FROM JIMI HENDRIX’S ELECTRIC LADY STUDIOS IN NEW YORK CITY TO GRAMMY-WINNING PRODUCER PAUL EPSWORTH’S THE CHURCH STUDIOS IN LONDON, THE ARTIST-DRIVEN RECORDING STUDIO IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF POPULAR MUSIC.
Vibrant spaces designed with the artist in mind, studios like these have become commonplace in North America and Europe where the shared appetite for popular music has created something of an arm’s race, as each studio tries to pack in the latest technology and attract the best artistic talent.
A name that may soon be added to this list is Beijing’s 55TEC, a brand new studio that is currently dominating the Chinese pop charts with a string of chart-topping hits, and is turning China’s recording industry into a global competitor. 55TEC, designed by the world renowned acoustic design firm Walters-Storyk Design Group (WSDG), is answering China’s appetite for pop, an appetite that has been pushed into overdrive by its growing young population and recent economic strides into cosmopolitan status.
A New York-based firm, WSDG has built its reputation on sterling room design in recording studios and live performances spaces across the world. “WSDG knows how to make a world class studio,” explains Li You, head engineer and owner of 55TEC.
“Our clients have been very pleased with the look, sound quality, and vibe of our live and control rooms. This is all due to WSDG’s design work.”
The studio has boasted almost 30 charting singles in its first 18 months of operation and is showing no sign of slowing down. Its latest triumph is a song by action movie superstar Jackie Chan, which has currently spent 18-weeks at #1 on the Chinese pop charts. Chan’s hit song, “Nothing Is The Same As Before,” has become a compelling calling card that is drawing new talent to 55TEC.
“For the artist, the choice of recording studio is crucial,” Li You notes. “They need a place that inspires their performances and makes them feel like they can do their best work.”
Photos courtesy WSDG.
This super high-end recording facility is perched atop a scenic bluff overlooking the pristine Minas Gerais mountain range.
By Brielle Bryan
Global architectural acoustic consulting firm Walters-Storyk Design Group announced the opening of Brazil’s first world-class, destination recording facility, Sonastério Studios. A 30-minute drive from Belo Horizonte, the luxurious home is a collaboration between famed Brazilian architect João Diniz and WSDG, and was created for the famous musician and engineer Bruno Barros.
The modernistic glass and concrete 8,000 square foot structure is meticulously well appointed, and features a 1,500-square-foot world-class recording studio with 20-foot-high ceilings. This super high-end recording facility is also perched atop a scenic bluff overlooking the pristine Minas Gerais mountain range.
“Sonastério Studios is a work of art in itself,” Barros said. “More than just a recording studio, Sonastério is a house of creation designed to enhance the natural expressiveness of each artist.”
WSDG was engaged during the earliest phases of the project to ensure a seamless integration of the recording studio component — a key requirement of Barros from the beginning. WSDG has designed nearly 4,000 media production facilities worldwide. Its projects range from Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studio and Jazz At Lincoln Center in New York to broadcast facilities for The Food Network, CBS and WNET. WSDG has additionally designed private studios for Green Day, Jay-Z, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys and Academy Award-nominated film composer Carter Burwell.
In addition to this showcase home’s recording studio, which features an SSL 924 recording console, it has three guest bedrooms, 5-star amenities, abundant natural lighting and drop-dead gorgeous views from both indoor and outdoor spaces.
Photos courtesy of WSDG