From the bustling noise of Elliot Street to secluded houses in the many hills that surround Athens, there are many recording studios for aspiring artists and music producers alike to practice and hone their craft.
Like many record producers, Hil Hackworth, owner and operator of Pigeon Coop Studio and member of the local hip-hop conglomerate Dysfunktional Family, started recording music in basements and bedrooms. But this summer he was able to open his own studio.
“I’d been running (studios) out of my apartment for the past few years and I got an opportunity to build a separate structure — get out of the bedroom,” Hackworth said. “I reformatted an old Pigeon Coop … and created a recording studio with it.”
Hackworth naturally specializes in hip-hop but said he’s a music lover and enjoys working with people of all genres especially in such a musically diverse town.
“I think it’s amazing that we do have so many studios in Athens to not only help with how many bands we have, because there are so many bands that want to make great music, but there are also so many recording engineers that want to make a great recording,” Hackworth said. “When you have both of those things … it just meshes perfect and this town brings out a lot of great independent music because of it.”
The all-digital studio is a “getaway” for artists, Hackworth added, because it’s important that performers be in the right state of mind when recording.
Nature is a common theme for many studios in the area that try to create a relaxing atmosphere for artists to write and perform.
“A lot of bands from bigger cities like to come out and spend a week here writing and recording,” said Neil Tuuri, owner of Amish Electric Chair Studios. “It’s such a different atmosphere than they are used to.”
The added scenery is one reason to set up shop in the hills, but Tuuri said it’s simply too expensive to rent a large enough property for all the equipment in the heart of Athens on top of dealing with noise ordinances.
But recording veteran Josh Antonuccio, co-owner and producer at 3 Elliot Studios and a lecturer of Music Production at Ohio University, makes it work right off the main party drag on Elliot Street.
He said recording equipment has become so cheap in recent years that artists are in search of finding someone they trust to produce their music.
“The software and the technology is not the issue anymore, it’s more about who can help people craft their vision and craft their ideas,” he said. “That’s what I love doing. … It’s very rare that I have a client I’m not totally stoked to be partnering with. It’s a very relational industry.”
wh092010@ohiou.edu
@WilburHoffman
