Tape Notes

Nicolas Godin, one half of the iconic French electronic duo Air, reflects on the creation of their legendary debut album, Moon Safari. He shares behind-the-scenes stories about tracks like 'Sexy Boy' and 'La Femme d’Argent', highlighting innovative techniques and emotional connections within the music. Godin discusses the magic of creative collaboration, the evolution of their sound at Abbey Road, and the influence of minimalist resources. He also touches on their 25th anniversary reimagination, blending nostalgia with fresh inspiration.

In this engaging conversation, d4vd, an American artist known for his viral hit 'Romantic Homicide', shares his journey from making music for Fortnite videos to releasing his debut album 'Withered'. He dives into the nuts and bolts of producing tracks on BandLab using just his phone, showcasing his DIY spirit. The discussion touches on the emotional depth of his music, including the themes in songs like 'You Left Me First', and highlights the importance of authenticity amid his rising fame.

Join Hollywood star and jazz musician Jeff Goldblum, along with musical director Alex Frank, as they discuss their creative journey with The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. They dive into the making of their album 'Still Blooming,' sharing anecdotes about spontaneous jam sessions and intricate arrangements. The duo reveals the magic behind blending jazz with pop vocals, their excitement for live performances, and the emotional depth of their music. Tune in for insights into their collaborative spirit and the joyful unpredictability of the creative process!

Porter Robinson, an acclaimed American producer and DJ known for his unique blend of pop punk and hyper-pop influences, shares insights on his latest album, ‘SMILE! :D’. He discusses how his childhood guitar journey reshaped his songwriting, alongside the nostalgia-tinged inspirations from tracks like Coldplay's. Porter reveals the intricate process behind his songs, including the collaborative effort on 'Is There Really No Happiness' and explores the evolution of his live performance setup, emphasizing authenticity and emotional depth in his music.

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 NOTESIn 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 WarfareTAPE ITThanks to our partners at TapeIt! Click here for 20% off TapeIt Pro.TRINITY LABAN Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here. 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 MENTIONSAkai MPC SamplerPioneer PLX 1000Sonos SpeakerTechnics SL-1200Technics SL-1210ProToolsAbleton OUR GEARhttps://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgearHELP SUPPORT THE SHOWIf 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 DATEFor behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: Instagram: @tapenotes Twitter: @tapenotes Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  YouTube: Tape Notes PodcastDiscord: Tape NotesPatreon: Tape NotesTo 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.ukTAPE NOTES TEAMJohn KennedyWill Brown Tim Adam-Smith Will Lyons Nico Varanese Guy Nicholls Jessica ClucasAli Lewis

Join Olly Alexander, the charismatic frontman of Years & Years and LGBTQ+ activist, alongside acclaimed producer Danny L Harle, known for his work with pop stars like Charli XCX. They dive into the creative journey behind Olly's album 'Polari,' exploring the spontaneous songwriting process and the emotional depth of tracks like 'Whisper in the Waves' and 'Cupid's Bow.' Olly reflects on the lyrical significance of 'Make Me A Man,' while Danny shares insights on optimizing creative flow, collaboration, and the fascinating cultural roots of Polari.

Liam Ivory and Chris Davids, the creative duo behind Maribou State, delve into their latest album, ‘Hallucinating Love’. They share fascinating insights on immersive writing retreats that inspired their unique sound. The duo discusses the challenge of producing over 25 demos for a single track and the innovative 'sound harvest' sessions where they create custom samples from everyday objects. Additionally, they reflect on balancing self-care with creativity and the importance of community in their music-making process.

RÜFÜS DU SOL, the acclaimed Australian indie-dance trio who have captivated global audiences, join to share insights on their latest album, 'Inhale / Exhale.' They delve into their unique creative process, highlighting the importance of collaboration and connection. The band discusses the evolution of tracks like 'Pressure' and 'Fire / Desire,' as well as innovative techniques such as the use of breathwork for enhancing performances. Their exploration of soundscapes and conceptual depth illuminates their artistic journey, blending emotion and experimentation.

Welcome to this bonus episode! Back in Summer 2023 John sat down with podcasting legend Adam Buxton, live at the Podcast Festival for a two part chat into their respective careers, and Adam’s new music.In this, part one, Adam takes the reins as host, turning the spotlight on John’s incredible career in radio. The conversation digs into John’s journey from the early days of Xfm to Radio X, the creation of the legendary X-Posure show, which introduced artists like Adele, The XX, and Scroobious Pip to the airwaves, and the evolving landscape of radio and podcasting, including insights into Tape Notes.Adam also gives us an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at his musical process, sharing the inspiration and demos behind his much-loved theme, “Ramble Chat.”TAPE ITThanks 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 20% off.MUSIVERSALSkip the waitlist and get your discount HERELINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  linktr.ee/tapenotes Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel CollectiveOUR GEARhttps://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgearHELP SUPPORT THE SHOWIf 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 DATEFor behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: Instagram: @tapenotes Twitter: @tapenotes Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  YouTube: Tape Notes PodcastDiscord: Tape NotesPatreon: Tape NotesTo 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.ukTAPE NOTES TEAMJohn KennedyWill Brown Tim Adam-Smith Will Lyons Nico Varanese Guy Nicholls Jessica ClucasAli Lewis

John links up with Snarky Puppy founder and band leader Michael League to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the band’s latest record ‘Empire Central’, as well as works from Varijashree Venugopal and a new project, Ellipsis. Michael League is an American producer, multi-instrumentalist, and founder of jazz fusion ensemble Snarky Puppy. Now with a reputation as one of the most innovative bands of the 21st century, constantly pushing the boundaries of improvisation and the styles they draw from, Snarky Puppy’s 20 year back catalogue includes 16 albums, and five Grammy wins. Outside of the band, Michael has shared his production and writing talents on records from David Crosby, Becca Stevens, Varijashree Venugopal and many more.Speaking from his home studio in Spain, Michael digs into his production process, from crafting rough Logic demos and editing lengthy improvisations to blending global influences with Western jazz. He also shares the technical details of Snarky Puppy’s vast recording setup and treats us to a live demo of his current go-to, the Danelectro Sitar.Tracks discussed: Bet, Ranjani, ObbakosoTAPE ITThanks 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 20% off.MUSIVERSALSkip the waitlist and get your discount HERELISTEN to ‘Empire Central’ here.GroundUP MusicLISTEN to ‘Vari’ here.GroundUP MusicLINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  linktr.ee/tapenotes Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel CollectiveGEAR MENTIONSLauten Audio LS-208Lauten Audio Snare MicLauten Audio Atlantis FC-387Audio-Technica MicsDanelectro SitarF-Bass Hammertone 12-StringFender RhodesRoland Space-EchoEbowMoog BassLogic ProAvid ProToolsOUR GEARhttps://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgearHELP SUPPORT THE SHOWIf 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 DATEFor behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: Instagram: @tapenotes Twitter: @tapenotes Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  YouTube: Tape Notes PodcastDiscord: Tape NotesPatreon: Tape NotesTo 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.ukTAPE NOTES TEAMJohn KennedyWill Brown Tim Adam-Smith Will Lyons Nico Varanese Guy Nicholls Jessica ClucasAli Lewis