Miloco goes SSL
The latest addition to the Miloco family is Miloco 5 - The SSL Room, and the studio is proving exceedingly popular with clients so far. The room boasts a magnificent 48 channel SSL G series console a protools HD rig fully loaded with plug-ins and monitoring is provided by Boxers. There is a good selection of outboard and the room comes with its own booth for recording and overdubbing. The studio is located within five minutes walk of Highbury and Islington. Clients so far have included The Darkness, Bullet For My Valentine, Husky and The Datsuns and if things continue in this vein we'll definitely be looking to make it a permanent venture. Rates currently are a barmy £ 325.00 / day and this price will be held for one month until it reaches the price of £ 400.00 / day. In the meantime, if you find yourself hankerin' for some Solid State Lovin', give Sophie a call on 0207 232 0008. Accommodation's what you need...
Facts you need to know:
1) The original version of the Record Breakers' TV theme tune was in fact penned as a paean to absent living quarters, after the-then-out-of-work Roy Castle and Noris McWhirter spent a winter living rough. 2) Miloco is now able to offer residential space to all our Leroy Street customers! Yes, you read that right: Miloco have hatched a wonderful partnership and appointed our first 'official' accommodation provider. 'The Maltings' is on the site of the nearby Sarsons vinegar factory, has been lovingly converted into top-end accommodation and is only a moment's stroll from The Neve VR Room and The Toyshop studios. Options range from studio apartments to 2 bedroom apartments (sleeping 4 in twin beds) and prices start at about £50 per night. We're on the trail of more quality accommodation near our other studios, but in the meantime, if residential studios are your bag, contact Sophie on the usual number. Miloco 6,7,8,9 and 10!
There's been a changing of the guard at one of Miloco's long-term rental studios, those top producers Ignorants have
decided to say au revoir. They've been with us for almost a year, and so we wish them farewell and the best of luck with all that they do.
But all is not glum, because we've secured a sparkling replacement: Richard X. Richard's long been a friend of the studio, and so it's a pleasure and delight to welcome him, formally, into the family. And while we're at it, we'd just like to say a quick hello to all our other permanent residents. Rich File, Mike Spencer, Howie B, Simon Richmond, Swing Out Sister and Jason 'Spirtualised' Pierce are all scattered about our various premises, secreted in their bespoke studio environments and forging the hits of all our tomorrows. It's a joy to have you all with us, gents, and may our co-habitation continue for many years to come! Please make Mr X exceedingly welcome. SXSW special offer!Yee-hah! Miloco has gone and slashed its prices again! For one week only, in honour of South by Southwest, we're offering our studios out at Yank-busting prices. So, if you've been left behind, kicking your stirrup-less heels in the UK, have a dislike for Stetsons and steeds and prefer your vocals assuredly flat-cap and whippet, then this offer's for you! Discounted rates, for the week 13-19th March only: The Neve VR Room - £500/day (discounted from £800/day) The Square - £300/day (discounted from £400/day) The SSL Room - £325/day (discounted from £400/day) At these rates the rooms are sure to bolt out the door quicker than a philandering Mayor caught in a cathouse, so you better call Sophie today and get booking. Studio Round-upAnd we thought January had been busy... It seems you're all intent on making us the busiest studio in town - which is great, of course, but we had simply no idea we could fit so many acts in over the course of just one month. And the smallest one at that! Poor little February's been creaking under the combined weight of the following: Miloco One - The Neve Room
First into The Neve VR Room we had the last knockings of the lovely Futureheads and Ben Hillier as they wrapped up the mix on
their new album. Plan B came along to do a long day's mixing with Steve Dub, with Ben Thackeray lending a talented hand. Ben
was then back in with Calvoon, as they worked on a single, before Fionn Regan was in for a few days with regular client
Simon Raymonde. Finn Eiles engineered those sessions. Audio Bullys popped along with producer Tom Dinsdale, with
Steve Dub back and on the desk. And there was somehow still time for visits from the delectable Duels with James Ford,
humungous Humanzi, Simon Kent alongside Phill Brown, I Like Trains and even The Pet Shop Boys. They were in with
Richard X and Miloco's Pete Hofmann.
You can check out the guys' CVs here: Ben, Finn, Pete Miloco Two - The Toyshop
M Craft led the charge into The Toyshop this February. He was mixing album tracks with Miloco's Ben Thackeray running the
Protools. Anu from Freeform Five popped in for a day to remix a Pink track using Pete Hofmann's engineering mastery,
before D.A.V.E. the Drummer took up residence to unleash some of those rampant beats of his. Plan B came in from The Neve for a
series of sessions, before, finally, Rich File slipped out of his permanent-residence studio for a day of tinkering with the toys.
Miloco Three - The Square
The Square started the month with Simon Raymonde twiddling the knobs for Bella Union's Howling Bells. They were in tracking with our own
Finn Eiles engineering. Plan B was next (when he wasn't in The Neve or Toyshop) for a few days of Squaring, with young Finn again
engineering, before Apartment came for a week's tracking with producer Adrian Hall. Then (between BBC sessions for Just The Two Of Us
with Gaby, Penny, Alexander and Nicky, et al), The Kooks slipped in for a mammoth's day tracking with, yes, you guessed it,
Finn at the desk again. Before, last up, Hicksville Six took full advantage of the marvellous Joe Hirst
(click here for
his CV) for three days of demo tracking.
Miloco Four - The Garden
February in The Garden saw the welcome return of the mighty Fightstar, this time in tracking B-sides with the ever-present
Matt Hyde on engineering duty. Matt was then back in with Bullet For My Valentine to do a quick radio edit, before
taking charge of the first of many Foy Vance tracking sessions. Joe Hirst then took over for a week as he engineered young guns,
Hedon, before I Like Trains were in again, Fightstar popped back to track again and mix again and, finally, Duels stuck their
pretty heads in from The Neve for a few days.
Miloco Five - The SSL
Making its first appearance in the famed Studio Round-up column, The SSL Room also had its fair share of visitors. The first to
sample its wares was MC Hard Kaur, with Matt Foster (take a look at his CV here)
running the desk. Tongue-in-cheek unit-shifters The Darkness then had a day mixing a live b-side, again with Matt F on the desk.
Bullet For My Valentine laid down roots for a week with Colin Richardson in charge of production and Matt Hyde at his side, before Savannah
Knight had the first of two r 'n' b sessions. Husky then came in for a few days of gravelly utterances, and there was still time
to slip in brief visits from New Zealand's The Datsuns, and Belle, in with producer Yoad Nevo.
So that porker was the month they call February. Next up, and at a mighty 3 days longer, it's March. Let's see how many we can squeeze in this time! We've now got five studios for you lucky blighters to choose from, so what are you waiting for? Sophie's waiting for your call on 020 7232 0008, and you can also drop her a line via sophie@miloco.co.uk. You'll not regret it, I pwomise. |
In this edition
Miloco goes SSL
New assistant: Thom Lewis
Ye gads, it's another assistant! Does our generosity know no bounds? Joining us this month is young Thom Lewis. Friendly, talented and keen as mustard, this young Jedi of the Teapot has kept our staff in a caffeinated delirium since he arrived brandishing his 'lucky teaspoon' and eager kettle technique. Needless to say, he's also found time to assist a mountain of recent clients, soothe the brows of a dozen grateful engineers and, in general, merrily grease the wheels of sonic progress. Welcome along, Thom.
Just a coup for us
Ah, God bless those celebrities. It seems they just can't help sacrificing themselves on the altar of shame, degradation and public scrutiny for our guilty sofa-bound pleasure! The latest prime-time offering, Just The Two Of Us, involves the shackling of 'established, professional' singers with eager-lunged celebrities on the off-chance that they'll then go on to make beautiful music together. Anyway, The Square played grateful host to a number of rehearsals for the couples on this ratings-hungry gorefest, but as to the tantrums, tribulations and tonsils on show, this newsletter's lips are tightly sealed... (And quite what Sir Stewart of Copeland is doing attached to this project is anyone's guess.)
From Grammys to break-ups
News was a little bittersweet this month for some of our beloved recent clients. On the sugary side of life, The Chemical Brothers waltzed off with yet another award to crowd their mantle, after they snagged Best Dance Recording and Best Electronic/Dance Album at this year's Grammys, while The Arctic Monkeys, in case you hadn't noticed, continued to tear up the record books via their debut album, and Outlandish smashed records left, right, center and beyond back in their native Denmark. However, over on the bitter side of town, we waved farewell to the swinging Test Icicles who announced they were splitting, staying together, then splitting this month. Fingers crossed they change their meandering minds once more...
Latest Releases
Released 13th January 2006 M Craft: 'Silver & Fire'/ 'You Are The Music' Featuring "a timeless vocal performance...these anthems mark M Craft out as a shining light in the pursuit of genuinely individual pop. Pretty, hooky and evocative of both giddy glitterball nights and reflective, hungover Sunday afternoons, this limited release paves the way perfectly for the forthcoming album, also called 'Silver & Fire'". So there you have it. Mr Craft was with us in The Toyshop studio throughout the summer of 2005 and was back again in January 2006 and we like him lots. Released 6th March 2006 Fightstar: 'Waste A Moment' Latest lump of mega-metal from the square-jawed Fightstar boys, this single's released just ahead of the launch of their eagerly anticipated debut album, Grand Unification (March 13th). Features the tracks: Waste A Moment, Call To Arms and Minerva. Vast swathes of the album, singles and b-sides were recorded and mixed here at Miloco, with Colin Richardson producing and our own Matt Hyde engineering Released 27th February 2006 Mystery Jets: 'Boy Who Ran Away' Another delicious dose of delight, this single's the follow-up to Alas Agnes and You Can't Fool Me Dennis. And it's yet another corker. It "freewheels through genres with joyous abandon, mixing indie and prog with elements of music hall and pop, making for an entertaining and exhilarating listen," and comes backed by the track Yellow Springs. Recorded/mixed here at Miloco with producer James Ford and top in-house engineer Finn Eiles. They were in The Garden and The Square throughout the autumn/winter of 2005/06. For a look at all the Miloco releases of 2005 & 2006, please pop along to the following: www.miloco.co.uk/news/ |