I’m still shocked at the passing of Martin Phillips of The Chills. He made a number of songs and albums that truly inspired me and many others. Please check out the interview I did with him in 1997, and listen to his song “Pink Frost” if you’ve never heard his music. You’ll find the beauty and sadness of this song quite fitting. It’s one of many great songs from a great writer. -Larry Crane
Tape Op is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the art of record making.
I just read an excellent new essay called The Case Against Free in which the author suggests that the "free economy" is drying up the economic resources needed to make quality creative works. The article focuses on recordings. It's a well...
(me and Elliott rolling in Jackpot!'s original MCI JH-16, Feb. 1997)
As most readers of Tape Op may have picked up on by now, I have been involved in the archiving and cataloging of the music of my late friend, Elliott Smith. Here's an interview I...
Tape Op contributor, Chris Mara, has organized an amazing studio event coming up. I wanted to go but sessions have stopped me. If you can make it, this sounds like a lot of fun.
Tape Op Messageboard Thread and instructions Welcome to 1979 Studio
Check out the new St. Vincent LP, All Born Screaming, and video for the track "Broken Man" out now. The album was recorded and mixed by Cian Riordan who interviewed Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) for Tape Op #134.
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By November 24th we will have installed a new Rupert Neve Designs 5088 console at my studio, Jackpot! Recording Studio, in Portland, OR. Excited? Of course. And look, no EQ, no preamps and no automation. Just pure, perfect analog mixdown heaven. You...
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...
You know those ads? Yeah, some Photoshop jockey took the GUI of a plug-in and made it look like a piece of outboard gear, a synth or something. Drives me nuts. For years I couldn't figure out if one plug-in, I think it was Trilogy, was "real" or...
Many Tape Op readers likely can’t imagine that issue #1 was Xeroxed and hand-folded 28 years ago, but it was. People may think of us as DIY, but there’s a long history of so many helping this magazine be its best, beginning with friends...
Will Oldham, aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy, has just released his 27th album, The Purple Bird. Fans will find the album sits in a familiar country/Americana groove, but The Purple Bird seems to have a touch more fit, finish, and...