In recent years some of the most legendary recording studios around the world have been going out of business. Ian Brenchley was determined not to let that happen when he took over at Metropolis Recording Studios in London. As a result of Ian’s visionary spirit, Metropolis no longer only functions as a state-of-the-art recording and mastering studio. Now they also have a full scale digital media and production team. My brother, Evan, knew Ian from a Bob Marley film project they worked on together and suggested I have a beer with him while I was in London.
As described by Ian, Metropolis is a “one stop shop experience” where artists are not only able record an album, they can also have Metropolis design CD/DVD artwork and packaging, as well as press and print ads. Professional photography services are also offered. Quite amazingly, they even offer artists the ability to do a live recording and have it recorded direct to a vinyl disc (aka direct to disc recording)!
Located in the Cheswick neighborhood of London, the unique architectural layout of the approximately 100 year old building that houses the Metropolis complex is utilized to host live performances. Furthermore, Metropolis has the ability to film and record these live performances. Metropolis also began “a day in the studio” DVD series where an artist is filmed writing and recording a brand new single. Fans of the artist can purchase the single as well as the DVD.
On my tour of the facility I was introduced to Ian Cooper, one of the industry’s most prolific and respected mastering engineers. Ian also introduced me to the multi-talented mastering engineer Mazen Murad. In addition to mastering, Murad has been designing algorithms for custom made Metropolis outboard gear. While in the mastering studio, I was absolutely blown away when I got to listen to the custom made PMC speakers that stand approximately seven feet tall. These speakers are specifically designed to hear bass frequency at low volume levels. Three of the four recording studios have SSL consoles (9072 J Series, 9072 K Series, & 4064 G Series). The fourth studio houses a 72 channel Neve VR console. The recording studios use Genelec or PMC monitoring. One of the recording studios is home to Freddie Mercury’s (Queen) piano (Queen recorded Innuendo at Metropolis).
Already established as the UK’s premier recording and mastering facility, Ian had the vision to do so much more under one roof. As the Metropolis website states, they “have recently added a plethora of new and exciting services…at extremely competitive prices for the Music, Film and TV industries.” Since the Metropolis name is incredibly well respected in the industry, any additional service they provide that takes on the Metropolis name has a lot to live up to. Upon the completion of my tour of the complex I was convinced that customers will find that all aspects of the Metropolis operation do live up to the reputation of a studio that has produced albums by such renowned and diverse artists as Iron Maiden, Bjork, U2, Jeff Beck, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Jay-Z.
One of the things I remember the most while at Metropolis, quite frankly, is the hospitality I encountered. That’s saying a lot considering I saw and heard so many amazing things during my visit. When I arrived I was made to feel welcomed and appreciated by the staff that greeted me at the front entrance. I was just some dude visiting from L.A. whose brother worked with Ian on a project a few years back. Nonetheless, Ian set aside time to have a beer with me at the bar on the second floor of the studio. During my tour Ian introduced me to staff involved in just about every aspect of the operations at Metropolis. It was the highlight of my trip to London for sure. Thanks Ian! Keep up the phenomenal work!
Metropolis Group: http://www.metropolis-group.co.uk/
For more on the decline of recording studios in the UK see my interview with producer Chris Tsangarides at the link below:
http://www.jonathansaxon.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/tapeop_christsangarides.pdf
