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In The Woods

Tape Notes is a podcast about the art and craft of music production. Hosted by John Kennedy, each episode reunites an artist and producer to talk about the highlights of their collaboration in the studio. Their conversations lift the lid on every stage of the creative process, from kindling the first spark of a song idea, through decisions on style and instrumentation, to finessing the final product. Full of fascinating anecdotes, the conversations also feature early demo versions and stems from the original session recordings. The result is a unique insight into the working methods of some of the most innovative and exciting talents in music.

Tape Notes

John links up with Snarky Puppy founder and band leader Michael League to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the band’s latest record ‘Empire Central’, as well as works from Varijashree Venugopal and a new project, Ellipsis. 

Michael League is an American producer, multi-instrumentalist, and founder of jazz fusion ensemble Snarky Puppy. Now with a reputation as one of the most innovative bands of the 21st century, constantly pushing the boundaries of improvisation and the styles they draw from, Snarky Puppy’s 20 year back catalogue includes 16 albums, and five Grammy wins. Outside of the band, Michael has shared his production and writing talents on records from David Crosby, Becca Stevens, Varijashree Venugopal and many more.

Speaking from his home studio in Spain, Michael digs into his production process, from crafting rough Logic demos and editing lengthy improvisations to blending global influences with Western jazz. He also shares the technical details of Snarky Puppy’s vast recording setup and treats us to a live demo of his current go-to, the Danelectro Sitar.

Tracks discussed: Bet, Ranjani, Obbakoso

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.

MUSIVERSAL
Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Empire Central’ here.
GroundUP Music

LISTEN to ‘Vari’ here.
GroundUP Music

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 
linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS
Lauten Audio LS-208
Lauten Audio Snare Mic
Lauten Audio Atlantis FC-387
Audio-Technica Mics
Danelectro Sitar
F-Bass Hammertone 12-String
Fender Rhodes
Roland Space-Echo
Ebow
Moog Bass
Logic Pro
Avid ProTools

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

TAPE NOTES TEAM
John Kennedy
Will Brown 
Tim Adam-Smith 
Will Lyons 
Nico Varanese 
Guy Nicholls 
Jessica Clucas
Ali Lewis

TN:149 Snarky Puppy (Michael League)

Welcome to this bonus episode! Back in Summer 2023 John sat down with podcasting legend Adam Buxton, live at the Podcast Festival for a two part chat into their respective careers, and Adam’s new music.

In this, part one, Adam takes the reins as host, turning the spotlight on John’s incredible career in radio. The conversation digs into John’s journey from the early days of Xfm to Radio X, the creation of the legendary X-Posure show, which introduced artists like Adele, The XX, and Scroobious Pip to the airwaves, and the evolving landscape of radio and podcasting, including insights into Tape Notes.

Adam also gives us an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at his musical process, sharing the inspiration and demos behind his much-loved theme, “Ramble Chat.”

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.

MUSIVERSAL
Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 
linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

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

TAPE NOTES TEAM
John Kennedy
Will Brown 
Tim Adam-Smith 
Will Lyons 
Nico Varanese 
Guy Nicholls 
Jessica Clucas
Ali Lewis

Bonus Episode - John Kennedy & Adam Buxton (Live)

John sits down with indie-dance trio RÜFÜS DU SOL to discuss how they wrote, recorded and produced their most recent album ‘Inhale / Exhale’.

Hailing from Sydney, Rüfüs Du Sol—comprised of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George, and James Hunt—joined together in 2010 through a shared passion for electronic music. Since their formation, they have evolved from local talents to global dance music icons, through their immersive blend of melodic and atmospheric sounds. With five chart-topping albums to their name, they have embarked on global tours, performed at renowned festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza, and won a GRAMMY Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording in 2022.

Today, they join us from each side of the US to dig into their latest project, ‘Inhale / Exhale’. As well as reflecting on their ever-changing writing processes, they explore the production techniques at the heart of their sound, sharing insights on distorting Tyrone’s vocals, gating, and having ‘bass wars’ to work out the best parts.

Tracks discussed: Pressure, Fire / Desire, Exhale

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.

MUSIVERSAL
Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Inhale/Exhale’ here - https://lynkify.in/album/inhale-exhale/EQNVipUP 

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 
linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS
Cableguys ShaperBox
Slate & Ash Choreographs
Slate & Ash Plugins
Soundtoys EchoBoy
Soundtoys Decapitator
Xfer Serum
Culture Vulture Emulator
Audio Imperia Cinematic Tension Strings
Teletone Audio Scarbo
Moog Synths
Sequential OB6
Sequential Prophet 6
UDO Super 6
Korg MS-20
Ableton
Splice

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

TAPE NOTES TEAM
John Kennedy
Will Brown 
Tim Adam-Smith 
Will Lyons 
Nico Varanese 
Guy Nicholls 
Jessica Clucas
Ali Lewis

TN:150 RÜFÜS DU SOL

This week, John is joined by electronic music duo Maribou State to discuss the making of their third studio album, ‘Hallucinating Love’.

Maribou State first gained traction after releasing a string of EPs back in 2011, but truly broke through with their debut album, ‘Portraits’, propelling the duo to international recognition. Since then, they’ve become a staple of the global dance music scene, selling out tours across the UK, Europe, and North America.

Sitting down at Strongroom Studios, the pair discuss their immersive writing retreats, the challenge of creating over 25 demos for a single track, and their ‘sound harvest’ sessions - entire studio days focused on building custom sample libraries from everyday objects and experimenting with an array of gear.

Tracks discussed: Blackoak, Otherside, Rolling Stone

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.

TRINITY LABAN 
Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here. 

MUSIVERSAL
Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Hallucinating Love’ here - https://lynkify.in/album/hallucinating-love/9fqbKqy9 

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 
linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS
SOMA Laboratory ETHER
Teenage Engineering TP-7
Marantz Cassette Tape Portable Field Recorder
Korg MS-200
Korg MS-20
Sequential Prophet 8
Grampian 636 Spring Reverb
Moog Matriarch
Moog Sub 37
Moog MF-104M Analog Delay
Moog Synths
Roland SP-404 
Roland TB-303
Roland SPD
Roland SRE-555 Chorus Echo
Neural DSP Digital Effects Modeler
1176 Compressor
Native Instruments Kontakt
Nord Stage
Neumann U87
Coles Mic
EMT Plate Reverb
SVT Ampeg Bass Amp
Ludwig Drums
Ableton
Cubase
Logic

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

TAPE NOTES TEAM
John Kennedy
Will Brown 
Tim Adam-Smith 
Will Lyons 
Nico Varanese 
Guy Nicholls 
Jessica Clucas
Ali Lewis

TN:151 Maribou State

John is joined by Olly Alexander and producer Danny L Harle, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced ‘Polari’

Olly Alexander is an English singer, actor, and LGBTQ+ activist, best known as the frontman of Years & Years. The band found global success in the mid 2010’s with the hit ‘King’ and released two UK #1 albums before Olly transitioned to a solo career. As well as representing the UK at Eurovision in 2024 with ‘Dizzy’, Olly has collaborated with numerous pop icons including Elton John and Kylie Minogue. His 2025 album Polari was co-written and produced by Danny L Harle, a sought-after British producer known for his work on P.C. Music, and with artists including Charli XCX, and Caroline Polachek and many more.

Catching up at Strongroom Studios, where Olly recorded most of the album’s vocals, the conversation explores the stories and sounds behind each track. Along the way, they share early demos featuring Olly’s first vocal musings, while Danny discusses songwriting habits, optimising a producer’s workflow, and techniques for achieving a creative flow state.

Tracks discussed: Whisper In The Waves, Cupid’s Bow, Beautiful, Polari

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.

TRINITY LABAN 
Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here. 

MUSIVERSAL
Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Polari’ here.

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 
linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS
Korg Triton
Rhizomatic Synthesis Plasmonic
Waves Tune
Valhalla Room
Tenor Viol
Korg MS-10
Yamaha RX5 Drum Machine
Roland GAIA
Audacity
Logic Varispeed
Logic

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

TAPE NOTES TEAM
John Kennedy
Will Brown 
Tim Adam-Smith 
Will Lyons 
Nico Varanese 
Guy Nicholls 
Jessica Clucas
Ali Lewis

TN:152 Olly Alexander & Danny L Harle

We’ve been having a look back through the Tape Notes archive to bring back some of our favourite early episodes that you may have missed. This selection is our conversation from Summer 2020, with Josh Davis, better know as DJ Shadow.

EPISODE NOTES

In this episode, John ventures over to Wendy House Studios to catch up with hip-hip royalty Josh Davis AKA DJ Shadow, to talk through how he recorded and produced his latest album ‘Our Pathetic Age’ and his chart-topping album ‘The Mountain Will Fall’. 

Josh gives us a full insight in to his largest most diverse project yet, breaking down his writing process from the moment he randomly dips in to his vast record collection for inspiration, to discovering unlikely source material such as an abandoned record collection rescued from a friend of his father's. We get to hear the original samples that form the basis of some of his biggest hits as well as the raw vocal stems of Nas and Pharoahe Monch rapping at each other from different studios. 

Listen to find out about Josh’s meticulous sample editing process, what mixing mistake meant he had to sneakily rerelease a track, and why he had to gate-crash a Run the Jewels gig. 

Tracks discussed: Nobody Speak, Rocket Fuel, Drone Warfare

TAPE IT
Thanks to our partners at TapeIt! Click here for 20% off TapeIt Pro.

TRINITY LABAN 
Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here. 

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 
https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to 'Our Pathetic Age' here.
Listen to 'The Mountain Will Fall' here.

'Our Pathetic Age' and 'The Mountain Will Fall' - Mass Appeal/Reconstruction Productions, Inc.
 
Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 
 
GEAR MENTIONS
Akai MPC Sampler
Pioneer PLX 1000
Sonos Speaker
Technics SL-1200
Technics SL-1210
ProTools
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 
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

TAPE NOTES TEAM
John Kennedy
Will Brown 
Tim Adam-Smith 
Will Lyons 
Nico Varanese 
Guy Nicholls 
Jessica Clucas
Ali Lewis

Reissue | TN:40 DJ Shadow

John sits down with electronic producer and DJ Porter Robinson, to discuss how he wrote and recorded his third album ‘SMILE! :D’ 

Having begun self-producing at just twelve years old, Porter Robinson has since risen to become one of the most acclaimed artists within the EDM world, performing alongside artists such as Skrillex and Tiësto. His work has seen him tour extensively around the world and has even earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording, back in 2019.

In this episode, Porter dials in from North Carolina to chat about how he came up with his signature synth sounds, some of his favourite gear, including giving a guitar demo, and drawing inspiration from Coldplay tracks. 

Tracks discussed: Cheerleader, Is There Really No Happiness?, Russian Roulette

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.

TRINITY LABAN 
Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.

MUSIVERSAL
Skip the waitlist and get your discount here

LISTEN to ‘SMILE! :D’ here.
'Mom+Pop'

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 
linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

GEAR MENTIONS
U-He Diva
Polyverse Manipulator
D16 Tourverb
Soundtoys EchoBoy
Line 6 Helix Native
Kilohearts Trance Gate
FL Studio
FL Studio Sequencer 3X OSC
FL Studio Harmor
CLA Plugins
Warm Audio Mics
Spectrasonics Omnisphere

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

TAPE NOTES TEAM
John Kennedy
Will Brown 
Tim Adam-Smith 
Will Lyons 
Nico Varanese 
Guy Nicholls 
Jessica Clucas
Ali Lewis
Evan Lawday

TN:153 Porter Robinson

John is joined by Hollywood royalty and Jazz sensation Jeff Goldblum along with producers Alex Frank and Scott Gilman to talk about how they recorded and produced ‘Still Blooming’.

A lifelong pianist, Jeff formed The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra in the 1990s, performing in and around LA for over 20 years. The band’s fourth album released in May 2025, ‘Still Blooming’, blends Broadway classics and tracks from the great American Songbook with guest vocals from Scarlett Johansson, Maiya Sykes, and Jeff’s Wicked co-stars Ariana Grande, and Cynthia Erivo. The record was arranged, recorded and produced by band members Alex Frank and Scott Gillman.

In this episode, Jeff, Alex, and Scott walk us through each track’s creation, from spontaneous singing on set, to detailed musical arrangements and figuring out keys over the phone. They share the production tricks used to balance pop vocals with jazz recordings, the moments they all jammed together in the studio, and how they plan to bring it all to the stage.

Tracks discussed: I Don’t Know Why (I Just Do), We’ll Meet Again, The Best Is Yet To Come

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

TRINITY LABAN 

Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Still Blooming’ here.

‘Decca’

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

FabFilter Pro-Q 4

Steinway Pianos

Coles 4038

Neumann U67

Neumann U87

Logic

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 

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

TAPE NOTES TEAM

John Kennedy

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Ali Lewis

Evan Lawday

Francis Hartgrove

TN:154 Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra

John is joined by American singer and songwriter d4vd, to talk about how he wrote and recorded his debut album ‘Withered’. 

David Burke, aka d4vd, broke into music after beginning to produce tracks of his own to accompany Fortnite videos. Having taught himself how to make music on BandLab and uploading tracks online, he first saw success with the single ‘Romantic Homicide’, becoming a viral hit. He has since released multiple singles and two EPs ‘Petals to Thorns’, which charted on the Billboard 200, and ‘The Lost Petals’. 

In this episode, John and David dig into the creative process behind his debut album ‘Withered’ and chart David's journey from YouTuber to recording artist. They discuss the details of producing with BandLab on his phone, creating his own vocal chain presets from scratch, and the themes of vulnerability and emotion behind this new record.

Tracks discussed: Romantic Homicide, Crashing, You Left Me First

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

TRINITY LABAN 

Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Withered’ here.

‘Darkroom, Interscope Records’

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

Focusrite Interface

Apple Airpods

Shure BETA 58

BandLab

BandLab FX

BandLab EQ

BandLab Vintage Limiter

BandLab Univerb

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 

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

TAPE NOTES TEAM

John Kennedy

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Ali Lewis

Evan Lawday

Francis Hartgrove

TN:155 d4vd

John is joined by Nicolas Godin, one half of the French electronic duo Air, to explore how they wrote, recorded, and produced their iconic debut album, Moon Safari.

Formed in 1995 by Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel, Air rose to global fame with ‘Moon Safari’ in 1998, a critically acclaimed, genre-defining album that helped elevate French pop and inspired a generation of down-tempo electronic music. In 2025, the duo marked its 25th anniversary with Blue Moon Safari, a bold reinterpretation by British producer Vegyn.

In this episode, Nico shares the story behind ‘Moon Safari', sharing how each track came to life, the creative choices that shaped the album, and the instruments and techniques that defined the iconic Air sound.

Tracks discussed: Sexy Boy, La Femme d’argent, Talisman, Kelly Watch the Stars

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

TRINITY LABAN 

Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Moon Safari’ here - https://lynkify.in/album/moon-safari/xYXmfb0a 

‘Parlophone’

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

AKG C414

Talk Box

Leslie Cabin

Moog Minimoog

Korg MS20

Fostex A80

Sequential Prophet 5

Roland Juno

Roland Jupiter-8

ARP 2600

Synton Syrinx

Peavey Classic 50

Ensoniq DP/4

Fender Rhodes

Whurlitzer

Spitfire Audio Instruments

Ableton

Cubase

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

TAPE NOTES TEAM

John Kennedy

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Ali Lewis

Evan Lawday

Francis Hartgrove

TN:156 Air

In this episode John is joined by Square Leg Records boss/producer Charlie Andrew and the label’s first signing Francobollo to talk about the recording and production of the band's debut album, 'Long Live Life'. 
We hear how inviting fans into a sweaty studio was instrumental in capturing the band’s notorious live energy and why writing lyrics about your audience can be slightly awkward at times. 
Tracks discussed: Kinky Lola, Future Lover, Worried Times 
 
LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 
https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 
 
Listen to 'Long Live Life' here.
'Long Live Life' - Square Leg Records Ltd
Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 
 
GEAR MENTIONS
Juno 60 
 
OUR GEAR
https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear 
 
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
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 
 
HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW
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TN:06 Francobollo & Charlie Andrew

Lyssna när som helst, var som helst

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