Tape Notes

John is joined by Pomplamoose - American indie-jazz duo Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn -  to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album ‘Photogénique’, released in July this year.

The two met while studying at Stanford University and began making music together in early 2008. They first gained widespread attention in late 2009 through their inventive covers of popular songs on YouTube and MySpace, achieving their first viral hit in 2010 with their rendition of Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies’. Since then, Pomplamoose have released seven albums, including ‘Tribute to Famous People’ (2010) and ‘Hey, It’s Pomplamoose’ (2016), blending elements of indie pop, rock, and jazz.

In this episode, Jack and Nataly join remotely from their US studio to discuss the three-year process of writing and recording ‘Photogénique’, the ‘extreme self-honesty’ that led them to scrap and re-record much of the original album and their intricate vocal production processes. They also get into the influence of AI on their art, their top gear recommendations and advice they would give to newer artists. 

Tracks discussed: Tu Peux Pas Savoir, Julie

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 20% off.

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at landr.com/tapenotes

MUSIVERSAL

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LISTEN to ‘Photogénique’ here, Pomplamoose Inc.

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

Ableton Live

Waves Smack Attack

Soundtoys Decapitator

Fabfilter Saturn 2

Waves The Kings Microphones

Goodhertz Megaverb

Roland JU-06A

Roland Juno-60

Roland Juno-106

Neumann TLM49

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 

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Patreon: Tape Notes

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

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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John is joined by Irish singer-songwriter CMAT and producer Oli Deakin, to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album ‘EURO-COUNTRY’. 

CMAT, aka Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, is best known for her unique blend of country-infused pop music, which often incorporates humour and pop culture references. She released her debut album, ‘If My Wife New I'd Be Dead’, in 2022, produced by longtime friend Oli Deakin. Both it and second album ‘Crazymad, For Me’ were praised for their detailed lyricism. The latter was also nominated for the Mercury Prize and the Ivor Novello Award for Best Album. CMAT’s third album ‘EURO-COUNTRY’ was released on 29th August 2025, with Oli Deakin again on production. It has already garnered rave reviews and given CMAT her first viral Tiktok hit with ‘Take a Sexy Picture of Me’.

Sitting down at Platoon Studios in London, the trio discuss how the album was inspired by growing up in Ireland in the Noughties, why CMAT’s phone is her most important instrument, how online trolling inspired her viral hit ‘Take a Sexy Picture of Me’ and why a three-minute ‘perfect’ pop melody can be the most effective way to deliver a hard-hitting political message.

Tracks discussed: Billy Byrne From Ballybrack, The Leader of the Pigeon Convoy; EURO-COUNTRY; Take a Sexy Picture of Me; Iceberg

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 20% off.

Recorded at Platoon Studios

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at landr.com/tapenotes

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘EURO-COUNTRY’ here: EURO-COUNTRY by CMAT, AWAL Recordings

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

Omnichord

Mellotron

Casio Keyboard

AEA R88 microphone

Wurlitzer

Neumann M49 microphone

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: 

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Patreon: Tape Notes

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Discord: Tape Notes

X: @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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John is joined by singer-songwriter and musician Laufey and producer Spencer Stewart to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album ‘A Matter Of Time’.

Having performed on numerous national TV singing shows in her youth, Icelandic-Chinese artist Laufey released her first full-length album, ‘Everything I Know About Love’ in 2022. It was praised for seamlessly blending jazz influences with contemporary production. Her second album, ‘Bewitched’, continued this trend with its captivating jazz-pop ballads and earned her the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. Laufey met producer Spencer Stewart when they were students at music college in the US and they have been collaborating ever since. Laufey’s much anticipated third album ‘A Matter of Time’ was released on 24th August 2025.

Sitting down at Strongroom Studios in London, the trio discuss how creativity often involves breaking formal rules, why the voice is an underrated instrument, the importance of not being a snob when it comes to technology and their belief that when it sounds wrong in the studio, it might just be because you’ve hit on something really original! 

Tracks discussed: Lover Girl; Tough Luck; Too Little, Too Late

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 20% off.

Recorded at ⁠Strongroom Studios⁠

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at ⁠landr.com/tapenotes⁠

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount⁠ HERE⁠

LISTEN to ⁠‘A Matter of Time’ here⁠ , Vingolf Recordings

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

⁠linktr.ee/tapenotes ⁠

⁠Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective⁠

GEAR MENTIONS

⁠Neumann TLM103

⁠Neumann U67 ⁠

⁠Shure SM7B ⁠

⁠Juno-60⁠

⁠iZotope Ozone⁠

⁠Echoplex⁠

⁠Plank of wood⁠

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

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John is joined by Piers and Kesi of seminal British dance act Rudimental, at Strongroom Studios in London to discuss how they wrote and recorded new album ‘RUDIM3NTAL’.

Rudimental’s three members - Piers Aggett, Kesi Dryden and Leon Rolle - started as childhood friends. After releasing their debut album ‘Home’ in 2013, the trio quickly became one of the most influential dance acts of the 21st century. They have amassed billions of streams worldwide, toured extensively and released multiple chart-topping singles including ‘Feel the Love’, ‘Waiting All Night’ and ‘These Days’.

In this episode, the band discuss the evolution of Rudimental from their earliest days and how they keep things fresh and exciting five albums in. They talk about honing in on the drum and bass genre on this record and other changes they made to their process such as working with samples and collaborating with different producers. They also discuss their legendary talent for getting the best from featured vocalists and the influence their live shows have always had on their studio recordings.

Tracks discussed: Chop Dem Down, Thank You, Green & Gold

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 20% off.

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at landr.com/tapenotes

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘RUDIM3NTAL’ here

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

Gear mentions:

VPS avenger

Xfer Serum

U-he diva

Apple Logic Pro

Izotope Music Rebalance (part of RX suite)

AKAI MPC

Melotron

Splice

Loopmasters

UAD Eden

Neve preamp

Manley ref-c mic

UA bock 251 mic

UA Urei 1176 compressor

Rode microphones

Shure sm57 mic

UAD interface

Korg m1 synth

Thermionic culture vulture

Solid State Logic SSL Fusion

Soundtoys Echoboy

UAD Dyntronics cyclosonic panner

Prophet 6 synth

Effectrix by Sugar Bytes

Nicky Romero kickstart plugin

Moog Voyager

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

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John is joined by Djo and producer Adam Thein to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album ‘The Crux’.

Djo, aka Joe Keery, is an American musician and actor. His music career began back in 2014 as a guitarist and drummer in the Chicago psych-rock/garage band ‘Post Animal’. He left to launch a solo career as Djo, balancing music with a starring role in the Netflix global hit ‘Stranger Things’. His first album as Djo, ‘Twenty Twenty’, was released in 2019 and praised by critics for its blend of psychedelic rock and power pop influences. His second album ‘Decide’, followed in 2022. The single ‘End of Beginning’ from the album was a viral hit and was nominated for Brit and Billboard awards. ‘The Crux’, arrived in April this year to further critical acclaim, once again working with producer Adam Thein

In this episode, the pair discuss Joe’s collaborative approach to creating and what Adam sees as Joe’s particular gift for knowing what feedback to take on board and what to discard. Joe talks about the long process of making ‘The Crux’, juggling writing and recording with a demanding acting career, and how space and time actually aided his creative process. 

Tracks discussed: Delete Ya, Charlie’s Garden, Egg

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 20% off.

Recorded at Platoon Tileyard Studios

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘The Crux’ here

AWAL Recordings

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Soundtoys Echoboy

Soundtoys Microshift

Soundtoys Little Alterboy

Soundtoys Devil Loc

Brainworx True Peak Limiter

Universal Audio Vox AC-30

Lexicon 224

Arturia East Piano

Sequential Prophet 6

EMU Planet Phatt

RCA R44

Brigade Chorus

E-Bow

Roland Alpha Juno

Fender P-Bass

Mellotron

UTA-D UnFairchild Plugin

Wurlitzer

Farfisa Synth

ARP Pro DGX Synth

Digitech Talker Vocoder

Guild Starfire Bass

Gibson J45

Magniton Amp

Boss CE-1

Fender Stratocaster

Neve Desk

Avid ProTools

Ableton Live

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 

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

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

John sits down with Scottish artist, producer and DJ Josh Mainnie, at Baltic Studios, better known as Barry Can’t Swim, and producer O’ Flynn to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album ‘Loner’.

Josh first began releasing under the alias Barry Can’t Swim in 2019, releasing a stream of singles that began attracting attention for their melodic, dance-driven style. In 2023, he released his first full-length album, ‘When Will We Land?’, which became a huge success, earning him nominations for the Mercury Prize and at the BRIT Awards. ‘Loner’ released in July 2025, sees him reflect on his newfound fame and place in the industry, whilst maintaining his signature high energy beats and captivating soundscapes.

Sitting down with Josh, and later with collaborator O’Flynn, the conversation dives into the album-making process. They explore Josh’s sampling techniques, the ideal mindset and headspace for creating great music, and the stories behind capturing sounds from unexpected places, like the toilets of an Indian restaurant, and turning them into tracks.

Tracks discussed: Still Riding, Wandering Mt. Moon, Kimpton

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 20% off.

Recorded at Baltic Studios

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at landr.com/tapenotes

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Loner’ here

‘Ninja Tune’

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

Oek Sound Soothe 2

Cable Guys Snap Back

XLN Audio Life Plugin

Slate & Ash Cycles

Slate & Ash Auras

Arturia Mini V

Arturia Beatstep Pro

Arturia Prophet

Xfer Serum Synth

Spectrasonics Keyscape Double Felt

Valhalla Plugins 

Make Noise Morphogene

Korg Kaoss Pad

Prophet Synth

Korg MS-20

Korg M1

Splice

Ableton Prehistoric VHS (Wavetable Preset)

Ableton Granulator

Ableton EQ

Ableton Plugins

Ableton

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 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

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

John is joined by Lorde and producer Jim-E Stack to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Virgin’.

Lorde, is a singer-songwriter and producer from New Zealand who rose to fame in 2013 with the Grammy winning global hit track ‘Royals’. Her albums 2013’s ‘Pure Heroine’, 2017’s ‘Melodrama’, and 2012's ‘Solar Power’ all showcase her sharp, raw lyrics and sophisticated production . In June 2025, after collaborations with artists including Charli XCX, Lorde released ‘Virgin’. Produced by Jim-E Stack, the record reveals a bold new sound and explores themes of self-discovery and identity.

In this episode, the pair discuss the subtle changes made in the development of each track. As well as sharing numerous voice notes and demos, they talk through how the lyrics and production informed each other, the importance of muting and stripping songs back, with deep rooted percussion at the music’s core.

Tracks discussed: Favourite Daughter, GRWN, Shapeshifter

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 20% off.

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at landr.com/tapenotes

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Virgin’ here - https://lynkify.in/album/virgin/wuWmkwlQ 

‘Universal Music’

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

Soundtoys Decapiator

Soundtoys Devil-Loc

Soundtoys FilterFreak

FabFilter Pro Q

Decimort

Waves Soundshift

Waves RVox

Waves SSL Compressor

Kontakt Strings

OTT

Goodhertz Lossy

Korg PolySix

Shure SM7

Moog Rogue

Thermionic Culture Vulture

API 550 EQ

Neve 1073

Neumann U47

CL-1B Compressor

Roland Juno

AMS DMX Unit

Telefunken 251 Mic

CR 8000 Drum Machine

Roland VG-8

Teenage Engineering OP-1

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

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

John is joined by Jamie xx, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘In Waves’.

Jamie xx is an English musician, record producer, and DJ. He began his career as part of The xx, whose 2009 debut album ‘xx’ was instrumental in shaping the indie music scene of the 2010s. Jamie’s critically acclaimed solo debut, ‘In Colour’, arrived in 2015, earning both Mercury and Grammy nominations. In 2024, he released ‘In Waves’, a record that captures the emotional highs and hazy afterglow of a night out, blending bliss, heartbreak, and introspection through immersive dance music.

In this episode, Jamie reflects on the years-long journey of creating ‘In Waves’. As well as discussing where his initial moments of inspiration came from, he talks through his approach to sampling, how he balances analog synths with a Logic-based workflow, and the plugins that have become essential to crafting his distinctive sound.

Tracks discussed: Breather, Dafodil, Life

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 20% off.

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at landr.com/tapenotes

TRINITY LABAN 

Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘In Waves’ here

‘Young’

LISTEN to ‘Tina Moore - Never Gonna Let You Go’ here.

‘RCA Records, Sony’

LISTEN to ‘Cerrone - The House of the Rising Sun Revelacion Suite’ here.

‘Because’

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective.

GEAR MENTIONS

Soundtoys Crystallizer

Zynaptiq Morph

Output Thermal

Roland TR-808

XLN Audio XO

Serum

Sonar Works Sound ID Reference

Roland Space Echo

Oberheim 8 Voice

Korg Delta

Isla Drum Machine

Akai MPC 1000

Tascam 8 Track

Logic ES 2

Logic Phaser

Logic Drum Sampler

Logic Pro X

Garageband

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

Evan Lawday

Francis Hartgrove

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

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 Caribou, Dan Snaith, all the way back in Summer 2020.

EPISODE NOTES

In this episode John links up with Caribou a.k.a. Dan Snaith, to breakdown how Suddenly -  his first release in five years - was written, recorded and produced. 

Diving deep into his hard drive Dan treats us to a plethora of demo versions, track breakdowns and even plays us a few nuggets live. We get to hear the philosophy and stories behind creating his most personal album yet and discover how he reduced a monumental 900 ideas down to a single record. 

Listen to hear the results of when Dan was let loose in Floating Points' Studio, how leaving his internet browser open while recording provided a moment of compositional serendipity, and why the title of this podcast could well have been 'Things I learned from Timberland'. 

Songs Discussed: Magpie, Like I Love You, Sister 

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 20% off.

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at ⁠landr.com/tapenotes⁠

TRINITY LABAN 

Find out more about⁠ Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.⁠

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount⁠ HERE

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to 'Suddenly' here.

'Suddenly' - City Slang

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

GEAR MENTIONS

API Lunchbox

Arp 2600

ARP Rhodes Chroma

Rhodes

Flea 47

Native Instruments Reaktor

Spectrasonics Omnisphere

Spectrasonics Trilian

Synthesis Technology - E370 Quad Morphing VCO

ToneBoosters Reelbus

Universal Audio 1176 Compressor

Waves MondoMod

Yamaha CS-70

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

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

John is joined by Nicolas Godin, one half of the French electronic duo Air, to explore how they wrote, recorded, and produced their iconic debut album, Moon Safari.

Formed in 1995 by Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel, Air rose to global fame with ‘Moon Safari’ in 1998, a critically acclaimed, genre-defining album that helped elevate French pop and inspired a generation of down-tempo electronic music. In 2025, the duo marked its 25th anniversary with Blue Moon Safari, a bold reinterpretation by British producer Vegyn.

In this episode, Nico shares the story behind ‘Moon Safari', sharing how each track came to life, the creative choices that shaped the album, and the instruments and techniques that defined the iconic Air sound.

Tracks discussed: Sexy Boy, La Femme d’argent, Talisman, Kelly Watch the Stars

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 20% off.

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at landr.com/tapenotes

TRINITY LABAN 

Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Moon Safari’ here - https://lynkify.in/album/moon-safari/xYXmfb0a 

‘Parlophone’

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

AKG C414

Talk Box

Leslie Cabin

Moog Minimoog

Korg MS20

Fostex A80

Sequential Prophet 5

Roland Juno

Roland Jupiter-8

ARP 2600

Synton Syrinx

Peavey Classic 50

Ensoniq DP/4

Fender Rhodes

Whurlitzer

Spitfire Audio Instruments

Ableton

Cubase

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

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TAPE NOTES TEAM

John Kennedy

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Ali Lewis

Evan Lawday

Francis Hartgrove

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