In this episode John is joined by Idles guitarist Mark Bowen along with co-producers Nick Launay and Adam “Atom” Greenspan to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the band’s latest album ‘Ultra Mono’. Unearthing backstage phone demos and rehearsal room recordings, Bowen, Nick and Adam look back on how the album was pulled together, from the band’s chats about concepts to the eight days recording the whole record.  Reminiscing on their time in La Frette Studios, we hear stories of both the raucousness and intense focus encapsulated within an Idles session. The trio dig into the explosive drum recording, their staircase microphone setup and the special sauce that forms the very essence of an Idles track. Listen to find out what happened when Warren Ellis made a surprise studio visit, why everyone got sent out of the room during some of the vocal takes, and why civilised French lunches were so key to the album’s success.   Tracks discussed: War, The Lover, A Hymn   Listen to 'Ultra Mono' here. 'Ultra Mono' - Partisan Records   Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective    GEAR MENTIONS Fender Baritone Guitar Drolo Stammen Pedal Moog MiniFooger Ring Mod Pedal Zvex Lofi Junky Fender Twin Amp Hiwatt-100 Hiwatt-200 Sunn Model T  Marshall SLP Marshall JCM800 Fender Bassman Amp Ampeg Roland Jazz Chorus EAR Compressors Neve 1081   API Console Neve Console Aston Stealth Soundtoys Alter Boy Fab Filter Pro-Q3 ProTools Ableton   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