Welcome to issue #170 of Tape Op.

In this issue's End Rant I examine the difference between studying technique and understanding art. Yes, we all need skills and techniques in order to make recordings, but my feeling is that a deep understanding of art is the most important aspect. In this issue, MGMT talks about letting things happen and how our ears and mind can trick us. Mocky shows us how to bring joy in singing, and how to capture people in performance that might not otherwise ever be on an album. Joy Oladokun tells us about how DJ'ing and iPhones changed her music, and how she feels a need to produce herself. Jennifer Nulsen gives us a tour through her career and thoughts; from piano, to classical recordist, to restoration work. Ambrose Bye talks about capturing musicians, writers, and poets collaborating, in addition to building albums around spoken words. It's all about capturing and preserving music, the art of it, and all the special emotions recordings can give us forever.