CDR are setting out to help aspiring music makers develop their craft in the analogue domain.

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‍What is ‘Out The Box’?

A targeted programme to demystify the analogue mixing process. Aspiring producers and artists will receive practical, hands-on training and mentorship from professional engineers on classic desks in some of London’s best studios. It’s an exciting opportunity for aspiring music makers to hear their music on an analogue studio system and run through the process of a studio mix step by step, while meeting other like-minded producers and artists. To expand access, the project is free for participants thanks to support from Arts Council England.

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Who is it for?

London-based producers and artists aged 18+, with priority given to demographics currently under-represented behind the desks in professional studios. Open to all genres and styles of music.

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Why are CDR (re)launching the program?

CDR first ran a pilot of Out The box in 2019 and the program is coming back due to popular demand. Through speaking to the CDR community, it’s clear that many aspiring music makers feel confused and intimidated by the classic, analogue studio setup.  

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There is a strong desire to develop skills in this critical area, and also rekindle kinship and network building from within a studio setting. Making music can often feel like a lonely procedure and we want to bring back that sense of community around making music. Not just at the clubs and raves but from the very beginning of the music process.

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Mix Engineers are a critical part of the music making process, and over the long-term CDR aims to help expand and diversify the pool of engineers in the industry with this project.

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Where and when is it?

The first iteration of the programme will run every second Tuesday of the month starting from February to July. CDR has partnered up with some of the best studios in London to host the sessions. The first studios we will start this program with are United Development, Ten87 and Strongroom.

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United Development

UD is a London-based music organisation bringing communities together around Black music and Black music culture. With over 20 years of experience in nurturing and supporting Black and culturally diverse artists when they need it most, UD acts as a bridge between burgeoning talent and the music industry.

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UD Studios is a 6-room record production and teaching facility, featuring studio-wide Dante Audio Over I/P Connectivity via Focusrite’s Rednet, for management of inter-studio audio playback, headphone mixes and recording management. Focusrite’s Rednet system is featured in Studios 1, 2 and 3 plus the live room, with expandability into the other two production rooms and teaching spaces for facility-wide content production.

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Since opening in September 2022, clients include Ray BLK, TSB, RXWNTREE, BBC, King Apparel, Big Jest, Spit Game, Flowerovlove, Saiming, AE, Nayana.AB, Complex UK and more. 

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Ten87

In 2014, Rob Burn founded Ten87 Studios with the goal of providing affordable and functional recording spaces for producers, engineers, and artists in London. He was motivated by his own experience as a freelance producer/engineer who found it costly to rent studio facilities by the day and struggled to find quality spaces that sounded and felt positive to create in. The dream was to create a space where he and his musical network could collaborate, share equipment, and build community.

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Ten87 Studios is now one of the largest recording studio complexes in the UK, offering various-sized spaces for creators at different stages of their careers. They differentiate themselves by zoning studios to match creators with similar interests, fostering collaboration and community-building. Additionally, they organise events in collaboration with respected brands and cultural organisations in the UK music industry to keep their community engaged. In summer 2023 Ten87 became Europe's largest solar-powered recording facility.

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Strongroom

Founded in 1984, Strongroom is a four-building music hub comprised of 4 state of the art commercial recording studios, 13 production rooms, 6 writing rooms, 8 office spaces, an event space and an award-winning bar & kitchen, all centred around a leafy sun-trapped courtyard. This year celebrating its 40th, Strongroom remains fiercely independent and is still called home by the industry's leading talent today.

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Albums of note include Spice Girls - SPICE, The Prodigy - The Fat of The Land, Radiohead - Kid A, Glass Animals - How To Be A Human Being, Frank Ocean - Blonde and Little Simz - Sometimes I Might be Introvert.

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THE APPLICATION PROCESS:

To apply to be a part of this project, fill in an application form here before 10pm on Sunday 28th January. Places are limited. As this is the first phase of this project and budgets to support travel are limited, the course is initially on offer to London-based individuals with the ambition to grow the project to support producers around the country in the years to come. If you need additional help or would like more information, please contact Kacherelle Brown - Kacherelle@createdefinerelease.com.