The world’s most famous recording studio aims to celebrate the spirit of music scenes around the world with the launch of the first Abbey Road Studios Music Photography Awards (MPA). The new event is the first of its kind to recognize the art of music photography and will be judged by an esteemed global panel of industry creators. Photographers of all skill levels will be honored in a series of categories, beginning with the Hennessy Championing Scenes Award – a free-entry category highlighting the vibrancy of global subcultures and the people documenting the gritty underbelly of these burgeoning scenes. .

Among the judges is Simon Wheatley, an acclaimed photographer considered one of the most important chroniclers of London’s youth. He spent 12 years documenting grime culture and his book Don’t Call Me Urban! The Time of Grime, published in 2010, has been hailed as a classic of British documentary photography. “I had no idea what was going on, and I’m glad I didn’t because it gave me a purity that might have been compromised had I known I was capturing something precious” , Simon told Creative Boom.

“I was mesmerized by the brutality of this aggressive sound emanating from decaying concrete blocks. It was the voice of an underclass, Thatcher’s unwanted children living in a harsh individualistic world where the concept of ‘community ” had become so threatened. But despite this individualism, there was a legacy of unity that is no longer seen. Youth clubs were filled with people gathered in stairwells, street corners and squares . I miss it. The smartphone has reinforced this individualism and made us less communal. What has changed is the chaos in people’s lives.”

Since those days Simon has continued his work around the grime scene, as a photographer and filmmaker, and 2022 sees him gearing up to release a more comprehensive book that will cover the evolution of the genre to the present day. In 2018 he was asked to be the in-house photographer at Abbey Road Studios in London.

The Championing Scenes jury also includes acclaimed British photographer and filmmaker Rankin, Ghanaian-American artist and multidisciplinary creative Moses Sumney, visionary musician and DJ Shygirl from East London, legendary photography and Rockarchive founder Jill Furmanovsky, photographer musical pioneer Dana Scruggs, Rolling Stone Assistant Cinematographer Sacha Lecca and Abbey Road Studios Managing Director Isabel Garvey. As category sponsor, Hennessy will reward the Championing Scenes winner with a support package, including the opportunity to collaborate on an international project with the brand in 2023.

“I’m not just interested in the music itself, but where it comes from,” Simon says of the Awards. “Subcultures emerge from the cracks in society, and that’s what fascinates me the most. Grime reflected youthful discontent, and when I started hearing it, I wanted to grab the place of anguish and alienation from where he came from. I believe that a documentarian of the musical subculture should reveal the social texture of sound. I am delighted to celebrate other photographers’ ideas about the movements they document Grime was a big adventure – for me, that’s what photography has always been.

Alongside the Championing Scenes category, the Awards invite emerging and established photographers from around the world to participate in three other open-entry categories: The Studio Photography Award will celebrate images that capture the magic that happens when musicians come together to write, experience or record a Live Music Photography Award for images documenting live music moments in 2021 and the Undiscovered Photographer of the Year honoring top emerging and unsung talent.

Nominations for the Music Photography Awards are now open and can be submitted by photographers at all stages of their career via the official website website until midnight March 21, 2022. The winners of the nine categories will be announced and celebrated at an official ceremony on Saturday May 14, 2022, hosted at Abbey Road Studios.

LONDON – Abbey Road Studios, the legendary heart of The Beatles’ music catalog, celebrated its 90th anniversary this month.

A number of other famous artists – from Pink Floyd to Adele – have also used the recording studio. But it’s the Beatles and their chart-topping 1969 album – named after the street in London where the studio is located – that the venue is most closely associated with.

“I remember being pretty nervous most of the time in the recording studio, but also very excited – nervous excitement. It was fantastic to be in Abbey Road,” said Paul McCartney, according to the Autobiography of Beatles in 2000, “The Beatles Anthology.”

“We lived there,” he added. “I loved it so much that I even had a house around the corner. I never wanted to leave.”

To celebrate nine decades of recording music, Abbey Road Studios hosted a two-day festival this month dedicated to the next generation of music makers. The festival featured panels and other events covering a range of topics, from how to become a music producer or engineer, to the business of music publishing. While looking to the future, this milestone anniversary was also an opportunity for Beatles fans to remember the studio’s important place in musical history.

Abbey Road Studios, formerly EMI Recording Studios, opened on November 12, 1931. The Gramophone Company, one of the UK’s first record companies, had purchased a nine-bedroom house on Abbey Road in the north of London, in St. John’s Wood. neighborhood in 1929 and spent two years turning it into “the world’s first purpose-built recording studio,” according to the Abbey Road Studios website.

The Gramophone Company merged with the Columbia Graphophone Company in 1931, becoming Electric Musical Industries (EMI). The recording studio was renamed in the 1970s in honor of the Beatles’ album “Abbey Road”.

Over the years, Abbey Road Studios has been an integral part of many beloved film scores including “Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “The Lord of the Rings”, “Harry Potter”, “Star Wars” “,” Skyfall, “” Gravity “and” Black Panther “.

Lester Smith, the keeper of Abbey Road Studios’ impressive collection of microphones for the past 50 years, recalls working on the 2010 Oscar-winning film “The King’s Speech” with veteran sound engineer Peter Cobbin , who requested the microphone used by King George of Great Britain. VI.

“There were actually five microphones, and Peter asked me to try to get them to work,” Smith said in a statement earlier this month. “After being silent for 70 years, this was a very special occasion to try.”

Abbey Road Studios is also credited with important technological creations. Stereophonic, or stereo, sound was invented in the 1930s by Alan Blumlein, electronic engineer at EMI. Artificial Dual Track (ADT), a revolutionary technology that helps enhance vocals or instruments while mixing, was invented specifically for the Beatles in 1966 by Ken Townsend, sound engineer at EMI.

“There are composers who can hear if something was recorded at Abbey Road because it has such a distinct sound,” Isabel Garvey, general manager of Abbey Road Studios, told ABC News Wednesday.

Today, Abbey Road Studios not only makes musical magic, but is also a place of pilgrimage for generations of Beatles fans. Every day, people from all over the world come to cross the famous Abbey Road level crossing, as depicted on the iconic album cover art, and pay tribute to the band by writing on a graffiti wall in front of the studio building, which repaints itself. every few months to make room for new messages.

“The gravitational pull to Abbey Road is global,” Garvey said, “and it’s not just for The Beatles.”

In 2010, amid reports that the building could be sold, Abbey Road Studios was added to England’s List of Listed Buildings on the advice of the English Heritage charity. The crosswalk also became the first of its kind to be classified in the same year. Garvey said that means the building and its recording studios, especially the famous Studio Two, are virtually unchanged since the Beatles recorded there.

Abbey Road Studios remains at the forefront of technological and musical developments with its innovation arm, Abbey Road Red. Launched in 2015 as Europe’s first music-focused technology incubator, the program supports the efforts of entrepreneurs, developers and researchers. From an automated mastering platform to BrainRap, an AI-powered device that generates lyrics while an artist freestyle or sing, Abbey Road Red harnesses the scope and fame of the studio to foster a new wave inventions that will change the world of music.

London’s Abbey Road Studios, where The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Amy Winehouse and Adele have made legendary recordings, are celebrating their 90th anniversary this week with a festival of events for the next generation of music makers.

Two days of panels, listening sessions and lectures for beginners in the industry will cover topics ranging from how to become a producer or engineer to understanding music publishing.

The “Amplify” festival, where guest speakers include record producer Steve Mac, composers Steven Price and James Newton Howard, among others, follows other events earlier this week to mark the anniversary, including parties listening and a photography panel.

“We stand on the shoulders of giants, we have had so many amazing names across this place so we have to celebrate this,” Isabel Garvey, general manager of Abbey Road Studios, told Reuters.

“The next two days are about: we know people love coming to the studio, but what the future holds, how the recording process evolves, how the future of an artist evolves, how technology evolves.”

Although it has hosted a long list of famous names and produced soundtracks for films such as “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones”, Abbey Road Studios is also known for its innovation in music recording technology. .

On Thursday at Studio Three, a range of new creative tools were showcased, including BrainRap, which listens to an artist sing or freestyle and immediately suggests words.
Built as a Georgian townhouse in 1831, no. 3 Abbey Road was converted to studios in 1929. It became EMI Recording Studios two years later.

“How are we going to be so famous in 90 years? We have to capture the hearts and minds of the next generation,” Garvey said.
“We have to be really relevant, we have to know how the technology is changing, how the world outside of us is changing and keep going.”

World-famous London studios Abbey Road are holding an open house until Sunday August 15 as part of their 90th anniversary celebrations.

“Abbey Road: Open House” gives visitors the opportunity to explore the three original recording rooms made famous by artists such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Oasis, Kanye West, Adele, Ed Sheeran and Frank Ocean. See ticket availability here.

Beyond the studios, visitors will be able to access the control rooms and the famous Studio Two Echo Chamber, which have been in existence since 1931.

The open house also exhibits legendary recording consoles, equipment and instruments. According to a press document, this includes: “The illustrious EMI TG MK3 recording console, widely used on records since the late 1960s; the iconic ‘Mrs Mills’ piano used by artists throughout the history of the studios and made famous in the 1960s by artists such as The Zombies, Russ Conway and The Beatles; the iconic REDD.17 mixer, as well as gems like the recently acquired BTR3 and Mellotron tape recorder.

The above equipment is still used for recording sessions today.

Abbey Road: The open house has started today!

For just one week, we open our doors to the public and offer a rare glimpse inside the legendary studios.

Will you join us? There is a very limited number of tickets left: https://t.co/CARjyVx0ME pic.twitter.com/G9lwgiD2L2

– Abbey Road Studios (@AbbeyRoad) August 9, 2021

In addition, visitors will be able to learn about the studios’ rich history in film music. Demonstrations will highlight how music has been recorded for blockbusters ranging from The Lord of the Rings trilogy at The Raiders of the Lost Ark, some Harry potter franchise films and Oscar-winning music for Gravity and The shape of water.

Isabel Garvey, General Manager of Abbey Road Studios, said: “Celebrating 90 years of Abbey Road by inviting the public past no-entry signs is a truly exciting way for us to share the magic of building. Abbey Road: Open House is a rare and fascinating opportunity to discover the stories behind some of the greatest music that has been the soundtrack of our lives, in the very rooms where it was created.

Jack Franklin, Events Manager at Abbey Road Studios, added: “As a working studio the doors to Abbey Road are normally closed, so being able to share a rare glimpse inside our very special building is something. that excites us all. . With a project like this, the major challenge is selecting which parts of the story to tell – there’s so much history here that reducing it to a 90-minute experience is part of the fun of the job. I still remember the magic of entering the building for the first time, so we want to give our customers the same experience this summer. “

In related news, photographer and filmmaker Mary McCartney and daughter of Paul McCartney are set to make a new documentary about the famous studios.

By Chloé Karis

Your chance to get a rare glimpse into one of music’s most sacred institutions.

To celebrate a remarkable milestone of 90 years in business, Abbey Road Studios will open its doors to the public for the very first time to offer a “specially organized tour through the history of the studios”.

Read all the latest music news here.

The Abbey Road: Open House Tour, which runs August 9-15, will allow guests to see the three original recording studios that hosted The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Adele, Kanye West and Ed Sheeran.

Not only will guests be able to see the studios, but you will also be able to see the studio control rooms and the famous Studio Two echo chamber, providing a huge opportunity to witness some of the most iconic facilities used to shape the story. recorded music.

If you are a musician or music gear geek, you can experience legendary gear in studios such as EMI TG MK3 recording console, ‘Mrs Mills’ piano, REDD.17 mixing console, BTR3 tape recorder and the most recent Mellotron.

Attendees will also be able to learn about the history of Abbey Road with never-before-seen footage, films, artifacts and the history of technological innovation during the studio tour and learn about the rich history of the movie soundtrack.

Abbey Road Studios General Manager Isabel Garvey expressed enthusiasm for the iconic studio to open to the public, stating that “Celebrating 90 years of Abbey Road by inviting the public beyond the signs to he entry ban is a really exciting way to share the magic of the building with us.

Abbey Road Studios Events Manager Jack Franklin also commented on the anniversary, stating that “being able to share a rare glimpse inside our very special building is something that excites us all… I still remember the magic to get inside the building. for the first time, therefore, we want to offer our customers the same experience this summer.

If you want to fly to London, don’t miss this rare opportunity to see the studio and go beyond the ‘no entry’ signs.

View more information and purchase tickets on the Abbey Road Studios website.

Abbey Road Studios offers a rare glimpse of its famous gates as part of the ongoing 90th anniversary celebrations.

From August 9 to 15, the “Open House” tours offer the chance to see the three original recording studios where Shirley Bassey, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Oasis, Kanye West, Adele and Ed Sheeran created their hits.

From learning about the stories that made St John’s Wood Studios so iconic to visiting the Control Rooms and Studio Two Echo Chamber, visitors will learn about the building’s rich history, which dates back to its opening as a music studio. classic in 1931.

The exhibition features photographs, films and objects that have shaped the history of music, including tape recorders, recording and mixing consoles, and instruments such as the Mrs Mills piano used by the Beatles. All the equipment is still in use today and this is one of the reasons the studios continue to be chosen by the best artists, producers and composers.

The studios’ legacy of innovation is also explored, from patenting stereo to inventing numerous recording techniques, to the rich history of film music for some of the greatest films ever made, including Les Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Lord of The Rings, Harry Potter, Marvel and Star Wars.

You can also watch:

General Manager Isabel Garvey said: “Celebrating 90 years of Abbey Road by inviting the public past the no-entry signs is an exciting way for us to share the magic of the building. Abbey Road: Open House is a rare and fascinating opportunity to discover the stories behind some of the greatest music that has been the soundtrack of our lives, in the very rooms where it was created.

Sir Edward Elgar at the opening ceremony of Abbey Road Studios, November 12, 1931. He is pictured with the London Symphony Orchestra at Studio One.
– Credit: Archant

Jack Franklin, Events Manager at Abbey Road Studios, added: “As a working studio the doors to Abbey Road are normally closed, so being able to share a rare glimpse inside our very special building is something. that excites us all. With a project like this, the major challenge is selecting which parts of the story to tell – there is so much history that reducing it to a 90-minute experience is part of the fun. I still remember the magic of stepping inside the building for the first time and we want to give customers the same experience.

For more details and tickets go to: https://www.abbeyroad.com/open-house

Image credit: Audiomovers

The infamous London studio via its start-up Abbey Road Red has acquired Audiomovers, a technology start-up for remote production and music collaboration.

Audiomovers is a new audio technology start-up that enables music professionals to stream, listen to and record high-resolution multi-channel remote audio in real time, with multiple collaborators.

It’s a landmark moment as the Universal-owned recording studio has entered the remote music production space.

The start-up was launched in 2017 by Igor Maxymenko and Yuriy Shevyrov, Abbey Road said Audiomovers “quickly gained recognition during the pandemic” among producers, songwriters and mixers who, in lockdown, were able to collaborate and create remotely.

Audiomovers will retain its name along with the same founders who will focus on product and technology while being supported by the resources and expertise of Abbey Road Studios.

The platform operates as a subscription service priced at $ 3.99 per week, $ 9.99 per month, or $ 99.99 per year. Free weekly tracks are also available worldwide. It also supports lossless multi-channel audio, up to 7.1 surround sound and also includes a wide range of plugins, listento and Listento receiver, as well as mobile apps and beta desktop software coming soon.

Speaking on the acquisition of Isabel Garvey, the Managing Director of Abbey Road said: “Over the past year we have seen 100% of studio sessions requiring some level of remote access and Audiomovers name has been mentioned several times.

“We believe the shift to remote music production is here to stay and we want to be part of this new world, supporting musical creation in all its forms, no matter where the creators are located. She continues, “It is a natural extension of Abbey Road, allowing creativity beyond the physical building. “

This was followed by a statement from Audiomovers founders Igor and Yuriy where they explain:

“With an admirable portfolio of audio plug-ins and production tools, as well as years of experience developing start-ups, we felt Abbey Road Studios was the natural home of our business. We have designed Audiomovers for those who need audio excellence, which is exactly what Abbey Road is all about. We have an ambitious and innovative roadmap and, thanks to the Abbey Road team, we can become the global choice for remote audio collaboration. “

The program offers live masterclasses with leading women in the music industry and panel discussions with emerging talents

Abbey Road Studios is opening its doors to women, hoping to inspire future generations of artists, producers and engineers with a week-long workshop festival.

Famous London recording studios have launched their “Equalise” program on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2020. This year’s edition is live, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with courses on technical know-how, interactions with other music creators and industry advice. leaders virtually.

“Five percent of music producers and engineers are women, which is appallingly low,” Isabel Garvey, general manager of Abbey Road Studios, told Reuters in the venue’s Studio Three, where “The Dark Side of the Pink Floyd’s Moon ”and Amy Winehouse’s finale tracks were recorded.

“This program we’re running shines a light on all of these behind-the-scenes characters and helps young women understand the opportunities.”

The program, which started on March 1 and continues until International Women’s Day on March 8, features live masterclasses with female figures from the music industry and panel discussions with emerging talent.

“It’s really important to have women doing production so that younger women can aspire to be and see that you can be successful and do well in this side of the industry,” said Ms. Brown, producer of music, DJ and radio host from London.

Garvey, 45, has been the head of the world’s oldest recording studio since 2014. After what she describes as a “deep and dark history of finance”, she has carved out a career in music, reaching managerial positions in major record companies.

“My entry into the music industry was quite fortuitous in that it was a pretty haphazard start in the industry,” she said.

“I joined… when digital represented 1 or 2% of business… Today we are more than 65% digital… Experiencing this transition was very interesting. It sort of created new roles with no preconception of who should be in those roles. “

The “Equalise” program also offers individual mentoring sessions.

“It has never happened in my career to have a team of all women in the venue: artists, producers, musicians, songwriters,” Marta Di Nozzi, a senior runner at Abbey Road Studios, said of ‘a festival session on the creation of new music. .

“It was awesome and definitely something I would love to do again.” – Rappler.com

LONDON (Reuters) – Abbey Road Studios is opening its doors to women, hoping to inspire future generations of artists, producers and engineers with a week-long workshop festival.

Famous London recording studios have launched their “Equalise” program on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2020. This year’s edition is live, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with courses on technical know-how, interactions with other music creators and industry advice. leaders virtually.

“Five percent of music producers and engineers are women, which is appallingly low,” Isabel Garvey, general manager of Abbey Road Studios, told Reuters in Studio Three in the room, where “The Dark Side of Pink Floyd’s the Moon and Amy Winehouse’s finale tracks were recorded.

“This program we’re running shines a light on all of these behind-the-scenes characters and helps young women understand the opportunities.”

The program, which started on March 1 and continues until International Women’s Day on March 8, features live masterclasses with female figures in the music industry and panel discussions with emerging talent.

“It’s really important to have women who are producing so that young women can aspire to be and see that you can be successful and do well in this side of the industry,” said Miss Brown, Music Producer. , DJ and radio host from London.

Garvey, 45, has been the head of the world’s oldest recording studio since 2014. After what she describes as a “deep and dark history of finance”, she has carved out a career in music, reaching managerial positions in major record companies.

“My entry into the music industry was quite fortuitous in that it was a pretty haphazard start in the industry,” she said.

“I joined… when digital represented 1 or 2% of business… Today we are more than 65% digital… Experiencing this transition was very interesting. It sort of created new roles with no preconception of who should be in those roles. “

The “Equalise” program also offers individual mentoring sessions.

“It’s never happened in my career to have a team of women only in the venue: artists, producers, musicians, songwriters,” Marta Di Nozzi, a senior runner at Abbey Road Studios, said of a festival session on the creation of new music. .

“It was awesome and definitely something I would love to do again.”