A lot of tapes in a tangle (5)
I believe the answer is:
spate
'a lot' is the definition.
('spate' can be a synonym of 'lot')
'tapes in a tangle' is the wordplay.
'in a tangle' indicates an anagram.
'tapes' with letters rearranged gives 'SPATE'.
'of' is the link.
(Other definitions for spate that I've seen before include "rash" , "Tapes found in sudden flood" , "Flood; sudden burst" , "Sudden increased quantity" , "Fast outpouring" .)