Billy Polo: Audio Engineer as Archaeologist

Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on Billy Polo, in-house audio and mastering engineer, at iconic Jamaican music label VP Records. Billy has spent years restoring and remastering some of the most important recordings in reggae and dancehall history. Works from Peter Tosh, Dennis Brown, King Jammy, Sly and Robbie, and dozens more. Billy works with the original analog tapes, often in rough shape, and brings them back for today’s and tomorrow’s listeners.We talk about the restoration process, what vintage tape actually sounds like when it's failing, and what Billy's doing to make sure this knowledge doesn't disappear.(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are Prince Jammy - "Second Generation"; Augustus Pablo & King Tubby - "The Big Rip Off"; King Tubby with Max Romeo & The Upsetters - "Three Times Three" )—Dig DeeperBilly Polo and VP Records:Visit VP Records — Billy's label home and the institution whose archive he managesVP Records on BandcampArtists and Projects Mentioned:King Jammy — official siteLee "Scratch" Perry — official siteAugustus Pablo at VP RecordsJunior Murvin — Police & ThievesLinval Thompson — WikipediaDennis Brown — King Jammy Presents: Dennis Brown Tracks of Life on BandcampStudios and Labels:Channel One Studios — WikipediaClive Chin and 17 North Parade — United Reggae profileCollaborators and Engineers:Wharton Tiers — Tape Op interviewKing Tubby — WikipediaDavid Amram — official site; composer of Splendor in the Grass and The Manchurian CandidateGear Referenced:Drawmer Electronics — manufacturer of the Drawmer dynamics processors mentioned in the episodeTascam 424 — the four-track machine that started Billy's home recording lifeAtmos and Immersive Audio:Anthrax — Among the Living (Atmos) — available on Tidal and Apple Music; one of Billy's standout Atmos listening experiences ——Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com—• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn. • Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.