With the music compilation ‘Pachyderm…So LARGE…We Ran Out Of Room’, Pachyderm Recording Studio in Minnesota celebrates its first year under new ownership of Matthew M. Mueller of Madison WI who also owns The Cardinal Bar in Madison.

White Light Riot, Down Lo, Gypsy Foot, Kari Marie, The New Congress, Don Smithmier, Snake Beard Jackson, Shades a Gray, Alicia Wiley, Chris Koza, Meredith Fierke, Kenny Lucas and Ben all recorded their contribution to the ‘Pachyderm…So LARGE…We Ran Out Of Room’ CD at the world famous recording studio.

An experience only found in the big woods of Minnesota, Pachyderm Recording Studio is under new ownership. With an all star client list that includes the likes of Nirvana, LIVE, They Might be Giants, Brian Setzer, Indiginous, Soul Asylum and many others, entertainment entrepreneur Matthew Mueller has his sights set high.

“It is more than inspiring to think about the past and what this Rock and Roll Retreat has endured“. Mueller explains. “This is more than the realization of a teen age dream, it is the opportunity to carry forward a torch that has been long lit and has burned bright for the Minneapolis music scene”.

Matt Mueller purchased the property and studio in December of 2006 with the hopes of bringing a dormant legend back to life. Pachyderm Studios and all involved, including the return of Brent Sigmeth, have their sights set on greatness and bringing this hidden gem in Minnesota’ s music history back to it’s former glory.

Throughout the years Pachyderm and its scenic surroundings have withstood the test of hard rockin’ great adventures had by so many within our industry. Pachyderm Recording Studio is a residential recording studio located in rural Cannon Falls, Minnesota 35 miles southeast of the Twin Cities, is one of the most famous recording studios in Minnesota.

A secluded location on a 50 acre private park in old-growth woods with a trout stream, along with vintage recording equipment including Studer tape machines, tube microphones and a Neve 8068 console (the same board that was used in Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studio recorded AC/DC’s ‘Back In Black’, and the board John Lennon sat at the night he died.) have lured many well-known artists to the site.

The $3.5 million-dollar facility offers lodging in a palatial 6,000 square foot house that boasts an indoor pool and sauna. The house was designed by Herb Bloomberg, a top student of Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1963 by a local malt magnate. Internationally renowned for the uniquely warm and full sonic characteristics of its performance rooms, the 2,500 square foot studio was designed by Bret Theney of Westlake Audio and built in 1988.

Since opening its doors in fall 1989, Pachyderm has become, outside of Prince’s Paisley Park Studio, the most storied recording venue in Minnesota. Dozens of notable albums have been crafted there, from nationally famous acts such as Superchunk and Kelly Willis to local heroes like Trip Shakespeare and the Honeydogs. The recording of Nirvana’s ‘In Utero’ – the band’s much anticipated follow-up to ‘Nevermind’ and Kurt Cobain’s final album – simply cemented the studio’s permanent place in pop-culture lore.

No one can honestly recall the first significant recording session to take place at Pachyderm. But it was either Soul Asylum’s ‘And the Horse They Rode in On’ or the Gear Daddies’ ‘Billy’s Live Bait’. Either way, it’s clear the studio was in demand the minute it opened its doors. In recent years, however, the number of semis loaded down with amps and guitars pulling into Pachyderm has diminished considerably. In fact, the last high-profile project to be recorded there was Mudvayne’s ‘The End of All Things to Come’, in the summer of 2002.

Like many recording studios, Pachyderm has struggled to book clients as the economics of the industry have soured. With CD sales plummeting, and the advent of technology that allows entire albums to be recorded and mixed in a bedroom or basement, few labels are willing to shell out big money to rent a recording studio for weeks at a time. The company’s fortunes had also dwindled owing to circumstances unique to Pachyderm, and Brent Sigmeth, Pachyderm’s beloved in-house engineer for a decade, walked away due to issues encountered by Pachyderm’s previous owner.

Watch Pachyderm Recording Studio video tour:

Old Growth Forest

The Pachyderm Preservation Project (ProjectPachyderm.org) is an undertaking of a collection of artists and community members to help Pachyderm Studio purchase 28 acres of land immediately adjacent to its current 6 acres. The land is currently up for sale with the intent of clearing it for residential building. Throughout the area are gorgeous waterfalls, woods, and and old growth. It is the desire of Pachyderm and the community that surrounds it to preserve the land and use it, in its natural beauty, as a unique sanctuary of healing, art and community in the Midwest.

For more information:

Conal Garrity – conal@pachydermstudio.com
Pachyderm Recording Studio
7840 Co 17 Blvd
Cannon Falls MN 55009-4048
507-263-5276 -v | 612-597-4759 -c | 507-263-2002 -f

Pachyderm video tour link

Pachyderm Recording Studio Official Website

C-Sharp Productions, an independent music production company in Minnesota, has announced a new discount program to kick off 2008. The company is cutting its recording and production rates in half for the first half of the new year.

“In 2007 we moved our operation to Minneapolis. Now as we head into 2008 we want to take it to the next level,” C-Sharp Productions President Chad Shank says. “By dropping our rates for the first half of the year we can thank our existing clients and give an incentive for new acts to join us.”

Shank said that the usual hourly rate is $50 per hour. The rate from January 1 to July 1, 2008 will be $25 per hour. If artists are looking for complete tracks produced for pop, R&B, dance or hip-hop projects the rate will drop to $250 per song from the usual $500 per song.

“2008 is going to be a great year. One of my resolutions is to help as many artists record the best sounding projects,” Shank adds.

C-Sharp Productions is a production company that was started in 1996 in Mitchell, SD. Since then music produced by C-Sharp Productions has been featured on national and international TV and radio. Songs have been used by major networks like USA Network, MTV, CMT, and NBC. In 2007 the company relocated to Minneapolis, MN.

C-Sharp specializes in pop, R&B, dance and hip-hop production. Some record labels the company has produced for include: Indulge U Records, Night Shield Entertainment, Thousand Angels Productions, ChartBlaster Music, Grand Avenue Records and others.

More information on C-Sharp Productions:

Contact: Chad Shank
763-545-1969
chad@sharpmusic.com

C-Sharp Productions Official Website

Mavis Drive recently won 3rd place in 97.7 HtzFM Rocksearch 2007. They are quickly growing in popularity and have developed a fan base in Toronto. Ready to hit the world with their new CD, the band recently traveled to Los Angeles, CA to record with Mike K (a studio-guitar player and producer who worked with Edwin, J. Englishman, Nelly Furtado, and others as well as composing for several Network TV shows) to produce their latest CD.

The current line-up of Mavis Drive is Mass Chiantia (Lead Vocals), Mike Perfetti(Drums/Background Vocals), and brothers – Peter Macukic (Guitar/Background Vocals), and Chris Macukic (Bass) has been together since the summer of 2002. In that same year they recorded their first EP consisting of 6 songs with John Pacheco. In the following year that same 6 song EP got them attention from singer/songwriter Raine Maida of the established Canadian act Our Lady Peace. They opened for Our Lady Peace in 2003. The band also performed with Big Collapse. By 2005, Mavis Drive have written many songs which is when they started working with Mike K which lead them recording their current album.

Mavis Drive is currently unsigned and is co-managed by Chris Free and Susie Hu of Freebird Management. Freebird Management is currently shopping them around to record labels and is currently booking gigs and for film/TV soundtracks. Mavis Drive can be found at http://www.myspace.com/mavisdrive ,http://www.mavisdrive.com/ or their EPK at http://www.sonicbids.com/mavisdriveband

Contact:

Freebird Management
Chris Free
615-866-1325
info@freebirdmanagement.com

After a year of writing and pre-production, the band is ready to deliver songs that are their strongest to date. Lead singer Brad Cox has teamed up with amazing co-writers for this album, including Billy Falcon (Bon Jovi, Trace Adkins) and Sarah Kelly (2006 Grammy nominee for “Best Rock, Rap Gospel Album”), among others.

In 2006, Grayson Manor released their album “Children of the Manor”, produced by Robert Carranza (Jack Johnson, Beck), in Europe on Bad Reputation Records and in the U.S. on Cassette Recordings. In 2003, they released the self-produced “Back on the Rock” EP and spent the next couple of years on the road. Combined, the two discs have sold over 20,000 copies worldwide.

The new album will not only feature some special guest musicians, but is also a fresh new sound for the band. Grayson Manor plans to release the album in early 2008.

Grayson Manor demos for the upcoming album can be streamed at www.myspace.com/graysonmanor, while studio updates, videos, and more information can be found at www.graysonmanorrocks.com, where a new website will be launched soon to coincide with the making of the record.

The mission statement on the Strummerville website states:

“Following Joe Strummer’s untimely passing, his family and friends have launched Strummerville a charitable foundation for the production of new music.

The main aim of Strummerville is to provide rehearsal space and studio time to individuals, groups and organisations to enable the production of music by creative young people who would otherwise be preventing from doing so simply because they lack the necessary funds.

Our ultimate aim is to have ‘Strummerville’ studios in key locations around the world.”

The Joe Strummer Foundation for New Music is a great idea and is very much needed here in the UK and around the world as the mission states. Music is a way of life and has become, or maybe has always been, somewhat of a necessity for a lot of people. Because of that some *not all* studios will take advantage and charge more money than necessary for musicians to record their music. Of course home studios and the use of recording software such as apple’s GarageBand are great alternatives for recording music, but those aren’t always the easiest path for some to take. There’s nothing better than to walk into the studio and have a knowledgeable engineer and good equipment available during the recording process.

How ironic that there are companies out there making millions selling products that play music for consumers to hear like stereo systems, mp3 players, studios making thousands to record music etc., and yet there are so many musicians out there who are creating the music for the consumers’ enjoyment, but are struggling through life just trying to make ends meet.

Strummerville is an important step to making more people aware that bands and musicians need help to create and to record the music that we all want to hear!

Watch the video for ‘Janie Jones’ by Babyshambles and Friends:

The single features contributions from 21 other artists: Carl Barat, the Rakes, Mystery Jets, The Holloways, We Are Scientists, The Paddingtons, Larrikin Love, Cazals, Noisettes, Good Books, Lady Fuzz, Kooks, Jack Penate, Laura Marling, Maccabees, Lisa Moorish, Light Speed Champ (Test Icicles), Jamie T, Jeremy Warmsley, Guillemots with three versions of ‘Janie Jones’: Main Version, Pete Doherty Version and Statik Remix. The single is released by B-Unique Records and was recorded at The Whirling Dervish and Oilsville studio in Holloway and was produced by Statik and Drew McConnell.

All proceeds from the single will go to Strummerville (the Joe Strummer Foundation for New Music).

To make donations go to www.strummerville.com/donate.html

Strummerville’s Official Website
Strummerville on Myspace

By: Jenny May