1956 was a pivotal year in the music of Miles Davis. It consolidated his "First Great Quintet" which included Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones, Paul Chambers, and John Coltrane. To make good on his contract with Prestige Records, Davis took his group into Rudy Van Gelder's [Tape Op#43] studio in Hackensack, New Jersey, for marathon sessions that resulted in four influential records (Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and...

Moses Sumney, interviewed in Tape Op#125, has new music out in the form of a collaboration with composer Joseph Shirley (The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Creed III) for the soundtrack to director Aleshea Harris’ film Is God Is. I should back up and say that discovering Moses' music on his 2017 release, Aromanticism, and subsequently diving into his previous releases, had a profound effect on the way I listen to his music. Aromanticism...

Wait, what??? The Ramones first album just turned 50! A record made by four young men from the Forest Hills neighborhood in Queens, NY, has gone on to be one of the greatest punk rock records of all-time. Ramones was produced by Craig Leon [Tape Op#151], engineered by Rob Freeman, and recorded at Plaza Sound Studios in New York City over the course of a week for about $6400. It is a top to bottom barn-burner with short, catchy songs that are raucous...

Linda Perry’s last solo album came out in 1999. In the 27 years since then she has become one of the most successful producers for other artists, writing and recording hits for P!NK, Christina Aguilera, and more [Tape Op #143]. This album marks a return to the mic for Perry and a coming home to herself. The 17 songs on Let it Die Here are a cathartic reckoning with mortality, grief, and identity. In the 2024 documentary feature film (also...

We interviewed engineer/producer/artist Maryam Qudus about her Spacemoth project back in Tape Op#148. Spacemoth has a new LP that is releasing on June 26, but in the meantime you can check out these two new tracks, “Internet Fantasy” and “Do We Exist,” and the fun videos accompanying them. 

We reached out to Maryam to find out more about upcoming album, and this is what she had to say:

“My new album Inward Eye started at Best House – the...

Tape Op publisher John Baccigaluppi came across this beautifully shot, long-form video of Harry Styles live in session at Berlin's Funkhaus studio. Performing orchestral versions of songs from his latest release, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally, Harry Styles, along with a string section and a band that includes Kid Harpoon [Tape Op#172], Nils Frahm [#126], and drummer Tom Skinner (The Smile), delivers a compelling set of beautifully...

By Mitchell Sigman's own description: "Memory Banks is an all-original love letter celebrating the futuristic musical visions of ELO, Kraftwerk, The Alan Parsons Project, et al. No AI, no Suno, no loops." Yeah, there was a time where some music, especially stuff made by people using synths and looking to push the boundaries music creation, felt like it was a glimpse into the future. To my 16 year old ears back then, ELO's [Jeff...

Although the opening moments of The Black Keys' (Dan Auerbach [Tape Op#127] and Patrick Carney [#136]) new release, Peaches!, sounds like a Tinariwen record, it quickly settles in to a familiar, loose, bluesy, and reverb-soaked groove, and doesn't relent for the album's ten tracks. The influence of Hill Country blues masters Junior Kimborough and R.L. Burnside are evident throughout the hypnotic stomps of "Stop Arguing Over...

I went to college, but not for music, recording, or even writing and editing. I obtained a degree in Communications, with an emphasis on Visual, plus a minor in Art with an emphasis on Studio. This meant most of my studies were in film, filmmaking, photography, graphic design, sculpture, ceramics, illustration, painting, and such. Photography was fun, and I was able to borrow an old Olympus 35 mm camera with a fixed wide-angle lens that my dad...

Whenever I use great tools, I'm inspired to do great work. This is true whether I'm turning knobs on analog audio gear or tweaking the controls of software processors. The same goes for hand tools when I need to fix something. For example, my favorite screwdrivers are Wera Kraftform and Kraftform Micro <wera.de>. I have many different sets, including standard and micro-sized slotted, Phillips, Posidrive, hex, and Torx drivers....

Visit this recent Reddit thread to follow an interesting conversation about YouTube recording influencers and Tape Op shout out. OMG. Larry has written a LOT of gear reviews over the years, by the way. Visit us on YouTube for plenty of actual information and good times.

I went to see I'm With Her [Podcast Ep. #106] at The Moore theater here in Seattle on their 2025 tour, and it was among the best performances I have seen in years. The trio of Sarah Jarosz [Tape Op#140], Aoife O'Donovan [#166], and Sara Watkins write well-crafted songs, sing flawless harmonies, and are all incredible instrumentalists. The performance felt like a celebration of music and community, and their on-stage chemistry is infectious....