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The Tapes were a band from Amsterdam, Netherlands, active from 1977 to 1982. The group was formed by singer/guitarist Rolf Hermsen and guitarist Michiel Brandes, who met at the Rietveld Academy. They were joined by bassist Igor Roovers and drummer Dick van der Vaart. Influenced by emerging new wave bands such as Talking Heads, XTC, Wire, and Scritti Politti, The Tapes garnered comparisons to Talking Heads due to their short and quirky songs. Their debut album, *You Just Can't Sleep*, released in 1978, received positive reviews and attracted interest from record labels. The band's second album, *Party*, was recorded with a larger budget and featured a new drummer, Peter Meuris. Produced by Don Willard, the album was well-received both in the Netherlands and abroad in 1980. For their final album, the band worked with producer John Leckie, which helped them establish their own identity beyond the "Dutch Talking Heads" label. This album included contributions from notable artists such as Henk Hofstede, Michiel Peters, Dennis Duchhart, and Mathilde Santing. Despite the record's release in the USA, The Tapes did not receive the financial support needed for an international career and ultimately decided to disband. The album *Party* was later re-released with a remix and an additional CD featuring nine bonus tracks recorded live in 1980.

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