Interviews

Eric Bachmann and Matt Gentling of Archers of Loaf discuss songwriting process, reunions, parenting, and working at Drop of Sun Studios on Reason in Decline.

I first discovered The Wipers in a basement record shop in Southeast Portland. I picked up Silver Sail, and was blown away by the sonic quality. I quickly found myself buying all The Wipers' albums I could find, but it didn't stop there. I began researching the band's...

Gloria Kaba is a Ghanaian-American sound engineer, producer, mixer, and writer whose impact spans over a decade. Renowned for her contributions to albums such as A Tribe Called Quest's We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service and Solange's groundbreaking A Seat at the...

In a Pitchfork review of SML's Small Medium Large album, Matthew Blackwell wrote, "There were no rules at Enfield Tennis Academy (ETA). The tiny Los Angeles cocktail bar… became a destination for the new jazz scene's westward migration from Chicago to L.A.; a weekly...

I first met Joe Reineke in early 1989, when he caught our band, Vomit Launch, on a middle slot between Nirvana and Mudhoney in San Jose, California. He had a band called The Mice (soon renamed The Meices), and we began playing shows together. When The Meices broke up, Joe's new...

Fresh off releasing his first solo record, Zone Black, for Drag City Records, Emil Amos takes a break to talk about his production philosophies, home recording in the '90s, and what still keeps him curious. Amos has made over 50 records and is launching into 50 more as we speak....

Based in Tucson, Arizona, Michael Dixon runs what seems like a hundred businesses centered around lathe cut records, from cutting records for bands, to selling lathes and parts, to a training camp for aspiring cutters. Most of what I knew about lathe cuts came from hearing about DJs...

In a nondescript office building out in Burbank, California, you'll find Audio Archiving Services, Inc. Run by Dan Johnson, these rooms are full of all types of audio playback devices, and Dan specializes in transferring audio via all these crazy formats. I first met Dan when he...

This is part 1 of a 2 part article, you can find the other part here: "A Practical Guide to Integrating Modular Synthesis in the Control Room"

It seems but a distant memory now, but yet somehow also like yesterday, when I first spoke at length with Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe [Tape...

This is part 2 of a 2 part article, you can find the other part here: "Modular Synthesis in the Control Room"

After reading Chris Koltay's super fun and inspiring "Modular Synthesis in the Control Room," I felt compelled to add a few practical notes for someone...

We get a lot of email at Tape Op. It is typically from public relations firms, record labels, and gear manufacturers. I do my best to keep up with all of the interview pitches and requests for reviews. Earlier this year, I received an email from an artist directly. His name was...

Prince's "When Doves Cry" is often cited as the first modern pop hit without a primary bass guitar part. But, as great as Prince was, that distinction actually belongs to 10cc, and their 1975 classic "I'm Not In Love." If not listened to closely, due to its...