Tape Notes

• TN:163 CMAT & Oli Deakin

  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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• TN:162 Laufey & Spencer Stewart

  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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• TN:161 Rudimental

  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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• TN:160 Djo & Adam Thein

  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

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• TN:159 Barry Can't Swim

  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

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