Tape Notes

In this episode, John catches up with Fred Gibson, better known as Fred Again.., to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Actual Life (April 14 - December 17 2020)’.

Having written and produced almost all of the album outside of the studio, Fred talks us through his recording and sampling process, digging into the ways in which each new environment helped shape the individual sound of each track.

Fred enlightens us on the best bits about recording on an iPhone and why it’s so key to his writing process. We’re treated to stories of recreating the voice notes compressor in Logic, jamming along with tracks in the club and playback sessions in the pub.

Listen to find out how a small change in harmony can completely reframe emotion, why mixing will never solve any song problems, and the best ways to fill time when you're not feeling inspired.

Tracks discussed: Sabrina (I Am A Party), Me (Heavy), Angie (I’ve Been Lost)

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Actual Life (April 14 - December 17 2020)’ here. 

‘Actual Life (April 14 - December 17 2020)’ - Warner Music UK Limited. An Atlantic Records UK, 2021 Fred Gibson

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

GEAR MENTIONS

Samplr

Morph Plugin

Logic - Silver Compressor

Logic - Retro Synth

Logic - Step FX

Albino Synth

Native Instruments Battery

Teenage Engineering OP1 

Shure SM7B 

Roland TR-808 

Neumann U47

Yamaha NS10

Zoom iPhone Mic

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In this episode, John ventures up to The Old Workshop Studio to catch up with Johnny Flynn and producer Charlie Andrew about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Lost in the Cedar Wood’.

From the summer walks with co-writer Robert Macfarlane to tracking the bones of the album in a solar-powered woodland cottage, Johnny recalls shaping the world of the record, combining both timeless sonics and the ancient stories that are relatable even today. 

Getting into the technical elements, Charlie pulls apart some of the detailed sounds and techniques used to enhance each song's energy. We hear stories of stairwell recording, unpredictable gear and creating rhythmic textures from everything except drums.

Listen to find out why impatience in the studio is often a good thing, why Johnny had to make a last-minute Charango order, and the best way to shut your kids up when recording.

Tracks discussed: Ferryman, Bonedigger, Ten Degrees of Strange

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Lost in the Cedar Wood’ here.

‘Lost in the Cedar Wood’ - Transgressive, Johnny Flynn

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

GEAR MENTIONS

National Trojan Resonator Guitar

Fender P Bass

Space Echo

Chorus Echo

Tape Delay

Vox AC30 

Ampeg

Roland Juno 60

MicroKorg

Rhodes

ProTools

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 :) 

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In this episode John heads over to Pixel Studios to chat with Dodie and producer Joe Rubel about how the album ‘Build A Problem’ was written, recorded and produced.

Unearthing Dodie’s first phone recordings made in her bedroom, the pair dig into the ways in which they preserved and developed her DIY/scrapbook sound in the studio. 

As well as lots of sumptuous album easter eggs, Joe indulges us in a multitude of audio tricks. We find out how they managed to flawlessly capture Dodie’s incredibly quiet, intimate vocals, as well as the sounds of windows, Tupperware, screaming and people's thighs.

Listen to hear tales of mood-matching songs and lyrics (then the doing the opposite), how Dodie’s Instagram followers influenced a guitar tuning, and the effects of revisiting songs in different head spaces.

Tracks discussed: Special Girl, Sorry, Before the Line

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Build a Problem’ here. 

‘Build a Problem’ - doddleoddle, The Orchard

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

GEAR MENTIONS

Shure SM7B

Kemper Amps

Thermionic Culture Vulture

Tube-Tech CL 1B Compressor

Sibelius

Any Sponge

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear 

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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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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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In this episode, John catches up with Rostam to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced his new album ‘Changephobia’.

Giving us a full tour, Rostam talks us through his incredibly varied songwriting processes, from demoing beats on a Japanese bullet train and jamming with the TV, to improvising parts in the studio and simply writing without his brain. 

Going in deep, we’re treated to beat constructions, reverb breakdowns and sax playing that is just all feel, all alongside the subtle sounds that completely transform the emotion in a track.

Listen to find out which plugin changed the way he thinks about recording vocals, why clarity can sometimes completely destroy a vibe, and how to treat an addiction to groove.

Tracks discussed: From The Back of a Cab, 4Runner, Starlight

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Changephobia’ here. 

'Changephobia’ - Matsor Projects

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

GEAR MENTIONS

Moog Voyager

Korg Trident

Solaris Synth

Roland Juno 60

Line 6 Pedals

ELA M 251 Mic

AKG C414

Eventide H3000

Eventide Swell Reverb

UAD Eventide H910 Harmoniser

Neve BCM 10 

Vari-Mu Compressor

Tube-Tech CL 1B Compressor

Neve Preamp 500 Series 1073LB

Waves CLA Vocal Plugin

Universal Audio 1176 Compressor

Valhalla Shimmer

McDSP M404 

Ableton

Sibelius

ProTools

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 :) 

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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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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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In this episode John links up with Marie Ulven, aka girl in red, and producer Matias Tellez, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced her debut album ‘if i could make it go quiet’.

With Marie’s original bedroom recordings to hand, the pair take us through how they built on the framework of her demos, singling out the minuscule details in each track that you probably wouldn’t notice, but are completely responsible for the vibe. 

Alongside stories of recording without reverb and taking energy from different genres, Marie discusses the sentiment behind her lyrics as well as the individual syllable and pronunciation changes that had such big impacts. 

Listen to find out how to create an electronic beat from acoustic instruments, why you should always check things with a tremolo on, and what the appropriate response is when Taylor Swift posts about your album!

Tracks discussed: Body And Mind, Did You Come?, Apartment 402

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

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Listen to ‘if i could make it go quiet’ here.  

‘if i could make it go quiet’ - World In Red, AWAL Recordings

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

GEAR MENTIONS

Stam Audio SA-47

Neve Preamps

Retro Instruments Sta-Level Compressor

Soundtoys Devil-Loc

Soundtoys Alter Boy

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 :) 

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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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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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In this episode, John heads down to Royal Blood’s secret studio near Brighton to catch up with Mike and Ben about how they wrote, recorded and produced their chart-topping album ‘Typhoons’.

Having written the majority of the record apart from each other in lockdown, the duo reflect on their creative process, from forming demos on the living room sofa to dipping their toes in musical moves they’ve never had the guts to do before.

Incorporating the dance floor into their world for the first time, we hear how they combined disco influences with sounds from the depths of hell, as well as the inside details on song structuring, adapting drum parts, and tricks to help nail vocal writing. 

Listen to find out how a looped mistake can become the basis of a hook, how a £30 amp from eBay helped form the majority of the record’s sound, and how Brad Pitt almost made a feature.

Tracks discussed: Typhoons, Limbo, Mad Visions

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to ‘Typhoons’ here.

‘Typhoons’ - Warner Records UK, Imperial Galactic Limited, Black Mammoth 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

GEAR MENTIONS

Universal Audio Apollo Twin

Universal Audio Preamps

Shure SM7B 

Spectrasonics Keyscape

Soundtoys Pan Man

Overstayer

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 :) 

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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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In this episode we pick out a selection of highlights from Season 7. If you haven’t heard every episode from the last season, this is a good way to introduce yourself to some of the artists and producers we’ve had on and hear some of their top studio tips, writing processes and all-round philosophies towards creating a record. 

You’ll hear highlights from: 

Bicep

Idles with Nick Launay and Adam Greenspan

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Paul Weller with Stan Kybert and Charles Rees

Adam Buxton

Fontaines DC and Dan Carey

Slowthai with Kwes Darko

SG Lewis

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to the albums featured this season with the links below.

Bicep - ‘Isles’

IDLES - ‘Ultra Mono’

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - ‘K.G.’ & ‘L.W.’ 

Paul Weller - ‘On Sunset’

Fontaines D.C. - ‘Dogrel’ & ‘A Hero’s Death’

Slowthai - ‘TYRON’

S.G. Lewis - ‘Times’ 

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: 

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Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

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 

'Isles' - Ninja Tune 

'Ultra Mono' - Partisan Records

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

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

Operations Limited

'Dogrel' and 'A Hero's Death' - Partisan Records

‘TYRON' - A Method Records/Interscope/AWGE release.

'Times' - A PMR/EMI release, under exclusive license to Universal Music Operations Limited

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, John catches up with Sam Lewis AKA SG Lewis to get lost in the disco grooves of his album ‘Times’.

Digging deep into the writing and production, Sam charts the development of the tracks right the way through from the demos and initial studio sessions, to recreating sounds and samples with disco legends.

As well as treating us to unheard Chic versions and heaps of Nile Rodgers riffing, he reflects on learning to record his voice for the first time, along with the realisation that singing isn’t always about singing.

Listen to find out about the hardest parts of recreating demo magic, how a healthy dose of sidechain compression can create the ultimate vocal bounce, and why sometimes all you need is an iPhone to record a piano.

Tracks discussed: One More, Feed The Fire, Chemicals

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes

Listen to 'Times' here.

'Times' - A PMR/EMI release, under exclusive license to Universal Music Operations Limited

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

GEAR MENTIONS

Sequential OB6

OB-Xd (Free)

Teenage Engineering OP1

Minimoog

Roland Jupiter

Gem Dopamine

UAD Oxford Inflator 

Valhalla Vintage Verb

Waves Doubler

Native Instruments Massive

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  

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 

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In this episode, John is joined by slowthai and producer Kwes Darko at Iguana Studios, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Tyron’.

With voice messages, demos and stems in hand, Ty and Kwes lay out the development of each track, from the gear and technicalities of capturing vocals and making a beat that hits hard, to the smallest production details that often have the biggest emotional impact.

Delving into the deep stuff, the pair discuss the philosophies and attitudes at the heart of their tight artist-producer relationship, as well as sharing wise words on creativity, development and some of the best forms of inspiration. 

Listen to find out why Ty had to out rap a rapper on his own track, how they used Twitter as a creative tool, and the reason why you should always check a mix in the car. 

Tracks discussed: MAZZA, PLAY WITH FIRE, adhd

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

Listen to 'TYRON' here.

'TYRON' - A Method Records/Interscope/AWGE release.

GEAR MENTIONS

AKG C414

Neumann U87

Mellotron

Roland TR-808

Soundtoys Decapitator

Empirical Labs Distressor

Tube-Tech

Neve Preamps

Universal Audio Neve 1073

Universal Audio Apollos

Universal Audio

Neumann NDH 20

Genelec Monitors

Fender Stratocaster

Native Instruments Komplete

East West Virtual Instruments

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  

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 

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Catching up on some much-needed studio goodness, John returns to Mr Dan’s studio to chat with Conor and Tom of Fontaines D.C. and producer Dan Carey, about how they wrote, recorded and produced the albums 'Dogrel’ and ‘A Hero’s Death’.

With rehearsal room and garden shed demos in hand, Conor, Tom and Dan give us a rundown of some of the key moments of the band’s career, from first meetings at a 20 person gig to recording an entire album in LA, and then redoing it in London.

Digging into the recording process, we hear thoughts on the ultimate ways to capture the full experience of a live band, and Dan explains the ins and outs of getting things down on tape.

Listen to find out what was achieved when the band built an amp castle, how a room became their new sixth member, and why so much skill is involved in playing one note bass lines.

Tracks discussed: Too Real, A Hero’s Death, You Said

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to 'Dogrel' here.

Listen to 'A Hero's Death' here.

'Dogrel' and 'A Hero's Death' - Partisan Records 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

GEAR MENTIONS

Swarmatron

Logic Pro 

Ludwig Black Beauty

Fender Coronado 

Fender Mustang

Rainger Minor Concussion

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  

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 

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