Hillary Johnson
by Larry Crane
Hillary first came to Tape Op's attention when she e-mailed us, from New York, with some hot "snapple-micing" tips (see the letters in issue #3). I was impressed with her rockin'...
interviews
by Larry Crane
Martin Phillipps: of the Chills
by Larry Crane
First off, let me state that The Chills are one of my favorite pop bands ever. When I heard there was a new album (Sunburnt) coming out, and a tour to follow, I was overjoyed. Then I...
The Barn: A visit to this studio in rural New Mexico
by Larry Crane
The common image of a studio is a warehouse or basement setup in a decent sized city. Or maybe it's a fancy resort styled place in the woods where millionaire rockers can relax and make hit...
Brendan Hoffman
by Larry Crane
We found Brendan doing sound for the Chills on tour. When he got a look at Tape Op, he wanted to sit in on the interview--and when Martin got called out to autograph a female fan's shirt, "Well,...
Steve Fisk: Pell Mell/Halo Benders Member, Solo artist & Noted Producer
by Larry Crane
Umm, Steve Fisk has been playing and recording music longer that some of you have been out of diapers. It's a bit of a tale but we'll trudge through some of it here. Lately, he's been a...
Sidecar: What? A Band that doesn't enjoy the recording process?
by Larry Crane
Last issue there was a brief mention of Sidecar in the interview we did with Quasi, wherein Quasi questioned Sidecar's choice of studios and use of 2 inch tape. Curious about Sidecar's...
Geoff Farina: Karate and The Secret Stars
by Larry Crane
Geoff Farina is determined. He won't settle for a crummy guitar sound and this has led him on an amazing quest of knowledge and sound. He is currently a member of Karate (who have an...
Brendan Bell: On Bugskull and Basement Studios
by Larry Crane
Ahh, the saga of Brendan Bell. A British expatriate who somehow ended up in Portland and later a member of the elusive Bugskull to boot. In Bugskull he managed to hone his recording...
Alastair Galbraith: Chats about recording in New Zealand
by Larry Crane
New Zealander, Alastair Galbraith, has been recording his music on 4 track decks in a non-studio environment since he did Stormed Port by his "group" The Rip in 1987. Turned on to the...
Varnaline, Reservoir and Space Needle?
by Larry Crane
So, this story all starts with the New York combo Space Needle, formerly just a duo of Jud Ehrbar and Jeff Gatland who recorded some spacey yet catchy stuff on a 4 track and managed to get it...
The Apples in Stereo: Record Psychedelic Pop in Their Friend's Living Room
by Larry Crane
We caught the Apples at a strange Portland gig opening up for some shitty local bands. Many people who came to see the Apples play ended up seeing us interview them instead. They're a...
Magnetophone/Sea Saw
by Larry Crane
This was originally going to be just a short review of a record I liked very much, but as time went by I listened to it way too much and wanted to know more about how it was recorded and put...