Tape Op Podcast

Atlanta-based producer and songwriter, Turbo (aka Chandler A. Great), has been behind hits from Travis Scott, Gunna, Lil Baby, Nav, and Young Thug. His signature productions are easily recognized, and he has an innate ability to distill songs and their presentations down to their essence and a feeling. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Turbo from his home in Atlanta to discuss his early days, production process, genre-bending collaborations, and how he strives to always be evolving. Enjoy!

Baltimore, Maryland, native Josh "Deakin" Dibb is probably best known as a member of the indie rock legends Animal Collective, but he is also a producer, engineer, and mixer, helming projects for Avey Tare, Tickley Feather, Herald, Sleep Cycle, and most recently a co-production venture with his Animal Collective bandmate, Panda Bear, on the fantastic release, Sinister Grift. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Josh from his studio, The Rabbit Hole, in Baltimore. Enjoy.

For over four decades, David Lowery has been an innovator and thought leader in the music business. As musician, he's the founder and leader of both indie rock legends Camper Van Beethoven and the successful band Cracker. He's also a writer, producer, studio owner, educator, and as a champion of artists rights in the digital age he even led a successful $112 million dollar lawsuit against Spotify. His new album, *Fathers, Sons and Brothers*, is a sprawling 28 song release that he offers as an alternative to writing an autobiography. It is a beautiful collection of deeply personal and often quite funny stories that span his history from childhood and family, to the origin stories of Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker, to relationships and more.  Geoff Stanfield caught up with David to chat about this new record, being a studio owner, producing, and his thoughts on record labels, digital technology and copyright, quantitative finance, and more! Enjoy.

We interviewed producer, engineer, and mixer, Chris Coady, back in 2016 for Tape Op issue 113. He has worked with TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Future Islands, Beach House, DIIV, The Drums, Porches, Amen Dunes, Sasami, Hand Habits, and countless other artists. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Chris from his studio in Glendale, CA, to discuss a wide range of topics ranging from his formative years in Baltimore, his days at New York City's Quad Studios, and his approach to recording and mixing. Enjoy!

We interviewed Esperanza Spalding back in 2022 for Tape Op issue 147, around the time she had just finished her 8th album, Songwrights Apothecary Lab. Her latest release, Milton+Esperanza, is a Grammy-nominated collaboration with Brazilian music legend Milton Nascimento. The album is a compelling body of work that includes re-imaginations of Nascimento originals, covers, and new collaborative songs. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Esperanza from her home in Portland, Oregon, to discuss the new album and some of her favorite Milton tracks. Enjoy!

To celebrate the 100th episode of the Tape Op Podcast, I thought it appropriate to interview the two people responsible for Tape Op's existence; Founder and Editor Larry Crane, and Publisher John Baccigaluppi.  We dive into the early days of the magazine, the evolution of the recording and publishing industries, things learned along this nearly thirty year journey, and more. Enjoy!

We interviewed Black Pumas producer and guitarist, Adrian Quesada, for episode 77 of the Tape Op Podcast, so when the opportunity arose to chat with frontman, singer, and songwriter, Eric Burton, we jumped! Geoff Stanfield caught up with Eric in this wide-ranging conversation to discuss the recording of the band's latest release, Chronicles of a Diamond, staying connected to community, learning to record, his partnership with Adrian, and more. Enjoy!

"Bristol, England, based band, Idles, recently released their fifth album, Tangk. Produced by the band's guitarist, Mark Bowen, along with Nigel Godrich and Kenny Beats, Tangk explores new sonic territory for the band – including the use of tape loops – making for a rich and nuanced landscape for singer Joe Talbot's deeply personal lyrics and raw delivery. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Joe and Mark while the band was on tour, to discuss the making of Tangk, working with Nigel and more! Enjoy!”

I first met Alan Parsons in 2004, when I interviewed him for Tape Op issue #42. We've been lucky enough to work together on Recording Academy presentations and meet up socially a few times after that, and I always thought we'd have fun doing a podcast, and as it was now 20 years later, it felt like a good time. Alan had also built his ParSonics Studio on his ranch in California, and a deluxe box set reissue of the Alan Parsons Project's Pyramid album was coming out soon, so we had quite a lot to talk about. Enjoy! -Larry Crane

There is a long list of accolades for indie legend, producer, engineer, songwriter and musician John Vanderslice. In addition to being the owner of Oakland recording studio Tiny Telephone, he has released sixteen full length albums, five remix albums and EPs and worked with artists such Spoon, St. Vincent, Deerhoof, the Mountain Goats, and Grandaddy. His new project, Google Earth, is a collaboration with James Riotto and their debut album, Street View, leans heavily into the electronic realm. Geoff Stanfield caught up with John to discuss his career, this new release and more. Enjoy!

Athens, Georgia, born singer Madeleine Peyroux has just released her ninth album, Let's Walk, and it finds her in peak shape as a singer and songwriter. The album's songs and lyrics address a broad range of socially-conscious topics and events in the American landscape. The album is beautifully recorded, and was produced by the legendary Elliot Scheiner, along with Madeleine and band member, Jon Herington. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Madeleine on a Zoom call to discuss Let's Walk and more. 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, Geoff Stanfield chats with bassist and producer Tim Lefebvre (David Bowie, Whose Hat is This?, Tedeschi Trucks Band) about Fink's 2014 release, Hard Believer. Enjoy!

Compton native Lenise Bent has worked with a staggering list of artists, and played a part in some of popular music's biggest albums. Steely Dan, Blondie, Fleetwood Mac, Supertramp, Ringo Starr, Tanya Tucker, George Harrison, Frank Zappa, Suzi Quatro, Neil Diamond, Leonard Cohen, and Cher, not to mention the long list of film and television projects such as Shrek, The Golden Girls, The Larry Sanders Show, and Barbie. Geoff Stanfield ran into Lenise at this year's NAMM Show and they agreed, a chat for the podcast would be a blast. You can also check out Lisa Machac's interview with Lenise in Tape Op #146. Enjoy! Sponsored by: Rupert Neve Designs rupertneve.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, Geoff Stanfield chats with Taylor Deupree (Tape Op #126) about Brian Eno's 1985 ambient masterpiece, Thursday Afternoon. Enjoy! Sponsered by AKG-JBL https://www.akg.co

If you were tuned in to the radio in the 90's, singer, songwriter, and producer, Paula Cole, has been woven into the fabric of your musical life with mega-hits such as "I Don't Want To Wait" and "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?" Almost three decades on, Paula is still making great records and has recently released Lo, a collection of highly personal songs performed entirely live with her longtime collaborators, Jay Bellarose, Chris Bruce, Ross Gallagher, and Rich Hinman. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Paula to chat about her new album, playing with Peter Gabriel, and more. Enjoy! Sponsored by: Soundtoys 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. For this episode, Geoff Stanfield chats with producer/engineer Mario J. McNulty about Massive Attack's 1998 release, Mezzanine. Enjoy! Sponsered by AKG-JBL www.akg.co

My friend Jolie Holland and I first met when I edited, overdubbed, and mixed her album Wine Dark Sea in 2014, ten years ago. Around then we even played a short 2 song set live at an Elliott Smith tribute show. A few years after that we worked again on Wildflower Blues, an album she did with Samantha Parton, her former bandmate from The Be Good Tanyas, and recently I prepped a re-master of her debut album, Catalpa. We thought it'd be fun to talk about her recent album, Haunted Mountain, and how the record came to be, and working on it with Justin Veloso and Adam Brisbin. Obviously, I was curious, as here was a great album of her's that I DIDN'T work on. So, while in LA I dropped by Jolie's apartment, she cooked us a great dinner, and then we sat down with a bottle of wine on some creaky chairs and started talking. So here, drop in on our conversation as we are discussing Willie Nelson. 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, Geoff Stanfiled chats with producer/engineer Mikey Coltun about Toumani Diabeté's Symmetric Orchestra's 2006 release, Boulevard De I'Independance. Enjoy! Sponsered by AKG-JBL https://www.akg.co

Indiana may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of a blossoming psych-rock scene, but you'd be mistaken. Formed in Bloomington and now based in Los Angeles, Frankie and the Witch Fingers have been cranking out an interesting sounding and diversely-influenced series of albums that document their growth as songwriters and a band as well as their development as recordists. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Josh Menashe, the band's guitarist and primary engineer to discuss their process and new album Data Doom. Sponsored by: Retro Instruments 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 Larry Crane chats with Steve Von Till from Neurosis about Brian Eno's album Ambient 4: On Land. Enjoy! Sponsered by AKG-JBL https://www.akg.co

February 2024 will see the release of MGMT's seventh album, Loss of Life. Tape Op's online publisher Geoff Stanfield sat down for a chat with the band's founding members Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser to discuss the recording of the album, their long time working relationship with producer/mixer Dave Fridmann, and finding their new favorite microphone! Enjoy! Sponsored by: Earthworks Audio https://earthworksaudio.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 Producer/Engineer Thom Monahan about the 1993 Polyphemus album, Scrapbook of Madness. Enjoy! Sponsered by AKG-JBL https://www.akg.co

If there is an authority on the production, editing, mixing, and mastering of film scores, it is Mike Matessino. He has had a hand in hundreds of films including classics such as the Star Wars Trilogy, Poltergeist, The Goonies, Superman, Back to the Future, Home Alone, the Star Trek films and Empire of the Sun.  For his latest project, he meticulously remixed and remastered the Super Deluxe version of The Sound of Music from the original multi-track tapes and also wrote the in-depth liner notes. It is a definitive collection that includes every musical element from Rodgers & Hammerstein's timeless masterpiece for the very first time, along with 11 never-before-heard alternate takes, including rare performances from the cast. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Mike from his home in Los Angeles to discuss. Enjoy. Sponsored by: Distrokid https://distrokid.com

"In the early days of 2020, following a cancelled tour and a near total mental collapse, Beirut's Zach Condon arrived on Hadsel, an island in the far northwest reaches of Norway. Armed with several suitcases stuffed with recording equipment, a modular synth rig, an Austrian tape machine, his trumpet, and some winter clothes, he embarked on the creation of what would become his latest release, Hadsel. (pronounced hahdsul).  He also had ongoing access to a 19th century church pump organ, a centerpiece of the album's sound and spirit. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Zach from his home in Berlin to discuss the making of Hadsel and the journey that led there. Enjoy!" Sponsored by: Adam Audio https://www.adam-audio.com

Sept 2023 marked the 30th anniversary of the now classic Morphine album Cure for Pain. It was the band's sophomore release and recorded during the transition from original drummer Jerome Dupree to Billy Conway, with Jerome playing on the bulk of the album's songs and Billy playing on the title track, "Cure for Pain" and "Let's Take a Trip Together". Frontman, principle songwriter and bassist Mark Sandman died tragically of a heart attack, on stage in 1993.  To mark the occasion of the album's anniversary, Geoff Stanfield caught up with the band's surviving members saxophonist Dana Colley and Jerome Dupree along with mastering engineer and archivist Pete Weiss. Enjoy! Sponsored by: Radial Engineering https://www.radialeng.com

Over the years it has been suggested that we do a segment on haunted studios. Our friend Heba Kadry got her first job in the U.S. as an intern at the famed Sugar Hill Studios in Houston, Texas. Legend has it that the place is haunted, and Heba told me that she was freaked out to be there alone at night and would blast loud music to keep the spirits at bay. Apparently that worked and she never encountered anything out of the ordinary. Former Sugar Hill owner Dan Workman did however have an out of this world experience there, so we chatted with him to get the scoop!

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/engineer Ryan Hewitt about Neil Young's 1970 release After the Gold Rush. Enjoy!

Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. has been owning the downstroke for well over a decade now, and in addition to his work with the band he has managed to find time to release several solo records. His latest, Melodies on Hiatus, is a sprawling 19 song offering recorded with longtime collaborator Gus Oberg. Geoff Stanfield chatted with Albert about his latest recording, working with Rick Rubin and the power of imperfection. Enjoy! Sponsored by: Vintage King https://vintageking.com

I interviewed Portland Oregon's M Ward for our DISCussion podcast about a year ago and with his new release, supernatural thing, it was another opportunity for us to check in. In this episode, Geoff Stanfield catches up with Matt to discuss his love of collaborations, analog approach to recording and more. Enjoy! Sponsored by: Rupert Neve Designs https://rupertneve.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 welcome drummer Victor Indrizzo (Willie Nelson, Scott Weiland, Chris Cornell, Queens of the Stone Age, Beck, Daniel Lanois and countless others) sat down with Geoff Stanfield to chat about Marvin Gaye's posthumous release, Vulnerable. Sponsered by AKG-JBL https://www.akg.co

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 welcome back mastering engineer Heba Kadry to chat about Abdou El Omari's 1976 release Nuits D'Été. Enjoy!

We recently spoke with Turkish psych-rock band Altin Gün's bassist and producer Jasper Verhulst and their recording engineer Jasper Geluk for a segment of our DISCussion podcast. For this episode of the Tape Op Podcast we dig into the history of the band and pull back the curtain on their recording process. 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. For this episode we chat with guitarist/composer Rafiq Bhatia about Bill Frisell's 2001 release with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones. Enjoy!

For this episode we chat with Andrew Fearn from the legendary UK duo, Sleaford Mods. Their latest release UK GRIM picks up where their 2021 release Spare Ribs left off, with gritty minimalist production and Jason Williamson's blunt societal diagnostic lyrics. Enjoy! Sponsored by: Focusrite Pro https://pro.focusrite.com

On April 14, 2018, at Jackpot! Recording Studio, I interviewed Robert Schneider in front of a live audience. Afterwards, he did a short solo set, and then The Minders played – a band both of us had recorded albums for and are friends with. Robert and I first met in 1996, when I interviewed him and The Apples In Stereo for Tape Op #2. Alongside some classic Apples and The Minders albums and other projects he's in, he recorded and produced records for Neutral Milk Hotel [#11] and The Olivia Tremor Control [#17] and co-founded The Elephant 6 Recording Co. (See the wonderful The Elephant 6 Recording Co. documentary that we are both in). Now, with his recently attained Doctorate in mathematics, we sat down in front of a live audience to chat again! Check out the podcast of this conversation as well!

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 Toronto based artist and producer Harrison about Nujabes 2005 release *Modal Soul*. Enjoy! Sponsered by AKG-JBL https://www.akg.com

For this episode we are joined by Molly Rankin and Alec O'Hanley from Toronto's Alvvays and producer/mixer Shawn Everett to chat about crafting their latest release "Blue Rev" a project that spanned months of home recordings in Canada, sessions with Shawn in Los Angeles, file sharing snafus and more. Enjoy! Sponsored by McDSP https://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 Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley from Tennis about Braodcast's 2005 release Tender Buttons. Enjoy! Sponsered by AKG-JBL https://www.akg.com

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 Angelique 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 Angelique 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 Kruangbin 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!