Friday, July 18, 2008
Virtual Wall of Fame 2004-05
2004 was an "In Between" year.
By accident or fate, we found a new location for the studio. The new building already had some great things going for it: hardwood floors, a control room with huge 10'x4' panes of glass set "studio style." It was a matter of refining the rooms, figuring out what would go where, electrical issues, lighting, lots of dry wall and paint. Back at the original studio, it was a matter of packing up lots of reels of all sizes (1/4", 1/2" and 2" tape), what was necessary to keep the studio operating prior to the move and what could be packed up. There was an upright piano and the 400+ lb. 24 track to move. Finding a piano mover was easy, but there was no one who would touch the MCI 24 track beast!
We managed to figure out all the logistics and moved the studio out of Redlands. So it was goodbye to the old Citrus Building and downtown Redlands! It would take almost five months to get the new studio wired up and ready for recording. By late March 2005, we fired up the 24 track and were back in business!
The Fade Aways (2005)
Members: Abner (guitars), Shawn (bass) and Mark (drums)
When we first started the move, I was contacted by Abner from the band, Steel Toe Buddah. His new band, The Fade Aways, was ready to record! The Fade Aways sessions helped us test run the equipment, hear the new rooms and put me back behind the console. Well, things didn't start off too well! The 24 track stopped working after 30 minutes and it took another month before the band could get back in the studio! Ultimately the band finished their 10 songs--including one track, "Lunatic" featuring Abner's nine year old daughter on vocals. Not much later, The Fade Aways did just that and Temper Tantrum was born!
Fear: Soulstice - Soulstice (2005)
Members: Ascension (MC), Analyst (MC) and "E" (special guest MC)
Fear were two rappers from the Inland Empire (they were contacted by representatives from the punk band, Fear, when their songs went up on iTunes and changed their name to Fear: Soulstice). Although I had worked with rappers at the old studio, this was the new beginning of rap recordings at Lo-Fi Studios.
Lokomotiv - Rock 'n Roll Death Toll (2005)
Members: David (guitars), Wolf (drums), Danny (bass), Basti (vocals)
Lokomotiv came in to visit the studio back in May of 2005. Three of the four member were from the Philippines and had a solid following from their previous bands there. They booked the studio throughout the summer and managed to finish their first US CD, Rock 'n Roll Death Toll. The band would return a few years later fresh from touring the Philippines with a new singer and new songs.
Slang - EP
Members: Chuck (keyboards), Andrew (guitars), Mark (bass), Chad (drums), Miguel (percussion)
Slang recorded over 90 minutes of songs on 2" before getting transferred to Pro Tools for mixing at another studio. The EP was released about 6 months before the full length album in 2006.
The Tangled Minds - Weed, Wine and Burning Bush (2005)
Members: Ignatius Henderson (guitars, vocals), Gabby Young (vocals), Phoenix Coleman (vocals), Jeff Shannon (drums), Patrick Brayer (fiddle, pedal steel, tenor guitar), Franklin Bruno (vocals, guitar), Alan Sangma (vocals, guitar, ambient technology) Jamie Bright (bass), Keith Coleman (bass), Mark Florin (ambient technology), Thomas Bates (Hoots and Hollas), Mike Wilkerson (bass)
A collaboration of songs, music and magic recorded in three nights at Lo-Fi Studios. Iggy had previously recorded at the old Lo-Fi as The Waiting Man.
Johnny Hickman - Palmhenge (2005)
Members: Johnny Hickman (guitars, vocals, harmonica) and a host of friends
Johnny's roots at Lo-Fi Studio go far back to his days playing with The Dangers. This album was recorded all over the country. For one solid week Johnny and friends tracked guitars, pedal steel, organ, keyboards and vocals at the studio. Johnny would later come back in to add more vocals at the end of 2005. The single "The Great Decline" was the first song released on iTunes.
2005 was the also the year I started working with Kim Fowley ("Alley Oop", Joan Jett, The Runaways, KISS). By 2007 he hired me to produce his weekend radio show on Sirius' Little Steven's Underground Garage.
Not a bad transition from a tiny 300 sq foot studio to it's present 1000 foot incarnation! In one year, Lo-Fi Studios went from being known as a demo studio to a recording studio.
By accident or fate, we found a new location for the studio. The new building already had some great things going for it: hardwood floors, a control room with huge 10'x4' panes of glass set "studio style." It was a matter of refining the rooms, figuring out what would go where, electrical issues, lighting, lots of dry wall and paint. Back at the original studio, it was a matter of packing up lots of reels of all sizes (1/4", 1/2" and 2" tape), what was necessary to keep the studio operating prior to the move and what could be packed up. There was an upright piano and the 400+ lb. 24 track to move. Finding a piano mover was easy, but there was no one who would touch the MCI 24 track beast!
We managed to figure out all the logistics and moved the studio out of Redlands. So it was goodbye to the old Citrus Building and downtown Redlands! It would take almost five months to get the new studio wired up and ready for recording. By late March 2005, we fired up the 24 track and were back in business! 
The Fade Aways (2005)Members: Abner (guitars), Shawn (bass) and Mark (drums)
When we first started the move, I was contacted by Abner from the band, Steel Toe Buddah. His new band, The Fade Aways, was ready to record! The Fade Aways sessions helped us test run the equipment, hear the new rooms and put me back behind the console. Well, things didn't start off too well! The 24 track stopped working after 30 minutes and it took another month before the band could get back in the studio! Ultimately the band finished their 10 songs--including one track, "Lunatic" featuring Abner's nine year old daughter on vocals. Not much later, The Fade Aways did just that and Temper Tantrum was born!
Fear: Soulstice - Soulstice (2005)Members: Ascension (MC), Analyst (MC) and "E" (special guest MC)
Fear were two rappers from the Inland Empire (they were contacted by representatives from the punk band, Fear, when their songs went up on iTunes and changed their name to Fear: Soulstice). Although I had worked with rappers at the old studio, this was the new beginning of rap recordings at Lo-Fi Studios.
Lokomotiv - Rock 'n Roll Death Toll (2005)
Members: David (guitars), Wolf (drums), Danny (bass), Basti (vocals)
Lokomotiv came in to visit the studio back in May of 2005. Three of the four member were from the Philippines and had a solid following from their previous bands there. They booked the studio throughout the summer and managed to finish their first US CD, Rock 'n Roll Death Toll. The band would return a few years later fresh from touring the Philippines with a new singer and new songs.
Slang - EPMembers: Chuck (keyboards), Andrew (guitars), Mark (bass), Chad (drums), Miguel (percussion)
Slang recorded over 90 minutes of songs on 2" before getting transferred to Pro Tools for mixing at another studio. The EP was released about 6 months before the full length album in 2006.
The Tangled Minds - Weed, Wine and Burning Bush (2005)Members: Ignatius Henderson (guitars, vocals), Gabby Young (vocals), Phoenix Coleman (vocals), Jeff Shannon (drums), Patrick Brayer (fiddle, pedal steel, tenor guitar), Franklin Bruno (vocals, guitar), Alan Sangma (vocals, guitar, ambient technology) Jamie Bright (bass), Keith Coleman (bass), Mark Florin (ambient technology), Thomas Bates (Hoots and Hollas), Mike Wilkerson (bass)
A collaboration of songs, music and magic recorded in three nights at Lo-Fi Studios. Iggy had previously recorded at the old Lo-Fi as The Waiting Man.
Johnny Hickman - Palmhenge (2005)Members: Johnny Hickman (guitars, vocals, harmonica) and a host of friends
Johnny's roots at Lo-Fi Studio go far back to his days playing with The Dangers. This album was recorded all over the country. For one solid week Johnny and friends tracked guitars, pedal steel, organ, keyboards and vocals at the studio. Johnny would later come back in to add more vocals at the end of 2005. The single "The Great Decline" was the first song released on iTunes.
2005 was the also the year I started working with Kim Fowley ("Alley Oop", Joan Jett, The Runaways, KISS). By 2007 he hired me to produce his weekend radio show on Sirius' Little Steven's Underground Garage.
Not a bad transition from a tiny 300 sq foot studio to it's present 1000 foot incarnation! In one year, Lo-Fi Studios went from being known as a demo studio to a recording studio.
Lo-Fi Studios 2008
Lo-Fi Studios - 2008
Lo-Fi Commercials
The Dangers
- dedication
Muck and the Mires - EP Doreen, released on Dirty Water Records. The band recorded back in the summer of 2007, as part of their full length CD. Dirty Water Records released this EP prior to their early 2008 tour in England.
The Moods -
The Howlies - on OverUnder RecordsMatt Coleman
Allison Sattinger - full length album
Mustard
Broke String Band - The Cost Of Living. mixingStandard and Poor
Small Doses
The Gnats - ongoing
Bands On The Move:
Jr. Juggernaut - signs to label/album release
It's Casual - various releasesHip Hop/Rap:
Ascension
AKTiv Ent - 10 to 6 sessions
Sirius Radio - Kim Fowley Program
