Tape Notes

Listen to 'On Sunset' here.

'On Sunset' - A Polydor Records Release; Solid Bond Productions Limited, under exclusive license to Universal Music Operations Limited

Fairchild 660 & 670 Compressors

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Neumann U87

Coles 4038 Ribbon Mic

Custom Neve Console

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TN:64 King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Mar 02, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, John catches up with King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard frontman and producer Stu Mackenzie to talk about how the band wrote, recorded and produced the albums, ‘K.G.’ and ‘L.W.’

Armed with various living room demos, phone recordings and plenty of stems, Stu delves into the successes and difficulties that came with each band member having to write and record from home, sharing how the completely unfamiliar process shaped their two lockdown records.

Firing on all sonic cylinders, we’re given an insight into recording and mixing tracks with two drum kits, linear songwriting with constantly evolving time signatures, as well as the effects of microtonal retuning.

Listen to find out how the band switch from being ‘gentle fellas’ to ‘heavy monsters’, what they did when they didn’t have a bass that could play low enough and why the flute has ended up on so many of their tracks.

Tracks discussed: Automation, If Not Now, Then When?, K.G.L.W. & K.G.L.W.

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES

Listen to 'K.G.' here.

Listen to 'L.W.' here.

'K.G.' and 'L.W' - A KGLW Release

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Beyerdynamic M88

Mellotron

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe

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TN:63 IDLES, Nick Launay & Adam Greenspan Feb 23, 2021

Show notes

In this episode John is joined by Idles guitarist Mark Bowen along with co-producers Nick Launay and Adam “Atom” Greenspan to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the band’s latest album ‘Ultra Mono’.

Unearthing backstage phone demos and rehearsal room recordings, Bowen, Nick and Adam look back on how the album was pulled together, from the band’s chats about concepts to the eight days recording the whole record.

Reminiscing on their time in La Frette Studios, we hear stories of both the raucousness and intense focus encapsulated within an Idles session. The trio dig into the explosive drum recording, their staircase microphone setup and the special sauce that forms the very essence of an Idles track.

Listen to find out what happened when Warren Ellis made a surprise studio visit, why everyone got sent out of the room during some of the vocal takes, and why civilised French lunches were so key to the album’s success.

Tracks discussed: War, The Lover, A Hymn

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES

Listen to 'Ultra Mono' here.

'Ultra Mono' - Partisan Records

Moog MiniFooger Ring Mod Pedal

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Fender Baritone Guitar

Drolo Stammen Pedal

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TN:62 Bicep Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

In quite possibly one of the most synth-heavy episodes ever, John catches up with Matt and Andy of Bicep to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced their latest album ‘Isles’.

Unravelling the mystery of how they do what they do, Matt and Andy talk us through the countless demos and subsequent iterations, exploring the abundance of sounds and samples sent to them from collaborators and how this influenced the direction of their music.

From hours spent experimenting in the studio to what they did when creativity hit a low, we hear stories of mixing vintage gear with the latest kit, the intricacies of using drum machines to trigger synths, and anecdotes on how they both became masters of the modular synthesizer.

Listen to find out how they ended up with a ‘Kenny G’ version of a track, why they bought every kids Casio keyboard they could get their hands on, and why there is no such thing as a warm-up set in Belfast.

Tracks discussed: Atlas, Apricots, Saku, Lido

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES

Listen to 'Isles' here.

'Isles' - Ninja Tune

Make Noise Modular Synthesiser

GEAR MENTIONS

Intellijel Metropolis

Tiptop Audio RS-909 Rimshot

Verbos Harmonic Oscillator

OUR GEAR

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

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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!

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Best of Season 6 Feb 11, 2021

Show notes

In this episode we pick out a selection of highlights from Season 6. If you haven't heard every episode from the last season, this is a good way to introduce yourself to some of the other artists and producers we've had on and hear their tips, tricks and stories.

Have a listen to see what you've been missing!

You'll hear highlights from:

Paul Epworth

Disclosure

Biffy Clyro and Rich Costey

Georgia and Mark Ralph

Jacob Collier

Nova Twins and Jim Abbiss

Nothing But Thieves

Sports Team and Burke Reid

Glass Animals

Haim with Ariel Rechtshaid and Rostam Batmanglij

Lianne La Havas with Beni Giles and Sam Crowe

SUBMIT A JINGLE

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Submit your Tape Notes jingle and we'll play our favourites each week on the podcast.

Jingles can be in any style, can feature the Tape Notes theme, lyrics, or none of those things - be as creative as you'd like (as long as they're between 5-15 seconds).

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TN:61 Lianne La Havas, Sam Crowe & Beni Giles Dec 16, 2020

Show notes

In this biscuit fuelled episode, John is joined by Lianne La Havas along with producers Sam Crowe and Beni Giles to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced Lianne’s latest album ‘Lianne La Havas’.

Delving into Lianne's most personal work yet, the trio takes us through the moments the initial song ideas were formed, through the various stages of their development right to the finished versions.

Illustrated with recordings made throughout the album’s journey, we hear stories of capturing the perfect vocal takes, trying piano voicing's on guitar and tales on the phenomenon of song writing.

Listen to find out why talkback mics sometimes trump fancy mics, how they ventured to the scariest parts of a flute, and how cabbages made it onto the record.

Tracks discussed: Bittersweet, Green Papaya, Seven Times

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES

Listen to 'Lianne La Havas' here.

'Lianne La Havas' - Warner Records UK

Audio-Technica Microphone

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BX20 BX Spring Reverb

Sub Kick Mic

Squire Guitars

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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 :)

KEEP UP TO DATE

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TN:60 Haim, Ariel Rechtshaid & Rostam Batmanglij Dec 09, 2020

Show notes

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 catches up with Danielle from Haim along with co-producers Ariel Rechtshaid and Rostam Batmanglij to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced Haim’s latest album ‘Women in Music Pt. III’.

With recordings of jams, writing sessions and iPhone Garageband demos, Danielle, Ariel and Rostam pull apart their creative process, exploring the inspiration behind their ideas and what they did to bring them to life.

From hearing song ideas through the floor to finding a fix for everyone’s demoitus, the trio treat us to an absolute masterclass in song writing.

Listen to find out how they emulated a booty call on the bass, why they auditioned people for a phone call recording, and how Bono almost made it on to the album.

Tracks discussed: Gasoline, 3am, The Steps

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES

Listen to 'Women In Music Pt. III' here.

'Women In Music Pt. III' - HAIM Productions Inc., under exclusive licence to Universal Music Operations Limited

Universal Audio 1176 Compressor

GEAR MENTIONS

Universal Audio Apollos

KORG Gadget 2 App

AKG BX10 Spring Reverb

Moogerfooger MF-101 Pedal

OUR GEAR

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 :)

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!

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TN:59 Glass Animals Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

Returning for his second outing on Tape Notes, John links up with Glass Animals frontman and producer Dave Bayley, to talk about how the band wrote, recorded and produced their latest album ‘Dreamland’.

Born out of an emotional time of uncertainty for the band, Dave discusses the unexpected moments that formed the foundations of the album. Breaking down his writing process from start to finish, we’re treated to the very initial demos and samples recorded on the fly, along with the wealth of production tricks used to create Glass Animals unique sound.

We hear secrets behind reverse drum beats, reverb and delay EQs, as well as the latest iteration of Dave’s crack choir.

Listen to find out how Dave attempted to conjure up his inner Dr Dre, how an entire song was forged using just a voice, and what currently sits in the Glass Animals guitar graveyard.

Tracks discussed: Dreamland, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, It’s All So Incredibly Loud

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES

Listen to 'Dreamland' here.

'Dreamland' - Wolf Tone Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited

Maestro Rhythm King Drum Machine

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Neve 1073

Universal Audio Reverb

Valhalla Vintage Verb

Soundtoys Alter Boy

Soundtoys Decapitator

Neumann U67

Mellotron Plugin

Spectrasonics Omnisphere

Ableton

OUR GEAR

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 :)

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!

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TN:58 Nothing But Thieves Nov 25, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, John catches up with Conor, Joe and Dom from Nothing But Thieves, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced their latest album ‘Moral Panic’.

Loaded up with original demo sessions and ideas recorded while on tour, the boys sift through some of the sounds, stories and musical concepts that shaped their songwriting process.

Conor enlightens us on his thoughts about vocal production, breaking down the different shades of his voice across the album. We hear geeky tales of musical maths as well as ideas on the importance of groove and precise rhythmic changes that have the power to completely alter the feel of a song.

Listen to find out how a YouTube binge led to the start of a new song, which characters they channelled when recording and why they may have been awarded the key to an East Sussex town.

Tracks discussed: Unperson, Is Everybody Going Crazy?, Real Love Song

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES

Listen to 'Moral Panic' here.

'Moral Panic' - Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited

Epiphone Thunderbird Bass

GEAR MENTIONS

Teenage Engineering OP1

Neve Shelford Channel

Humbucker Pickups

Arturia Synth Emulators

Logic Pro

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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 :)