The Studio
The year was 1964 and in a small renovated recording studio within an old milking shed in Chelsea, London, two young men were about to go out on a limb to follow their dream and inadvertently change music forever…
As one of the first indie studios in England, the modest Sound Techniques made a name for itself with a beautiful live sound and its own hand crafted mixing console. In that studio Geoff Frost‘s electronic mastery and head engineer John Wood‘s perfect ear created some of the finest music in the UK; Artists such as Nick Drake, Pink Floyd, Fairport Convention, Vashti Bunyan, The Incredible String Band, John Martyn, John Cale, The Yardbirds and The Who all recorded sessions, enamoured with the studio’s rich sound.
As their reputation grew Frost began crafting his hand-built desks to measure for major studios including Elektra, Trident, De Lane Lea and Sunset Sound; The Sound Techniques influence sparked right at the heart of some of the greatest music ever recorded. From London to Los Angeles, from Jamaica to Paris and back again, these bespoke Sound Techniques consoles captured and created seminal tracks and albums for Hendrix, The Doors, The Beatles, Paul Simon, David Bowie, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, The Stooges, T-Rex and Lou Reed; A few names among many.
Now, four decades after the doors closed on the Chelsea studio, a new chapter in the fascinating Sound Techniques story is being written; One which will bring us full circle and help discover, once and for all, just how deep the Sound Techniques secrets go.
These are The Parts You Don’t Hear and this is The Untold Story of Sound Techniques.
The latest …
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Linda Thompson talks Sound Techniques, Chelsea
The amazing Linda Thompson sat down with The Part’s You Don’t Hear in her West London home to talk all things Sound Techniques. Preferring the studio over singing live, the studio in Chelsea…
4 min read
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Dave Pegg on Fairport Convention, Nick Drake, John Martyn and Sandy Denny
Dave Pegg, one of the most regular serving bass players at Sound Techniques studio in Chelsea, invited The Parts You Don’t Hear to his UK home near Cropredy, which is also a…
4 min read
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Phil Manzanera talks Nico, John Cale and producing with Eno at Sound Techniques, Chelsea
Guitar legend Phil Manzanera, best known for his long career as guitarist in Roxy Music invited The Parts You Don’t Hear around to his West London studio to talk about his memorable times…
4 min read
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Gerry Conway: Cat Stevens, Fotheringay and more at Sound Techniques, Chelsea
Many thanks to Gerry Conway for chatting about the good old days as regular drummer for Cat Stevens as well as his regular session work at Sound Techniques, Chelsea with musical giants such as Sandy…
4 min read
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Jacqui McShee: One of folk’s greatest voices talks Pentangle and Sound Techniques
The Parts You Don’t Hear met British folk legend Jacqui McShee at her home just outside London where she lives with partner and classic drummer Gerry Conway (next on our shooting blog!) Jacqui…
4 min read
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Louis Austin: From Fleetwood Mac, Queen & Deep Purple
Louis Austin went from a car mechanic to being tape op on classic blues rock seminal tracks like Oh well and Green Manalishi by Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac…well this is the kind of thing…
4 min read
