Tape Op Podcast

Adrian Quesada first made a name for himself as a founding member and producer of the Grammy winning latin-rock bigband, Grupo Fantasma. Since then, he's been writing and working on several projects. Most recently, he partnered with songwriter Eric Burton and formed Black Pumas, an Austin Texas based band that has just released their debut album on ATO Records. It's a collection of classic soul-flavored tracks in great songwriting, but is not simply a retro retread. Taking queues from hip-hop and psychedelic genres and parring them with a mix of classic and modern recording techniques, and a live off-the-floor approach, The Black Pumas have created a future classic of their own. Larry interviewed Adrian back for Tape Op Issue #94, so having Geoff Stanfield, Tape Op online publisher catch up with him was long overdue. Enjoy! Sponsored by Yousician yousician.com

We interviewed producer/engineer Jonathan Schenke in November of 2017 for Tape Op issue #122, but since that time he has moved studios, formed new recording and performance projects and been part of a bunch of new records. Online publisher Geoff Stanfield caught up with Jonathan recently at his new Brooklyn based Studio Windows. Enjoy! Sponsored by Cloud Microphones www.cloudmicrophones.com

We interviewed Tycho's Scott Hansen after the release of his Epoch album for Tape Op #123. With the addition of vocalist Hannah Cottrell, aka Saint Sinner, his new release Weather introduces a new chapter in Tycho's music and gave online publisher Geoff Stanfield an opportunity to sit down with Scott in Seattle and have a song by song chat about the making of this fantastic record. Enjoy! Disclaimer: This audio recording was not originally tracked with the intent of using for a podcast. It was recorded solely for transcription for our print interview. Please forgive any balance issues, background sounds, and lack of clarity. Sponsored by Soundtoys www.soundtoys.com

A young intern fresh out of Full Sail University gets a big break (and a nickname) from Missy Elliott, works alongside producers and engineers like Timbaland, Jimmy Douglass [Tape Op #130], Demacio Castellon, and Polow da Don, and ends up mixing hits for Keri Hilson, Britney Spears, Keyshia Cole, Meek Mill, M.I.A., Usher, Wiz Khalifa, and Madonna. There must be a story behind this path! In 2014, she and producer Nate "Danja" Hills opened Dream Asylum Studios and N.A.R.S. Records in the Miami area, with studios for each of them to create and mix in. That's where I met up with Marcella Araica on a typically warm Florida day to talk about her incredible career and life. Enjoy! Sponsored by DistroKid distrokid.com

Heavy music wouldn't sound like it does today without the help of producer and engineer Nick Raskulinecz. We interviewed Nick back in 2005 for Tape Op #50 and so it seemed like a good time to check back in with him to chat about his move to Nashville, his new studio and his work with bands like Rush, Alice in Chains, Mastadon, Foo Fighters and more. Enjoy! Disclaimer: This audio recording was not originally tracked with the intent of using for a podcast. It was recorded solely for transcription for our print interview. Please forgive any balance issues, background sounds, and lack of clarity. Sponsored by Steinberg www.steinberg.net

I’ve been in studios and rooms all over the world. I’ve seen where The Beatles spent hours creating masterpieces. I’ve been in the room where Buddy Holly’s hits were made. I’ve stood at the mics that Al Green used on so many songs. Many of these places have something special going on – maybe those creative vibes soaked into the walls – but almost all of them require the musicians to cart their instruments and gear in, as well as to spend some time sorting out and setting it up. And, by virtue of the typical layout, many professional studios leave the musicians and engineers in isolation from each other, especially during overdub sessions. In contrast Wilco’s studio, The Loft, is a third-floor warehouse practice space turned studio, where Jeff Tweedy and his band have created a musician’s dream. Racks of drums and other instruments fill the space, with the control room area taking up the front part of the building. There’s even a kitchen/dining spot, a tech bench for repairs, and various little hideaways scatt

Dan Auerbach, along with drummer Patrick Carney, started The Black Keys in 2001 as a writing and recording project, releasing their first album in 2002. Dan also began recording and producing other artists along the way, initially with musicians like Jessica Lea Mayfield, Patrick Sweany, and others. Big changes arrived for The Black Keys in 2010, when the album Brothers and the single "Tighten Up" sold millions of copies and garnered three Grammy Awards. Dan moved to Nashville around then and opened up his Easy Eye Sound studio, a place filled with the best vintage and new recording equipment and is also home to many fun instruments. Sessions for The Pretenders, Dr. John, Shannon & The Clams, Lana Del Rey, and many more have gone on here, so I dropped in to hang with Dan, and his engineer Allen Parker, in June of 2018 to learn more about his career and thoughts on producing records. Check out the new Black Keys album, Let's Rock, and look for a Tape Op interview with Patrick Carney of the band soon. Enjoy! S

We first met esteemed mix engineer Michael Brauer in Tape Op #37 in 2003, when Mike Caffrey interviewed him about his multi-bus mixing technique. Some 16 years later Michael and Larry Crane sat down at his new space, BrauerSound Studios, to discuss his career path and unique mixing techniques. He's crossed genres frequently, working as a mixer on projects by artists as varied as Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Tony Bennett, Coldplay, John Mayer, Calle 13, Angelique Kidjo, Phoenix, Bon Jovi, M. Ward, Grandaddy [Tape Op #7], Caveman, James Bay, and Grizzly Bear. Enjoy! Sponsored by Eventide Audio www.eventide.com

Neko Case released her first album The Virginian in 1997 and since has released six records, documents of her growth as a singer, songwriter and producer. Her latest release, Hell On, still has whispers of her Americana past, but leans more towards an art rock record, with theatrical arrangements that highlight her vivid and evocative lyrics. Neko's recent interview in Tape Op was fantastic but there is just so much to talk about, so Online Publisher Geoff Stanfield caught up with her at a recent tour stop in Seattle. Enjoy! Sponsored by Audio-Technica www.audio-technica.com

New Mexico and a childhood spent moving from oilfield to oilfield for his father's jobs, Ryan Bingham rode bulls and eventually learned to play a guitar given to him by his mother for his 16th birthday. From a first gig at a biker party, to every roadhouse in the nowhere South, he honed his songwriting and playing eventually landing a deal with Lost Highway records. His big break came appearing in the film Crazy Heart alongside Jeff Bridges and his song from the film, "The Weary Kind" earned Bingham an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Critics' Choice Award for "Best Song" in 2010, as well as a Grammy in 2011. The Americana Music Association Also named Bingham 2010's Artist of the Year. Almost a decade on, Ryan is still writing, acting (most recently in the Netflix series Yellowstone) and making great records. Online Publisher Geoff Stanfield caught up with Ryan in Seattle to chat about recording his latest release American Love Song. Enjoy! Sponsored by Burl Audio www.burlaudio.com

Perfume Genius, Laura Marling, Alabama Shakes, John Legend, Vulfpeck, Randy Newman, Jesca Hoop, Norah Jones, Andrew Bird, Jim James, and a long list of others all have a common thread, Blake Mills. Originally the leader of the band Simon Dawes, Blake caught the studio bug and never looked back. His songwriting, inventive guitar playing and production are all unmistakeable. His third solo release "Look" was born out of his exploring of vintage Roland guitar synthesizers. Online Publisher Geoff Stanfield caught up with Blake to discuss. Enjoy! Sponsored byAdam Audio www.adam-audio.com/en/

We interviewed Ryan Hewitt back in 2007 for Tape Op Issue 61. A lot can happen in ten plus years, so we thought it'd be a good idea to check in. Online Publisher Geoff Stanfield caught up with Ryan to talk about his mobile recording pioneer dad David Hewitt, Rick Rubin, Phil Ramone, his recent move to Nashville and to just generally chew the fat. Enjoy! Sponsored by DPA Microphones www.dpamicrophones.com

Julie Kathryn, AKA I Am Snow Angel is a producer, artist, sound designer, and advocate for female empowerment in the music industry. Her latest release Mothership was recorded in a cabin in New York's Adirondacks. I sat down with Julie in her studio in New York City for this chat. Enjoy! Sponsored by Antelope http://en.antelopeaudio.com

Michael Beinhorn's name has graced some of popular music's seminal recordings including Herbie Hancock's Future Shock and Soundgarden's Superunknown. He is a musician and producer, author of Unlocking Creativity: A Producer's Guide to Making Music & Art, and most recently has launched a service for artists and bands that focuses solely on pre-production. Online publisher Geoff Stanfield caught up with Michael from his home in Los Angeles to learn more. Enjoy! Sponsored by Yamaha/Steinberg www.steinberg.net

First interviewed in Tape Op some 20 years ago, Jack Endino has been a staple of the Northwest music and recording scene for over 30 years. He describes himself as "the guy in the engine room" during the early voyages of the battleship "Grunge" in the late 80s - and many of the early releases that put Seattle label Sub Pop on the map have his name on them. Artists like Mudhoney, Nirvana, TAD, Soundgarden, L7, Mark Lanegan, and Hot Hot Heat, are just a few of the many bands that Jack has guided through their recordings. I caught up with Jack at Seattle's Soundhouse Studio, and we carried on as only two old friends can. Enjoy! Sponsored by Audeze www.audeze.com

When we prep for Tape Op interviews it is typical to print out discographies, but in the case of our next guest, it was 48 pages long! Bob Clearmountain needs no introduction. He has worked with a who's who of music's biggest artists including Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Morrissey, Sheryl Crow, Tina Turner, Bryan Adams, Crowded House, Bon Jovi, Hall & Oats, Travis Tritt, Elton John, David Bowie and 47 more pages of music's makers and shakers. He is still considered the mixer's mixer and works closely with Apogee Electronics on the development of recording studio essentials. Tape Op publisher John Baccigaluppi sat down recently to chat with Bob at his Los Angeles studio. Enjoy! Sponsored by Apogee https://www.apogeedigital.com

In 2002 we interviewed Tucker Martine, then a resident of Seattle and making some cool records with people like Bill Frisell and Danny Barnes. A few years later he moved down to Portland, Oregon, working initially out of my Jackpot! Recording Studio, but soon moving his home studio Flora Recording And Playback into commercial digs. He's worked with The Decemberists, REM, My Morning Jacket, Neko Case, Mudhoney, Grandaddy, Mavis Staples, K.D. Lang, She and Him, and also his songwriting wife Laura Veirs. Tucker was preparing to move into a new studio building so I thought we should check in and see what was up with him. Enjoy! Sponsored by Neumann Berlin https://en-de.neumann.com

Born in the UK, and now currently residing in Nashville, Jamie Lidell sings, beatboxes, records, produces, engineers, writes songs, writes code, and actually functions as a husband and father. He has collaborated with Beck, Feist, Gonzales, Mocky and Simian Mobile Disco just to name a few. His songs have been used in Grey's Anatomy and Target commercials and he has won global accolades for his work. I sat down with Jamie at his studio in Nashville to catch up. Enjoy! Sponsored by Universal Audio www.uaudio.com

Daniel Lanois' career reads like an enviable work of fantasy. From his early work with Brian Eno and Harold Budd on their genre defining "ambient" works, pivotable roles in U2 classics The Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree and Actung Baby!, to his work with Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Aaron Neville, and of course his body of work as a band leader and solo artist, Daniel Lanois has continued to look forward and stay inspired by being at once a master and student of his craft. His latest release Venetian Snares X Daniel Lanois(a collaboration with Aaron Funk) keeps the tradition of not just pushing, but ignoring boundaries. Online editor Geoff Stanfield caught up with Daniel to discuss this latest release and what's happened since we last interviewed Daniel back in Tape Op issue #37. Enjoy! Disclaimer: This audio recording was not originally tracked with the intent of using for a podcast. It was recorded solely for transcription for our print interview. Please forgive any balance issues, background

In 2011 an artist by the name of Gotye rose to international prominence on the back of his song, "Somebody That I Used to Know," from his third album, Making Mirrors. Wouter "Wally" De Backer is Gotye, and it turns out he's far more than a global pop star. Belgian-born, and Australia-raised, he now resides in the New York City area, where he can work on his many passions. An interest in the French proto-synthesizer, the Ondioline - and it's most famous player, Jean-Jacques Perrey, led to meeting Jean-Jacques, archiving his music, releasing a record of rare works and restoring several vintage Ondiolines as well as performing live with the Ondioline Orchestra. Wally also continues to record and perform with The Basics, a rock trio he's had with friends since 2002, and is currently working on a new Gotye album. He's a busy man; one whose energy is positive and infectious. Enjoy! Disclaimer: This audio recording was not originally tracked with the intent of using for a podcast.