Tape Notes

John is joined by Hen and Louis a.k.a. Joy Anonymous, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced a selection of tracks across their back catalog.

Joy Anonymous formed in 2018 with the aim of spreading joy through music and live performance. Their South Bank pop-up shows during the pandemic brought widespread attention, with recordings from these performances featuring on their debut album ‘Human Again’ (2021). Since then, they have released ‘Cult Classics’ (2023), collaborated with numerous artists, and continued to release new music, including their stripped-back ‘Source’ versions. Their third record is set for release in the coming months.

Sitting down together at Baltic Studios, the trio discuss getting inspired by the rhythm of spoken voices and their techniques for making dance music sound uniquely human, their secrets for building a club banger, how playing live with Fred again and Ezra Collective influenced tracks in the studio and much more, plus they answer questions from our Patreons!

Tracks discussed: JOY (Nobody Ever), JOY (Like You Used To), JOY (This One)

LISTEN to

JOY (Nobody Ever) - 2026 From Concentrate - JOY (Nobody Ever) 7” mix by Joy Anonymous, Tamaraebi

JOY (Like You Used To) - 2026 From Concentrate - JOY (Like You Used To) by Joy Anonymous, MOTHERBOARD

JOY (This One) - 2026 From Concentrate - JOY (This One) by Joy Anonymous, Ezra Collective, Stush

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

Try the new Tape It Denoiser currently 50% off!

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

Recorded at Baltic Studios - Recording Studios at Baltic

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES

linktr.ee/tapenotes

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Excite Audio Bloom Bass

Forever 89 Visco Plugin

Safari Dirty Dog

Safari Pedals Plugins

Soundtoys MicroShift

RC-505 Loop Station

LHI Audio ST4B

BOSS SP-505 Groove Sampling Workstation

Roland TR-1000 Rhythm Creator Drum Machine

Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S8

Coda Labs Szechuan Saturator

Neumann U87

LHI Audio ST4b Transient Shaper

Akai MPC

Coles 4038

Moog Matriarch

Soundtoys Crystallizer

Soundtoys Decapitator

Logic Pro

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on:

Instagram: @tapenotes

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear!

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk
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John is joined by Charli xcx and producers A. G. Cook and Finn Keane to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Music, Fashion, Film’.

Charli XCX is a British singer, songwriter, producer and actor. Since her debut album ‘True Romance' in 2013, Charli has released a further six records, building a fiercely loyal fanbase while continually pushing the boundaries of pop. In 2024, ‘BRAT’ propelled Charli to a new level of global recognition. The Grammy award-winning album became a cultural phenomenon and cemented her status as one of pop’s defining artists of the decade. She has since continued to explore new creative directions, returning to solo music in July 2026 with her eighth album ‘Music, Fashion, Film’, with long-time collaborators & hyperpop pioneers, producers A.G. Cook and Finn Keane.

Sitting down together at Platoon Studios, Charli, A. G. and Finn reflect on their approach to working together post-’BRAT’ and taking a wider creative lens on this record. They discuss their recording sessions at Rue Boyer Studios in Paris and dig into the voices, stories and production techniques, including vocal processing and instrument chopping, that give the album its distinctive sonic identity.

Tracks discussed: No One Lasts Forever, Card Declined, Rock Music

LISTEN to ‘Music, Fashion, Film’ - Charli xcx Inc, Atlantic Recording Corporation

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit ⁠⁠tape.it/tapenotes⁠⁠ or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

Try the new ⁠⁠Tape It Denoiser ⁠⁠ currently 50% off!

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠

Recorded at Platoon Studios - ⁠⁠https://platoon.ai/⁠⁠

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES

⁠⁠linktr.ee/tapenotes ⁠⁠

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - ⁠⁠https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI⁠⁠

GEAR MENTIONS

⁠⁠DataMind Audio Concatenator⁠⁠

⁠⁠Kilohearts PhasePlant⁠⁠

⁠⁠Vermona DRM1 MKIV Drum Machine⁠⁠

⁠⁠Sonic Charge Bitspeek⁠⁠

⁠⁠Waldorf PPG Synth⁠⁠

⁠⁠Pro Co RAT 2 Pedal⁠⁠

⁠⁠Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive⁠⁠

⁠⁠Roland TR-606⁠⁠

⁠⁠Love Pedal Englishman⁠⁠

⁠⁠Waves Butch Vig Vocals⁠⁠

⁠⁠Soundtoys Little Alterboy ⁠⁠

⁠⁠Chase Bliss CXM Reverb Pedal⁠⁠

⁠⁠Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter Pedal⁠⁠

⁠⁠Cableguys Shaperbox Plugin⁠⁠

⁠⁠Moog Minimoog⁠⁠

⁠⁠Gamechanger Audio Third Man Records PLASMA COIL⁠⁠

⁠⁠Kilohearts Multipass⁠⁠

⁠⁠Korg MS-20⁠⁠

⁠⁠Prophet⁠⁠

⁠⁠Logic Pro⁠⁠

OUR GEAR

⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear⁠⁠

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on⁠⁠ Patreon⁠⁠, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on:

Instagram:⁠⁠ @tapenotes⁠⁠

YouTube:⁠⁠ Tape Notes Podcast⁠⁠

Discord: ⁠⁠Tape Notes⁠⁠

Patreon:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Tape Notes⁠⁠

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear!

Visit our website to join our mailing list:⁠⁠ www.tapenotes.co.uk⁠⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve been having a look back through the Tape Notes archive to bring back some of our favourite early episodes that you may have missed. This selection is our conversation with Guy and Howard of Disclosure, digging into their 2020 record, 'ENERGY'.

EPISODE NOTES

Chosen from over 200 songs, the Guy and Howard break apart the individual parts and distinct sounds from the handful of tracks that made the cut. The boys take a deep dive into what it takes to make a Disclosure hit, revealing the tricks and tools they use along the way. 

Listen to find out why the best hooks are written in 20 minutes, how conversations with Pharrell led to new chord progressions, and why the brothers nearly went the same way as Oasis.

Tracks discussed: Douha (Mali Mali), Who Knew? & Birthday

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit ⁠⁠tape.it/tapenotes⁠⁠ or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

Try the new ⁠⁠Tape It Denoiser ⁠⁠ currently 50% off!

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/tapenotes⁠⁠ 

 

Listen to 'ENERGY'
Island Records, Universal Music Operations Limited

Intro Music - ⁠⁠Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective ⁠⁠

GEAR MENTIONS

Korg PolySix⁠

⁠Ableton⁠

⁠Native Instruments⁠

⁠Ample Bass⁠

⁠Izotope Vocal Synth⁠

⁠Tube-Tech CL 1B Compressor⁠

⁠Neve Desk⁠

⁠Moog Little Phatty⁠

⁠Roland Juno 106⁠

⁠Roland Boutique Synths⁠

⁠ Roland D50⁠

⁠Roland SH-101⁠

⁠Universal Audio Apollos

OUR GEAR

⁠https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear⁠

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on⁠ Patreon⁠, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram:⁠ @tapenotes⁠ 

YouTube:⁠ Tape Notes Podcast⁠

Discord: ⁠Tape Notes⁠

Patreon:⁠ ⁠⁠Tape Notes⁠

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list:⁠ www.tapenotes.co.uk

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John is joined by Myles Smith and producer Peter Fenn to discuss how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘My Mess, My Heart, My Life’.

Myles Smith is a singer-songwriter from Luton in the UK. Performing at local open mic nights since his teens, he built a loyal fan base and landed a record deal with Sony thanks to cover versions he posted on Tiktok. In 2024, Myles’ single ‘Stargazing’ was a viral hit and has since been streamed over one billion times globally. The momentum of ‘Stargazing’ and other early singles helped establish Myles as one of the UK's most promising new artists. He won 2024’s BBC Introducing Artist of the Year and the BRIT Rising Star Award and is only the second artist, after Lewis Capaldi, to sell out London’s 02 Arena before releasing a debut album. ‘My Mess, My Heart, My Life’, his debut, produced by longtime collaborator Peter Fenn, arrived in June 2026.

Sitting down at Salvation Studios in Brighton, the trio discuss “getting out of the way of the song” as their approach to production on the album and how billion-streaming hit ‘Stargazing’ evolved into something really special in the studio. They explain why they prefer to be “in the box” when it comes to mixing, and reveal how they translated Myles’ original acoustic tracks into anthemic live performances, including “Myles Sauce” vocal techniques! Plus they answer questions from our Patrons!

Tracks discussed: Stargazing, My Mess, Dying Days

LISTEN to ‘My Mess, My Heart, My Life’ - It’s Okay To Feel, Sony Music: My Mess, My Heart, My Life. by Myles Smith 

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

Try the new Tape It Denoiser  currently 50% off!

TRINITY LABAN

Find out more about Trinity Laban’s new MA in Songwriting.  

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

Recorded at Salvation Studios

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

Soundtoys Decapitator 

Neural Archetype: Cory Wong X

Audiomovers Listento

Hofner Bass

iZotope Vocal Synth 2

Shure SM7B

Neumann U87

Oek Sound Soothe2

Leapwing DynOne

Valhalla Reverb

The God Particle

Waves NS1

UAD Hitsville EQ

UAD 1176

UAD Lexicon Reverb

UAD Capitol Chambers

UAD Spark

UA Apollo

Xfer Serum

Ebow

Soyuz Pencil Mic 

Taylor Acoustic Guitars

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John is joined by Arlo Parks and Baird to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Ambiguous Desire’.

Arlo Parks is an indie-pop singer-songwriter from West London. After uploading demos to BBC Introducing as a teenager, she quickly attracted industry attention. Her debut album, ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’, arrived in 2021, establishing Arlo as one of the defining artists of her generation and earning her the Mercury Prize and two Grammy nominations. Arlo’s third record, the more electronic-focused ‘Ambiguous Desire', was released in April 2026, co-written and produced by Baird, along with additional collaborators Paul Epworth and Sampha.

Sitting down at Strongroom Studios in London, with Baird joining online, Arlo and Baird discuss the “runaway train” of their symbiotic creative process and how they recreated the feel of the club and dancefloor through the record’s distinctive grooves. They share never previously heard freestyles, demos and vocal tracking secrets from the studio, and they answer questions from our Patreon community!

Tracks discussed: Senses, Jetta, Heaven

LISTEN to Ambiguous Desire: Ambiguous Desire by Arlo Parks, Transgressive Records

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

Try the new Tape It Denoiser  currently 50% off!

TRINITY LABAN

Find out more about Trinity Laban’s new MA in Songwriting.  

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

Recorded at Platoon Studios

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Soundtoys Microshift

Electro Harmonix Pitch Fork Polyphonic Pitch Shifter Pedal

Shure SM7B

Melda MAuto Pitch

Boss DS-1 Pedal

Bassment Plugin

Squier Jazz Bass

Spitfire Audio Labs

Roland Juno 106

Ibanez Electro Acoustic Nylon Guitar

Krumar Keyboard

Logic Distortion

Ableton Live

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices