In this episode, John heads over to Spitfire Audio to chat with Mahalia and producer JD. Reid about how they wrote, recorded and produced the EP ‘Letter To Ur Ex’.

Looking back on their early writing sessions together, the pair reflect on their very first meeting and the approach they took to get the best out of one another. From scatting line after line over a beat and jamming ideas until something just sticks, to the promise of food as a reward for finishing each section of a song.

Alongside sharing their thoughts on blending the worlds of hip-hop and R&B, we’re treated to a production deep dive, looking at the intricate relationships between the parts that make up a beat and the small yet essential ingredients that add so much to each track in such subtle ways.

Listen to find out why Mahalia sometimes sings with a man’s voice, what moments just scream out for a Talk Box, and why it’s always important to look at a track as more than just an instrumental and vocal.

Tracks discussed: Letter To Ur N(ex)t, Whatever Simon Says, In The Club

Listen to ‘Letter To Ur Ex’ here.

‘Letter To Ur Ex’ - Warner Music UK

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 

GEAR MENTIONS

Wavesfactory Cassette Tape Saturation

Goodhertz Lossy

Spectrasonics Omnisphere

Arturia CS80

Arturia Mellotron

Arturia Juno Chorus 

Antares Autotune

Keyscape Rhodes

UAD Empirical Labs Distressor

UAD Empirical Labs Pultec

Universal Audio Apollo Twin (JD’s Interface)

Native Instruments Rickenbacker Bass

Native Instruments Reaktor

Native Instruments Kontakt

Valhalla Reverbs

Valhalla Shimmer

Spitfire Strings

Spitfire Audio

Talk Box

MicroKorg

Shure SM7B

Splice

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 :) 

Donate

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

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! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk 

TAPE NOTES TEAM

Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor

Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer

Will Lyons - Editor

Herbie Elton-Rowley - Videographer

George Durston - Assistant

Nathan Hetherington - PR

Rebecca Ibbotson - Digital Marketing