Beach Road Studios

Beach Road Studios
General Information
Type Recording studio
Location Goderich, Ontario
Country Canada
Dates Active 2006 (built)
Fall 2006 (opened) - present
Hardware Various analog and digital
Software AVID Pro Tools HD, Presonus Studio One, Magix Sequoia/Samplitude
Founder Siegfried Meier
Website Beach Road Studios

Beach Road Studios is a private recording studio located on the shores of Lake Huron in Goderich, Ontario. Constructed and opened in 2006 by Canadian rock musician Siegfried Meier, the studio utilizes vintage analog tape as well as modern recording methods.[1] A number of notable albums have been recorded and produced at Beach Road, including the Juno Award for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year-winning album[2][3] Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light by Woods of Ypres.[4]

A number of albums by the metal band Kittie have also been recorded and produced at the studio, including In the Black[5] and I've Failed You.[6] Other albums such as Thine Eyes Bleed by Thine Eyes Bleed[7] and The Hunt Club by Sector Seven have also been recorded at Beach Road Studios,[8] and it has seen recording sessions by artists such as b d Gottfried as well.[9] Meier holds periodic workshops on music recording and production at the studio,[10] and in 2016 he announced the opening of the Los Angeles satellite studio Silverlake Studios.[11]

History

Founding and early albums (2006-08)

"I grew up envisioning a space that a band could live at, in a country setting, very relaxing. I thought of places like The Chalet north of Toronto, Le Studio in Quebec, Allaire in upstate New York or Dark Horse in Nashville... They were almost like resorts. You'd stay there and record your album without distractions. Beach Road is modeled after that."
— Siegfried Meier[12]

Music producer and musician Siegfried Meier began planning his own recording studio in the mid 1990s, explaining that "my goal was to have a place in the country where bands could come and make a record without the annoyances of the big city."[13] After Meier recorded an EP for the Ontario band Chasing Mercury in 2005, the lead singer offered framing work as payment for an upcoming album.[13] In 2006 Meier moved from London, Ontario to Goderich, Ontario to build his own recording studio, a process which took into the fall of that year.[14] Meier designed the overall facility himself,[13] with further design completed by Lee While, an acoustics professor at the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology.[15] The construction process began in the summer of 2006, with Meier's family assisting. Completed in a matter of months,[13] the studio was named Beach Road Studios, a reference to its view of Lake Huron's beaches.[16] The facilities were constructed to include artist residences overlooking the lake, allowing bands to stay for several weeks at a time.[14]

Early projects (2009-2010)

Beach Road Studios Tracking Room

After the studio opened, in 2007 the facilities were used by bands such as Breaching Vista, The Synaesthetic,[17] Riverside,[18] Planet4,[19] and Bordertown,[20] while 2008 saw bands such as Benefit of a Doubt[21] and Breaching Vista.[22] Thine Eyes Bleed also recorded their debut album Thine Eyes Bleed at Beach Road Studios that year,[7] and the 2008 album Hours and Hours: A Tribute to Seaweed was mastered at the studio.[20]

The control room at Beach Road Studios (pictured in 2012), showing a combination of modern and retro mixing equipment.

Canadian heavy metal group Kittie recorded their album In the Black at Beach Road Studios in 2009, with the album peaking at No. 18 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums chart.[5] Other bands recording at the studio in 2009 included Moondog Uproar,[23] Acacia,[20] Metro4,[24] and Life Like Rockets.[25] In November 2009, the Canadian punk band Sector Seven recorded the full-length album The Hunt Club at Beach Road.[8] Other bands recording around this time included Ill Eagle,[26] Dog Tooth Violet,[27] Chasing Mercury,[28] Seconds to Go,[29] Acacia,[20] and Stagehands.[30]

I've Failed You and Woods 5 (2011)

Bands recording at Beach Road Studios around 2011 included Thine Eyes Bleed,[31] Benefit of a Doubt,[32][33] and Breaching Vista.[34] The 2011 release Take It Or Leave It: A Tribute to the Queens of Noise - The Runaways was also mastered at Beach Road Mastering.[35] I've Failed You,[6] the sixth studio album by Kittie,[36] was recorded at Beach Road Studios in 2011. Drums for the album's track "I've Failed You" were recorded to 2" analog tape by Mercedes Lander, with Meier stating "I had actually purchased a Studer A827 for that record, had it shipped to Beach Road Studios from L.A. and spent several weeks wiring it into the control room."[37] For the lines by bassist Ivy Vujic, who had scheduling conflicts, Meier drove seven hours to create a makeshift studio in her "upstairs hallway."[37] The album was released on August 30, 2011 and peaked on the Billboard Top 200 at 178.[38]

Recorded in 2011 at Beach Road Studios by Meier,[4] Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light is the fifth and final studio release by Canadian metal band Woods of Ypres.[4] Meier had first been introduced to Woods of Ypres' frontman Dave Gold in 2011 by Kittie frontwoman Morgan Lander.[4] While Gold was writing the album's material, Meier communicated with him from April 2011 to August 2011 to prepare for the recording sessions.[4] When the band recorded that August, unlike their previous albums they only had two instead of four members.[4] Despite this change, band member Joel Violette stated in 2012 that "we finished the bulk of [Woods 5] after 10-11 days, and the last few days were only spent touching things up."[39] After recording, the tracks were then emailed to producer John Fryer to be mixed.[39] In February 2013 it was announced that Woods 5 had been nominated for the Juno Award for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year,[3] an award that it went on to win.[2]

Recent years, Silverlake Studios (2012-16)

After overseeing projects by the bands Emerald Seas, Terrified and Alive, Repeller[20] and RAH in 2012,[20] both Meier and Beach Road Studios were featured in Canada’s Professional Sound Magazine that December.[40] The 2013 album New Machines of the Night by Gypsy Chief Goliath was mastered by Siegfried at Beach Road Mastering, peaking at No. 20 on the CMJ Rock Chart.[41] Other 2013 albums recorded at Beach road included Wanderer on the Continent of Saplings by Thrawsunblat[42] and Live at Beach Road by The Affair.[43] Mountain of Wolves, an offshoot of London indie rock band The Allens, was founded as Dark Folk, and then renamed themselves after 2013 recordings sessions for Buried in the Morning at Beach Road Studios.[44] The Pile High album Pile High was released in August 2014 on Manwolf Records, with recording and mastering having taken place at Beach Road Studios,[45] as was a 2014 album by The Affair.[46] Kittie was back recording with Meier in Beach Road Studios by the end of 2014.[47]

By early 2015, London, Ontario musician Chris Hart had recorded several songs at Beach Road Studios.[48] Other recording sessions were held by Thirty Helens[20] and b d Gottfried.[9] In September 2015, veteran punk artist Scott Bentley released his album Punk Rock Soldier, recorded at Beach Road Studios. During the recording sessions with Meier, Mercedes Lander had joined in on drums.[49] Also in 2015, the David Bowie song "Space Oddity" was covered by Kittie for A Salute To The Thin White Duke - The Songs Of David Bowie, on Cleopatra Records, and was produced and mixed by Siegfried at Beach Road Studios.[20] Recent groups who have recorded at the studio include Stereo Sunrise, who recorded an EP slated for an early 2016 release.[50] In 2016, the Canadian bank KINK recorded tracks at Beach Road Studios, with the music video for the acoustic version of their track "Keep Me Away" recorded at the facilities.[51]

Facilities and workshops

Beach Road Mastering

Meier holds periodic workshops on music recording and production at the studio.[10] In March 2016, Meier announced that he had opened the satellite studio Silverlake Studios in Los Angeles, where he would be writing, producing, and mixing records.[11]

Beach Road Studios utilizes vintage analog tape as well as modern recording methods.[1] Among other software, the studio uses AVID Pro Tools, as well as plugins by companies such as Universal Audio.[1] Beyond a mastering room, a control room,[13] and a large tracking room,[10] Beach Road Studios includes a separate band house next to the studio.[10]

Selected recordings

Albums and EPs recorded at Beach Road Studios
Yr Album/EP title Artist(s) Ref
2007 Distractions The Synaesthetic [17]
2007 Goodbye Broadway, Hello Hollywood Riverside [18]
2007 My Vintage Future Planet4 [19]
2007 Welcome To Bordertown Bordertown [20]
2007 Welcome To Bordertown [20]
2008 Benefit of a Doubt Benefit of a Doubt [21]
2008 Breaking the View Breaching Vista [22]
2008 Hours and Hours: A Tribute to Seaweed Various [20]
2008 Locomotive The Synaesthetic [17]
2008 Newspeak Riverside [52]
2008 Thine Eyes Bleed Thine Eyes Bleed [7]
2009 In the Black (#18 Hard Rock) Kittie [5]
2009 Life Like Rockets Life Like Rockets [25]
2009 Metro4 Metro4 [24]
2009 Our Own Acacia [20]
2009 Saw VI (soundtrack) ("Cut Throat") Kittie [53]
2009 Sunrise Moondog Uproar [23]
2010 Bridge Ill Eagle [26]
2010 Dog Tooth Violet Dog Tooth Violet [27]
2010 Midnight at the Ball Chasing Mercury [28]
2010 Mucho Respecto EP Seconds to Go [29]
2010 Stagehands Presents The Silent City Stagehands [30]
2010 The Hunt Club Sectorseven [8]
2011 I've Failed You (#10 Hard Rock) Kittie [6][20]
2011 The Embers Rise Thine Eyes Bleed [31]
2011 The Storm Benefit of a Doubt [32][33]
2011 Vera City Breaching Vista [34]
2011 Take It Or Leave It: A Tribute to the Queens of Noise - The Runaways Various [35]
2012 Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light Woods of Ypres [20]
2012 Repeller Repeller [20]
2012 Lead Me To Believe RAH [20]
2013 New Machines of the Night (#20 CMJ Rock) Gypsy Chief Goliath [41]
2013 Wanderer on the Continent of Saplings Thrawsunblat [42]
2013 Live at Beach Road The Affair [43]
2013 Buried in the Morning Dark Folk [44]
2014 Pile High Pile High [20][45]
2014 Remember To Forget The Affair [46]
2015 Punk Rock Soldier Scott Bentley [49]
2015 A Salute To The Thin White Duke - The Songs Of David Bowie Various [20]
2015 Vague Rants Thirty Helens [20]
2015 Motion Fever b d Gottfried [9]
2016 "Keep Me Away" KINK [51]

Further reading

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Workshops". Siegfriedmeier.com. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  2. 1 2 "WOODS OF YPRES Wins 'Metal/Hard Music' JUNO Award". Blabbermouth.net. April 20, 2013. Retrieved 2014-12-03.
  3. 1 2 Juno Award Nominees Blabbermouth.net
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Begai, Carl (February 21, 2012). "WOODS OF YPRES – Gold And Grey: Interview with Morgan Lander, Sigfried Meier, and Joel Violette". Carl Begai. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  5. 1 2 3 Monger, James Christophe. "In the Black:Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
  6. 1 2 3 "I've Failed You - Kittie: Credits". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 "Thine Eyes Bleed – Thine Eyes Bleed". Discogs. April 15, 2008. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  8. 1 2 3 "Sectorseven". Home Website. Archived from the original on 2014-12-18. Retrieved 2014-12-03.
  9. 1 2 3 "Music Producer Siegfried Meier Wraps Production on Several Upcoming Albums". OnlinePRMedia. December 1, 2015. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Home". Beach Road Studios. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  11. 1 2 "Silverlake Studios!". Siegfriedmeier.com. March 31, 2016. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  12. ↑ "Siegfried Meier". OIART. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Lyonaais, Sheena (October 28, 2008). "Industry Spotlight: Producer Siegfried Meier". Toronto Music Scene. torontomusicscene.ca. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  14. 1 2 "Siegfried Meier Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  15. ↑ "Artist Interview: Siegfried Meier". The MAGIX Magazine. Magix. January 18, 2016. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  16. ↑ "Biography for Siegfried Meier". Peluso Microphone Lab. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  17. 1 2 3 "The Synaesthetic". OurStage. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  18. 1 2 "Goodbye Broadway, Hello Hollywood". Fish Pond. December 31, 2007. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  19. 1 2 "Planet4: My Vintage Future". HBDirect. 2007. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Beach Road Studios Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  21. 1 2 "Benefit of a Doubt - Storm CD". CDUniverse. May 10, 2011. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  22. 1 2 "About Breaching Vista". OurStage. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  23. 1 2 "Moondog Uproar - Sunrise CD". CDUniverse. May 12, 2009. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  24. 1 2 "Metro4". Tunecore. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  25. 1 2 "Beach Road Spring Update!". SiegfriedMeier.com. October 31, 2012. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  26. 1 2 "Ill Eagle: Bridge". HBDirect. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  27. 1 2 Reaney, James (June 4, 2010). "Dog Tooth Violet returns". The London Free Press. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  28. 1 2 "Chasing Mercury". Unsigned.com. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  29. 1 2 "Club Scene: Rocker home for the holidays". The London Free Press. December 28, 2009. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  30. 1 2 "The Silent City". The Stagehands - Bandcamp. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  31. 1 2 "SLAYER Frontman Makes Guest Appearance On New THINE EYES BLEED Album". Blabbermouth. December 15, 2011. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  32. 1 2 "Benefit of a Doubt". Facebook. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  33. 1 2 "Benefit of a Doubt - Storm CD". CDUniverse. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  34. 1 2 "Live at Beach Road!". Breaching Vista. 2014. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  35. 1 2 "Take It or Leave It: A Tribute to the Queens of Noise - The Runaways CD". CDUniverse. Sep 6, 2011. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  36. ↑ Monger, James Christopher. "I've Failed You - Kittie". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  37. 1 2 Schulze, John (December 14, 2011). "Kittie hasn't failed their fans: Interview with Morgan Lander & Siegfried Meier". The Examiner (Toronto).
  38. ↑ "I've Failed You - Kittie: Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  39. 1 2 "Interview with Woods of Ypres (2012)". Trend Crusher. February 24, 2012. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  40. ↑ "Beach Road Studios". Canada’s Professional Sound. December 19, 2012. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  41. 1 2 "Gypsy Chief Goliath". SonicBids. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  42. 1 2 "Thrawsunblat - Thrawsunblat II: Wanderer On The Continent Of Saplings". Metal Storm. March 13, 2013. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  43. 1 2 "Live at Beach Road". The Affair. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  44. 1 2 Header, John (November 12, 2014). "LGM Spotlight: Mountain of Wolves". London Groove Machine. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  45. 1 2 "Pile High – Pile High". Discogs. Aug 2014. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  46. 1 2 "The Affair – "Remember To Forget"". Matt Varey Music. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  47. ↑ "KITTIE Back In The Studio With Producer Siegfried Meier; Video Available". Brave Words. December 14, 2014. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  48. ↑ Meyer, Sean (April 17, 2015). "London punk icon carries on record store tradition". Our London. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  49. 1 2 Reaney, James (September 18, 2015). "Punk vet soldiers on". lfPress. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  50. ↑ "Stereo Sunrise". Band on a Couch. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  51. 1 2 "Interview – KINK". Canadian Beats. April 9, 2016. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  52. ↑ "Riverside". CBC. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  53. ↑ "Kittie". Canoe.com. Retrieved 2016-03-14.

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