About this episode
In quite possibly one of the most synth-heavy episodes ever, John catches up with Matt and Andy of Bicep to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced their latest album ‘Isles’. Unravelling the mystery of how they do what they do, Matt and Andy talk us through the countless demos and subsequent iterations, exploring the abundance of sounds and samples sent to them from collaborators and how this influenced the direction of their music. From hours spent experimenting in the studio to what they did when creativity hit a low, we hear stories of mixing vintage gear with the latest kit, the intricacies of using drum machines to trigger synths, and anecdotes on how they both became masters of the modular synthesizer. Listen to find out how they ended up with a ‘Kenny G’ version of a track, why they bought every kids Casio keyboard they could get their hands on, and why there is no such thing as a warm-up set in Belfast. Tracks discussed: Atlas, Apricots, Saku, Lido LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES https://linktr.ee/tapenotes Listen to 'Isles' here. 'Isles' - Ninja Tune Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective GEAR MENTIONS Akai MPC MPC Sampler Alesis Andromeda Deckard’s Dream E-mu SP-1200 Intellijel Metropolis Intellijel Atlantis Roland Juno 60 Korg MonoPoly Korg PolySix Lexicon Reverb Make Noise Modular Synthesiser NIIO Analogue Filter Nyle Filter Roland SH-101 Roland Jupiter Roland Super JD Roland TR-909 Roland TR-808 Tiptop Audio RS-909 Rimshot Verbos Harmonic Oscillator Waldorf Microwave Yamaha Portasound Yamaha CS-80 Eventide Effects Valhalla Reverbs Casio Keyboard Ableton OUR GEAR https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) Donate KEEP UP TO DATE For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: Instagram: @tapenotes Twitter: @tapenotes Facebook: @tapenotespodcast 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