Night Tapes started out as evening jams between housemates Max Doohan, Sam Richards and Iiris Vesik in London. Max and Richie have known each other since they were really young. They grew up together in the New Forest, a couple of hours outside of London. They moved to London to meet more musicians because they needed to be in a more concentrated place. Iiris met met them at university back when the EU was still open, and it was easy for foreign students. She decided to come and study at Goldsmiths because she heard that James Blake studied there. She says that The music scene in London is intense. It’s a “we want it fast, and we want it now” kind of thing. So, I think it’s made us more productive and more concentrated in our efforts to make music.
Night time London, genre-blending, multi-fidelity recordings and honest reflection contribute to their atmospheric soundscapes that ultimately make for fresh and envelope pushing dream pop. Night Tapes take inspiration from both their lived experience in the world that they can see and touch, as well as the less tangible spiritual and metaphysical realm.
To date, the band have released two EPs: “Dream Forever In Glorious Stereo” and “Download Spirit”. Their debut single “Forever” has reached over 5 million plays, and their music has been championed by Turtlenek, Paste Magazine, Pigeons & Planes, DUMMY, At The Barrier, David Dean Burkhart and Majestic Casual channels. Ritchie said A lot of these tracks were actually from before we ever released any music. Tracks like ‘Selene’, ‘Inigo’ and ‘Silent Song’ were made a year before we made ‘Forever’. (2019 EP) together because it really worked out.
Having signed to Nettwerk in 2022 Night Tapes released their third EP ‘Perfect Kindness’ late in 2023. ‘Perfect Kindness,’ is the ideal soundtrack to late night drives, a dreamy night at home in a dimly lit room, or, as Iiris suggests, long walks in a forest somewhere. The lyrics, lilting and light, conjure images of the metaphysical and the mythical, and the slight lo-fi atmosphere of the tracks feels candid and easy. We really loved the songs on ‘Perfect Kindness’ and we wanted to get them out into the world at the best possible time. During the middle of the pandemic didn’t feel right. I’m happy we waited on it and got everything.
