Tape Notes

John is joined by Lizzy McAlpine, along with producers Mason Stoops and Taylor Mackall and engineer Omar Akrouche to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Angel’. Lizzy McAlpine is a singer-songwriter and producer from Pennsylvania.  Having written and recorded music through her teens, in 2020 she released her debut album ‘Give Me a Minute’. She has since released two more critically acclaimed albums: ‘five seconds flat’, featuring the viral hit ‘ceilings’, and ‘Older’, her first collaboration with producers Mason Stoops and Taylor Mackall. Lizzy’s fourth album, ‘Angel’, arrived in September 2026 working once again alongside Mason and Taylor. Sitting down at Platoon Studios, the four dig into the writing process and final Pro Tools sessions, exploring vocal production and layering guitars around Lizzy’s signature intimate vocal style. They also discuss finding the perfect harmonies and instrumentation for the album, including the “army of pianos”!  Tracks discussed: Peach, Two Elevens, Our Strange Ways 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. IMAGINE PLUGINS BY SOUNDBETTER Build and sell your own plugins. Get your FREE Vocal Effect plugin here MUSIVERSAL Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE Recorded at Platoon Studios. LISTEN to ‘Angel’ here - Angel by Lizzy McAlpine, RCA Records under exclusive licence from Indigo Blue, LLC LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES   linktr.ee/tapenotes  Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective GEAR MENTIONS Gulbransen Pianofor Minipiano SoundToys Panman Boss VB-2 Pedal SoundToys Devi-Loc Fieldtone Weaver Source Audio Collider Acetone Thumb Jam App Aria ADD-100 Delay Pedal Neumann U67 AKG C12 Neumann KM84 Moog Minimoog Chase Bliss Audio / Meris CXM 1978 Valhalla VintageVerb Line 6 Echo Park Danelectro Bellzouki Tech 21 VB2 CompTortion Neumann U47/U48 Neumann KM 56 Antares Auto-Tune Celemony Melodyne Goodhertz Lossy EMT 250 Reverb Optigan Wurlitzer Valhalla Super Massive Gibson 1953 ES-140 P-90 Guitar Boss VB-2 Fender Champ LOMO Flashlight Mic Oscar Schmidt / Stella 12-String Baritone Universal Audio 1176 Danelectro Bass 6 Danelectro Sitar 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 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 Giles Martin to talk about how he recorded and produced the album ‘Rubber Soul: New Special Edition’. Giles Martin is a British composer, producer and arranger. Assisting his father, Beatles producer Sir George Martin, in the studio from an early age, Giles has been closely involved with the Beatles’ catalogue, producing the 50th anniversary remix and deluxe editions of ‘Revolver’, ‘Sgt. Pepper’ and ‘Let It Be’, among many others. ‘Rubber Soul: New Special Edition’, featuring new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes, alongside previously unreleased session recordings and home demos, is released on 2nd October 2026. Sitting down in Giles’ studio at Abbey Road and digging into the original four track recordings as well as his updated mixes, Giles gives a unique insight into the studio recording processes of the greatest band in the world and their working relationship with his father George. He reveals George’s production secrets and lifts the lid on the meticulous process, as well as the joys and pressures, of re-mixing this new edition of ‘Rubber Soul’. Tracks discussed: Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), In My Life LISTEN to ‘Rubber Soul: New Special Edition’ TAPE IT Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast. Visit tape.it/tapenotes  to get 20% off Tape It Pro. Try the new Tape It Denoiser  currently 50% off! IMAGINE PLUGINS BY SOUNDBETTER Build and sell your own plugins. Get your FREE Vocal Effect plugin here MUSIVERSAL Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES   linktr.ee/tapenotes  Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective EPISODE GEAR MENTIONS ATC Speakers Pultec EQ Nagra Tape Recorder Fairchild Compressor Neumann U47 Neumann U48 Logic Pro Avid Pro Tools 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 Discord: Tape Notes Patreon: Tape Notes To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BONOBO SPECIAL! - 50% of Tape It Pro at tape.it/bonobo (available until 30th September 2026) John is joined by Simon Green, aka Bonobo, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Distance in Static’. Simon Green, aka Bonobo, is a British musician, producer, and DJ, considered one of electronic music’s defining voices. Across eight albums, including the seminal ‘Black Sands’, ‘Migration’ and ‘Fragments’, he has built a celebrated career blending electronic, jazz and organic instrumentation, and received seven Grammy nominations. His latest record, Distance in Static, arrived in September 2026.  Sitting down at Platoon Studios in London, Simon deep dives into what he reveals might be his last “broad, multi-genre Bonobo record”. He discusses the album’s collaborations and reveals his techniques and go-to gear for vocal processing, producing strings and “humanising” drum sounds.  Tracks discussed: Me and You, Fire on the Water, Talk to Me LISTEN to ‘Distance in Static’ (Ninja Tune): Distance in Static by Bonobo  TAPE IT Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast and inspiring Simon with great tools!  Visit tape.it/bonobo to get 50% off. Try the new Tape It Denoiser  currently 50% off! IMAGINE PLUGINS BY SOUNDBETTER Build and sell your own plugins. Get your FREE Vocal Effect plugin here MUSIVERSAL Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES   linktr.ee/tapenotes  Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective GEAR MENTIONS Audio Damage Quanta Cable Box ShaperBox FabFilter Simplon Oeksound Soothe MakeNoise Morphogene Polyverse Wider Valhalla Plugins Valhalla Shimmer TapeIt Yamaha CP Rhodes Moog Bass Celemony Melodyne Korg Monopoly Fender Rhodes Ableton 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 Discord: Tape Notes Patreon: Tape Notes To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John is joined by Kevin Parker, aka Tame Impala, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Deadbeat’.  Kevin launched the electronic and psychedelic rock-influenced Tame Impala in 2007 as a home recording project. Throughout the 2010s, Tame Impala became a huge critical and commercial success, winning two Grammys and selling out shows worldwide. Kevin has collaborated with numerous other artists including Justice, Gorillaz and Dua Lipa, and is regularly cited as one of the industry’s most influential artists. The fifth Tame Impala album, 'Deadbeat', featuring worldwide hits ‘Dracula’ and ‘Loser’, arrived in October 2025.  Joining John from his LA studio, Kevin shares what he calls his ‘astoundingly boring’ approach to producing his famous vocals (spoiler: he’s being too modest!), how he created the ‘Deadbeat drum beat’, being inspired by The Strokes on this record, the essential plugins that shaped the album’s sound, plus he answers questions from our Patreons! Tracks discussed: My Old Ways, Loser LISTEN to ‘Deadbeat’ (Columbia Records): Deadbeat by Tame Impala  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. Try the new Tape It Denoiser  currently 50% off! IMAGINE PLUGINS BY SOUNDBETTER Build and sell your own plugins. Get your FREE Vocal Effect plugin here MUSIVERSAL Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES   linktr.ee/tapenotes  Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI  GEAR MENTIONS Soundtoys Echoboy Soundtoys Decapitator Valhalla Room Shure SM58 Shure SM7B U47 Vermona DRM1 DBX 165 Roland SH-1 Roland TR-808 Sequential Prophet 5 Ableton Stock Plugins Ableton Echo Ableton 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 Discord: Tape Notes Patreon: Tape Notes To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, 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 Ed and Tom of Overmono to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Pure Devotion’. Overmono are Welsh electronic duo Tom and Ed Russell. After solo careers as Truss and Tessela, they began producing together as Overmono in 2015. Known for their energetic, acclaimed live shows, they broke through with Good Lies in 2023. Their second album, Pure Devotion, arrived in 2026, exploring experimental studio recording.  Sitting down at Strongroom Studios in London, Ed and Tom give John a step by step breakdown of their approach to vocal processing, discuss the plug-ins they use for layering synths, get into their unique approach to writing and sequencing drum patterns and reveal why their mix bus would make most audio engineers' heads spin! Plus they answer our Patreons' questions! Tracks discussed: Ballad, Barum, Knight in Shining Prada LISTEN to ‘Pure Devotion’ - XL Recordings 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. Try the new Tape It Denoiser  currently 50% off! IMAGINE PLUGINS BY SOUNDBETTER Build and sell your own plugins. ⁠Get your FREE Vocal Effect plugin here⁠ MUSIVERSAL Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE Recorded at Strongroom Studios - https://www.strongroom.com/  LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES   linktr.ee/tapenotes  Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI  GEAR MENTIONS SoundToys Little Alter Boy SoundToys Microshift SoundToys Radiator Acustica Audio Ruby 3 Antares Autotune Waves CLA Vocals Liquid Sonics Cinematic Rooms FabFilter Pro L2   FabFilter Pro-Q4 Audio Punks Great British Spring Maag EQ4 Soundtheory Gullfoss Oek Sound Soothe 2 TAL Chorus UAD Ampex Tape Simulator UAD 1176 PSP VintageWarmer2  Waves L2 Waves MV2 Arturia Pre 1973 Kush Clariphonic Diamond Cut Access Virus TI  API 2500 Black Corporation Deckard's Dream MKII D.W. Fearn VT-5 Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave Korg MS-20 Marshall Amp Elektron Monomachine Moog MF-108M Moogerfooger Cluster Flux Oberheim OB-6 Lexicon PCM80 Sequential Prophet-10 Sequential Prophet-6 Roland Jet Phaser Roland Jupiter Roland Juno-60 Roland RE-501 Roland SH-2 Roland TB-303 Rodec MX Modular Mixer Sherman Filterbank Roland Space Echo Roland TR-1000 Tannoy Little Gold Vermona PerFourmer 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 Discord: Tape Notes Patreon: Tape Notes To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, 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