>> from the editor...

The print edition of our online Producer/Engineer directory is almost here -- if you're interested in a "name your price" ad to position your company, studio or industry service in front of our international audience, there's still time. To request an advertising rate card or more information, please send email to Advertise@rpmdirect.com. Meanwhile, if you have industry related press, news, announcements, client updates, music reviews or something else to contribute, send it to News@rpmdirect.com.

>> Catching Up with Sanctuary Producer Management UK

Catching up with Sanctuary Producer Management in the UK, we find their diverse roster busier than ever this year. Here are some highlights: Dave Bascombe recently mixed the debut album for The Open (Loog) and is currently mixing albums for Gisli (EMI) and The Basement (Deltasonic). Chris Sheldon has just finished work on an album for Agent Blue (Island) and is now working on a new album for Biffy Clyro (Beggars Banquet). He recently mixed a new single for Minus (Bad Taste). Ian Stanley has produced the forthcoming debut single for Hal (Rough Trade) at his studio in Dublin and is now developing a new, unsigned act, Zoo. Cenzo Townshend is currently mixing the Datsuns' (V2) second album with John Paul Jones and has just recorded songs for the Ordinary Boys (B-Unique) debut album. Cenzo will shortly start work on a New Order album with Stephen Street and will then produce an album for Ben Christophers (Cooking Vinyl). Sam Williams is working with Si Connelly (Chrysalis) on his debut album and has recently produced The Honeymoon Machine (Easy Street). Lenny Franchi has recently produced the Koreans (Red Flag) debut album, he has also mixed an album for The A.M (Storm) in New York and is currently working on an unsigned band from LA. Markus Dravs is mixing an album for Sizer Barker (Real World) and is also working on a new album with Brian Eno. Steve and Pete Lewinson have worked with Simply Red most of this year promoting the Home album for which they have written and produced some material including the title track. They have recently written and recorded with Felix Howard, J'Nay, Mick Hucknell and are currently working with Melanie Blatt. Hugh Jones is currently in the studio with Komakino (Seeker) and is working with Belasco. Richard Rainey is a talented young producer/mixer from Ireland who has won 3 Grammys for his work with U2 and is a new addition to the Sanctuary roster. Richard has produced recent albums for Melaton (sony) and Mansun (Parlophone). Nathan Larson was the writer/guitarist in Shudder To Think. Since the band's demise Nathan has worked on many different projects ranging from a number of film soundtracks incl. Velvet Goldmine, First Love Last Rights, Dirty Pretty Things as well as arranging and producing songs for A Camp and Cardigans. Nathan has also recently written, produced and arranged a stunning album for Angela McCluskey (Blue Note/Parlophone). For more information on the roster call or Alan Cowderory Sanctuary Producer Management UK Ph +44 (0)20 8932 3200 Fax +44 (0)20 8740 6100

^ back up ^

Design FX recorded the 14th Annual MusiCares Person Of The Year tribute dinner honoring Sting, which featured performances by Charles Aznavour, Tony Bennett , Black Eyed Peas, Mary J. Blige, Elton John, Dave Matthews, Kylie Minogue, Rufus Wainwright, and Wynonna. Proceeds provide essential support for MusiCares' Financial Assistance Program, which ensures that people in the music business have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need. MusiCares was established in 1989 by the Recording Academy. Design FX is comprised of five divisions: Design FX Audio (rentals), Design FX Remote Recording, Design FX Systems, Design FX Service Center, and the new Design FX Transfer House. For more information contact (818) 843-6555 or visit www.dfxaudio.com

^ Back up ^

>> 116th AES Convention in Berlin To Offer Extensive Workshop Program

The AES Convention will confirm its position as a major platform for the European professional audio business at its upcoming 116th Convention, to be held in Berlin between May 8-11 of 2004. The Convention will feature an extensive program, and its workshop coverage will range from the basics of professional audio to the results of the latest research, appealling to a large audience. The 2004 Convention will once again give a large place to Workshops and at present, more than 15 workshops will cover a variety of subjects. In keeping with the traditions of the AES Conventions, the workshops will be presented by internationally renowned authorities, who in turn, will be accompanied by panels of experts for their presentations and discussions. "Comparison of Existing Archiving Tools" by Klaus M. Heidrich will focus on archiving issues in broadcasting centers. In "Subjective Microphone Evaluations," Jürgen Wahl will present the different variables in acoustic transmission and recording techniques and will also introduce a method for comparing microphones. Very much a practical session, Martin Schneider will explain the proper use of microphones in "The Do's and Don'ts of Microphones." Four more workshops will cover the fields of electro-acoustics. One workshop, "Touring Sound Systems," Uli Mall will ask whether today's speaker concepts still meet user requirements and will hopefully start a lively discussion on demands in sound reinforcement technology. During recent years, surround sound has become one of the key workshop subjects. One major focus of the AES convention in Berlin will be on recording techniques and the compatibility of the various recording, storage, and replay systems. These issues will be discussed in the workshop "Advanced Recording and Reproduction Paradigms Compatible with 5.1 Media," directed by Ralph Glasgal. Traditionally, the AES sets up a convention program based on three main sectors: a large exhibition where the latest products from the world of audio are on show; an extensive papers program that provides information stemming from the results of the latest research; a forum for the exchange of ideas and techniques that are relevant to the everyday needs and practices within the world of professional audio. For more information on the 116th Convention, please email 116th_info@aes.org, contact the AES European Office at +32 2 345 7971 or visit the AES web site at www.aes.org.

^ back up ^

>> GC Pro Launches New Website to Serve Clients

GC Pro has premiered their new web site www.gcpro.com, designed as a powerful resource of information for GC Pro's clients. "The new web site is an important element in GC Pro's plans for 2004 and beyond," says Tom Menrath, director of business development. "Most of the audio professionals who represent GC Pro's professional clientele rely on the Internet as their first source of information. We wanted to provide a thorough, substantial resource for them, and the new site does an excellent job of that." The new GC Pro site, www.gcpro.com, provides music/audio industry news, product and purchasing information, and feature stories on artists and facilities. In addition to compiling frequently asked questions in the site's Knowledge Center area, a monthly Masterclass column (written by industry guru Rich Tozzoli) is offered with detailed overviews of products and techniques. A particularly unique and enjoyable area of the site is the GC Pro Advisory Board, which offers in-depth interviews with producers, mixers, performers and composers. Current advisory board profiles include Eddie Kramer, Marcus Miller, Rob Chiarelli, Joe Barresi, Husky Hoskulds and John Paterno, with more profiles planned in the near future. Along with content and technical help from GC Pro's staff, the new site was designed by Jeff Klopmeyer Communications, a California-based advertising, marketing and public relations firm that specializes in the musical instrument/professional audio industries.

^ back up ^

Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) announced recently that it is seeking an operator/tenant of the recording studio housed in its new facility, Frederick P. Rose Hall (FPRH). Opening October 18, 2004, the 100,000-square-foot FPRH is the first performing arts facility built specifically for jazz, and marks the first extension of the Lincoln Center campus in ten years. Located in the new Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle, JALC's $128 million facility will have three major venues utilizing recording services: Rose Theater (1,000+ capacity), The Allen Room (500+ capacity) and Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (140 capacity), in addition to the interactive Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame and the Irene Diamond Education Center, which houses the recording studio, the Louis Armstrong Classroom and The Edward John Noble Foundation Studio. JALC's new recording facilities are being designed and completed by "Sound of Jazz" (SOJ), a partnership JALC formed including specialists from Artec Consultants Inc. and The Walters-Storyk Design Group. The new tenant will assist JALC in its mission to integrate live music, recording, audio for video and asset management with state-of-the-art audio standards. The operator/tenant will install all necessary professional audio equipment and provide experienced staffing. The operator/tenant will participate in all recording done on-site, working with JALC to record and archive a significant percentage of FPRH's jazz performances, as well as periodic JALC education programs. The estimated gross revenue of the recording facility is projected to be in excess of $1 million annually. JALC will choose the recording studio operator/tenant from all qualified candidates, both domestic and international, in April 2004. Request for Proposal please Contact: Chris Stone World Studio Group (for Jazz at Lincoln Center) 323-465-7697. Or for more information, visit www.jazzatlincolncenter.org/rosehallrfp

^ Back up ^

>> Meet Mick Glossop: Legendary Record Producer Heads To New York

Rarely does the opportunity to personally meet a major force in the world's recording business come along, rarer still when that force has is one of those people whose work has become so integral with moments throughout your life. It might be tracks from the legendary Van Morrison's extensive catalogue that take you back - Mick has co-produced, recorded or engineered 15 of them - including "Avalon Sunset"(with its' classic "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You") "Wavelength" and "Into the Music". It might be the soaring "Big Music" of the Waterboy's "Whole of the Moon" or "This is the Sea" It might be bands like King Crimson, Television, Mike Oldfield or The Moody Blues, or the seminally wonderful "Joes Garage" series from Frank Zappa. Mick Glossop hasn't been in New York for many years and arrives in town this week to complete post-production work on Lloyd Cole's new album "Music in a Foreign Language" and to talk about his new work with Van Morrison – that will include a 5.1 mix of "Down the Road"- and his contribution as Musical Director to the Samuel L Jackson movie "51st State". Mojo Working International is delighted to invite you to meet Mick Glossop at one of our very informal get-togethers on Tuesday 2nd March (New York venue address supplied to respondents) As ever we will run from 6pm-8pm, giving you the opportunity to come along and meet Mick and your colleagues in a beautiful setting, straight from work. RSVPs for the evening and any requests for interviews should be directed to Kevin Fetterplace Mojo Working International Kevin@Mojoworking.com

^ back up ^

>> The Mastering Lab Nabs 2nd Grammy

The Mastering Lab is proud to announce it's second Grammy Award win. The Grammy for the Best Historical category for the 2003 Grammy's held on February 8th this year, went to Gavin Lurssen for his work on the much acclaimed box set "Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues". The music was released in conjunction with the highly publicized PBS series of the same name. "This music was meticulously handled in the mastering studio using original sources wherever possible and going for a vintage sound reminiscent of when the music was first released. That approach contributed to the overall authenticity of the project", according to Lurssen. This is the second Grammy and the fourth nomination for The Mastering Lab. Additionally Doug Sax was recognized by NARAS for his technical achievements with a Technical Achievement Grammy. For further information please visit www.themasteringlab.com

^ back up ^

Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys, returned to London's Royal Festival Hall in February '04. For the first time in his 40-year career, Wilson performed his mythical unreleased masterpiece, "SMiLE." In addition, the concert included classic Beach Boys and Brian Wilson favourites as well as selections from his new solo album. The "SMiLE" concert tour comes on the heels of the 2003 Ivor Novello Awards at which Brian was presented with the Special International Award. Following the Awards ceremony Brian was honoured at a reception hosted by his publishers Rondor Music, celebrating his achievements on the occasion of the Beach Boys' 40th Anniversary. In 2002, Brian Wilson performed sold out concerts to stellar reviews at Festival Hall in January and June. The four January 2002 concerts sold out immediately and when Wilson returned to London later that year to perform at the Queen's Jubilee Concert, he sold out another two nights. Among those who attended Brian's Festival Hall performances were Eric Clapton, Roger Daltrey, Elvis Costello, Richard Ashcroft, and others. The gigs were cited as the concerts of the year by most UK critics. Brian Wilson and the Royal Festival Hall were honoured with the prestigious 'Live Event of the Year Award' by Time Out Magazine."

^ back up ^

>> Clive Davis Department Of Recording Music Built At NYU's Tisch School

Clive Davis, chairman and CEO of BMG North America, recently commissioned Troy Germano, of Studio Design Group, to design and build a studio to be named, "Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music" at New York University's Tisch School of Arts. The studio will be used for a university course, and needed to be designed and equipped to provide students with a well-rounded background in the inner workings of the recording industry. Wanting the classroom facility to be as close to high-end professional studios as possible, Germano enlisted the help of longtime colleagues Dave Bell of Whitemark LTD in England and Dave Malekpour of Professional Audio Design (PAD). "The idea was to build an educational facility for recording that also had a strong emphasis on the overall studio process and business," said Germano. Germano knew that the gear needs for this type of educational environment would be a little different than in a normal recording studio. SSL's 24-channel XL 9000 K Series SuperAnalogue series console made the most sense because NYU wanted SSL quality, without overwhelming the students with an intimidating 96-channel console. Known for its high-quality, professional service throughout the entire design, construction and start-up process, PAD and its equipment expertise were needed for this project. Malekpour and his team aided with the equipment selection, provided all of the gear (with the exception of the SSL console that was supplied by SSL themselves), installed it and also provided some training on the Pro Tools set-ups. "After a great experience while working with the Tisch School about a year ago when we sold them an SSL 4040G+ console for their music department, we were excited to be a part of their new project which accrued this level of equipment in a school setting," Malekpour said. "When the project is over and the school has to function on its own, Dave and his team are still there," says Germano. Professional Audio Design www.ProAudioDesign.com

>> Danger Mouse Tapped to Produce New Songs for Tha Alkaholiks, Prince Po, MF Doom

In what will be a rare live appearance for the producer/DJ/artist, Danger Mouse has signed on appear at the upcoming Coachella Festival 2004 in Indio, California. Danger Mouse is slated to perform a set on Sunday, May 2nd (also making appearances that day are The Cure, the Flaming Lips, Air, the Crystal Method, Paul Van Dyk and Basement Jaxx amongst many others). In addition to live performances, Danger Mouse is currently producing new songs for some of hip hop's finest. He is producing a number of songs for Tha Alkaholiks upcoming Firewater album, the debut Prince Po (from Organized Konfusion) album and Sage Francis CD, as well as working on new collaborative albums with Cee-Lo and MF Doom. In an incredible year so far for Danger Mouse, he has received massive critical acclaim for his debut DM & Jemini CD Ghetto Pop Life (featuring Tha Alkaholiks, J-Zone, Prince Po and The Pharcyde) and the now infamous Grey Album, an experiment in music that uses the full vocal content of Jay-Z’s Black Album, recorded over new beats and production created using the Beatles White Album as the sole source material. The resulting record is a unique hybrid of work, a re-interpretation being touted as the one of the great remix albums in recent memory. For more information, please check out www.djdangermouse.com , www.waxploitation.com

^ back up ^

>> Solid State Logic Enjoys Strong Sales For C100 And C200 Digital Consoles For 2003

Solid State Logic, winner of this year's Technical Grammy Award and winner of three consecutive TEC Awards, is proud to announce strong sales of both C100 and C200 Digital Consoles for 2003. The impressive sales activity reflects rapid industry adoption of the new C100/200 digital console line. From the launch of the C100 at last April's NAB, the broadcast industry has been quick to embrace the console's excellent design, unique and innovative features and ability to meet the challenges of DTV. The C200, also introduced at NAB, has drawn clients from both the music and post production industries due to the console's ability to address high bandwidth recording standards. Rick Plushner, president of SSL North America, is delighted with the results. "Solid State Logic has created the C100/200 to meet the demands of the broadcast industry as it migrates to all digital production," he comments. SSL also reports one of its largest orders of the year for the Fox Network. Fox Promotions and Fox Sports ordered a total of six C200 consoles for post production, making them among the first to base their facilities around the C-range platform. C100 Digital Broadcast Consoles have been sold to facilities around the world topping 15 installations since its release "We're looking forward to continuing this upward trend in 2004, with continued strong market penetration for the C100 and C200," Plushner says.

^ back up ^

>> This Is Your LAST CHANCE To Update Your Listing for RPM's '04 Producer/Engineer Print Directory!

RPM Direct and The Music Business Registry have partnered to publish a print edition of RPM Direct's producer and producer management directory. NOTE: If you have a listing in our directory - producers, engineers, mixers, producer managers - MAKE SURE YOU UPDATE YOUR LISTING! We want to make sure your information is up to date before printing. Use your login and check if your listing needs an update - if so send email to Info@rpmdirect.com with any changes. Not listed? Go to our website and go to the "Get Listed" tab to add your information. Interested in advertising in this new directory? We're currently offering "name your price" advertising rates, if interested, please contact Advertise@rpmdirect.com. Visit RPM Direct online: www.rpmdirect.com Visit The Music Business Registry online www.musicregistry.com

^ back up ^

>> Time To Get Sweet On The Swedes

Export Music Sweden and the Consulates General of Sweden in New York and Los Angeles proudly present the 3rd Annual Swedish Music Showcase Tour, a first look at Sweden's best new rock n' rollers. In the first two years, artists such as The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Sahara Hot Nights, Citizen Bird and The Sounds have taken part in showcases, which have become must-see events for music fans looking for the next big Swedish thing. For 2004, the five artists are buzzin' rock trio Hell on Wheels, singer-songwriter KristKristofer Åström,glam rock band Hardcore Superstar, synth-popper's Kamera and dark-pop group, Holden. For detailed information, MP3's, biographies on each artist and photos, please visit www.swedennewyork.com/showcase. The shows are scheduled as follows: March 16 New York, NY CBGB's; March 18 Austin, TX (SXSW) BD Rileys; March 20 Los Angeles, CA Troubador. Christer Lundblad, Managing Director of Export Music Sweden, is particularly excited about this year's line-up. "Just when people think they know what to expect from Swedish artists, something totally new happens. These will be very good shows." According to Mr. Olle Wästberg, the Consulate General in New York, "It's amazing to see the creativity exploding out of our country, and to know that it's being so well-embraced by U.S. audiences. We can't wait to welcome the class of 2004." For more information, please contact: Judy Miller @ Motormouth Media judy@motormouthmedia.com

^ back up ^

>> Recording Session Notes and Other Updates...

2004 is off to a busy start at The Village Recording Studios in West Los Angeles, where the synergy of pop, rock, commercial and film music making continues hot. Recent sessions at The Village have included British indie rockers Travis and Starsailor, Rickie Lee Jones and the always-iconoclastic Randy Newman; all of the above were recording on Studio D’s Neve 88R console with engineer Jason Wormer for live broadcast on KCRW radio’s top-rated Morning Becomes Eclectic. Booking contact: Jeff Greenberg The Village VillageRec@aol.com or call 310-478-8227

Producer/engineer Mark Endert was in Scream Studios mixing three back-to-back debut albums — Sara Overall for Columbia, Anna Nalick for Columbia, and Michael Tolcher for Octone. The Rza was also in recording and mixing the soundtrack for the MGM film "Soul Plane". Producer/engineer Rob Brill was in mixing songs for Poltrana's Maverick Records debut album. Clif Norrell was in mixing a few songs for Finland's #1 band Rasmus for Interscope Records. For more info contact Lacey Wood at lacey@screamstudios.com 818-505-0755

Boston Skyline Studios has announced the appointment of Rob Pemberton to the position of Senior Staff Engineer. Boston Skyline Studios is New England's newest, and most advanced recording studio. Pemberton has many years of engineering, producing and technical experience in music recording. For 7 years he was the Chief Engineer at Sound Station Seven Studios in Providence Rhode Island. While in Providence, Pemberton was responsible for all studio recording operations and staff. For additional information please visit the company website at www.BostonSkylineStudios.com or call 617-451-7717.

^ back up ^