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Tape Notes

Reissue | TN:40 DJ Shadow

Mar 5, 2025
01:41:12

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 from Summer 2020, with Josh Davis, better know as DJ Shadow.


EPISODE NOTES


In this episode, John ventures over to Wendy House Studios to catch up with hip-hip royalty Josh Davis AKA DJ Shadow, to talk through how he recorded and produced his latest album ‘Our Pathetic Age’ and his chart-topping album ‘The Mountain Will Fall’.  


Josh gives us a full insight in to his largest most diverse project yet, breaking down his writing process from the moment he randomly dips in to his vast record collection for inspiration, to discovering unlikely source material such as an abandoned record collection rescued from a friend of his father's. We get to hear the original samples that form the basis of some of his biggest hits as well as the raw vocal stems of Nas and Pharoahe Monch rapping at each other from different studios.  


Listen to find out about Josh’s meticulous sample editing process, what mixing mistake meant he had to sneakily rerelease a track, and why he had to gate-crash a Run the Jewels gig. 


Tracks discussed: Nobody Speak, Rocket Fuel, Drone Warfare

 

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 

 

Listen to 'Our Pathetic Age' here.

Listen to 'The Mountain Will Fall' here.


'Our Pathetic Age' and 'The Mountain Will Fall' - Mass Appeal/Reconstruction Productions, Inc.

 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

 

GEAR MENTIONS

Akai MPC Sampler

Pioneer PLX 1000

Sonos Speaker

Technics SL-1200

Technics SL-1210

ProTools

Ableton

 

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

John Kennedy

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Ali Lewis

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