Tape Op Magazine - Issue #145

Interviews

NOVA WAV

By EYEMJONARTHUR and Lisa Machac

Brittany "Chi" Coney and Denisia "Blu June" Andrews have been working together as the songwriting and producing duo NOVA WAV for over a decade. Based in Los Angeles, the Grammy-winning pair has collaborated on hits for Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, H.E.R., and many...

Interviews

Van Dyke Parks: Enjoying the Distraction of Collaboration

By Larry Crane, Richard Parks

A chance to talk with the man who penned the line "columnated ruins domino" in the Beach Boys' epic song "Surf's Up"? Yes, please. His recent collaboration, Van Dyke Parks orchestrates Verónica Valerio: Only in America – Solo en América, is a sonic treat, featuring...

Interviews

Matthew E. White: Spacebomb and Beyond!

By Shawn Lewis, Larry Crane

Making his splash with his debut solo album, Big Inner, in 2012, Matthew E. White soon became in demand as a producer. As a co-owner and founder of Spacebomb, a label/studio/aesthetic concept out of Richmond, Virginia, he's gathered people around him, like the brilliant arranger Trey Pollard...

Recording Nate Mercereau’s <i>Duets | Golden Gate Bridge</i>

Interviews

Recording Nate Mercereau’s Duets | Golden Gate Bridge

By Minea Bisset, John Baccigaluppi

Not too many recording engineers get asked to record a bridge, but that's what artist...

Interviews

Late Aster: Recording True and Toxic

By John Baccigaluppi, Deadeye Press

I listened to a lot of music during the pandemic. One of my favorite things was to search...

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FEBRUARY 26, 2026 INTERVIEWS

Gary Kemp: Ahead of the Game

BY JOE MAGOWAN, LARRY CRANE

Esteemed songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Gary Kemp was the force behind Spandau Ballet for many years, and currently plays in Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, performing older Pink Floyd selections. Gary's recent solo album, INSOLO, is a beautiful reflection on life, love, and music, and I jumped at the chance to ask him about his past and present.

FEBRUARY 26, 2026 INTERVIEWS

Jerry Kee: Duck-Kee Studios

BY KIM WARE

When I first sat down with Jerry Kee of Duck-Kee Studios in Mebane, North Carolina, I didn't even realize we were coming up on the 30th anniversary of the recording of Superchunk's self-titled debut album, helmed by Kee. Many would point to that album as the one that led the indie music world to first take notice of Chapel Hill, NC, the small college town in which Superchunk were formed. Duck-Kee has tracked the likes of Polvo, Sorry About Dresden, Tift Merritt, The Strugglers, The Kingsbury Manx, and many others. Having known Jerry for nearly 20 years now, I know he's far too modest to take any credit for even having a small part of the creation of a Chapel Hill "scene," but his history speaks for itself. I spoke with Jerry about that history, the fire that nearly destroyed his home (in which Duck-Kee is located), and what he's been up to recently. While we had this conversation pre-COVID, it's interesting that we got into a few things that resonate even more today: The power of communities, working from home, doing more with less, making do with what you have, and, ultimately, being grateful for whatever that might be.

FEBRUARY 26, 2026 INTERVIEWS

Sarah Tudzin: Finding Sanctuary for Creativity

BY MADDIE ROSS, SADIE DUPUIS

Sarah Tudzin loves solving sonic puzzles, in a quest to bring unexpected depth to her clients' albums as well as her own. With Illuminati Hotties, Tudzin's main songwriting outlet in which she is guitarist, singer, and producer, she's mined veins of punk, from tender power pop to SoCal-indebted prog. This year's release, Let Me Do One More, sees the band dialing in spacy sounds and crunched guitars to level up its heartfelt whip-smarts. As an engineer, Tudzin soaks up tricks from each of her collaborators. Considering her client list – !!!, Macklemore, and Weyes Blood are a few of the many – she's developed a multi-textured palette of sounds. I was lucky to work with her on mixing my recent Sad13 album, Haunted Painting, staying up all night to get the most out of Sonic Ranch's SSL console [Tape Op #94], and she's my go-to friend when I need production advice. Tudzin talked to me about how working from home compares to Sunset Sound, finding time for Illuminati Hotties when she's engineering others, and the emotional intuition that's become one of her most essential production skills.

FEBRUARY 26, 2026 INTERVIEWS

Godfrey Diamond: Paying it Forward

BY NANCY CAMPBELL, GREG CAMPBELL, ALEXEY NOVIKOV, GREG DI GESU, NINA MELEDANDRI

I had the chance to sit down with producer/recording engineer Godfrey Diamond at his home studio, Perfect Mixes Recording in Brooklyn, New York. Godfrey is known for his production and engineering work with Lou Reed, Billy Squier, Aerosmith, Frank Sinatra, Luther Vandross, and countless others. An early shining moment was playing drums at a young age on The Andrea True Connection's disco hit "More, More, More." We were able to indulge in his long career, accompanying stories, and his successful studio working methods.

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COLUMNS

by John Baccigaluppi

by Andy Hong

GEAR REVIEWS