I first stumbled upon Juana Molina's music in 2007. Her album Un Dia was a revelation, and I am not sure I had ever heard anything like...
I thought I'd seen it all until I heard about collectors that pass around bootlegged copies of the test tones and bias pads from all genres of artists and albums. From an article in MOJO this month: "Sorting their collections by "tones at head" or "tones on tail", these fanatics derive pleasure from being able to identify different studios via the quality of the oscillators. Some collectors even listen for "rocks" in bias pads and point to faulty tape alignment as an indicator of an album's flawed sound." Wow. What's next? Collecting tape "silence" between tracks? -LC
Tape Op is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the art of record making.
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New From Courtney Barnett: "Stay in Your Lane"
By John Baccigaluppi
November 14, 2025
We recently interviewed Stella Mozgawa in Tape Op #169, and she talked about working on new music with Courtney Barnett. Here’s the super fun and...
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Khruangbin: The Universe Smiles Upon You ii
November 14, 2025
We interviewed Khruangbin's Mark Speer and their engineer Steve Christensen for the Tape Op Podcast, and that interview also appeared in...
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West Virginia Snake Handler Revival: “They Shall Take Up Serpents”
October 28, 2025
West Virginia Snake Handler Revival “They Shall Take Up Serpents” marks the arrival of a landmark record, documenting the last snake handling church...
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Tame Impala: Deadbeat
October 17, 2025
I love that the opening track, "My Old Ways", on Tame Impala's [Tape Op#95] new album, Deadbeat, starts with what appears to be a rough...
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New Music From Madison Cunningham: Ace
October 13, 2025
It's always a treat when an album brings you right into its world from the moment you hit play. Such is the case with Madison Cunningham's...
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New Music From Neko Case: Neon Grey Midnight Green
September 30, 2025
The new album from Neko Case [Tape Op #127], Neon Grey Midnight Green, is an adventurous listen that grew on me like fungus in a Florida swamp. It is...
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New Fruit Bats Album: Baby Man
By Geoff Stanfield
September 16, 2025
Fruit Bats, the moniker of Eric D. Johnson's musical endeavors, has just released Baby Man. The album is follows the 2023 release, A River Runs...
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New video from Yeemz on recording her track “No Trace”
By John Baccigallupi
September 14, 2025
Yi-Mei Templeman is friend of Tape Op who records under the name Yeemz. She’s a songwriter and composer who plays cello, piano, banjo, guitar, and...