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Miloco Studios is a recording studio management group. Based in London, England, the company represents well over 160 facilities around the world. [1]
Miloco was formed out of the merging of three former London recording studios: Milo Music, The Garden and Orinoco Studios.
Milo Music began in 1984 as a small studio in east London's Hoxton Square (the studio is commonly referred to as simply 'The Square'), which was used by the likes of Tricky, M People and the Brand New Heavies in the early years of its life. In the early nineties they took over another building nearby to The Square and used it to build seven programming suites for artists and producers to use for long-term periods. Today, Miloco still operate five of the seven rooms, and people filling them currently include pop producer Richard X and Swing Out Sister.
The Garden studio, located in the Shoreditch area of East London, was built in 1981 by John Foxx and studio designer Andy Munro. It became a regular choice of studios for the likes of Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Cure and Depeche Mode, as well as Matt Johnson of the The who ended up buying the studio for himself. Milo Music became the studio's representative from the mid-1990s, when for the first time The Garden was run as a commercial enterprise.
Orinoco Studios, located at 36 Leroy Street in Elephant and Castle, was founded in the mid-1980s with two studios: The Engine Room and The Toyshop Programming Studio. They came to prominence in 1988 with the release of Enya's Orinoco-produced Watermark album, which included the hit "Orinoco Flow", apparently named after the studios. [2] Orinoco was part of both the dance explosion of the late 1980s, and the indie and Britpop era of the early to mid-nineties. The studio's top-end Neve mix room (known as The Engine Room) has always been integral to Orinoco's appeal, and since the early 1990s bands such as Oasis and the Chemical Brothers mixed groundbreaking albums such as (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995) and Dig Your Own Hole (1997) respectively, in The Engine Room. Seven of the Chemical Brothers' albums have been mixed in the room, and the electronic act also regularly used The Toyshop programming room, which shares the same building as The Engine Room.
When Milo Music bought Orinoco in 2000, the Miloco name was created. [3] 2006 saw Miloco open three new studios. The first was the former Innovation Studios on Highbury Corner in North London, renamed 'The Yard' after the road on which it is, Swan Yard. After opening The Yard came the addition of dance producer and DJ Pete Heller's Kentish Town studio, Musikbox, and then producer Ben Hillier built a unique live tracking studio in the former Orinoco building, which is now called The Pool.
2007 and 2008 saw the company expand considerably further, forming partnerships with various established producers and recording artists to re-open a number of formerly private studios as commercial ones. The first room added during this expansion period was legendary producer Hugh Padgham's, Sofa Sound Studios in west London, which Miloco took over in the summer of 2007. At the start of 2008, Miloco unveiled their very first residential studio, El Cortijo, which they opened in partnership with studio owner and session drummer Trevor Morais. Based in a 7-bedroom Andalucian villa, El Cortijo became the first facility Miloco opened outside of the UK; however, the studio closed in 2013 and El Cortijo is now solely used as a luxury holiday villa. In summer 2008 Miloco opened a new tracking studio in the Battery Studios complex in Willesden Green, Battery Studio 2, in collaboration with British rock producers and studio owners Flood and Alan Moulder. Flood and Alan's SSL mix studio, Battery Studio 1, which is also located at the Battery Studios Complex, came under the Miloco umbrella a year later in the summer of 2009. That year, Robbie Weston and Rick Dzendzera's The Bridge Facilities, originally located at No. 55 Great Marlborough Street in Soho, London, was sold to Miloco, and relocated to the Orinoco Complex, where it was renamed The Bridge Writing Studio.
In 2007 Miloco set up a sister company, Interface, a studio engineer and producer management company. The Interface roster currently manages the following UK-based engineers and producers: Pete Hofmann, Finn Eiles, Matt Hyde, Matt Foster, Ferg Peterkin, Joe Hirst and Ben Thackeray.
The first UK residential studio facility Miloco opened was Fisher Lane Studios near the town of Guildford in Surrey, which came under Miloco operation in the Autumn of 2008. Since the early 1980s, the studio has been known for its association with bands and artists such as Genesis, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, the Cure and Mike + The Mechanics. Under the new representation of Miloco, Fisher Lane has been developed into the closest rural residential recording studio to London, having acquired two 4-bedroom cottages next-door to the studio. In 2009, another rural residential facility near Brackley in Northamptonshire was made available for bookings via Miloco after the late producer and former Jamiroquai keyboardist Toby Smith converted two barn buildings into Angelic Studios. [4] Set within Halse Copse Farm an hour north of London, Angelic has been described as "without question one of the finest residential recording spaces in the UK." [5] Bands that have recorded at Angelic include Mumford & Sons, the Hoosiers, Everything Everything, and the 1975. [6]
The Garden Studio in Holywell Lane was demolished in autumn 2013.
The Engine Room studio was rebranded as The Red Room London in 2015. [7] Shortly after, in early 2016, Miloco's first studio The Square located in Hoxton Square closed permanently. [8] Three new studios were opened in September 2015, Bieger Sound in Berlin, Greystoke Studio in London and Grouse Lodge in Ireland. [9]
Miloco Studios became popular amongst local London grime artists. In 2016 Skepta recorded and mixed his album Konnichiwa , which was awarded the Mercury Prize that same year. Emeli Sandé worked on her second album Long Live the Angels (2016) at Miloco as well. Sandé won Best Female at the 2017 BRIT Awards [10] following the album's release.
In October 2016, The Bridge Writing Studio upgraded their equipment.
Well-known artists who have worked at Miloco studios include:
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Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin, known mononymously as Enya, is an Irish composer and singer-songwriter. The music of Enya is widely recognised for featuring multi-layers of her vocals, varied instrumentation, lengthened reverb, and subtle Celtic elements. Her career as a solo artist, now over four decades long, is notably an atypical path to success in the music industry. As the second-best-selling Irish music act overall, after rock band U2, Enya is the best-selling Irish solo artist; believed to have sold over 80 million albums worldwide.
Mark Ellis, known by his professional pseudonym Flood, is a British rock and synthpop record producer and audio engineer. Flood's list of work includes projects with New Order, U2, Nine Inch Nails, Marc and the Mambas, Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, Sneaker Pimps, King, Ministry, The Charlatans, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Erasure, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey, Foals, a-ha, Orbital, Sigur Rós, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Killers, White Lies, Pop Will Eat Itself, Warpaint, EOB, and Interpol. His co-production collaborations have included projects with Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, Steve Lillywhite, and longtime collaborator Alan Moulder, with whom he co-founded the Assault & Battery Studios complex. In 2006, his work with U2 led to his sharing of the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.
A Day Without Rain is the fifth studio album by Irish singer-songwriter and musician Enya, released on 20 November 2000 by WEA in Europe and on 21 November 2000 by Reprise Records in the US. Following a promotional tour in support of her compilation albums Paint the Sky with Stars and A Box of Dreams in late 1997, Enya started work on a new studio album in mid-1998 with her longtime recording partners, producer and arranger Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan. In a musical departure from her keyboard-oriented sound, Enya incorporates a string section in her songs.
Watermark is the second studio album by Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released on 19 September 1988 by WEA. After the release of her previous album Enya (1987), she secured a recording contract with Warner following a chance meeting with chairman Rob Dickins, who had become a fan of her music. Her contract allowed her considerable artistic and creative freedom, with minimal interference from the label and no deadlines. Enya recorded Watermark in ten months with her long-time collaborators: manager, producer and arranger Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan. It was initially recorded in Ireland in demo form before production relocated to London to re-record, mix, and master it digitally. Watermark features music in different styles, displaying Enya's sound of multi-tracked vocals with keyboards, percussion instruments, and elements of Celtic, ambient, and new-age music, though Enya believes her music does not belong in the latter genre.
Shepherd Moons is the third studio album by Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released on 4 November 1991 by WEA. After the unexpected critical and commercial success of her previous album Watermark (1988), Enya embarked on a worldwide promotional tour to support it. At its conclusion, she wrote and rehearsed new material for her next album with her long time recording partners, manager, arranger and producer Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan. The album was recorded in Ireland and London and continued to display Enya's sound of multi-tracked vocals with keyboards and elements of Celtic and new-age music.
The Memory of Trees is the fourth studio album by Irish singer, songwriter, and musician Enya, released on 20 November 1995 by WEA. After travelling worldwide to promote her previous album Shepherd Moons (1991), and contributing to film soundtracks, Enya took a short break before she started writing and recording a new album in 1993 with her longtime recording partners, arranger and producer Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan. The album is Enya's first to be recorded entirely in Ireland, and covers themes that include Irish and Druid mythology, the idea of one's home, journeys, religion, dreams, and love. Enya continues to display her sound of multi-tracked vocals with keyboards and elements of Celtic and new age music, though Enya does not consider her music to be in the latter genre. She sings in English, Irish, Latin, and Spanish.
Enya is the debut studio album by Irish singer, songwriter, and musician Enya, released in March 1987 by BBC Records in the UK and by Atlantic Records in the US. It was renamed as The Celts for the 1992 international re-release of the album by WEA Records in Europe and by Reprise Records in the US. The album features a selection of music that she recorded for the soundtrack to The Celts, a BBC documentary series about the origins, growth, and influence of Celtic culture.
"Orinoco Flow", also released as "Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)", is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Enya from her second studio album, Watermark (1988). It was released on 3 October 1988 by WEA Records in the United Kingdom and by Geffen Records in the United States the following year. The song topped the UK Singles Chart for three weeks and received two Grammy Award nominations for Best Music Video and Best New Age Performance at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards. The Guardian ranked "Orinoco Flow" at number 77 on its list of the 100 greatest UK number-one singles in 2020.
The discography of Irish singer-songwriter Enya consists of eight studio albums, two compilation albums, twenty-one singles as lead artist and a number of other appearances. Enya achieved a breakthrough in her career in 1988 with the album Watermark, containing the big hit song "Orinoco Flow" which topped the UK Singles Chart and the European Hot 100 Singles. Three years later, the similarly successful Shepherd Moons followed, which debuted at the top of the charts in the United Kingdom and featured the moderately successful singles "Caribbean Blue" and "Book of Days", the latter was the theme of the film Far and Away. In 1992, a re-mastered version of the 1987 Enya album was released as The Celts with the title track as a single.
Gerard Mark Johnson is a British keyboard player. He is best known for his work with Saint Etienne, The Syn and Yes.
Ross Cullum is an English composer, record producer, and audio engineer, known for working with Enya, Tears for Fears, Moya Brennan, and several other artists.
Nicholas Dominick Ryan is an Irish music producer, recording engineer, and manager. He is best known as the longtime business and recording partner for the singer, songwriter and musician Enya alongside his wife, poet and lyricist Roma Ryan. Born and raised in Dublin, Ryan gained initial recognition in the 1970s and 1980s for his work with several artists including Gary Moore, Planxty, Christy Moore and Clannad.
Sinatra Sings Great Songs From Great Britain is an album by Frank Sinatra, arranged by Robert Farnon, recorded in London in June 1962 at CTS Studios by Eric Tomlinson, a renowned recording and film industry dubbing engineer, who would go on to record the soundtracks to dozens of feature films including Oliver! (1968), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), and the original Star Wars trilogy.
"Elektrobank" is a song by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers. It was released as a single from their second album, Dig Your Own Hole (1997), in September 1997. It peaked at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart. Spike Jonze directed the music video, which depicted a mixed artistic gymnastics / rhythmic gymnastics competition with his girlfriend at the time Sofia Coppola as one of the competitors. It has been called "arguably Jonze's greatest music video". The single does not appear on either of the duo's singles compilations, Singles 93–03 and Brotherhood.
Livingston Recording Studios is a recording studio in North London.
Mabel Greer's Toyshop are an English progressive rock band formed in London and initially active from 1966 to 1968. The band was the precursor to the rock band Yes. Their music was marked by a combination of psychedelic, American blues and classically influenced arrangements with poetic lyrics. Members included Chris Squire, Peter Banks, Clive Bayley, Robert Hagger and later Jon Anderson. The band reformed in 2014 with original members, singer and guitarist Clive Bayley and drummer Robert Hagger, along with Hugo Barré, Tony Kaye, and Billy Sherwood.
The Motor Museum is a music recording studio based in the Lark Lane area of Liverpool, England, and owned by Andy McCluskey.
"Echoes in Rain" is a single by Irish musician, composer, songwriter and singer Enya, the song is the lead single and final recording on her eighth studio album Dark Sky Island (2015), the song was released on 9 October 2015 through the record label Warner Bros. Records.
The Solid State Logic SL 4000 is a series of large-format analogue mixing consoles designed and manufactured by Solid State Logic (SSL) from 1976 to 2002. 4000 Series consoles were widely adopted by major commercial recording studios in the 1980s.
Battery Studios is an independent recording studio complex in Willesden in northwest London originally established in 1980 when Zomba Group acquired Morgan Studios 3 and 4. The studios were later purchased by Flood (producer) and Alan Moulder and operated as Assault & Battery Studios. The studios have since assumed their original name and, since 2021 have been managed via a joint partnership between Miloco Studios, Flood and Moulder.