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PODCAST

Tape Notes

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

music music interviews

All Episodes

110:20

TN:159 Barry Can't Swim

Tape Notes ·

2025/07/14

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

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110:16

TN:158 Lorde & Jim-E Stack

Tape Notes ·

2025/07/01

John is joined by Lorde and producer Jim-E Stack to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Virgin’.Lorde, is a singer-songwriter and producer from New Zealand who rose to fame in 2013 with the Grammy winning global hit track ‘Royals’. Her albums 2013’s ‘Pure Heroine’, 2017’s ‘Melodrama’, and 2012's ‘Solar Power’ all showcase her sharp, raw lyrics and sophisticated production . In June 2025, after collaborations with artists including Charli XCX, Lorde released ‘Virgin’. Produced

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100:23

TN:157 Jamie xx

Tape Notes ·

2025/06/19

John is joined by Jamie xx, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘In Waves’.Jamie xx is an English musician, record producer, and DJ. He began his career as part of The xx, whose 2009 debut album ‘xx’ was instrumental in shaping the indie music scene of the 2010s. Jamie’s critically acclaimed solo debut, ‘In Colour’, arrived in 2015, earning both Mercury and Grammy nominations. In 2024, he released ‘In Waves’, a record that captures the emotional highs and hazy afterglow of

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121:45

Reissue | TN:42 Caribou

Tape Notes ·

2025/06/10

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 Caribou, Dan Snaith, all the way back in Summer 2020.EPISODE NOTES In this episode John links up with Caribou a.k.a. Dan Snaith, to breakdown how Suddenly - his first release in five years - was written, recorded and produced. Diving deep into his hard drive Dan treats us to a plethora of demo versions, track breakdowns

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113:05

TN:156 Air

Tape Notes ·

2025/05/28

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

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74:00

TN:155 d4vd

Tape Notes ·

2025/05/13

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

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76:42

TN:154 Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra

Tape Notes ·

2025/04/29

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

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112:25

TN:153 Porter Robinson

Tape Notes ·

2025/04/17

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,

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101:12

Reissue | TN:40 DJ Shadow

Tape Notes ·

2025/03/05

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

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113:34

TN:152 Olly Alexander & Danny L Harle

Tape Notes ·

2025/02/21

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

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123:44

TN:151 Maribou State

Tape Notes ·

2025/02/05

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

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108:15

TN:150 RÜFÜS DU SOL

Tape Notes ·

2025/01/22

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

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38:21

Bonus Episode - John Kennedy & Adam Buxton (Live)

Tape Notes ·

2024/12/27

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

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108:38

TN:149 Snarky Puppy (Michael League)

Tape Notes ·

2024/12/11

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

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103:17

TN:148 Bring Me The Horizon & Dan Lancaster

Tape Notes ·

2024/11/27

John is joined by Oli Sykes and Lee Malia of Bring Me The Horizon, as well as producer Dan Lancaster, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the band’s latest album ‘POST HUMAN: NeX GEn’.Bring Me the Horizon, formed in 2004 in Sheffield, evolved from deathcore to genre-blending innovators, incorporating electronics, classical, and pop influences. With seven studio albums, over 5 million records sold, and electrifying live shows, they’ve built a global fanbase and earned multiple

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118:52

TN:147 Lizzy McAlpine, Mason Stoops & Taylor Mackall

Tape Notes ·

2024/11/13

John is joined by Lizzy McAlpine, and co-producer Mason Stoops and co-writer Taylor Mackall, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Older (and Wiser)’. Lizzy McAlpine is a singer-songwriter and producer who first gained popularity by sharing covers on SoundCloud and YouTube. Her debut album, ‘Give Me a Minute’, arrived in 2020, however, it was her second album, ‘Five Seconds Flat’, that solidified her as a rising force, with the platinum-selling single ‘ceilings’ becoming a

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109:42

TN:146 Pixies & Tom Dalgety

Tape Notes ·

2024/10/31

John is joined by Pixies, Charles Thompson (aka Black Francis), and producer Tom Dalgety, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the band’s latest album ‘The Night The Zombies Came’.The Pixies are an American alternative rock band widely acclaimed as one of the pioneers of the late 1980s rock movement. Their first three albums - Surfer Rosa (1988), Dolittle (1989) and Bossanova (1990) - defined an era as well as earning the band much critical success. The Pixies have influenced

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66:04

TN:145 Clean Bandit (Part 2)

Tape Notes ·

2024/10/16

John is back with Jack Patterson and Grace Chatto of Clean Bandit, for part two of their conversation, this time, talking about how they wrote, recorded, and produced some of their more recent hits. Clean Bandit are an English electronic group formed in 2008, known for blending classical music with electronics and pop. While they gained early attention with the track ‘Mozart’s House,’ their 2014 hit ‘Rather Be,’ featuring Jess Glynne, won a Grammy and earned the band global recognition. Now pop

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108:56

TN:144 Bonobo

Tape Notes ·

2024/10/01

John sits down with English musician, producer, and DJ Simon Green, better known as Bonobo, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced works from across his back catalogue.Bonobo first caught attention with his 1999 debut. Over the years, his evolving sound, often including elements of world music, nu-jazz and electronica, have earned him a devoted following. This popularity surged with the release of critically acclaimed albums including 'Black Sands' and 'The North Borders', released via

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106:02

TN:143 Rex Orange County, Teo Halm & Jim Reed

Tape Notes ·

2024/09/05

John sits down with Rex Orange County and producers Jim Reed and Teo Halm, to talk about how he wrote and recorded his latest album ‘The Alexander Technique’. Alex O'Connor, better known as Rex Orange County, is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Teaching himself music production at 16 years old, within a year he released his debut album ‘Bcos U Will Never B Free’. Since then, Alex has been consistently releasing successful music, including his fourth album, ‘Who Cares?’,

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