Famed producer, musician, and arranger Willie Mitchell became involved with Royal Studios (and the associated Hi Records) in Memphis, Tennessee, in the early ‘60s. He took more control of the studio operations as time went on and, in the early ‘70s, his collaboration with singer Al Green led to millions of albums sold, all of which cemented Willie’s reputation as a producer of note. These days his son, Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, a musician, songwriter, engineer, and producer in his own right, runs...
Jan 05, 2018•1 hr 5 min
Sylvia Massy made a good name for herself as a producer and engineer making records with artists like Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Skunk Anansie, Love & Rockets, R.E.M., Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, System of a Down, Smashing Pumpkins, Prince and my favorite, Big Elf. She recently published "Recording Unhinged" a collection of left of center recording techniques and ideas accompanied by her artwork. Sylvia recently moved her studio operation from Weed, California to Ashland,...
Nov 29, 2017•35 min
Tycho's Scott Hansen is a busy man. As the frontman, principle songwriter, producer, as well as the creator of the band's album art and live visuals, he has no shortage of things on his plate. It's the sound of the future that owes so much to the past. Geoff Stanfield (Tape Op Online Publisher) sat down with Scott on a morning before a show in Seattle to talk about his process, translating his brand of ambient/electronic music into a compelling live show, and the intersection of music and visual...
Oct 31, 2017•32 min
A major star in her native land, via her successful acting and music careers, Argentina’s Juana Molina should be a household name in the rest of the world. In April 2017 she released her seventh album, Halo, and will be touring the world in support. Online Publisher Geoff Stanfield caught up with Juana to discuss the making of her new album, her process, and the path that has led her to this point. Enjoy! Disclaimer: This audio recording was not originally tracked with the intent of using for a ...
Sep 29, 2017•56 min
Ocean Way Recording began in a garage in Santa Monica, California, in 1968, as a place to showcase owner Allen Side's custom monitors. From these humble beginnings the empire expanded to include partnering with Bill Putnam and acquiring his United Recording Studio in Hollywood, and building state of the art recording facilities in Nashville, St. Barths, and nearby Sherman Oaks. The Ocean Way "brand" also includes Allen's high-end (and excellent sounding) monitors, a unique and affordable microph...
Aug 31, 2017•53 min
His group, Was(Not Was), rolled out some funky dance pop in the '80s. He's produced big records for the Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer, and The B-52s. But today he is in his office, high atop the famous Capitol Records tower in Hollywood, as President of the venerable jazz label, Blue Note Records. How did Don Was get here? How does he approach production? What makes him tick? I knew someday we would have this discussion, and everything that drives him does stem from a true love of mus...
Jul 28, 2017•1 hr 3 min
How does a Memphis-born teen become an intern, and eventually chief engineer, at Sun Studio? How does the same guy go on to record Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Chris Isaak, Drive By Truckers, the Rival Sons, and Kris Kristofferson, as well as win a Grammy? And how the heck did he follow in Sam Phillips' legendary footsteps to end up recording at Sam Phillips Recording Service and mixing Elvis records? How did he end up working on amazing upcoming releases, including albums by Emily Barker, Sean Ro...
Jun 28, 2017•1 hr 3 min
Too often people assume that those of us in the field of music recording had a distinct idea of what we wanted to do when we started. The truth is almost always that it's a wild and unpredictable path we end up on. Vance Powell is a perfect example. His work has earned him three Grammy awards (Jars of Clay, Buddy Guy, and The Raconteurs). Along the way he's recorded with a wide variety of artists, including Keb' Mo', Martina McBride, The Secret Machines, Karen Elson and of course Jack White. Lar...
May 25, 2017•1 hr 5 min
If you don't know his name, you know his work. The Rolling Stones, The Who, Small Faces, The Beatles, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, Bob Dylan, The Clash, Ryan Adams, Band of Horses, Patty Griffin and countless others. Without question, Glyn Johns is the sound of a large portion of rock radio and most of our record collections. In In 2015, Larry Crane visited Glyn at his beautiful home in the country south of London for this insightful and at times hilarious interview. Enjoy! Disclaimer: T...
Apr 20, 2017•52 min
Yes, Steve Albini is known for being outspoken and opinionated and "controversial," but behind the mythical personality that's been created for him by the media, he's just a great engineer with a passion for making records. This interview was conducted at Albini's Electrical Audio in 2012. Enjoy! Disclaimer: This audio recording was not originally tracked with the intent of using for a podcast. It was recorded solely for transcription for our print interview (see issue #87). Please forgive any b...
Mar 28, 2017•1 hr 3 min
For episode 2 of the Tape Op Podcast we dig into the archive once again. Forget what you think you know about Jack White and enjoy his infectious enthusiasm in this interview with one of the hardest working people in music. Thanks for listening! TapeOp.com Disclaimer: This audio recording was not originally tracked with the intent of using for a podcast. It was recorded solely for transcription for our print interview (see issue #82). Please forgive any balance issues, background sounds, and lac...
Feb 23, 2017•1 hr 3 min
This interview with Brian Eno was not originally intended to be made available for listening. It has been cleaned up and lightly edited, but has some external and peripheral sounds including some cell phone interference, chairs banging around and jack hammering street repairs! In the spirit of Eno himself, these "ambient" additions were left in for interview continuity. Eno and Peter Chilver’s regenerative music app "Bloom" was used for the bed behind the interview. Thanks for listening! TapeOp....
Jan 18, 2017•49 min
