Memos

This is Memos. It’s a collection of 80 instruments, all recorded on phones. Not for the sake of nostalgia, but because that’s how a lot of us make music now—on the fly, wherever we are. In the car, on the porch, in the kitchen. The idea is simple: the best mic is the one you’ve got with you. Phone mics have their own character—tiny electrets with built-in compression, baked-in EQ, and a sound that’s weirdly familiar. These weren’t recorded in treated rooms or under perfect conditions. They were captured in the moment: in stairwells, backyards, hallways, and living rooms with the windows open. Sometimes it was too close, or too far, just depending on what sounded cool in the moment. There’s something magical about phone recordings—not just the tone, but the timing. They happen when the idea is fresh. I’ve lost count of how many times someone’s sent me a voice memo of a new song, and I end up sampling it into the final production. Because it feels like something. It’s raw, immediate, and