Behind the Gear

The people that create the stuff you use to create stuff.

Chris Coady
July 13, 2025  |  No. 168

Chris Coady

by Laura Moreau,Geoff Stanfield

We interviewed producer, engineer, and mixer Chris Coady, back in 2016 for Tape Op issue #113. He has worked with TV On The Radio [Tape Op #155], Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Future Islands, Beach House, DIIV, The Drums, Porches, Amen Dunes [#164], SASAMI [#157], Hand Habits

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Michael Andrews
July 13, 2025  |  No. 168

Michael Andrews

I'm not even sure of when or how we met, but I've known film composer and musician/producer Michael Andrews quite a while. We co-interviewed John Stephens, the brains behind the Stephens Electronics tape decks, in Tape Op #54 nearly 20 years ago, and have kept in touch since

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Charlie Peacock
July 13, 2025  |  No. 168

Charlie Peacock

by Larry Crane,Zachary Gresham

He might be one of the best producers and artists out there, but it’d be hard to tell from Charlie Peacock’s humble demeanor when you get to talk with him. His recent book, Roots & Rhythm: A Life in Music, is an engaging read, chronicling a life growing up in Northern California’s

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Vanessa Parr
July 13, 2025  |  No. 168

Vanessa Parr

After studying Music Production and Engineering at Berklee College of Music, Vanessa Parr headed to L.A. and promptly jumped into studio work. After almost 13 years at The Village as an assistant and engineer, she's now freelancing and teaching. Her experience is wide, having

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Shigeto is Zach Saginaw
July 13, 2025  |  No. 168

Shigeto is Zach Saginaw

by Carolyn Zaldivar Snow,Vinne Massimino

Being in motion while at rest is a good way to describe Detroit’s Zach Saginaw, better known as Shigeto. The self-avowed “jazz school dropout” possesses a critically vetted track record, delivering meticulous records where jazz, hip-hop, and IDM elements blossom from casual bedroom

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Paul Malinowski
July 13, 2025  |  No. 168

Paul Malinowski

by Ryan Heise,Todd Zimmer

Paul Malinowski is a cornerstone of the Kansas City, Missouri rock scene. His production beginnings from the 1990s and 2000s, plus his presence in the close-knit late-'80s scene, helped spawn the now-iconic KC sound. Paul is an engineer, producer, and musician who was a founding

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The Ting Tings
July 13, 2025  |  No. 168

The Ting Tings

by Alaïa Fonk ,Larry Crane

Jules De Martino and Katie White are The Ting Tings. Their debut record, We Started Nothing, featured the hit song, “That's Not My Name,” one you may have heard in Apple iPod ads and many films over the last several decades. Home is their fifth and newest album, produced, recorded,

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Chris Tabron
July 13, 2025  |  No. 168

Chris Tabron

by Greg Wells,Bleek Henderson

I met Chris Tabron in New York at the AES Convention in 2019. We stayed in touch over social media, and I started to realize this was a compelling music maker whose discography was as all over the place as my own. When I asked Larry and John at Tape Op if they’d be up for an interview

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Felipe Castañeda
July 13, 2025  |  No. 168

Felipe Castañeda

by Alan Esparza,Geoff Stanfield

Originally from Mexico City, Felipe Castañeda is the senior house engineer at Sonic Ranch [Tape Op #94]. Felipe is currently working with two critically acclaimed indie artists at Sonic Ranch studios – Blackwater Holylight, Rachel Eckroth, Portugal. The Man, Strawberry Guy, and a

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Bob Blank
July 9, 2025  |  No. 167

Bob Blank

by Kellzo _

Bob Blank built his own Blank Tape Studio in downtown New York City in the mid-‘70s out of spare parts and eventually grew the operation into a multiroom facility. Blank Tape recorded everything, from gold and platinum selling disco records to the Talking Heads, Television, The B-52s,

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M. Ward
July 15, 2025  |  No. 167

M. Ward

by Jacob Boll,Geoff Stanfield

Geoff Stanfield spoke with M. Ward for an episode of the Tape Op Podcast in August of 2023, around the time of his album supernatural thing was released. Here they dig into his love of collaborations, his analog approach to recording, and more.

Recording Nona Invie’s <i>Self-soothing</I>
June 19, 2025  |  No. 167

Recording Nona Invie’s Self-soothing

by John Baccigaluppi,Zoe Invie

On Friday mornings I go to the new releases page on Tidal and wade through the new music released each week. I'll check out records from artists I know, but what I really enjoy is finding new music from an artist I'm not familiar with that resonates with me. On the last day of

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