Tape Op Podcast

Philadelphia native Steve Gunn kept popping up in playlists and each time he did I stopped to hit save to favorites and liked songs. Who is this guy? One deep dive into an album led to another and then another. Each album had its own personality and many of them were interesting collaborations. I was hooked! It was a pleasure to get to talk to Steve and dig into his early days in hardcore bands, to making recordings with his own band, solo, his collaborations and producing other artists. We also had some fun gear chat for good measure. Enjoy! Sponsored by: Soundtoys http://soundtoys.com

Welcome to *Tape Op's* DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. For this episode we chat with Jasper Verhulst and recording engineer Jasper Geluk of "Altin Gün" about Selda Bagcan’s 1976 release, *Selda*. Enjoy! Sponsered by AKG-JBL https://www.akg.com

Ibrahim Maalouf and Angélique Kidjo are both accomplished and storied artists in their own right, but their collaborations bring a new light to their artistry. It is no more apparent than on their 2022 release Queen of Sheba, a potent, grooving and emotional musical telling of the fabled tale of an Ethiopian queen who travels to Jerusalem to speak with King Solomon. It seamlessly fuses African and Middle Eastern rhythms and melodic themes with a story told through seven riddles in one of Angelique many languages, Yoruba. Geoff Stanfield chatted with Angélique and Ibrahim for this fun and insightful interview. Enjoy. Sponsered by Sonnox https://www.sonnox.com

Welcome to Tape Op's DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. For this episode we chat with Mastering engineer Josh Bonati about Saâda Bonaire’s 1984 self-titled release. Enjoy! Sponsered by AKG-JBL https://www.akg.com

Ontario Canada's electronic pop duo Junior Boys formed in 1999 and have been making fantastic albums since 2004. Their new release Waiting Game is what principle songwriter, synth wizard and singer Jeremy Greenspan describes as a "quiet record." It is the perfect companion for a drive, walk or simply sitting on the couch with headphones and immersing yourself in the band's electronic landscapes. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Jeremy to discuss. Enjoy! Sponsered by Retro Intruments https://www.retroinstruments.com

Welcome to Tape Op's DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. For this episode we chat with drummer/composer Ian Chang about Dawn of Midi’s 2015 release Dysnomia. Enjoy! **Sponsored by JBL Professional** https://jblpro.com/en-US

We first interviewed Adrian Quesada back in 2013 in issue #92 about his band Grupo Fantasma and have since chatted with him about his Grammy winning project Black Pumas on the Tape Op Podcast. During quarantine Adrian created two solo records, Boleros Psicodélicos and the most recently released, Jaguar Sound. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Adrian to discuss. Enjoy. Sponsored by Distrokid https://distrokid.com

Welcome to Tape Op's DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. For this episode we chat with Julien Baker about The Japanese House’s 2019 release *Good at Falling*. Enjoy! **Sponsored by JBL Professional** jblpro.com/en-us

Texas Trio Khruangbin have paired with Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré, son of the legendary Ali Farka Touré, for new release Ali. The result is an otherworldly, reverb soaked trance offering, perfect for a drive through the African desert or a stretch of Texas highway. Geoff Stanfield caught up with guitarist Mark Speer and engineer Steve Christensen to discuss the partnership and recording of the album. Enjoy! Sponsored by Adam Audio https://www.adam-audio.com/en/

Welcome to Tape Op's DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. For this episode we chat with Producer, Mixer, Engineer Geoff Swan about Jamie Lidell’s 2005 release, Multiply. Enjoy! Sponsored by JBL Professional jblpro.com/en-us

The pairing of Amanda Shires and producer Lawrence Rothman is an unlikely one. On paper, Amanda's Americana leaning solo records, including her work with the Highwomen and Lawrence's highly art rock leaning production style make almost no sense, and that's the beauty of it. The two partnered during Covid on remote writing collaborations and finally full band sessions at Nashville's famed RCA Studio B and Amanda's barn turned home studio. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Amanda and Lawrence to talk about their partnership and the process of making her new album, *Take it Like a Man*. Enjoy! Sponsered by Overstayer http://www.overstayeraudio.com

Welcome to Tape Op's DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. For this episode we chat with Deep Sea Diver’s Jessica Dobson about David Bowie’s 1980 release, Scary Monsters. Enjoy! Sponsored by JBL Professional jblpro.com/en-us

New York City duo Beacon has been releasing haunting downtempo electronic pop since their beautiful 2013 release, Ways We Separate. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Thomas Mullarney and Jacob Gossett to chat about their beginnings, record making process and their new album Along the Lethe. Enjoy!

Welcome to Tape Op's DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. For this episode we chat with NYC's Cults about Ween's 1991 release, The Pod! Enjoy! Sponsored by JBL Professional jblpro.com/en-us

Mixer Jesse Ray Ernster who mixes without a console (or even a desk!) recently sat down with legendary mix engineer Bob Clearmountain, whose work has been omnipresent on hit radio for decades, for an informal chat about their workflows, Dolby Atmos and more! Check out our feature in Tape Op and look for video of this chat as well on our website and YouTube channel. Enjoy! Sponsored by Rupert Neve Designs https://rupertneve.com

In keeping with their long standing partnership, Panda Bear and Sonic Boom (aka Noah Lennox and Pete Kemper) have teamed up again to create Reset, a collection of songs that started with Sonic Boom sending song length two track samples pulled from his vinyl collection to Panda Bear to write to. The result is an album that sounds like Summer with lyrical themes of hope and the need for common ground. Noah and Pete caught up with Geoff Stanfield from their homes in Portugal to discuss. Enjoy! Sponsored by McDSP https://www.mcdsp.com

Welcome to Tape Op's DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. For this episode we chat with Emily Wells about Lewis Baloue’s 1985 release, Romantic Times! Enjoy! Sponsored by JBL Professional jblpro.com/en-us

Composer, musician, and producer James George Thirlwell has been known as JG Thirlwell, Clint Ruin, Frank Want, and most famously, Foetus and its many incarnations. Lately he has been doing quite a bit of scoring for television, with Archer and The Venture Bros. among his credits. I dropped in at his Brooklyn loft a while back to learn more. Enjoy! Sponsored by Focusrite Pro https://pro.focusrite.com

Welcome to Tape Op's DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. For this episode we chat with Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes about R.E.M.'s 1986 album Lifes Rich Pageant. Enjoy! Sponsored by JBL Professional jblpro.com/en-us

In issue 133 of Tape Op I interviewed Andrew Scheps about mixing, and his work with artists like Adele, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Hozier. It’s been about 4 years, and we wanted to catch up, so I dropped him a line for this podcast. Andrew has recently developed a Pro Tools “bolt on” application, called Bounce Factory, that automates bouncing and mixing, plus he’s now working in Dolby ATMOS, and I had a special question to ask him as well. Plenty to discuss! Enjoy! Sponsored by Antelope https://www.soundtoys.com

Welcome to Tape Op's DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. This week we chat w/ Dave Matthews about Tom Waits' 1978 release Blue Valentine. Enjoy! Sponsored by JBL Professional jblpro.com/en-us

We first interviewed Ann Mincieli back in 2012 for Tape Op issue #89, but ten years is an eternity these days so Geoff Stanfield caught up with Ann to chat about her early studio days, mentors, immersive audio, her work with Alicia Keys, and ever expanding studio ventures. Enjoy! Sponsored by Antelope en.antelopeaudio.com

Grammy award-winning songwriter and musician Aoife O'Donovan has released three critically-acclaimed solo albums, is co-founder of the bands I’m With Her and Crooked Still, and has spent a decade contributing to the radio variety shows "Live From Here” and “A Prairie Home Companion”. Her new album, "Age of Apathy," was produced from a distance by Joe Henry during the pandemic lockdown, but you'd never know it from the incredibly cohesive sound and "in the room" energy of the recordings. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Aoife to chat on the eve of the record's release. Enjoy! Sponsored by Sonnox https://sonnox.com

Melbourne Australia's Amyl and the Sniffers are a punk rock, metal, hip-hop, post punk mashup served with a heaping spoonful of Eff You and a cheeky smile. The band's singer Amy Taylor described the band like this: "In Australia we call poppers Amyl. So you sniff it, it lasts for 30 seconds and then you have a headache – and that's what we're like!" Their 2021 release *Comfort to Me* is a pedal to the metal collection of songs recorded during the pandemic by producer Dan Luscombe and mixed by Nick Launay. Geoff Stanfield caught up with the band's singer Amy and guitarist Dec Martens for a chat and to listen to some tracks off the new record. Enjoy! Sponsored by ATO Records https://atorecords.com

In 2002, for issue 27 of Tape Op Magazine, I visited Jim Eno and Britt Daniel of the band Spoon at Jim's converted 2-car garage studio in Austin, Texas, to talk about making records. It's now 20 years later, and Spoon's 10th album, Lucifer on the Sofa, is out. I talked to Jim about his Public Hi-Fi Studio – the multi-story building that replaced his garage – Spoon's new album, and gender inequality in the studio over Zoom. Enjoy! Sponsored by Audix https://audixusa.com

Chicago's Neal Francis recently released In Plain Sight, the follow up to his critically acclaimed debut Changes. It is an album filled with personal stories wrapped in a deep pocket of funky grooves, classic tones and masterful songwriting. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Neal to chat about recording In Plain Sight, discuss some of the record's tracks, and they even get a call from the album's mixer, Dave Fridmann! Enjoy! Sponsored by Cloud Microphones https://cloudmicrophones.com

Producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Greg Kurstin has worked with a staggering list of top artists including Adele, Pink, Paul McCartney, The Foo Fighters, Sia, Beck and many more. For this episode Geoff Stanfield chatted with Greg specifically about his recent work producing Greta Van Fleet's latest release, *The Battle at Garden's Gate*. Enjoy! Sponsored by Retro Instruments http://retroinstruments.com

For his most recent release *Uneasy*, pianist and composer Vijay Iyer is joined by Linda May Han Oh on bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. The album is masterfully recorded and captures the tension, somberness and dark before the dawn sentiment of compositions that address subject matter ranging from the Flint, Michigan water crisis to the Black Lives Matter movement. By setting the stage, animating tones into vivid thoughts, and creating dialog between instruments, the trio creates a canvas for conversations around these topics and invites the listener to both engage and reflect. Geoff Stanfield chatted with Vijay about the recording of *Uneasy* and it's socially relevant subject matter. Enjoy! Sponsored by Distrokid http://distrokid.com

2008 was an event filled year. Barack Obama was elected president, Satoshi Nakamoto introduced the concept of Bitcoin, Spotify was launched in Sweden and an extra “leap second” was added to the end of the year. It was also the year that Portland, Oregon band Blitzen Trapper released their album Furr and the single of the same name. 21 years, 42 million streams, and heaps of critical praise later, the band’s singer, guitarist and writer Eric Earley discusses “Furr” and the song’s humble beginnings. Enjoy! Sponsored by Overstayer http://overstayeraudio.com

Laraaji (born as Edward Larry Gordon) may be most well-known for his 1980 album Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, a collaboration with Brian Eno for his legendary ambient series of recordings, but Laraaji's career has actually spanned more than 40 years and includes over 50 releases. However, music is only one element of this laughter artist, meditation practitioner, and mystic traveler. As Eno says, "Laraaji is one of the calmest and most serious people I have ever met, and also one of the most lighthearted. It's an unusual combination, but somehow both qualities show in his work – it's deep and bright at the same time." Geoff Stanfield had a conversation with Laraaji from which excerpts were pulled for an article in Tape Op issue #141, but actually hearing the words and wisdom is an experience all its own. Enjoy! Sponsored by Focusrite https://focusrite.com

Xenia Rubinos could just as easily be on a bill with Flying Lotus and The Boredoms as she could with Eryka Badu and Esperanza Spalding. Her unique genre mixing of soul, punk, jazz, pop and latin music grooves planted her firmly in a musical space all her own. Following Xenia's first two albums, 2013's *Magic Trix* and the wide success of 2016's *Black Terry Cat* and the extensive touring and hustle to promote it, she visited a "curandero" who diagnosed her with "a loss of spirit". Though uninspired and unmotivated to make music, she was encouraged by her longtime collaborator and co-producer Marco Buccelli to continue working. Rubinos' new release *Una Rosa*, is her own novella. It is a rediscovery of her musical self that explores new sonic territory, leaning heavily on the use of synths and drum machines to frame her stories, reflections and expressions. Geoff Stanfield chatted with Xenia from her home in Brooklyn. Enjoy! Sponsored by Radial Engineering https://radialeng.com

In this episode we chat with Producer/Engineer Mitch Easter about working on the song that launched R.E.M.'s career, "Radio Free Europe"! The version of R.E.M.'s Radio Free Europe that we have all come to know and love was released in 1980 on the band's 2nd album, Murmur, but there was an earlier version of the song recorded at Mitch's humble Drive-In Studios. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Mitch to talk this seminal track and working with the band in their early days. Enjoy! Sponsored by Rupert Neve Designs rupertneve.com

Jim Keller first made his mark co-penning the 80's hit "867-5309 (Jenny, Jenny)" as a member of the band Tommy TuTone. In a long and storied career he has managed Philip Glass, become a staple of the New York music scene and released several acclaimed albums. His most recent release, By No Means, was produced and recorded by Mitchell Froom and David Boucher and features David Hidalgo, Michael Urbano and Bob Glaub. Geoff Stanfield caught up on a 3 way Zoom call with Jim in New York and Mitchell in New Zealand to discuss. Enjoy! Sponsored by McDSP https://mcdsp.com

Italian engineer and mixer Riccardo Damian has had a hand in the music of a staggering list of artists. Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Sampha, Lily Allen, Yebba, Ezra Collective, Alicia Keys, Drake and the list goes on. From interning in a small town in Italy to cutting his teeth in London's more prestigious studios and being Mark Ronson's main engineer, he has learned from mentors and carved a path and created a sound that is decidedly his own. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Ricky earlier this year to discuss his early days, the importance of being prepared and making sure technology never gets in the way. Enjoy! Sponsored by Antelope Audio https://antelopeaudio.com

What is the common thread between Spike Lee, The Grateful Dead, Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, Pat Metheny, Justin Vernon, James Mercer, Branford Marsalis, Snoop Dog, Polo G and countless other music luminaries? That'd be Bruce Hornsby. His collaborations, songwriting, performances and oft sampled hit "The Way It Is" have kept Bruce Hornsby a vital force in the music community for almost four decades. Online publisher Geoff Stanfield caught up with Bruce recently to chat about his early days, scoring films for Spike Lee and the joys of a stolen Rhodes piano. Enjoy! Sponsored by Soundtoys https://soundtoys.com

Hey Tape Op Podcast Listeners! We know that there are some "standard of quality" issues with Linda's audio for this podcast segment. It was delivered over-compressed and even after some restorative work it remains a bit crunchy at times. Our judgment was that the content's quality outweighed the audio quality. It is worth bearing with it just to hear Linda's Dolly Parton impersonation, bluntness and infectious enthusiasm! Linda Perry had her first hit with “What’s Up?” in 1993, as lead singer and songwriter for 4 Non Blondes. Since then, she’s worked as a producer and songwriter for numerous artists, helping shape the sounds of P!nk, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Adele, and Dolly Parton, to name a few. In 2015, Perry was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, and in 2019 she received a historic Grammy nomination for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, one of only nine women to ever be nominated, and the first female producer unattached to a production team. It’s hard to summarize her career, but she did it well with this, “There are so many friggin’ hats that I wear. There’s the producer, songwriter, the entrepreneur, the manager, the composer, and I’m the mom. I’m also just a human being trying to figure out how to best be of service in this world.” Here’s my conversation with Linda Perry. It was a big honor. Enjoy! -Dawn Landes Sponsored by Eventide https://eventideaudio.com

Daniel Lanois: If you have been a fan of music during the past 30 years, you have heard his production work with U2, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, and countless others. In addition to helming these albums, he has had a long and storied solo career, releasing 21 albums since 1989 (release of Acadie). We've interviewed Daniel several times over the years, and it's always a great conversation, full of insights and pearls of wisdom. Geoff Stanfield caught up with him recently to discuss his latest release, Heavy Sun. Enjoy! Sponsored by oeksound https://oeksound.com

We first interviewed producer and engineer Joel Hamilton back in 2011 in Tape Op issue #85. Joel has worked on records with Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, Highly Suspect, Pretty Lights, Iggy Pop, The Black Keys, Matisyahu, Dub Trio, Bonobo and the list goes on. Online publisher Geoff Stanfield has worked on several projects with Joel going back a decade, so he decided to give him a call and have him go on the record about teaching in India, thoughts on asymmetry and a recent project with Rick Rubin and Paul McCartney. Enjoy! Sponsored by Burl Audio https://burlaudio.com

Welcome to Tape Op’s DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. This week we chat w/ singer and songwriter Jolie Holland about Buck Meek’s 2021 release Two Saviors. Enjoy!

Welcome to Tape Op’s DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. This week we chat w/ producer and engineer Mark Rubel about The Band’s 1969 Release The Band. Enjoy!

Welcome to Tape Op’s DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. This week we chat w/ singer Rahill Jamalifard about The Electric Prunes 1968 album, Release of an Oath. Enjoy!

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have released a staggering amount of music over the last decade. Two of those releases, 2017's Flying Microtonal Banana and 2020's KG are both heavily influenced by Turkish Psych-Rock. Geoff Stanfield caught up with the band's main producer, writer, multi-instrumentalist and singer Stu Mackenzie to chat about this direction and take a deeper look at some of their favorite tracks on the most recent of the two albums, KG. Enjoy! Sponsored by ATO Records https://atorecords.com

Welcome to *Tape Op*’s DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about *their* favorite records. This week we chat w/ singer, songwriter and Vetiver frontman Andy Cabic about The Flying Lizards 1980 release *Fourth Wall*. Enjoy!

Welcome to Tape Op’s DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. This week we chat w/ mastering engineer Jessica Thompson about Scott Walker’s 1969 release Scott 3.

Welcome to Tape Op’s DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. This week we chat w/ producer/engineer Beau Sorenson about Talk Talk’s 1991 release Laughing Stock. Enjoy!

Fleet Foxes recently released their 4th album Shore, a sprawling and at times cinematic work that began as a solo record for the band's singer and principal songwriter Robin Pecknold. Written and recorded in several locations around the globe, Robin and engineer Beatriz Artola working with outside musicians and band members have created the band's most mature and engaging work to date. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Robin from their respective homes in Seattle and Los Angeles to talk about the process of recording the album and chat about some of their favorite tracks. Enjoy! Sponsored by Audix https://audixusa.com

Welcome to Tape Op’s DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. This week we chat w/ producer Emch from Subatomic Sound System about Lee “Scratch” Perry and the Upsetters 1976 release Super Ape. Enjoy!

Welcome to Tape Op’s DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. This week we chat w/ drummer Erik Eldenius about Miles Davis’ 1968 release Nefertiti. Enjoy!

Welcome to Tape Op’s DISCussion, where we call our friends and music community notables to talk about their favorite records. This week we chat w/ engineer/producer Joe Barresi about Boston’s 1976 album "Boston". Enjoy!

Engineer and mixer Geoff Swan has gone from university student to studio owner, to producer Spike Stent’s assistant, back to studio owner and is now a go to engineer and mixer for some of today’s most exciting artists and producers. He has had a hand in the music of Ed Sheeran, Cardi B, Mahalia, Jonsí, 5 Seconds of Summer, Paul McCartney, The Weeknd, One Direction, Vance Joy, Liam Gallagher, Duran Duran, Charli XCX, and more. Geoff’s name kept showing up on record after record and in many conversations, so it seemed like a good time to catch up and get a sense of his career trajectory and his approach to mixing. Sponsored by Yamaha/Steinberg https://www.steinberg.net