Tape Notes

TN:159 Barry Can't Swim

110 min • 14 juli 2025

John sits down with Scottish artist, producer and DJ Josh Mainnie, at Baltic Studios, better known as Barry Can’t Swim, and producer O’ Flynn to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album ‘Loner’.


Josh first began releasing under the alias Barry Can’t Swim in 2019, releasing a stream of singles that began attracting attention for their melodic, dance-driven style. In 2023, he released his first full-length album, ‘When Will We Land?’, which became a huge success, earning him nominations for the Mercury Prize and at the BRIT Awards. ‘Loner’ released in July 2025, sees him reflect on his newfound fame and place in the industry, whilst maintaining his signature high energy beats and captivating soundscapes.


Sitting down with Josh, and later with collaborator O’Flynn, the conversation dives into the album-making process. They explore Josh’s sampling techniques, the ideal mindset and headspace for creating great music, and the stories behind capturing sounds from unexpected places, like the toilets of an Indian restaurant, and turning them into tracks.


Tracks discussed: Still Riding, Wandering Mt. Moon, Kimpton


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Recorded at Baltic Studios


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LISTEN to Loner here

‘Ninja Tune’


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


GEAR MENTIONS

Oek Sound Soothe 2

Cable Guys Snap Back

XLN Audio Life Plugin

Slate & Ash Cycles

Slate & Ash Auras

Arturia Mini V

Arturia Beatstep Pro

Arturia Prophet

Xfer Serum Synth

Spectrasonics Keyscape Double Felt

Valhalla Plugins 

Make Noise Morphogene

Korg Kaoss Pad

Prophet Synth

Korg MS-20

Korg M1

Splice

Ableton Prehistoric VHS (Wavetable Preset)

Ableton Granulator

Ableton EQ

Ableton Plugins

Ableton

Logic Pro X


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