So what has happened since the last update?

July

We saw Echo Echo return to the studio, for 5 days this time to record 3 new tracks, check them out on their demos page. We also welcomed back studio regular Sue Heath and also got underway with the Little Raven sessions, recording 3 songs for their EP. The sessions were long but fruitful, with a lovely organic sound. We also managed to squeeze in a free day for prize winner Dan Ketteridge, as well as a chior recording for Stansted-based U3A.

August

Much of this month was taken over by Kaine and the sessions to record their debut Album. The first 5-day session was taken up solely by tracking drums and the second 5-day session carried on in much the same vein, however we did find some time to start tracking rhythm guitars and bass. Rhythm guitarist Dave “Rage” Sadler didn’t mind the time spent on drums too much though, as it gave him time to explore all the Super Nintendo games….

Chris was away on a 5-week trip to Mongolia so Ade essentially covered all work this month, which just so happened to be one of the busiest on record! Little Raven kept booking in to mix their tracks as well as another 5-day stint with Kaine and a weekend booking from regular clients The 87. We also managed to get Freesat installed somewhere in the middle of all this work, as well as buying a new flatscreen TV for the lounge…..don’t say we don’t look after our clients!

September

A new school year was looming and we started the month of working with Kaine (who else), before welcoming in new band De-Railed. the band hail from Harlow and won a free day at the studio as part of the “Rhodes Rocks” competition held in Bishop’s Stortford.

Chris started his GTP this month so Ade effectively took over all studio duties for the following year.

October

New band The Real Reason split a 4-day session over a 3-week period this month. The band had recorded with us before several times and under different aliases. This time we managed to get them a lovely big rock sound, thanks in no part to a raft of new plugins we splashed out on including new compressors and analogue tape/console emulations. Check the band out on their demos page.

October saw other sessions with Louise King, continued rehearsal time for the “Mind the Gap” band and further sessions with regular singer-songwriter Dave Garratt. We also found local talent in the shape of 15 year old Alice Clemens who will be working with Ade and guitarist Don Stick under their “Purple Noise Productions” guise. Alice can be heard on the Purple Noise Productions demos page HERE.

November/December

So that almost brings us up to date. The latter months of the year faced their inevitable slow down on the ramp up to Christmas, although we did see continued sessions from Dave Garratt, Little Raven, The 87 and Kaine so round of a fabulous year for the studio.

Merry Christmas all and we’ll see you in 2012!

More details on the band will be available soon on our demos page.

The band recorded their drum tracks at Threecircles and finished the overdubs in their own time. The band also have some good pictures on their site of the recording sessions at Threecircles.

More information can be found at http://www.thebreach.eu/

The boys from TZAR were back, although this time they’re calling themselves “Echo Echo”. They came in for 2 days to record just one track, meaning that it all ended up sounding rather lovely! We then said hello to new band “In Too Deep” who recorded 6 songs over a period of a few days, as well as extra sessions for mixing and recalls. Sue Heath, the singer in In Too Deep like the studio so much she threatened to be back to record solo material….
January also saw an addition to Chris’ roster of production work with “Carli”, writing rock-tinged ballads.

On to February and we were heavily involved with Newport Free Grammar School’s production of “Grease”. We provided the sound yet again for the show which was a huge success. This may be the last year we use the same radio microphones though due to the imminent digital switchover in 2012…February was also largely taken over by work in the Saffron Walden Town Hall, updating the PA system and installing new equipment.

March rolled around far too soon, which saw us still up to our necks in the Town Hall PA system, as well as finding time for sing-star sessions and leasing the studio live room out to bands for practicing, as well as a welcome return from Gavin Greenaway from the Friends School in Saffron Walden with a student Jazz Band.

April meant one thing for Ade: Travelling! He went around Europe with a backpack for 2 weeks, leaving Chris up to his neck in studio work! Gail Ford returned, this time with an Oboe accompaniment, and as their show was looming, Pure Rhythm started booking recording time. London-based band “Little Raven” also started practicing at the studio in preparation for their recoding sessions.

May brought Echo Echo back in to the studio for another 2 days to record another track for their EP. Ade was overrun with creating 15 backing tracks for Pure Rhythm’s production of Peter Pan, and we welcomed new client Paul Goalen, who recorded a series of Folk protest songs for his website. Little Raven also booked in in the middle of May for 4 long days recording 3 tracks. Pure Rhythm’s show came around which we also provided live sound for, and new band “The 87″ booked in over a weekend to record 2 songs.

And that brings us up to June. This month we have seen the return of Richard Price, recording jazz ballads, Paul Goalen finished his folk songs with another session, Dave Garratt came in twice for song production with Ade and Sue Heath booked in for a couple of days recording solo material. We also welcomed back local jazz band “Affinado” for their 3rd recording session.

So what next I hear you ask? The rest of the summer is looking good, with an album recording booked for a local metal band, Echo Echo have booked in another 5 days, and The 87 are coming back for more, oh and Chappers is off to Mongolia for a month!

Until next time…

In July we had many sessions with Eksel, who was finishing off his album which is now available on iTunes. We also continued working with Janet Wheeler who braved the studio with a broken knee! July also saw the return of the 8 Ash Green festival which we have provided the sound for for the last 3 years. The festival was a great success and the next one is already scheduled for the 16th of July 2011.

August saw more sessions from Eksel and Nai-T as well as a return for local band The Croft who were adding overdubs and edits to their 3-track E.P. New client Gemma Holman came in to record to backing tracks and we also continued our collaboration and production with singer-songwriter Dave Garratt, with whom we have about half-a-dozen songs in production.

We were called back to the Town Hall in Saffron Walden by the Town Council in September to help them install an updated hearing loop and solve other PA issues they were having as well as specify new equipment. We also fully-serviced the Town Hall PA that Chris originally specified in 2006. September also saw more installation work, this time at the Custerson Court retirement home, where we had specified and installed a small PA system for use in their communal area. Richard price, a singer from Bishop’s Stortford came to us as well in September and started a series of sessions singing to backing tracks.

October saw many more trips to the Town Hall in Saffron Walden as well as Custerson Court for their separate installations. We also had a further 2 sessions with Richard Price, Janet Wheeler returned for work in the run-up to Christmas as we had Bedrock Station rehearsing in the studio. The band recorded with us some time back and have continued to use the space to rehearse in studio down-time.

Into November and we had 5 sessions with Richard Price and saw a welcome return to long-term studio regular Lesley-Anne Webb. Lesley has been to the studio on many occasions to do voiceover work but was here this time with her singer teacher Isabel Bright recording to backing tracks. Local musician and teacher Jason Meyrick came in to record a sax quintet with Chris, we had a birthday party for some young wannabe rock stars from Newport and also had some editing work from repeat-client Sue Raven.

And now well into December, we finally finished The Croft’s E.P., had a major hire to The County High School for their charities week, welcomed another singer thanks to singing teacher Isabel Bright and are gearing up to welcome back TZAR in January. All this and we have had time to have a series of posters and brochures printed up for the new year!

Phew!

Merry Christmas to all and see you in 2011!

Dave Garratt was back for more production work on some of his songs and some helpful Logic Pro tips along the way. We also welcomed new band Devilin for 2 days towards the end of May for an EP recording. The band will be booking a further couple of days soon to finish vocals and mix the songs. The band have a classic rock sound and their original demos can be found online HERE.

June saw a lot more time n the studio from Nai-T and Eksel who seem to have no shortage of musical ideas! Chris also manned the mixing desk for a 3 day festival in Saffron Walden which included a talent show and a performance from an 11-piece jazz band. The band liked the sound so much that they wanted to take us with them on tour!

The yearly primary school’s music festival was held in Newport again this year which went very well and we also had some hire work from the County high School for their sixth form induction and the year 11 leaver’s ball.

July sees more diary fixtures. Janet Wheeler returns for more work, as does Dave Garratt at the end of the month, and Threecircles return to the 8 Ash Green Festival for the 3rd year running!

We are into the Wedding/Outdoor season which means that we have been busy with PA hire this month, starting with a wedding in Royston where we provided PA, turntables and lighting for the evening entertainment. We are also heavily into talks with a local enterprise about providing sound for a local outdoor festival in Saffron Walden in early summer. Check back for more news on that and for lineups etc.

We have also had more sessions with Eksel, who has some tracks up online on his YouTube Channel HERE and we have just welcomed new client Lauren Moran, who came to sing over backing tracks and will be back later in the summer. We are still hiring the live room out for bands who want to rehearse in studio downtime and welcome a new band this weekend featuring Sam Laws of Great Nothing fame.

In other news we are continuing to work with alternative therapists and have recently worked with Deborah Coote, a local Alexander Technique teacher on a meditation CD that she is producing and have managed to add her sister to our roster of clients along the way for a meditation CD of her own! Ade is producing the background music for both of the CDs and has recorded in the studio and on location for the projects.

http://www.youtube.com/ekselmusic

I didn’t get a chance to write anything during February at all as we have been so busy. February was filled with various work, including more visits to the studio from Eksel, who has been working on album material with Chris. We also had local gigs with the County High School, and Newport’s Oliver! and rounded the month off with sound reinforcement for a town planning meeting, drum recording for a local band and a meditation CD!

Into March and the work kept coming. First off we had  the Newport Battle of the Bands at the beginning of the month, a karaoke birthday party, and then we were into a run of theatre shows. We did tech runs and four performances of “Joseph” at the Friends School, followed straight after by “Once on this Island” for local theatre group Pure Rhythm. There was no let-up that week as Eksel was in again as well as new client Dave Garratt.

The next week saw the arrival of 70 Swedish exchange students and we were again called upon to provide sound reinforcement for their band and choir for performances in Newport and Bishop’s Stortford, as well as a church service and evening disco.

And so to the end of the month and we have just provided live sound for “Everlife” at the St. Andrews Baptist Church in Cambridge. The band played an awareness concert to raise money for a trip to Nicaragua and were supported by Gabriella Hindy and local band Solace. Everlife are a female-fronted band from Nashville who were signed to Disney records and supported Miley Sirus and the Jonas Brothers so it was great to work with them. More information about the band can be found HERE. Check back soon for pictures from the show.