John catches up with producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff of Bleachers to discuss how he wrote, recorded, and produced the band’s latest album ‘Bleachers’.

Having grown up performing, song writing, and producing bands throughout his teenage years, Jack first saw mainstream success as part of the band Fun, and their global hit track ‘We Are Young’. Since then, he has gone on to co-write and produce records for some of the biggest artists of the past decade, including Lorde, Lana Del Rey, The 1975, and Taylor Swift. Among his numerous awards and accolades, he was named Producer of the Year at the Grammys for three consecutive years.

Throughout the conversation Jack discusses his song writing process, from stories of the studio magic that occurs when picking up random instruments, to the unusual mixing and panning techniques he uses to help make parts feel big (rather than actually being big).

Tracks discussed: Call Me After Midnight, Jesus Is Dead, We’re Going To Know Each Other Forever

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 50% off.

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Bleachers’ here .

• Dirty Hit

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Waves Morphoder - https://geni.us/XTO8Bx

Soundtoys Tremolator - https://geni.us/bAB3sa

Soundtoys FilterFreak - https://geni.us/X6uk

Soundtoys Little AlterBoy - https://geni.us/o8nbO

Izotope VocalSynth - https://geni.us/ZIbW

Roland Juno - https://geni.us/tEKxqpC

Moog Synths - https://geni.us/EzWqBu

Korg M1 - https://geni.us/GnnNmU8

Ebow - https://geni.us/FnQRXYG

Teenage Engineering OP1 - https://geni.us/dg6C9

Chandler TH2 Preamp/DI - https://geni.us/kwoYxl

OUR GEAR

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HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer, Videographer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Videographer, Editor

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Jessica Clucas - Production Assistant

Katie-Louise Buxton - Production Assistant

Seb Brunner-Stolovitzky - Production Assistant

We’ve been having a look back through the Tape Notes archive to bring back some of our favourite early episodes that you may have missed. This selection is our conversation with Alt-J’s Joe and Gus, along with producer Charlie Andrew, recorded back in February 2019.

EPISODE NOTES

In this episode John is joined by Gus Unger-Hamilton and Joe Newman from Alt-J, and producer Charlie Andrew to talk about how they recorded and produced the album 'RELAXER'. 

The trio give a fascinating account of the thought processes and production techniques used in the recording of RELAXER. 

Hear how a friend's pavlovian response to the smell of burning wood, the Gus whistle test, and swearing at an old school master all left their mark on the band's third album. 

Tracks discussed: 3WW, House of the Rising Sun, Pleader

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

Listen to 'RELAXER' here.

'RELAXER' - alt-J, Infectious Music Ltd., a BMG Company

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

GEAR MENTIONS

Akai MPC Sampler

Melodyne

Moog

Roland Juno 60

Soundtoys Echoboy

Soundtoys Decapitator

Teenage Engineering OP1

UAD Plugins

Waves Plugins

Ableton

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Videographer, Editor

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Jessica Clucas - Production Assistant

Katie-Louise Buxton - Production Assistant

In this episode, John sits down with singer and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier, delving into the creative process behind his album ‘Djesse Vol. 4,’ the concluding instalment in his four-part ‘Djesse’ album series.

Jacob first shot to fame in 2013 when videos of his complex vocal arrangements went viral on YouTube. Three years later, he released his debut album ‘In My Room’, written and recorded entirely from his family home. In 2018, Jacob set to work on Djesse, a four-volume, 50-song, album series featuring collaborations with artists around the world, which to date has earned him 6 Grammy nominations.

Throughout the conversation, Jacob shares his original demos and discusses his approach to fusing such a plethora of musical genres, from rap and gospel, to dance and Kpop. He also discusses the collaborations that shaped the album, with artists including Chris Martin, Lindsay Loomis, and Willow Smith, as well as his audiences from live shows around the world.

Tracks discussed: Over You, 100,000 Voices, Cinnamon Crush

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Djesse Vol. 4’ here .

• Hajanga Records, Interscope Records/Decca, Universal Music Operations Limited

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective   

GEAR MENTIONS

Little Alterboy

Oek Sound Soothe

Xfer LFO Tool

Gladiator Synth

AKG C414

Neumann U87

Neumann U87 Customised by Klaus Heyne

Sony MX4000 Headphones

Native Instruments

Taylor 5 String Guitar (custom)

Strandberg Guitars Electric 5 String

Mandocello

OUR GEAR

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HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer, Videographer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Videographer, Editor

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Jessica Clucas - Production Assistant

Katie-Louise Buxton - Production Assistant

Seb Brunner-Stolovitzky - Production Assistant

John catches up with Declan McKenna to talk about his latest album ‘What Happened To The Beach?’

Declan McKenna first saw mainstream success in 2015 following the release of his debut single ‘Brazil’ and winning Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent prize. While blending topics of politics and social issues with his indie-pop sound through his first two albums, ‘What Happened To The Beach?’ introduces us to a new world, this time looking inward and drawing on Declan’s personal growth as a musician.

As well as opening up his hugely varied bag of demos, musical sketches, and jam sessions, Declan shares stories of his time working in the studio with producer Luca Buccellati, talking through the unusual sounds and fantasy locations that inspired his writing.

Tracks discussed: Mulholland’s Dinner & Wine, Breath of Light, Mezzanine

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘What Happened To The Beach?’ here.

• Sony Music Entertainment

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Soundtoys Little Alterboy

MWFX The Judder Pedal

Roland Juno 60

Shure SM7B

Mellotron

Electro Harmonix MEL9 Pedal

Acoustasonic Guitars

Logic auto-wah

Logic Pro X

Ableton

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer, Videographer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Videographer, Editor

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Jessica Clucas - Production Assistant

Katie-Louise Buxton - Production Assistant

We’ve been having a look back through the Tape Notes archive to bring back some of our favourite early episodes that you may have missed. The first selection is our chat with Dave Bayley (Glass Animals) from summer 2018.  

EPISODE NOTES

John ventures up to Dave Bayley’s new home studio in London Fields to talk about how Glass Animals’ debut album ZABA was recorded and produced. 

We hear how Dave conjured up the band’s unique style through many late night sessions in his bedroom when he should’ve been studying for medical school. He reveals his producer hero’s and an insatiable appetite for data collection, creating his own sound world through sampling every sound imaginable. 

Dave guides us through a fascinating breakdown of Gooey – from an early voice demo recorded on his phone to the finished article and we learn some of his trade secrets along the way. 

Tracks featured: Gooey, Hazey, Toes

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to 'ZABA' here.

'ZABA' - Wolf Tone Limited

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

GEAR MENTIONS

Audio-Technica AT4040

Fender Deluxe 57

Laney VC20

Marshall Stack

Rob Papen Albino Synth

Roland Jupiter 6

Shure SM57

Soundtoys Decapitator

Soundtoys Microshift

Soundtoys Alter Boy

UAD Amp Emulators

Vox AC30

Waves Kramer

Ableton

Ableton Spectrum Plugin

ProTools

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Videographer, Editor

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Jessica Clucas - Production Assistant

Katie-Louise Buxton - Production Assistant

John links up with hyper-pop royalty, Laura Les and Dylan Brady, aka 100 gecs, to talk about their latest album ‘10,000 gecs’.

100 gecs first broke onto the scene with their debut album ‘1000 gecs’ in 2019. Capturing attention online and amongst music fans, the innovative record was described as ‘one of the year's most fascinating, exhilarating experimental pop albums’. Their second studio album ‘10,000 gecs’, released in 2023, sees them maintain their status as hyper-pop trailblazers, this time blending pop-punk and ska in with their signature maximalist sound.

Reflecting on their writing process and how it has changed over the years, the conversation covers a range of topics, from the vast number of alternatives each track goes through, to the crazy sound design and effects that make up such an enormous part of their style.  

Tracks discussed: Hollywood Baby, 757, The Most Wanted Person In The United States

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Thanks to Audiomovers for supporting this episode. Their Listento Plugin has been a gamechanger for us and we use it across all of our remote interviews and recordings.

To see their full range of plugins, visit audiomovers.com and use the promo code TAPENOTES1 at checkout to get your free month (usually only two days).

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Thanks to Tape It for supporting this episode. Tape It is a recording app designed specifically for musicians and songwriters. Among many of Tape It's incredible features, you can record straight from lock screen, set markers and have complete control over your record settings, and that just the start.

To find out more and get the full app free for a month, head to www.tape.it/tapenotes

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LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘10,000 gecs’ here .

• Dog Show Recordings, Atlantic Recordings

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Native Instruments Guitar Rig

Waves Tune Real Time

Soundtoys Decapitator

Toontrack Superior Drummer

Xfer Serum Synth

Mace Guitar Amp

Shure SM7B

Orange Amp

V-Drums

Mesa Dual Rectifier Amp Head

Splice

Logic Pro X

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer, Videographer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Videographer, Editor

David Yu - Engineer (LA)

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Raphi Elton-Rowley - Production Assistant

Jessica Clucas - Production Assistant

Katie-Louise Buxton - Production Assistant

John ventures into the depths of Kent to catch up with Matthew Herbert and discuss his latest work ‘The Horse’.

Renowned for his innovative sound exploration, Matthew gained recognition under various names, including Doctor Rockit, Wishmountain, and Herbert. He's produced for artists such as Bjork and Róisín Murphy, composed for stage and screen, and earned international acclaim for his records. His latest collaboration with the London Contemporary Orchestra resulted in 'The Horse.'

Alongside a full album playback, the conversation covers the thought process behind the sounds, collaborators and story of each track, Matthew also shares his thoughts on ways in which to engage with music and creativity, and how to do it in a way that keeps you continuously inspired.

Tracks discussed: Full Album

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘The Horse’ here.

• Matthew Herbert, Modern Recordings, BMG

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Videographer, Editor

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Jessica Clucas - Production Assistant

Katie-Louise Buxton - Production Assistant

John links up pop-rock band Fall Out Boy, and producer Neal Avron, to talk about their latest studio album ‘So Much (For) Stardust’. 

Emerging from Chicago’s hardcore punk scene in the early 2000’s, Fall Out Boy rose to fame with hits including ‘Sugar, We’re Goin Down’ and 'Thnks fr th Mmrs’. Constantly innovating, their eight studio albums have seen them embrace all sides of music, including R&B, and electro-pop. For their latest record ‘So Much (For) Stardust’, they return to their roots, working with producer Neal Avron. 

Chatting with Patrick and Neal, the conversation covers the band’s approach to the early stages of demoing, their collaboration with a full orchestra and some of the best players in the business, and how they divide different writing responsibilities amongst each other.

Tracks discussed: Love From The Other Side, Heaven, Iowa, So Much (For) Stardust

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘So Much (For) Stardust) here.

• Fueled By Ramen, Elektra Music Group Inc.

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Native Instruments Kontakt

Native Instruments Guitar Rig

Audiomovers Listento

Fender Strat

Orange Amps

Dave Smith Poly Evolver Synth

Ensoniq Fizmo Synth

Roland TR-66 Rhythm Arranger

Neumann U 47

1176

LA-2A

Slingerland Drums

Guild S-100 Guitar

Gibson Les Paul

Neve Console

Splice

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Videographer, Editor

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Jessica Clucas - Production Assistant

Katie-Louise Buxton - Production Assistant

John sits down with indie rock band Bombay Bicycle Club to talk about their sixth studio album ‘My Big Day’. 

Bombay Bicycle Club are a four-piece band from London, that broke onto the indie music scene with their genre defining debut album ‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose’ in 2009. Since then they have been releasing a steady stream of music which has been met with high critical acclaim, earning them an Ivor Novello and a Mercury Prize nominations. 

Chatting with band members Jack Steadman and Ed Nash, the three cover a range of topics including the inspiration behind the album, their use of sampling in their music, how over-thinking can negatively influence the production process, and their collaboration with music legends Damon Albarn, Paul Epworth & Chaka Khan.

Tracks discussed: My Big Day, Heaven, Just A Little More Time

----------------

Thanks to Tape It for supporting this episode. Tape It is a recording app designed specifically for musicians and songwriters. Among many of Tape It's incredible features, you can record straight from lock screen, set markers and have complete control over your record settings, and that just the start.

To find out more and get the full app free for a month, head to www.tape.it/tapenotes

----------------

To support the show and become a Patron, head to Patreon.co.uk/tapenotes. Any and all support is hugely appreciated, we don't take it for granted so thank you.

----------------

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘My Big Day’ here - https://songwhip.com/bombay-bicycle-club/my-big-day 

• Mmm…Records, AWAL Recordings

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://songwhip.com/laurelcollective/sunshinebuddy   

GEAR MENTIONS

Magix Samplitude - https://geni.us/iBEqbXn

Casio Keyboard - https://geni.us/hKfe

Korg Monotron - https://geni.us/T5K1H

Native Instruments Kontakt - https://geni.us/AFPeU

Paul Epworth's Neve Desks - https://geni.us/TFoT0

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Videographer, Editor

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Jessica Clucas - Production Assistant

Katie-Louise Buxton - Production Assistant

In this episode, John is reunited with Mike Kerr of Royal Blood, to talk about how the band wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Back To The Water Below’.

Following the success of their fourth number one album, Mike reflects on how their purpose as musicians has changed over the years, sharing their process of working out what they love, but haven't done with Royal Blood yet.

Giving us an in depth look behind each track, we hear stories of musical experiments, including making a new ‘wall of sound’ guitar and playing specially modified pianos, while simultaneously inviting new genres into the Royal Blood sound.

Listen to find out the best way to beat the sounds on your demos, tips on how to keep a two-hour live set engaging, and thoughts on why you shouldn’t wait for inspiration to come.

Tracks discussed: Triggers, There Goes My Cool, Waves

----------------

Thanks to Tape It for supporting this episode. Tape It is a recording app designed specifically for musicians and songwriters. Among many of Tape It's incredible features, you can record straight from lock screen, set markers and have complete control over your record settings, and that just the start.

To find out more and get the full app free for a month, head to www.tape.it/tapenotes

----------------

To support the show and become a Patron, head to Patreon.co.uk/tapenotes. Any and all support is hugely appreciated, we don't take it for granted so thank you.

----------------

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Back To The Water Below’ here.

• Imperial Galactic, Black Mammoth, Warner Records

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Soundtoys Devil-Loc

Spectrasonics Keyscape

Mrs Mills Piano

Avid ProTools

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Videographer, Editor

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Jessica Clucas - Production Assistant

Katie-Louise Buxton - Production Assistant

Thanks to Tape It for supporting this episode. Tape It is a recording app designed specifically for musicians and songwriters. Among many of Tape It's incredible features, you can record straight from lock screen, set markers and have complete control over your record settings, and that just the start.

To find out more and get the full app free for a month, head to www.tape.it/tapenotes

-------

In this episode, John is joined by Dodie and Martin Luke Brown of FIZZ, along with producer Pete Miles, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘The Secret To Life’.

Discussing how FIZZ came into being, Martin and Dodie explain the reasons and implications of setting their solo work to the side (temporarily), to have a holiday from music, but still doing music...  

As well as lots of sharing stories, stems and general shenanigans from their time down at Middle Farm Studios, we hear how each band member brought something different to the table, approaching creativity in so many different ways - from jamming over loops, to singing around their house and recording voice notes in the bath.

Listen to find out why sometimes it’s better just to yell your guitar solos, which piece of kit is the secret 7th member of FIZZ, and which chorus pedal has the wobbliest chorus of all chorus pedals.

Tracks discussed: Secret To Life, Strawberry Jam, The Grand Finale

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘The Secret To Life’ here.

•  Decca Records, FKA Chairs, Universal Music

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Full Middle Farm Studios Gear

Roland RE-301 Chorus Echo

Soundtoys Devil Loc

Shure M267 Mic Preamp/Limiter

ProCo Rat Pedal

Electro Harmonix Polychorus

Studer A80 Tape Machine

1965 Hammond C3

Leslie Speaker

Logic Pro X

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Videographer, Editor

Herbie Elton-Rowley - Videographer

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

In this episode, John is joined by Olivia Dean and producer Matt Hales to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced Olivia’s Mercury-nominated debut album ‘Messy’.

Taking us back to the very start of their story, the pair discuss the inspiration for the album, sharing their approach to marrying different musical cultures and the importance of the chats they had before writing.

As well as playing their writing session voice notes showing the exact moments each song took shape, we hear stories of mouth trumpet demos, creating artefacts to make instruments sound sampled, and the thought process behind choosing mix engineers. 

Listen to find out why so much of what makes a good record can come from turning things off, why it’s so valuable to just have things around the studio, and why tea can be such an integral part of the creative process.

Tracks discussed: UFO, Messy, Carmen

----------------

Thanks to Tape It for supporting this episode. Tape It is a recording app designed specifically for musicians and songwriters. Among many of Tape It's incredible features, you can record straight from lock screen, set markers and have complete control over your record settings, and that just the start.

To find out more and get the full app free for a month, head to www.tape.it/tapenotes

----------------

Thanks to Audiomovers for supporting this episode. Their Listento Plugin has been a gamechanger for us and we use it across all of our remote interviews and recordings.

To see their full range of plugins, visit audiomovers.com and use the promo code TAPENOTES1 at checkout to get your free month (usually only two days).

----------------

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Messy’ here - https://songwhip.com/oliviadean/messy2023

•  EMI, Universal Music

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://songwhip.com/laurelcollective/sunshinebuddy   

GEAR MENTIONS

AudioThing Reels

Shure SM7B

Boss CE1 Pedal

Moog Synths

Steinberg Cubase

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Videographer, Editor

Herbie Elton-Rowley - Videographer

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Thanks to Audiomovers for supporting this episode. Their Listento Plugin has been a gamechanger for us and we use it across all of our remote interviews and recordings.

To see their full range of plugins, visit audiomovers.com and use the promo code TAPENOTES1 at checkout to get your free month (usually only two days).

In this episode, John is back at Strongroom Studios to catch up with Bakar and producer Zach Nahome about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Halo’.

Looking back at the varied starting points of the songs, Bakar and Zach chart the journey of the album writing process, from writing in hotel rooms and AirBnbs to some of the most legendary studios in the world.

As well as sharing the conversations that helped fuel their creativity, we are given a glimpse into how the pair forged Bakar’s distinctive sound, sharing tips on bringing modern elements into music that feels old, and building distinctive worlds of reverb.

Listen to find out why you shouldn’t delete old beats, how a thief managed to unknowingly shape the sound of a track, and how working with an ‘anti-setup’ outside of the studio can benefit the song.

Tracks discussed: Alive!, Facts_Situations, Right Here, for Now

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Halo’ here.

•  Black Butter

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Abbey Road Vinyl

Soundtoys Effect Rack

Arturia Farfisa Synth

Arturia Jupiter 8

Spectrasonics Omnisphere

Nicky Romero Kickstart

Waves API 2500 Compressor

Valhalla Vintage Verb

Neumann TLM 103

Shure SM7B

Neumann U67

Gibson Les Paul

Fender Strat

Martin Guitars

Philips Philicorda

Squire PBass

KRK Monitors

Rokit 8 Monitors

Neve Preamps

Focusrite

Logic Pedals - Vintage Drive

Logic Pedals - Flanger

Logic Space Designer

Logic Pitch Correction

Logic EQ

Logic Slap Echo

Garageband 

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Nico Varanese - Editor/Videographer

Herbie Elton-Rowley - Videographer

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Thanks to Audiomovers for supporting this episode. Their Listento Plugin has been a gamechanger for us and we use it across all of our remote interviews and recordings.

To see their full range of plugins, visit audiomovers.com and use the promo code TAPENOTES1 at checkout to get your free month (usually only two days).

In this episode, John is joined by James Blake to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Playing Robots Into Heaven’.

With the idea of simplifying his solo work primarily with synths and drums, James shares his process of crafting an album with the purpose of getting away from the computer, reflecting on the impact it had on his creativity and mental health.

A true master of modular synths, he talks us through the long journey learning to create ‘listenable’ music with them, discussing the ways in which they are able to create sounds that he couldn't have imagined. 

Listen to discover the enlightening advice James received from Universal's Head A&R, how to best record your voice if you plan to pitch it, and how to adopt the mindset of making music for fun.

Tracks discussed: Loading, Big Hammer, Playing Robots Into Heaven

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Playing Robots Into Heaven’ here.

Republic Records, Polydor Records, UMG Recordings

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Thermionic Culture Fat Bustard

Sequential Prophet 8

Native Instruments Massive

Intellijel Metropolis

Make Noise MATHS

Make Noise Black and Gold

Soma Pulsar-23

Roland SH-101

Roland TR-8S

Roland TR-909

Erica Synths LX-02

OEK Sound Soothe

FXpansion Geist

Valhalla Reverbs

Valhalla Vintage Verb

API Desk

Logic Pro

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Andy Tindall - Videographer

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Thanks to Audiomovers for supporting this episode. Their Listento Plugin has been a gamechanger for us and we use it across all of our remote interviews and recordings.

To see their full range of plugins, visit audiomovers.com and use the promo code TAPENOTES1 at checkout to get your free month (usually only two days).

In this episode, John heads to Miloco’s The Yard Studios, to catch up with Guy and Howard of Disclosure, and talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Alchemy’.

Having taken a break from their relentless touring schedule, the pair guide us through their reassessed approach to creativity. From stories of managing burnout and heartbreak, to balancing meaning and feelings with the key production choices of each track.

As well as sharing Howard’s very first AirBnb demos, Guy digs deep with a vast production breakdown, including sharing his go-to method of creating kicks and the small additions to a track that can make it sparkle.

Listen to find out the quickest way to come up with a new track idea, why it’s so good to be musically naive, and the best ways to check if things still sound cool.

Tracks discussed: Looking For Love, Simply Won’t Do, High Than Ever Before

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Alchemy’ here.

•  Apollo Records, AWAL

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Soundtoys Little AlterBoy

FabFilter Saturn

Izotope VocalSynth 2

BigKick - https://geni.us/vOoH

Spectrasonics Omnisphere

Spectrasonics Keyscape

Spectrasonics Trilian

Tube Tech Compressor

Pultec EQ

Neumann Mics

SSL SIX Channel Strip

Fairchild Compressor Plugin

Fairchild Compressor (Real thing)

Ampeg Bass Amp

GEM Dopamine

Kick 2

OEK Sound Soothe

Valhalla Reverbs

Xfer LFO Tool

The God Particle

Roland Jupiter 8

DX7 Synth

Waldorf Wave

Yamaha CS60

Novation Peak

Logic EFM Synth

Logic Ultrabeat

Logic Pro X

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Andy Tindall/Herbie Elton-Rowley - Videographer

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Thanks to Audiomovers for supporting this episode. Their Listento Plugin has been a gamechanger for us and we use it across all of our remote interviews and recordings.

To see their full range of plugins, visit audiomovers.com and use the promo code TAPENOTES1 at checkout to get your free month (usually only two days).

In this episode, John catches up with Amber Bain aka The Japanese House, along with producers Chloe Kraemer and George Daniel to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘In The End It Always Does’.

Looking back on their time together, Amber, Chloe, and George guide us through the process of bringing each song to life. Alongside stories of misunderstood lyrics and dog walk writing sessions, they treat us to some of the most stunning first demos ever heard, as well as the spontaneous studio moments that left everyone in tears.

As well as digging into the processes that shape the sound of the record, the trio discuss the importance of people when making music. They give us insights on the effects that come with having different personalities in the room, and how their studio mindsets have allowed them to efficiently work together in all iterations of themselves.

Listen to find out why there should be more songs about pets, how insecurity can destroy productivity, and what the difference is between a lyric song and a music song. 

Tracks discussed: Boyhood, Sunshine Baby, One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘In The End It Always Does’ here.

•  Dirty Hit

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective   

GEAR MENTIONS

Output Portal

Soundtoys PrimalTap

Spectrasonics Omnisphere

Xfer Serum

Moog One

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

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TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Andy Tindall/Herbie Elton-Rowley - Videographer/Editors

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

In this episode, John is joined by Blur frontman Damon Albarn and producer James Ford, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘The Ballad of Darren’.

With Damon’s initial demos to hand, the pair give us a guided tour of the record, right through the early versions and studio sessions, from the moments that reignited the feelings they had when writing in the 90s, to piecing together the musical jigsaw that forms the Blur sound.

Along with stories of Damon’s inspirational chickens and the dangers of making pesto while writing an album, we’re treated to an in depth production and songwriting masterclass, with details on manufacturing the sound of a room, and the importance of energy and intention behind a song.

Listen to find out what makes the first performance of something so special, why a 4-track recorder can sometimes be a great replacement pillow, and what benefits come with giving yourself distance from a record.

Tracks discussed: St. Charles Square, The Everglades (For Leonard), The Narcissist

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘The Ballad of Darren’ here 

•  Parlophone Records Ltd, a Warner Music Group Company

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Eventide H3000

U47 Mic

Neve 1073 Preamp

Neve Desk

TON-1501 Analog Strings Synthesizer

Powertran Transcendent 2000

Coles 4038 Mics

Mellotron

Whurli

Clavinet

Fender Amps

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Garageband

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HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

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KEEP UP TO DATE

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Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

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Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Videographer - Andy Tindall/Herbie Elton-Rowley

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

In this episode, John is joined by Ben Howard and producer Nathan Jenkins aka Bullion, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced Ben’s latest album ‘Is It?’.

Looking back on their time together, Ben and Nathan talk us through their collaborative journey, from their initial coffee shop discussions, to the 10 day stint recording in the South of France. Sharing their initial sketches, voice note demos and the unexpected moments that changed the direction of each of the tracks.

In addition to stories of delay tuning and the potentially negative effects of singing with too much reverb, the pair share their thoughts on the importance of considering different musical approaches and giving time to ideas to allow them to flourish.

Listen to find out why you’ll never need four mics on an amp, why one wrong note with a delay can ruin a whole take, and why laziness is fundamental to Ben’s creativity.

Tracks discussed: Walking Backwards, Days Of Lantana, Spirit

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Thanks to Strongroom Studios for having us!

Instagram

Twitter

Listen to ‘Is It?’ here.

• Island, Universal Music Operations Limited

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Korg Volca Beat

CR78 Drum Machine

Shure SM57

Shure SM58

EchoPlex

Roland Space Echo RE-201

Teenage Engineering OP1

Eventide H3000 Ultra Harmoniser

OUR GEAR

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HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

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Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

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Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Videographer - Andy Tindall

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

In this episode, John joins Dom Harrison, a.k.a. YUNGBLUD and producer Mati Schwartz to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced Dom’s debut album, ‘21st Century Liability’.

Digging into the very first tracks that the pair worked on together, Dom and Mati share the story of how their relationship began, looking back at the early rejection and tough love moment that kicked Dom into action, and forming the Yungblud sound as we know it today.

As well as talking through the evolution of his tracks, including playing unheard sections and old vocal takes, we’re treated to thoughts on the importance of individuality in music, and the huge impact that comes with really knowing what you want to say.

Listen to find out one of the best excuses for buying more guitars, how simple hi-hats can make a song bounce, and what happens when you bump into Chris Martin naked in a steam room. 

Tracks discussed: I Love You Will You Marry Me, Anarchist, Polygraph Eyes, 

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘21st Century Liability’ here.

• Locomotion Recordings, Geffen Records, Interscope

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Waves CLA Vocals

UAD Compressors

Logic Compressor

Addictive Drums

Gibson B25 1964

Fender Strat 1963

Martin Guitars

OUR GEAR

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HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Videographer - Herbie Elton-Rowley

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Get 50GB of DAW project storage with our sponsor Aux: https://aux.app/tapenotes 

In this episode, John joins Nick Douwma, a.k.a. Sub Focus, to talk about how he wrote, recorded, and produced his latest album 'Evolve'.

Unable to stop John from dancing out of his chair, Nick ploughs on and talks us through the evolution of his most recent tracks. Sharing some of the first demos and samples that kick-started his process, we hear stories of late-night hotel room sessions and road-testing tracks live before settling into them.

As well as delving into some of the history and theory behind Drum & Bass, we're treated to a production masterclass, diving deep with tips on oscillators and tuning, harmonics, and things to bear in mind when you're having phase issues.

Listen to find out why you almost never double the speed of an a cappella, why the key of a track is so important, and how to constructively use your time outside of the studio.

Tracks discussed: Fine Day, Ready To Fly, Secrets

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Evolve’ here

• EMI, Universal Music Operations Limited

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Sonorous PaulXStretch

Oszillos Mega Scope

Xfer LFO Tool

Thermionic Culture Vulture Emulation

Clariphonic DSP MkII

Korg M1 Piano VST

Valhalla Shimmer

Celemony Melodyne

Akaizer

Spitfire Strings

Xfer Serum

ROMpler Instrument

Reese Bass

Roland Juno 60

Shure SM58

Neumann U87

Apple AirPods Max

Cubase

Ableton

OUR GEAR

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HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Videographer - Andy Tindall

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

In this episode, John catches up with the mastermind behind Temps, James Acaster, at Strongroom Studios, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘PARTY GATOR PURGATORY’.

Reflecting on the genesis of Temps, James talks us through the initial moments of creation, from recording and chopping up his drums from an unaired mockumentary, through to his selection of almost 40 collaborators and how they each steered the music in such unexpected directions.

As well as stories of field recording and Pokemon catching on Brighton beach, we hear thoughts on the differences and crossover points between creating as a standup comedian and as a musician, discussing failure, taste, and the importance of considering your audience.

Listen to find out, why embracing deliberate imperfection can yield surprising results, how metal drums can transform into an emotional waltz, and why, on whatever project, the most important thing is that you love it.

Tracks discussed: lookaliveandplaydead, at(moves), slowreturn

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Thanks to Strongroom Studios for having us!

Instagram

Twitter

Listen to ‘PARTY GATOR PURGATORY’ here.

• Bella Union

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Logic Pro X

Garageband

Yeti Microphone

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HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

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KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

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Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

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Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

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HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

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Donate

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Videographer - Andy Tindall

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Thanks to Highnote for supporting this episode of Tape Notes.

Highnote is the best way to share, store, and discuss your recording projects, a kind of bespoke Dropbox for audio specifically built for communication. Think time-stamped voice comments directly over your audio, nesting versions to toggle and compare in real time, and instant notifications when people comment or listen to a track you’ve shared. Highnote accounts are completely free and include 4 gigabytes of storage to get your started, plus there's a special offer for Tape Notes listeners of 3 months of their 200GB plan for free.

Head to highnote.fm/tapenotes to find out more.

-------

In this episode, John ventures over to Clapton to join James Ellis Ford and talk about how he wrote, recorded, and produced the album ‘The Hum’.

His debut solo release after almost two decades working with some of the world's biggest artists, James looks back on how his approach to music has changed over the course of the album, reflecting on the different mindsets and decisions that come with producing his own work compared to that of others.

As well as a deep dive into his vast studio setup and hybrid system of new and old creative techniques, we’re treated to thoughts on the fine line of ironing out the humanness of mistakes, and how more often than not, pieces of gear can give you back ideas that you’d never have expected.

Listen to find out which undiscovered mics are used across almost all of the records he works on, how to implement a Frippertronics-style tape setup, and what you can create when you push a bass clarinet to its limits.

Tracks discussed: I Never Wanted Anything, Squeaky Wheel, The Yips

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘The Hum’ here.

• Warp Records

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

FabFilter Pro Q

Soundtoys PrimalTap

Soundtoys DevilLoc

UAD Fairchild Plugins

UAD 1176

UAD LA2A

K-Devices Plugins

ARP 2600

Cirklon Sequencer

Roland TR-808

Korg Maxi-Korg Synth

Hohner Clavinet

Philicorda

Beezneez Microphones

Melodium Ribbon Mic

Shure SM7B

Gibson ES-125 Guitar

Burns Bass

Ebow

Mutron Auto Wah

Mutron Phasor

Eventide H3000 Chorus

Space Station Reverb

Grampian Spring Reverb

MicMix Master Room Reverb MR-II

Selmer 60s Fuzz

Altec Preamp

Tascam 4TRK

J37 Tape Machine

Nagra Tape Machine

Studer Desk

OUR GEAR

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HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

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Donate

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Discord: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

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Donate

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Videographer - Andy Tindall

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

In this episode, John links up with Thomas Wesley Pentz, aka Wes aka Diplo, to talk about his work under various guises with Major Lazer, Sia and as Thomas Wesley.

With on-going exploration of far reaching and cross-cultural mashups at the centre of his approach, Wes reflects on how working with so many specialists from across the globe has helped him forge a diverse sound and career.

Breaking apart three songs, Wes shares his thoughts on the considerations and care that have to be taken when sampling a ‘classic’ South African song, the gatekeeping in Country music and why new sounds are emerging around the genre, and the weird and wild things that Sia often gravitates towards in a song.

Listen to find out the specific rules of Amapiano, some of the elements that are essential to any pop song, and why it’s important to fail a lot.

Tracks discussed: Mamgobhozi (Major Lazer), Wasted (Thomas Wesley), Elastic Heart (Sia)

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Piano Republik’ here.

• Because Music

Listen to ‘Wasted’ here.

• Mad Decent, Columbia, Sony

Listen to ‘Elastic Heart’ here.

• RCA Records, Sony

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Fab Filter Plugins

Serum Synth

Synplant

Celemony Melodyne

Serato Sampler

Native Instruments Massive

Algoriddim Neural Mix

Output Arcade

Shure Mics

Teenage Engineering OP1

Operator Synth

Roland TB-303

Akai MPC3000

Whurlitzer

Ableton Mellotron Preset

Ableton Sampler

Ableton

Magix Sound Forge 

Cool Edit Pro

Logic Pro

Splice

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

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Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes 

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

In this episode John catches up with Benny Sings and producer Kenny Beats to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Young Hearts’.

Linking in from their studios in Amsterdam and LA, Benny and Kenny look back on their time spent writing and how each environment had an impact on the music. From experiencing the ‘Kenny Beats Thing’ in LA along with his wealth of collaborators, to spending a solitary week writing in Amsterdam locked in the studio with Covid.

As well as sharing the voice notes that initially inspired Kenny to become involved in the project, the duo dig deep into the lessons they’ve picked up over the years. We’re treated to some tips and tricks behind effortless lyric writing, stock plugin gold, along with a deep dive into mixing and balancing drums and bass.

Listen to find out how to create definition between yourself and a character within a song, how to efficiently keep track of all your sessions, and what the definitive definition of ‘slap’ is.

Tracks discussed: Young Hearts, Pyjamas, Distance

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Young Hearts’ here.

• Stones Throw Records

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective   

GEAR MENTIONS

Fab Filter Pro Q3

Oek Sound Soothe

Valhalla Chorus

Goodhertz Midside

Goodhertz Vulf Compressor

Eventide Instant Phaser Plugin

Eventide Instant Phaser Outboard

Oliver Samples Packs

Beyerdynamic M500 Mic

Altec Outboard Mixer

Roland TR-55 Rhythm King Drum Machine

Yamaha CP-70

Hofner Club 50

Stylophone

Whurlitzer

Ableton

Ableton Drum Buss - Stock Plugin

Splice

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

In this episode, John catches up with Orlando Higginbottom, better known as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs or T.E.E.D, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘When The Lights Go’.

Digging into the record almost 10 years in the making, Orlando talks us through his process of sorting through the piles of musical material he has created over the last decade, and how he developed each idea into a cohesive album.

As well as sharing production tips on vocal layering and utilising field recordings (notably coyote barks), Orlando reflects on his musical upbringing, discussing how the somewhat unattainable standards in classical music have impacted his work as an electronic producer.

Listen to find out why you should commit sounds when they are 75% right, how lyrics can be such a different commitment to a song, and why Orlando tried to create a U2 album without ever hearing U2.

Tracks discussed: Crosswalk, The Sleeper, Thugs

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘When The Lights Go’ here.

• Nice Age Music

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Soundtoys Microshift

TAL-U-NO-LX Synth

Arturia Farfisa Plugin

ToneBoosters Reelbus

XFER OTT (Free)

Celemony Melodyne

Korg Minilogue

Korg PolySix Plugin

Boss Delay Pedal

Shure SM7B

Warm Audio Microphones

Sequential OB-6

Sequential Prophet 8

Yamaha CP-80

Fairlight CMI

Buchla Synth

Fender Rhodes

Spitfire Audio Labs Strings

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes Patreon

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Herbie Elton-Rowley - Videographer

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Thanks to SoundBetter for supporting this episode of Tape Notes.

SoundBetter is the world's leading music production talent marketplace, giving you access to the best mixing & mastering engineers, singers, songwriters, producers, and studio musicians in the industry. You can work with Billie Eilish's drummer, U2's mix engineer, or hire the topliners that wrote on the latest BTS record, these pros are keen to work with Indy artists.

Head to SoundBetter.com to find out more.

In this episode, John ventures over to Hackney to catch up with Tom Odell and producer Laurie Blundell about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Best Day Of My Life’.

As well as studio stories about the relationship between the voice and piano and the mindset needed when separating them, the duo share their thoughts on keeping the soul within songs, and the importance of musical authenticity in today’s world.

Listen to find out which DJing plugin became integral to their process, how Rick Rubin pretty much co-produced the album with inspirational quotes, and why a kick drum became the cause of the pair’s biggest fall out.

Tracks discussed: Best Day Of My Life, Just Another Thing We Don’t Talk About, Flying :))

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Best Day of My Life’ here.

• UROK, mtheory

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Soundtoys Little Alterboy

Soundtoys Crystallizer

Soundtoys Effect Rack

Serato Sampler

Antares Autotune

Valhalla Vintage Verb

Sony C800

Tube-Tech CL 1B Compressor

Neve Preamp 1073

Coles 4038 Microphones

How To Do Nothing - Jenny Odell

UAD Pultec Passive EQ

Steinway Pianos

OUR GEAR

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HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Herbie Elton-Rowley - Videographer

Matt Purbrick - Production Assistant

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Nathan Hetherington - PR

Rebecca Ibbotson - Digital Marketing 

Thanks to SoundBetter for supporting this episode of Tape Notes.

SoundBetter is the world's leading music production talent marketplace, giving you access to the best mixing & mastering engineers, singers, songwriters, producers, and studio musicians in the industry. You can work with Billie Eilish's drummer, U2's mix engineer, or hire the topliners that wrote on the latest BTS record, these pros are keen to work with Indy artists.

Head to SoundBetter.com to find out more.

In this special live episode, John heads to Mother Advertising to chat with returning guest SG Lewis about how he wrote, recorded, and produced his new album ‘AudioLust & HigherLove’.  

Starting writing after taking ten days off music making and getting bored, Sam reflects on the times spent with his collaborators in the studio and on exotic retreats, sharing the sparks of songwriting inspiration that came from their stories and lives.

In this all-round production masterclass, we’re treated to a deep dive into Sam’s process of updating sounds and processing techniques from past eras for a modern audience, as well as mixing tips including the best ways to make a kick and bass punch over iPhone speakers.

Listen to find out why the phonetics of lyrics are so important, how to create a convincing fake vocoder, and what some of the most effective ways are to gain confidence as a singer when you’re not a singer.

Tracks discussed: Lifetime, Call On Me, Something About Your Love

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘AudioLust & HigherLove’ here.

• Jasmine Records, PMR, Universal

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Decimort Bit Crusher

GEM Dopamine Plugin

Native Instruments Transient Designer

Native Instruments Komplete

Oek Sound Soothe

Oliver Loops

Serato Sampler

Sonnox Oxford Inflator

Soundtoys Little Alterboy

UAD API 20500 Compressor

UAD Tape Emulation

Waves CLA Guitar Plugin

Waves H Delay

Waves Doubler

Waves API 2500 Compressor

Valhalla Reverbs

Xfer OTT Compressor

Korg MS20

LinnDrum

Oberheim OB6

Roland Juno

Roland TR-909 Drum Machine

Sequential Prophet 5

ZenDelay Pedal

U87 Microphone

Logic

Logic ES1

Splice

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Herbie Elton-Rowley - Videographer

Matt Purbrick - Production Assistant

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

George Durston - Production Assistant

Nathan Hetherington - PR

Rebecca Ibbotson - Digital Marketing 

Thanks to SoundBetter for supporting this episode of Tape Notes.

SoundBetter is the world's leading music production talent-marketplace, giving you access to the best mixing & mastering engineers, singers, songwriters, producers and studio musicians in the industry. You can work with Billie Eillish's drummer, U2's mix engineer or hire the topliners that wrote on the latest BTS record, these pros are keen to work with Indy artists.

Head to SoundBetter.com to find out more.

In this episode, John heads to Miloco Studios to catch up with Charlie Puth about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘CHARLIE’.

Thinking back to the moments that sparked the initial ideas for each of his songs, Charlie talks us through how he translates the almost fully finished versions from his head to the DAW. From using auto-tune to satisfy his perfect pitch, to the simple chorus tricks he uses to help it all punch.

As well as looking back to his early days on YouTube and social media, Charlie discusses how the platforms have evolved and their impact on the way he writes, allowing him to include so many people in his music making process. 

Listen to find out what Monday would sound like if it was a song, which of his viral sounds was faked, and how to play guitar like you’re a pianist.

Tracks discussed: Light Switch, That’s Hilarious, Loser

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘CHARLIE’ here.

• Atlantic Records

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Waves NS1 Noise Suppressor

iZotope VocalSynth

Soundtoys Decapitator

U-he Diva

Antares Auto-Tune

Native Instruments Kontakt Pre-Bass

Native Instruments Kontakt Church Organ

LFO Tool

Valhalla Reverb

Oberheim Synth Digital

Thomas Penton Sample Pack

Oliver Sample Pack

Roland D-50 Synth

Roland TR-808

Roland Juno 60

Splice

Casio Keyboard

Rhodes

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Herbie Elton-Rowley - Videographer

Matt Purbrick - Production Assistant

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Nathan Hetherington - PR

Rebecca Ibbotson - Digital Marketing 

In this episode, John links up with Lizzy McAlpine and producers Philip Etherington and Ehren Ebbage, to talk about how they wrote, recorded, and produced Lizzy’s album ‘five seconds flat’.

Looking back at their time writing and recording in a makeshift Airbnb studio, Lizzy, Philip, and Ehren dig into their enormous archive of song versions (including John Mayer versions), talking through their process of chipping away at each track and shaping the sounds to match the core expression. 

As well as highlighting exactly why parts of Lizzy’s performance are so key to the foundation of each song, we’re treated to backing vocal masterclasses, stories of secret weapon synths, and beats tied together with Philip’s mouldy can of nuts. 

Listen to find out how to create sounds that are quietly big and impactful, why all U47s are not created equally, and why as a producer you first have to be an audience member.

Tracks discussed: an ego thing, ceilings, reckless driver

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Five Seconds Flat’ here.

• Harbour Artists and Music, AWAL

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Philip’s Can of Mixed Nuts

Casio SK1

Korg CR4

Audio Technica Boundary Mics

AKG C414

U47 Microphone

Martin 00-17 Guitar

Martin Guitars

Nord Keyboard

Rubber Bridge Guitar

SSL Compressor

Tree Audio Branch II

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Herbie Elton-Rowley - Videographer

Matt Purbrick - Production Assistant

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Nathan Hetherington - PR

Rebecca Ibbotson - Digital Marketing 

Thanks to SoundBetter for supporting this episode of Tape Notes.

SoundBetter is the world's leading music production talent marketplace, giving you access to the best mixing & mastering engineers, singers, songwriters, producers, and studio musicians in the industry. You can work with Billie Eilish's drummer, U2's mix engineer, or hire the topliners that wrote on the latest BTS record, these pros are keen to work with Indy artists.

Head to SoundBetter.com to find out more.

In this episode, John reunites with Alex Crossan, a.k.a. Mura Masa, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced his latest album ‘Demon Time’.

Reflecting on the process of working out what a lockdown album would sound like and making the complete opposite of that, Alex shares his thoughts on controlling the vibe of a record while still managing to explore every random studio idea with each of his collaborators.

As well as giving us a tour of some of the weirdest sounds in his sample folder, Alex treats us to production gold, demonstrating some of the simplest yet most effective Garage tricks, and the ways in which he created the impression of fake DJ across the album.

Listen to find out how a citrus salad led to a revelation about frequencies, why if an idea’s making you laugh then that’s the right one to follow, and how to sneakily get people to write for your album in their own writing session. 

Tracks discussed: demon time, hollaback bitch, e-motions

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Demon Time’ here.

• Anchor Point Records, Polydor, Universal Music

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Soundiron Elysium Harp

Arturia Analog Lab

Moog DFAM

Soyuz Microphones

Hoover Synth Sound

Ableton Operator Synth

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Herbie Elton-Rowley - Videographer

Matt Purbrick - Production Assistant

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Nathan Hetherington - PR

Rebecca Ibbotson - Digital Marketing 

In this episode, John reunites with Fred Gibson, a.k.a. Fred Again.., at his house, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Actual Life 3 (January

1 - September 9 2022)’.

Reflecting on what’s been a very busy 18 months, Fred discusses how the success of the Actual Life series has had an impact on how and why he writes music. From the tricks he uses to keep his writing process fast and fun, to the moments his creativity was lost and the advice that came from Brian Eno to focus it.

As well as sharing demos written with The 1975 and sampling songs by his brother, Fred gets hands on with his explanations of the plugins and process he uses, treating us to live beat builds, piano demonstrations and examples of compression demonstrated through table drumming.

Listen to find out what Fred’s reaction to switching DAWs was, why you should put off any technical aspects of a track until the end, and why some people may call the harmonic modulations in his music ‘the work of the devil’. 

Tracks discussed: Delilah (pull me out of this), Berwyn (all that I got is you), Kelly (end of a nightmare)

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Actual Life 3 (January

1 - September 9 2022)’.

• Atlantic Records, Warner Music

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Expert Sleepers Spectral Conquest

Samplr App 

Pioneer Mixer and CDJs

Logic Pro X

Ableton

Apple Wired Headphones

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) 

Donate

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Herbie Elton-Rowley - Videographer

George Durston - Production Assistant

Matt Purbrick - Production Assistant

Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant

Nathan Hetherington - PR

Rebecca Ibbotson - Digital Marketing