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New!
"Express Tour" of following world-class studios available here: express tour gallery!

Castle Oaks embraced by scenic views and Latin Sounds!

Come visit the estate-like grounds housing ProTools & Neve 8038's. Call manager, Frank Jones at 818-222-1070 for a studio tour or take an express tour here!

Pictured at Castle Oaks during a recent session for Warner Latina artist, Manuel Romero.
L-R: Engineer/Mixer Rafa Sardina and producer/composer/arranger Juan Carlos Paz Y Puente.

Billboard charts
Top 100 Positions /Issue Date:April 20, 2002

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AP Photo: Christopher Berkey

Universal South -- new label formed to boost Country Music

Industry veterans Tony Brown and Tim DuBois who will run the label, believe that whatever ails country music can be cured by finding and nurturing quality artists.

Brown & DuBois have sighed singer Joe Nichols whose song, "The Impossible," is rising on the country music charts; songwriter Holly Lamar, who wrote "Breathe" for Faith Hill; a young country music band from Russia called Bering Strait; second-generation country singer Dean Miller, whose dad was the late legend Roger Miller; and Chad Mullins, a mainstream singer who also picks a mean banjo.

Brown first made his mark as a gospel music piano player. He played in Elvis Presley's band in the 1970s and later joined Emmylou Harris' Hot Band. He was an executive at RCA before joining MCA Nashville in 1984. Previously, he was a respected talent scout and a producer for mainstream hitmakers such as Wynonna Judd and Reba McEntire, and edgier acts like Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, Kelly Willis and The Mavericks. Brown has produced more than 100 No. 1 singles.

DuBois, an accountant and professor at Oklahoma State University before coming to Nashville to write songs, first found success penning hits for Jerry Reed, Ricky Skaggs, Restless Heart and Alabama. He opened the Nashville office of Arista Records in 1989, and sold more then 75 million records in four years with stars such as Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Pam Tillis and Diamond Rio. DuBois says he will use the same strategy at Universal South that worked at Arista -- a small staff focused on a small group of artists.

T-Bone Burnett & Coen Brothers Form the DMZ Label

Multiple Grammy winning recording artist/producer T-Bone Burnett and Oscar-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen have formed DMZ Records, a new label that has entered into a joint venture with Columbia Records Group.

DMZ's inaugural release is a new studio album from the legendary bluegrass musician Ralph Stanley, who won this year's Best Male Country Vocal Performance Grammy for his performance of "O Death" on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. Ralph Stanley is slated for release on June 11.

The new label's Board of Advisors will include musicians Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Bono and filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, Callie Khouri, Sam Shepherd and Wim Wenders.

"We're not going to concentrate solely on traditional American music," says Burnett, who refers to the label as "a musician-centric" label. "We're going to do music that is good, music that will become traditional American music," says Burnett.

Hope. Courage. Strength.
Words that embody the spirit behind the Revlon Run Walk For Women...familiar sentiments to our friend, renowned engneer/mixer/producer, Niko Bolas.

This has been a tough year for the Bolas family. In October of 2001 Niko's wife Cheryl was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is a five month survivor.
I know that Niko's friends will want to support him on Saturday, May 4th when he will be walking/running at the 5th Annual Revlon Run/Walk

It is estimated that one in eight American women will develop breast cancer at some point in their life. In 2001, 272,000 women died from cancer. Help fund important research into the cause and cure of women's cancers, prevention, education, and support service programs.

I hope you will consider making a donation…Please go to:

5th Annual Revlon Run/Walk
Click on New York,
click on "sponsor a participant",
enter Niko or Cheryl Bolas,
and off you go!

Niko Bolas, recording engineer and producer has been instrumental in creating a unique audio palette for artists ranging from Neil Young, Melissa Etheridge, and Keith Richards to Herb Alpert and Stan Getz. He was also instrumental in the design and development of Fakespace Music, which allows for a musically driven virtual reality experience. Niko's work includes: Neil Young's exceptional Freedom and This Note's For You, as well as Warren Zevon's Sentimental Hygiene (a record that inspired the R.E.M./Zevon collaboration Hindu Love Gods, which Bolas also produced). Bolas' trademark is his vocal production, which always comes across clearly and loudly on his records (see the Circle Jerks' Oddities, Abnormalties and Curiosities for auditory proof).

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We invite you to enjoy A Visual Concert by One of the Most Influential Women In Rock History, Grace Slick..."I've seen this show and wanted to share her stunning work with our friends," says Claris Sayadian-Dodge of studioexpresso.

Grace Slick, the former lead singer of Jefferson Airplane continues to shine her artistry…hand signed and numbered limited editions of her work available through:
Fingerhut Gallery of Laguna Beach 888-222-6270

Also visit: Area Arts

"It's all the same communication, it's rock and roll and pop art all in one." Grace Slcik

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Production team of Tolbert & Sutton pictured at studio Atlantis, Hollywood CA

Clients include: Stanley Clarke, Lionel Richie, Stevie wonder, Brandy, Toni Braxton.

"In addition to working with major artists, we enjoy developing new artists who are looking to be identified with a unique sound, " says Tolbert.

Stay tuned for a Record Production video interview coming soon...

studioexpresso asked Lenise Bent about her transition from pop to post and the recent Dreamworks project she's voice directing/producing:

"Being from a music engineering/producing background has really been a benefit
to me in the post audio world. I had a fairly seamless transition into the
post arena because the basic skills required are the same: recording, editing
and mixing. The new variable was recording to picture, making sure the sound
is in sync to the action. The obvious difference, of course, is the creative aspect of recording and producing music. Let's face it, you don't get quite the rush recording sound effects as you do with a hit track or vocal. I just found that I had more opportunities to apply my skills in the post audio world than in music.

I do have a lot of fun, too, and much of my post work includes music. I have such a variety of projects, from recording to compiling and archiving audio as well as supervising and producing foreign dubs, just to name a few. Right now I'm preparing to do some foreign language versions of Dreamworks' latest animated feature, 'Spirit'. Brian Adams recorded 8 songs for the domestic version as well as the narration. I will be producing the Dutch, Flemish and Italian 'Brian Adams' vocals.

I was chosen for the job because of my music recording background. Also, because of my ProTools skills, I can communicate well with my engineer/editor, regardless of the language. The same goes for voice directing in English. Vocal sessions, whether music or voice over/ADR, are very similar. It's all about capturing the performance." says Lenise.

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We asked Richard Wilson of Recorded Media Supply about hard drive management solutions:

"With the advent of ProTools and other DAWs, the ground rules have changed regarding management of the master - as it can reside on hard drives not provided by the label.
The question of security immediately comes to mind, when the tape backup, ie. AIT, is turned in at the end of the session, the label has to trust that the master on the hard drive will be erased," says Wilson.

Richard proposes that labels provide budget to allocate fresh drives for each new project to ensure:

1. That the session runs as smoothly as possible without using old drives with bad sectors - thereby saving downtime and money.
2.They are receiving their original master and tape back up of that master

Note: The archival life of AIT or other metal evaporated magnetic media is 30 years in ideal storage environments.

"Essentially the management of open reel tape-based recording projects is very established - with guidelines for releasing master tapes at the end of a project and allocating budget at the start of a project to ensure new tape is purchased. Tape defects do occur- and in the event the AIT cannot be restored - having the hard drive too (with the RMS anti-static storage case), will provide a safety net, to enable the successful playback of syour multi-track," says Wilson.

You may contact Richard Wilsonor visit the Recorded Media Supply website and download the latest newsletter (Reeltime) from the "News" section.

Looking for top producers/composers/arrangers/engineers for your next recording project? studioexpresso has a select group for your consideration...
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