Tape Notes

John is joined by Foo Fighters  to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Your Favorite Toy’. Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed by Dave Grohl. Known for their alt-rock anthems driven by melody and personality, they have evolved into one of rock’s biggest and most influential bands. Over the past 20 years, they have released twelve studio albums, won fifteen Grammys, and in 2021 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their twelfth studio album, ‘Your Favorite Toy’, arrived in April 2026. Sitting down at Metropolis Studios in London, Dave and bassist Nate Mendel break down tracks, all the way from Dave’s demos and early drum patterns through to the final masters. The pair also discuss how they created the distinctive Foo Fighters guitar sounds on ‘Spit Shine’, share stories from recording screaming and Ilan’s perfect flams, and answer questions from our Patrons!  Tracks discussed: Asking For A Friend, Spit Shine, If You Only Knew LISTEN to Your Favourite Toy: Your Favorite Toy by Foo Fighters, RCA Records. 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! TRINITY LABAN Find out more about Trinity Laban’s new MA in Songwriting.   QUBE  Find out more about Qube membership here. MAKE NOISE PRO AUDIO Use the code TAPENOTES10 for 10% off all Franklin Audio products at makenoiseproaudio.com MUSIVERSAL Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE Recorded at Metropolis Studios LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES   linktr.ee/tapenotes  Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI  GEAR MENTIONS API 1608 Console Neve BCM10 Wizard Amps Fender Tone master Hiwatt Amps Freedman Amps Trini Lopez Guitar Moog Theremini Shure SM58 Microphone Gibson ES-335 Ludwig Drums 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

John is joined by TOMORA to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album COME CLOSER. TOMORA are an electronic music duo made up of The Chemical Brothers’ Tom Rowlands and AURORA. Both have excelled in their fields: The Chemical Brothers’ ten albums helped define electronic music, while Norwegian artist AURORA’s ethereal songwriting has won her a devoted worldwide following. The duo began collaborating when Aurora featured on The Chemical Brothers’ Grammy Award-winning 2019 album No Geography. In turn, Tom produced parts of AURORA’s What Happened To The Heart? (2024). That led to TOMORA and their debut album COME CLOSER. Sitting down at Baltic Studios, they discuss creating the album’s distinctive soundscapes and recording AURORA’s striking vocals. They also introduce John to the vintage synthesiser crucial to the album’s sound, plus answer Patreons’ questions! Tracks discussed: Somewhere Else, I Drink the Light, Come Closer LISTEN to COME CLOSER by TOMORA, AURORA, The Chemical Brothers 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. QUBE  Find out more about Qube membership here. MAKE NOISE PRO AUDIO Use the code TAPENOTES10 for 10% off all Franklin Audio products at makenoiseproaudio.com MUSIVERSAL Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE Recorded at Baltic Studios. LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES   linktr.ee/tapenotes  Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI  GEAR MENTIONS DMX 15-80S Eventide H3000 Harmoniser Neumann U87 Microphone Takstar SM-9 Octave-Plateau Voyetra 8 MPC60 Moog System 55 Makenoise DPO Logic Pro X  E-MU S-1200 Sampler EMS Synthi AKS Elektron Monomachine Cong Burn Strokes 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  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

John is joined by Holly Humberstone and Rob Milton to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album Cruel World. Holly Humberstone is a singer-songwriter from Grantham, England. After early support from BBC Introducing, her debut EP ‘Falling Asleep at the Wheel’ gained widespread attention during the pandemic, earning a BRIT Rising Star win and two Ivor Novello nominations. Her debut album 'Paint My Bedroom Black’, arrived in 2023, and reached the UK top 5, while tours with Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo boosted her global profile. Her second album, Cruel World, was released in April 2026, working with long-time collaborator, producer Rob Milton. Sitting down at Baltic Studios, the trio discuss the record’s influences, from The 1975 to Fleetwood Mac. They break down ‘To Love Somebody’ from early voice notes to final master, explore harmony techniques on ‘Cruel World’, and Holly reflects on how industry pressures shaped ‘Beauty Pageant’, alongside sharing their essential plug-ins and gear. Tracks discussed: To Love Somebody, Cruel World, Beauty Pageant LISTEN to Cruel World here - Cruel World by Holly Humberstone, Polydor Records 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. QUBE  Find out more about Qube membership here. MAKE NOISE PRO AUDIO Use the code TAPENOTES10 for 10% off all Franklin Audio products at makenoiseproaudio.com MUSIVERSAL Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE Recorded at Baltic Studios. LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES   linktr.ee/tapenotes  Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective GEAR MENTIONS Roland Juno-60 Synthesizer The God Particle (Plugin) by Cradle Soundtoys Decapitator Sequential Prophet 5 Synthesizer Arturia DX-7 Soundtoys PanMan Pocket Piano Critter & Guitari Organelle Splice AMS RMX16 Reverb Rotor Solo Cello plugin Korg ARP 2600 M 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

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 with Enter Shikari's Rou Reynolds, digging into their 2020 record, 'Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible'. EPISODE NOTES In this episode, John catches up with Enter Shikari frontman and producer, Rou Reynolds to breakdown how the band wrote, recorded and produced their new album ‘Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible’.   As the band’s most genre-bending album to date, Rou talks us through the challenges of combining techy metal, rave, reggae and ska influences with an oom-pah band and full symphony orchestra. Digging through his fifteen hard drives of demos and jams, we’re shown how every aspect of a track has a purpose and meaning – with detailed rhythms and distinctive sounds reflecting the state of the world in their own way.    Listen to hear the original gibberish lyrics that ended up making the final version of a song, how the band ended up forming and recording their toy drum kit and what plugins Rou uses to create his own audio cuddle.   Tracks discussed: THE GREAT UNKNOWN, Waltzing Off the Face of the Earth (1. Crescendo), satellites* *   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  ⁠https://linktr.ee/tapenotes⁠    ⁠ Listen to 'Nothing is True & Everything is Possible' here.⁠ 'Nothing is True & Everything is Possible' - SO Recordings/Silva Screen Records Limited Intro Music - ⁠Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective ⁠   GEAR MENTIONS ⁠Ableton⁠ ⁠Akai MPC Sampler⁠ ⁠ Arp 2600⁠ ⁠Arturia Synth Emulators⁠ ⁠Chandler REDD Microphone⁠ ⁠Farfisa⁠ ⁠Kemper Profiler Rack⁠ ⁠ LOMO Channel Strip⁠ ⁠Native Instruments Massive⁠ ⁠Roland Jupiter 6⁠ ⁠Sound Guru Mangle Plugin⁠   OUR GEAR ⁠https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear⁠    HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions):  ⁠Donate⁠    Follow us on Social Media to keep up to date with the latest episodes and submit questions: ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠Twitter⁠   Visit our website to join our mailing list: ⁠www.tapenotes.co.uk⁠ 

John sits down with Imogen Heap to talk about how she wrote, recorded and produced the EP IAM _ _ _. Imogen Heap is a British composer, artist, and producer, widely regarded as a pioneer in electronic pop and music technology. Over the years, her music has evolved from alternative to electronica, producing acclaimed albums such as Speak for Yourself and Ellipse, and collaborating with artists including Taylor Swift and Jon Hopkins. She consistently integrates technology into her practice, developing innovations like the Mi.Mu gloves and Mogen, an AI voice model that plays a central role in her 2025 EP ‘I AM__’. Joining Imogen at her Hideaway Studio, the conversation covers everything from her visceral experiences with noise music artists, to her pioneering use of AI and the latest developments with Mogen, exploring how technology continues to shape her creative process and collaborations. Tracks discussed: What Have You Done To Me?, Noise, Aftercare LISTEN to IAM _ _ _ here: I AM __ by Imogen Heap, Megaphonic Records 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. QUBE  Find out more about Qube membership here. MAKE NOISE PRO AUDIO Use the code TAPENOTES10 for 10% off all Franklin Audio products at makenoiseproaudio.com 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 Soma Lyra Wave Arts Panorama 7 Native Instruments Massive Euroracks Ableton Live Antares Autotune Avid Pro Tools 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  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